Movie Stars & Rebel Yells

It's been a busy couple of weeks. Beach, parties (including a Boeremusiek one!), projects and the girls have had turns being ill. Tara's home at the moment. Rogue Traders (Aussie rock band) concert was fab. (Pic here with Brookie.) Jadie's mastered the art of applying Tara's bandage - very proud of her! - AND Tara's now medication free! YAY! We may get her memory back! Phantom tickles persist. Tara said the other night that she so hopes it's not gonna be like this forever - but the reality is that it could be (tho' not necessarily) - and for the freedom she's gained, it's worth it...plus she's soooo lucky to not be like so many other people with amputated limbs who suffer excrutiating phantom pain for the rest of their lives.

Tone's looking good - this BP and cholesterol problem's been great for him. Watch out Max. He's the new Skinny! He's running in the evenings with Cas who volunteered to run in her school 800 m race next week, to earn her House a point, even tho' she comes so stone last she can barely see the girl in front of her. You go Cas!!!!

Apparently Tara's being treated like a bit of a movie star at school - which is fun but does mean a huge shadow falls over her twin. We were in the shops last weekend when a little girl walked in and said 'hello Tara'. Tara mumbled hello and carried on looking at the Diddlina's...while Jadie said hello to the little girl by name, with a smile - and the girl just blanked her. Jadie said to me afterwards that the girl hates her. But it's not that. She just didn't even notice anyone else - she was so excited that she'd spotted Tara outside of the school grounds - she was consumed.

There was another incident at school when someone tried to touch Jadie just because "she's famous because she's Tara's sister". So Jadie went into rebel-overdrive and was offish to two of the sweetest girls at school and refused to push Tara's wheelchair when it was her turn - but after a heart-to-heart she went to school yesterday and apologised to those girls; and on Friday she pushed Tara's wheelchair - and they both LOVED it - Tara said it felt like Jadie was her best friend.

I asked Tara if she wanted to write a little book from an 8-year-old's perspective of what it's like having an amputation - but she said it would be too boring. I said I thought other kids may be interested. But she said "maybe they would, but it would be SO boring for me". She really is so not phased by it all. In fact when Tone and Cassie went for a run the other night, Tara went and told Tone in all seriousness that she wouldn't be joining them for the run because she was busy doing something else. She never thought that maybe hopping on one foot could hold her back! (And yes, that's a leg warmer on her arm...)

She was quite interested last week tho' when a little girl was featured in the British Daily Mail - all 4 of her limbs had been amputated because of meningitis. Tara stared at her for the longest time - and kept scrolling down to look at her pictures again and again. But the thing that fascinated her the most was that upside down (doing a handstand) this little girl's face resembled hers. So she really connected with her.

In the last week we've had quite a few parents come up and tell us how great it's been for the children in Tara's class to take turns pushing her and learning 'responsibility' - actually, so many people said it I started wondering if there'd been a secret conference about it! But it just seems the girls get really excited about their turns and take it really seriously - one girl even dreamt she lost Tara, which apparently reveals the great sense of responsibility. In real life, so far, only one girl has tipped Tara out of the wheelchair by mistake! And there were no injuries. By far the most dangerous thing has been slippery floors when she's on crutches - she fell on her face in the supermarket the other day. Bit scary.

We're SO excited for Ziggi's wedding this weekend - and SO sad that we won't be there. I was almost, almost gonna fly out tomorrow for the weekend in France (thanks Cam Cam!) - but at the last moment the Panayis family decided they weren't quite ready for mum to be on the other side of the world without them. Tara actually became very tearful and said 'thank you mama' when I said I wasn't going to go. But Zigs & Christian - the WHOLE family wishes we were there with you - and we so definitely will be in spirit! (Chamonix pic here to remind you of us.)

And a HUGE HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY to Kim & PJ, Jonathan & Anne and Lisa & Christophe!!!

Thanks guys SO much for all the messages and for making each of the girls feel so special. And thank you also for all the gifts. If you haven't yet received a thank you card, it's totally Tone's and my fault. The girls lovingly make them...and then we forget to post them. Argh! Sorry!

Here's vid of Jadie sand surfing like a pro...like father, like daughter...