Okanagan Summer

The girls camped out on our balcony last night:popcorn, movie on my computer. Heat, bugs and lightening sent them in. The lightening started another forest fire in upper mission. Saw a lot of smoke on the mountain on my run this am. Decided I must run by 6 am or not bother in this heat.
Went to lake last night. So hot and the water was gorgeous.
Party at Chungs was alright. Gorgeous lake view. We picked Mist up from a near by beach while we were at the party as she had been out boating all day with friends. They boated to an NHL player's summer mansion (playroom the size and design of a hockey rink according to the Mist).
Decided not to worry about being politically correct because my fundamental knowledge of truth will shine through my words, being: we are all one and the same, connected through our humanness and even further through our being earthlings.
Today is the desert day: tonight we drive to Osoyoos, spend the night, hang out tomorrow on Canada's B Day.
New summer schedule for the next two weeks:
6 am workout.
7 am girls breakfast.
9 am lake/beach.
11:30 swimming lessons.
1-3 paint.
Then I will switch to am painting once swimming is over.
I am excited about these things in my life: I found the dog I am going to adopt in the spring. An awesome breed I didn't even know existed: an Olde English Bulldogge. I am going to learn to sail and buy a sail boat, I am continuing to improve my French, I am continuing my life long Buddhist studies, my career because it will involve all I love--world travel, working with children to promote literacy, writing and portrait painting, I'm going to train for mountain trail running, snowboarding as a family,mountain biking as a family, my zen life style, I have immanent trips planned to England, France, San Fransisco and Florida in the next 2 years. I am taking Mistaya with me to India to study with the Dalai Lama as soon as we can make it happen. And will take the highest altitude train on Earth to Tibet while we're at it.
There you have it, things that thrill me at the moment.

Albino Moose

Five little girls and I went to the beach yesterday. It was hot and the water was cold! I must brag that I won first in the water to dunk my head. Managed a quick meeting with T and company last evening, all in great spirits as they head off to Quebec for 2 weeks. Wrong party date--it's tonight which is better as yesterday was a bit busy. must bring an appie--I hate appies. I'm a dessert girl. I love to make delicious desserts and suppers--lunch, breakfast and appies: not so much.
It is true: one's weight is based more on what one eats then on how much one exercises. For example, I usually exercise like a maniac: push myself to my limit running, mountain hiking with 30 lbs on my back, lifting weights and killer spin classes. Yet for the last 3 weeks I have done maybe 1/4 of my usual workouts due to a virus and a concentrated effort to slow down. But I have continued to maintain my mindful zen eating practises (I eat small portions and try to keep all I ingest super nutritious--though I do treat myself to sweets as I have a big sweet tooth). So, I was surprised to learn that I have lost a pound or two--from an already thin frame. There you have it folks, the science of body weight/exercise and diet.
Debating on whether or not to drive down to Osoyoos tomorrow to hike in the desert, swim in the hottest lake in Canada and then nip across the border into the states for some awesome Mexican food in Orville, Washington. Pete's nervous as it will probably be at least 40 o down there. But hey, we'll drive in the morning, come back in the evening and our van does have air.
Will take Tabs biking very soon, and take the girls back down to the lake as it is gorgeous hot weather again.
And my moose painting is brilliant if you visualize an albino moose, lost in a blizzard, with its eyes closed.

Mountain Top Picnic

Last day of school for my girls yesterday. Pip and I attended a slide show in Tabs class. Tabi kept shushing me throughout the show because each time her photo came on the screen I guess I exclaimed a little too loudly, "there's our Tabseroni!"
It was very Windy last night so we decided to hike up and have a mountain top picnic instead of the beach. Then we had a movie/make your own Sunday party(my hot fudge sauce recipe) at home in the evening. We put the movie on the wall of our bedroom and all snuggled into the master bed. Tabs picked "Minute Men" and loved it. Mist missed the festivities as she was at a sleepover at Nicole's.
Today I will resume jogging in the heat, even though my asthma acted up in the night (dreamed I was smothering all night). Peter awoke me at 5am coughing nonstop--that virus lasts for a month!
Must finish the census questionnaire I promised to--they sent me the super-duper package to fill out in May and the census guy phoned me the other day and was so sweet and sincere on the telephone that I actually promised him I'd fill out the on-line form today.
Must also write UBC Creative Writing department today.
Will tidy the house, run, make girls waffles, take girls to beach, pick up Mistaya,do my computer errands, buy groceries and then relax for T,K, J and the dogs arrival for the afternoon. Then we are going to a party tonight at the Chung residence. Should be interesting as I haven't seen their new lake-view home yet.--Sometime in there I need to devote time to my moose painting too. PS both girls report cards rocked.

Play Day

Fun times at elementary school: Tabi hurdling, Pippi throwing a ball, Misty jumping rope.
Am trying to get into a directed studies creative writing class--going to give "Queen" a thorough work out if I am accepted.
Beach party tonight to celebrate last day of school for the girls. I'll make a picnic and they each get to bring a friend. Going to be hot this weekend.
Tomorrow Theresa, Kyran and Joop stop by for a luncheon on their convoluted route to Montreal.
Summer morning schedule for myself is :
6 am--run, weights.
7 am--get girls up and at it for breakfast.
8 am--paint (Mist babysits).
10 am--go to beach with girls for 2 hours.

Pippi and Her Trains

Let's see..what to tell from the fascinating court of Queen MJ. Well, of course there is little Pippi with her beloved trains. And the same Pippi that abhors her "Thomas the Tank Engine" potty so much so that she has sworn off "Smarties" as I was using them to bribe her to try the potty. And then darling Misty, who had to have a baby tooth pulled at the dentist this morning and was in poor spirits (major drama) until I caved and rented her "Juno"--I thought it a bit old for her but apparently she loved it! And Tabitha, who insists on wearing a sling to school for her "sore arm" yet the sling magically disappears as soon as she steps off the school bus and doesn't appear until the next morning as she heads out the front door. And as for Peter, he has only one more chapter to revise before the PhD is over. And alas, QueenMJ is having moose problems--can't find the right angel to paint from; and flat tire problems; and bad bad dreams about me missing the first day of cheerleading practise and not knowing the routine and everyone refusing to teach it to me! Thus me not making the team...I know, the terror, the terror...School is over for the girls on Thursday. That means I am getting prepared for starting every morning with a trip to the beach for the next two months. Yee ha!

Kettle Valley Railway Hike

Running out of the tunnel...
Running into the tunnel...

7500 people climbed to the top of Myra Canyon to take in the reopening of the Kettle Valley Railway's last trestle bridge. For those who have forgotten, they all burnt down during the Okanagan Mountain fire 5 years ago.
Weekend was decent. Saw "Get Smart"--entertaining. Tabs rocked at Lazer Tag, scoring 3rd highest every game, just under the adults. out of 15 players. She called herself "Black Cat". Mist had a sleep over party in her friends back yard. But they got too scared by wolf calls and slept inside. (It was me calling from our balcony! I did duck calls and growls too but apparently they ran inside after the wolf call and missed them). Peter water sliding with Mist's school today. Pip busy this morning, playing with her trains. I'm back at it--work outs, painting blah blah blah...

Grade Six Graduate

Mistaya and Me... Mistaya's graduation night was wonderful. She recieved an award for her work ethic. Her short write up about herself as she received her certificate was well done. She said she wanted her school to remember her for: not being afraid to express herself and her creativity. Afterward, her parents took her to Joey's to celebrate with beverages and treats. The pictures are of us last night at Joey's. It is very hard to believe my tiny new born Mistaya is already graduating from 6th grade.
Tabs and Pip stayed home with Julia, the babysitter.Tabs loved it, she even blogged about the evening. Pip has an ear infection which may explain her waking 3 times a night, crying.I will do a power hike and my abs today--gradually getting back at my workouts. Start my moose this weekend. Very soon--at noon, Pip and I will take Silver to Tabs class to show him off for Tabitha's show and tell. Tabs has a birthday party to attend tomorrow at Planet Lazer, and Mistaya and all the middle year kids at her school are off to Vernon on Monday to go water sliding--Peter will go along.

Mom, Dad and Mistaya at Joey's

Facing the Fear

Tabitha did it. She successfully got her filling at the dentist with only 1/2 a children's Valium tablet, my Ipod meditation songs and her DS Animal Crossing. I was a little bit of a wreck, worrying she wouldn't go through with it and she'd have to go back to the specialist and get knocked out. She's home now with a frozen mouth and one pink Google richer.

Virus still knocking the stuffing out of Pete, Pip and I. Sick of feeling tired. Really getting bored because I feel too yuck to work out, go out to a show or anything! I've been busy just running around doing errands for the children and then I'm too wiped to do naught.

I have to choose my elective...the history of Ed in China, past to present, or a creative writing course? My masters is in global education using creative writing to promote literacy. So both would be OK. The only global ed class offered is the Chinese one.

Signed big girls up for swimming this summer and then at the end of August a horse riding camp. I vowed that since I was raised with horses and learned to ride, I had to at least manage riding lessons for my girls, if not a horse.

Jury still not in on summer plans. Peter has narrowed down a week off he can spend with the girls, but I have not confirmed any plans yet. I was going to take myself and my 3 gals to Berlin for 3 weeks but the cheapest fairs would still set me back $6000 alone. And with Florida coming up in the fall and Mexico or Hawaii at Christmas...Air travel is getting way too expensive! They need to invent a solar plane or a faster solar powered hover craft or something to cross the Atlantic!

Kalidescope

Mistaya danced like a butterfly. She is so graceful. And Tabs tapped her little heart out with a big smile on her face the entire show. An enjoyable evening end to a crazy weekend. The Pip was so well behaved in the audience, asking "Isty? Tab Ta?" throughout the show.
Mom went back home. She was so much help to me this weekend.
I am tired. But June is among us, and the activities are never ending. Today I apply for my classes and go to the water park with Tabs class and the Pip.
Peter, Pip and I still fighting the world's worst upper respiratory virus-incessant coughing. Now I realize Mistaya's "asthma" was this nasty virus!
We have to make plans--for the summer. Peter and his dissertation and then his teaching has left everything hovering in space. I must go ahead and make some plans regardless. Hm...so many decisions. Not well enough to jump back into my routine yet--painting, workouts. I'll be all floppy by the time I get back at everything. My break has turned into much too long! Let's see, Wednesday--that's when I'll shoot for to get back on the horse.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Cool Cat Peter... Little Pete....Still a Cool Cat



Little Bud ...Cool Cat John....Still a Cool Cat

HAPPY FATHER"S DAY DAD AND PETER!

Behind the Scenes...

Mom and her Viennese chocolate cream cake we donated to the school cake walk.

Mistaya back stage chatting with her mates, her absolute favorite part of the entire concert.

Tabs and one of her best buddies Wynne--back stage super excited to have found each other.

Peter is feeling a lot better today--yeeha! however, the Pip and I are negotiable.

A whirl wind day yesterday--met my cousin Kathy at Starbucks in the AM. I hadn't seen her in years. She looks great--she has the most beautiful complexion.

Mom iced the cake and we took it over to the school. Then we primped the girls for the dress rehearsal, had them at the theatre by 4:oo. Met my friend Maggie again, who I hadn't seen in so long, which was nice. Mom and I walked along the lake in the sunshine and had supper at Earls on the deck over looking the lake and mountain--it's great to live in Kelowna. Rushed back to pick up the girls, took them to family festival night at the school. I bid on Planet Lazer tickets--90$ worth for 45$ and won. Mom bid on a signed, framed photo of "The Desperate Housewives" cast for 375$ and won it...lol. We didn't win our cake back, shucks anyway.

Today is the concert at 2pm and again at 7:30pm. Exhaustion!

Dancing Queens

Tabitha's Tap and Mistaya's Ballet.
All started out promising today, with my mom's much anticipated arrival. However, Peter has developed a high fever and throat infection and is horizontal and doped up on narcotics and antibiotics at the moment.
Mom has made a heavenly smelling chocolate cake with Tabitha that is cooling on the counter.
Pip is still not all better. I do hope she doesn't develop strep throat like her father.
I'm hoping my big girls stay strong for the marathon weekend ahead of us all. Oh, how I hate when my rock gets sick.
On to better news: the weather is absolutely gorgeous and we will be parked at the beach as soon as all this upper respiratory illness is cured.
Watching "Ten questions for the Dalai Lama." I am enjoying it mainly because he is absolutely adorable. I am uncharacteristically cranky tonight. Being June--a busy month--and four of my family member's ill, does make even the most Buddha of Mama's crack.

Buddha Mama

Pip watching Mistaya do the shot put at track.

Pip recovering. Pete and I fighting it in our chests. Back at the gym. Yeeha, I love routine. Peter woke me up at 5:30 even though I told him I no longer get up before 6:oo AM.

Mom arrives tomorrow to help with the dance activities-thank the lord! Tabs will put her to work creating a cake for the school cake walk on Friday. And then designing a foot therapy program for Mist.

I've recovered from my exhaustion spell, having made changes that zen my life. The nasty fall actually helped me learn important info.

Purchased a children's book about Buddha and read it to the girls last night. They loved it. Tabs and I will visualize her dental surgery from start to finish--including a trip afterward to purchase a Webkinz. Visualization is so powerful.

YEE HA...

Mistaya on the Spiderman slide.

This week has started out difficult. Pip has the worst virus. Her eyes are weeping yellow and half closed, she coughs all night, had an ear ache with it and a fever. I got zero sleep last night, listening to her cough non-stop. So, I am taking the day off--no choice. No painting, no gym--naught. I will take her on a stroller ride around the neighborhood though and do my abs. It's been since last Wednesday that I did any serious exercise. I had to break for my sanity and body. I realize in retrospect, with all the hardcore activity I've been doing, my body had no time to rebuild itself. I assaulted it with exhausting workouts everyday , sometimes three times a day. But I do get obsessed with things easily and cannot see clearly. I thought if I can do the workouts easily, then what is the problem? I never took into consideration the necessity of down time. But now, I'm ready to go back and I cannot. No sleep and a sick baby keep me grounded for another day.
Tabs and Mist have a busy dance week. Their costumes are gorgeous.
I am still reading "The Brain that Changes Itself", by Norman Doidge M.D. I am learning so very much and loving it. I've come up with ideas to solve any all glitches in my family.
My new meditation songs are wonderful. I love meditating to nature sounds.
Peter and I have not ruled out a quick tropical vacation for 2, once he hands in his dissertation.

Undone

I finally crashed: too much exercise, not enough sleep, zero relax time. I never see it coming until I feel like I've been hit by a bus. I can't even think straight. So...I am cutting back my workouts, and trying to sleep in a little later most mornings. I hope the small changes work. I am bad that way, if I can fit it all in, and do it, I do. But a few months later, that's when the crash comes.

Mist is at a sleep over B day party. Tabs has a soccer game and then a dance rehearsal today. Tomorrow is Mist's dance rehearsal. Sometimes I can't cope with June. We're double booked all month, having to choose between two or three things.

This AM I have convinced PJ to take the morning off to stay with me; coffee out, come with me to pick up art canvases from Opus, pick up Mist from the party with me. There is a parade this morning down town that I wanted to take the Pip to, but we are so busy shuttling the big girls every where we miss out.

Pip up all night with an ear ache--dosing her with Motrin and Tylenol. Will also fit in a Dr. appoint this morning before we start our day.

I have to beg our dentist on Monday to try and fill Tabs tooth again. I don't want her to be sedated and go to the specialist surgeon next month--her tooth ache wakes her up each night! I'm supposed to book her in for an ultra sound too for her bladder.

And I need to take Mist into a specialist about her flat feet and ankle problems. Also an asthma specialist because she's suddenly developed asthma this spring. It's no wonder I want to jump ship and swim to some tropical island in the middle on no where.

I desperately need: a personal assistant, a nanny, a cook, a house keeper, a gardener... This is the blog where it all comes undone. Not to worry, I've downloaded 5 new meditation songs that I can hardly wait to use: jungle sounds, meadow sounds etc.

The Pic is Tabs last Saturday at her game. She rocks at soccer.

Big Daddy

He's done. What a beauty. I want to kiss his big fat snout. Anyway, I guess the moose is next. I sure hope I can complete at least eight by August.
Weird day. Talking about the writing conference with my cousin today and then at Starbucks--for the first time ever--I ran into a woman I met at the conference who lives in Kelowna--Gwen. Pip really talking . I feel bad when I can't understand her though, she tries so hard.
Track meet tomorrow for Mist. Will get some action shots. Then field trip the next day to Brants Creek with Tabs class. And 5 practices per kid for the dance concert coming up next weekend.
I get to choose my university classes next week too.
Miranda: have a safe trip to Berlin and BLog, Blog, Blog about all the wonders that are Germany. And research the Mix and Wickworth names--our ancestors.

MJ and PJ's Zen Cafe

Mistaya, Tabitha and Penelope.
My darling girls taken tonight in our back yard as they tried out the spider man water side.

Too tired to go out tonight so Peter and I decided to stay in the same room together for half an hour and let that count as a date. We flopped down at the Zen Cafe in our living room. The place was pretty nice--each got to lay back on a leather sofa and let it rip (JK or maybe not). Though they ran out of ice for Pete's pop and my rhubarb muffin was slightly frozen in the middle. The kids wandered in and out at their leisure and Pip built towers with her blocks on the floor.Some times it's the little things that get one exhausted: the viscous dog that nearly jumped threw it's jeep window in an attempt to shred me as I buckled Pip into her car seat--in the chapter's parking lot. And how my pallet of paint flew from my table and landed on my calf and then I stepped on it--covering me oil paint. Oh well, the Zen Cafe wound me down for tonight. Pip is crying in her crib as I write this because she's thrown her blankets and soother on the floor for the 2nd time already tonight and I am trying to ignore her.

Morning in the Wood

Pippi and Mommy's morning walk through the Mission Creek wood.

For all of you that may not have been around me in the last few years you might be surprised to know that I have a bit of an obsessive type of personality. This is very helpful when trying to accomplish things: painting, writing, working out. However, it can be a pain in the butt for other things. And blogging is one of them. Suddenly, with the power of my new Rebel camera, I feel driven to constantly capture every facet of my life and immediately post it. I truly have to stop myself from running to the computer off and on all day long. It's like "Wow, I gotta take a picture of this...wow, I gotta talk about that..." So, I will rein myself in and try to use discretion and blog about only the important stuff...whatever that is. Rats, and I so wanted to post pics of the latest crab spider and deer in my back yard.
So, "Sex and the City" was a fun ride--not as well done as the series but I will not go on so as to not be a spoiler. Only I will report: no wrinkles--not even on 50 year old Samantha. And Carrie has no more boobs. She lost them somewhere.

Beach was so nice last night...quiet, setting sun. I had to chase Pip the length of the entire beach to try and get her to leave with us. Carried her wreathing and screaming back to the van. Mist and Tabs built an entire Animal crossing town in the sand. Peter got sand kicked in his face from a beach bully--little wee Pip. And I, in my new bikini, too chicken to go past my knees in the lake as it's still mighty cold water--not as cold as the ocean, so I really should have forced myself in.

Must finish building the girls their pot gardens today, even though they want to plant things they'll never eat: egg plant etc.