Oh...Fernando!

What a dog. He is the most rambunctious little creature known to mammal kind. If he isn't biting your ankles, he is jumping up trying to bark in your face. And forget trying to discipline him. If you Say "NOOO!" He only howls back to you even louder. Poor Pip yelling "No, Fernando!, No!" Only to have him mournfully howl back each word to her. Man, we could teach that dog to sing! He's succeeded in digging up the bottom of his foam Tiger chair. A favorite hobby of his.
Tabs built bridges today at school--Pip and I came to observe.
Mist got an "A" on her science project and had it on display in the library at school--Peter went to witness.
Tonight Tabs has a piano concert at the Rotary Centre for the Arts down town--too soon! We haven't eaten yet!
And Peter is home! Peter is home! Home at last! He is a man with a weight lifted off his shoulders. One of his committee members emailed me to say how Peter did an impressive job and all the committee members were amazed at how well he answered all their questions and that there were some really hard questions. They were impressed with Peter's knowledge on his topic. Also he has no revisions, aside from a few grammatical mistakes to correct like a comma here, an abbreviation changed there...

Meditate, Pray and Work...Forget: Eat, Pray, Love--that's for gals with nothing but time on their hands!

My clowns. Mist had them dressed and ready to perform with the "AMAZING FERNANDO" last night. Tabs was busy "Zenning" her bedroom. If she accomplishes the goal thoroughly and fairly efficiently, she gets a surprise. Pip is at day care and I really need to work on my paper but I am full of angst, so I need to write it all out.
Peter Passed! He is officially Dr. PJ Arthur Smarty-pants! Hee-ya!
But on the down side...an unseasonable blizzard and dump of snow closed down Vancouver and Kelowna airports. He was supposed to be home last night but alas, all flights were cancelled and so overbooked that he can't get on a flight home until tomorrow!!! And get this, even though he isn't supposed to even be in Vancouver this morning, I called him on his cell and he couldn't talk because he is in a meeting! Go figure! Has that little PJ Smarty-pants headed over to UBC to sit on on meetings for the sheer joy of it all???
Needless to say, the girls and I have a few problems. We are all fried eggs for brains. Crying in the mornings( not me, the girls!), disorganized, not going to bed on time, getting up too early, messy bedrooms, playroom, argumentative. I was supposed to get up for hot yoga at 6 this AM downtown. No-Way! Number one it is so snowy out there and -10 oC this AM. #2, Peter is not home to help with breakfasts so I cannot leave the girls alone. I'm overwhelmed. I need a week to do nothing but reorganise the house, my girls schedules. But no time. I just soldier on blindly, feeling frustrated and disorganised.
I will make to time meditate. And I will work on my paper. And I will pray.
PS to make a point about how I am feeling: I vacuumed the hardwood and tile upstairs yesterday and accidentally vacuumed through fresh dog crap. Yes, I vacuumed that crap all over my entire main floor. It was jammed inside the vacuum and all over my house. Yes, life is fun sometimes! The pure joy I had, cleaning that crap up was unbelievable!

Big Day

Peter age 6.
Oh what a morning...what a night. Crying, late...Tabs nearly missed the school bus--I drove her down to Mikaila's stop. Mist couldn't find a brush--tears. Pip wouldn't brush her teeth--tears. The house is a mess! I have ideas, new ones on how to down size, zen my home yet again. But I have no time to do it! Every spare moment I have I must work on my paper. It is a trying time for me.
Peter is in Vancouver, since yesterday. Today is his big day. PhD defense. He will call me in the afternoon when he finds out if he passed. I must go now, and take dear Pip to the speech path. She is doing fabulously, but she makes common pronunciation errors that are typical of her age. On the week end , while I was cutting her pancakes she was saying, "Yum, yummy, yum-yum." So I said, "Some little girl around here has always loved her breakfasts, I won't say who..." And little Pip said, "OK, I admit it...it's me." Tabs, Mist and I just couldn't believe that our little peanut Pip knew such phrases. She is my baby girl genius. Gotta go...going to be late like my girls this morning, only I'm not up for a crying jag.

What Ever Happened to Childhood?

Mistaya's final game of the season. She has done amazingly well this season. She had never played before this year and she is a year younger than nearly all her team mates, yet she is right in there playing BBall, running up and down the court. I am so proud of her! The photos are of the Mist at the game and of her two favorite fans: Tabs and Pip.
Started my paper today. Fan Fiction, wow! WHo knew it was so huge online? I want to learn about it because it is the number one fiction being published online. I am learning alot and plan to use all my new research to promote my own books online. Goodbye old style publishing houses--they are dying. I just read an article quoting Margret Atwood and she agreed with this view.
Suffering with anger, frustration and mostly sadness. Sadness over the short life of childhood in western culture. The concept was newly born during Victorian times and only just a century later, it is disappearing. I am referring to the unintentionally wicked parents out there who have bought into putting their children in competitive sports as soon as they can walk. That's it..the official end of childhood fun. No longer can children enjoy sports for the fun and game. It is all about raising your little embryo to be the next Steve Nash, Wayne Gretsky etc. It is appalling how many parents rob their children of their childhood. Why can't kids just play for fun? Why must sport take up their entire lives from infancy?
Take Basketball. Mistaya is in grade 7, it is her first year playing the sport on her school team. She rocks. Yet she is playing with girls who have been in private (parent funded) basketball leagues since they were 6 ! What kind of a chance does my Mist have to shine at school basketball when her team mates are playing in the top provincial private leagues and have done so for the past 5 years? Where can kids who are still kids play basketball against other kids? It is creating a horrible have vs have-not skills in school. I don't want to rob my children of their childhoods. I don't want them to play in private leagues since infancy. I want my kids to have tons of free time to just play, explore, be kids and dabble in sports for the pure joy of playing the game with friends!
SHAME on all the parents out there that have robbed their children of free play time! It doesn't just ensure your child has no life, but it ensures that all children are robbed of peers to play with.

Shake Yaw Booie!

My little clowns. The girls were feeling festive this past week. Tabs and Mist made carmel corn yesterday and I must say--it is WAY too good! We added a little Fleur de sel, to make our own gourmet salted-carmel corn.
Today was a day of very mixed emotions. I left this morning before Tabs had been to the doctor, with what I thought was a kidney infection. And I had to present this morning for my class--but was reluctant to leave my baby Tabs.
However, Tabs is at home now, on antibiotics and feeling considerably better than last night.
Last night I took her and Pip skating, only to have Tabs run out of energy and collapse on me in exhaustion and fever. I was at a loss as to what was wrong with her. I'd been treating her intestinal upsets all week as though she was allergic to milk. So, I tried my handy urine test strips last night and sure enough, they showed white blood cells and protein in Tab's sample. I was a wreck all night worried that she's had an undiagnosed kidney infection.
Was up early this AM as I had class all day and my group presented our talk on "Online Reading." I felt good about the whole thing and believe we did a great job. AT least I felt good in my new Hillfiger skirt and Fluvoggs.
Arrived home to find a nude Pip, she had refused to get dressed for her sister Mistaya.
Tonight, is my last relax night for a while. It is full steam ahead on my term paper after this. If only Peter could join me in the relaxation but he is full-full steam ahead for his dissertation in Vancouver on Wednesday.
At the moment, my nudie Pip is throwing her ball around the room, nearly taking out my computer, and singing, "Shake yaw Booie!...Shake yaw Booie!"--aka: shake your bootie.

Snowhite

Penelope in her "Snowhite" dress with Fernando.
Today is a pro-D day so all my girls are at home with me. I have them currently cleaning their rooms and the family room. I will head out on a run and do some abs at home. Then we are off for coffee and a quick trip to The Gap to return some jeans I bought Mist and she did not like--she only likes tight "cigarette" legs.
I am going to start researching my paper in the afternoon and then we will all go skating tonight. There you have it--a day in plans.
I've had a difficult few months--unable to Zen my head around my current life style. I am working on it though. Managed a long focused meditation on the topic and came to a better place. I think I definitely need nightly medications to keep my brain on board and focused. So much going on in my life at the moment. And I find Mistaya's new junior high life style is soooo busy
that I find I am taxing her all over the place every day and can barely keep up with her activities. She has actually missed several dance classes due to Basketball games overload. There is a talk today-alas I am too busy to attend, but it on the SLOW childhood movement. I'd like to attend, even though, I have always been on board with that idea. I do try to limit my kids extra activities. However, the MIst loves to be involved at school: basketball, social justice club, school drama production, band. She is considering field hockey once basketball is over. I, of course, ALWAYS so wanted to play field hockey so a part of me would love to see her do it. Tabs has ballet and piano. Pip daycare. I am actually debating whether to put Pip in preschool next year. Perhaps daycare is enough? I just don't know? Preschool would be more educational--group dynamic. Tabs will start soccer in April and she is insisting on baseball. Also summers they swim and take a week of horseback riding. What to cut?
I am starting a hot yoga class and a spin class too--but they are in the early morning.
Decided to start my new painting project this spring--forest painting--something I have always wanted to do but focused on portraits instead. Sometimes one's internal voice says--stay with what you know, stay with what you are practised in. Lately though, it is saying no to that voice, and it has been abandoning what is familiar, that has led me to some most interesting places in my life. So I am forging ahead, ignoring the voice that says stay with your area of focus. I am switching that focus toward what swirls behind my consciousness. The ideas that are brewing, bubbling up, waiting for me to sip. IE my thesis focus, hot yoga, painting deep forests,even my new blog focus.
Today is a day to get my mind back on board. Focused and directed.

In Praise of: Just Because...

Pippi and Misty as interesting characters--Granny took this while I was in Vancouver.

I smell something rotten in the state. Is it my puppy? I will give him a bath, just in case. I keep smelling this dreadfully funky stench and cannot locate it's origin. So I'll start with Fernando.
Tabs is home again with bowel cramps. I am at a loss. I took her off dairy. If her cramps don't improve in a few days I'll try wheat. If that fails it is off to the Doctors for a round of tests.
I arrived home late last night. My poor darlings didn't get supper until 8. Mist had a friend--Taylor stay and help babysit Pip and Tabs. They gave them a bubble bath in their bathing suits and made them pancakes (milk-free for Tabs). I took Tabs for a quick stop at her school's book fair before I picked up the Mist and her science project. She purchased a $20 book for Mistaya--just because and a "Dora" book for Pippi--just because! And a book and a few erasers and pencils for herself. She is a generous little spirit who loves to spend her money.
Preparing for my paper--Fan Fiction and incorporating it into middle years English curriculum. Must learn all I can to supportt my own thesis topic: Writing online fiction for Interactive, hypertextual, middle years, novel study. Tired and overwhelmed on the home front. I truly need a full time house keeper. One who shops for my groceries and keeps the house tidy daily, and washes weekly linens. There you go--if I could hire that wonderful employee--my home would run like a ship.

Science & Peaches

Mistaya's Science Project. Which peach will mold the fastest? She did the vast majority of this project by herself and her "partner" much less. That really ticks off this Mama. I adore her partner--the dearest, sweet little girl. However, she didn't help the Mist as much as she should have.
It is 9:30 AM. And I have been running since I awoke at 5:45 AM. I have been up and down the mountain two times already today.
And most importantly, A big huge thank-you to my Mom, who was the best Granny ever! She looked after my girls and my Doe-Doe and managed to wash everything in the house! Thank-You my dear, sweet Mommy!
I am officially back from my Vancouver Lovers weekend and my lover is already back in Vancouver today! I really should have taken more shots of the natural beauty--mountains, giant trees, ocean. But, I was a lazy city-girl and spent the entire weekend in the centre of downtown. Completely unlike me--nature girl extraordinaire. But I so needed to pamper myself for the weekend. Shopping, swimming at hotel, movies in bed. "Slumdog Millionaire" very good but very disturbing--if you can handle "A Fine Balance"--the Novel by Rohinton Mystery, then you can handle Slumdog. The hotel dessert buffet was to die for! Usually, I detest dessert buffets--everything is blah. But this buffet at Hotel Vancouver-YUM! Everything tasted so good. From the Blueberry Crumble Tart to the Double chocolate mousse cups to the pineapple cheese cake-everything was so flavorful, textured and fresh!
Today has been busy. Peter left for Van by 6 AM. I went to the gym, made girls their breakfasts, lunches(scraps I tell you!), got Tabs off to the school bus. Chased and lassoed Pip and loaded her into the car. Drove Mist and her science project down to the school. Tabs called--bad cramps again! I picked her up from school, went grocery shopping as our cupboards are bare and I couldn't even find anything for me to eat for breakfast. Now I am home. I must work as I am meeting my group to go through our presentation later this afternoon.
I bought $350 worth of Hilfiger Denim clothing for $135 while in Vancouver. An incredible sale! I love their jeans. I bought this adorable (1920's) ABC poster for Pip but left it on the plane. Must call the VAG and get them to mail me out another one.
Am I up for this weeks challenges?
--ween Pip from her soother (I know, I know...how could it be that she still has one at night?)
--train Fernando to poo and pee outside and not in the house anymore!
-start hot yoga 1X per week--get my flexibility back to snuff. (I am stiffening up! I used to be rubber band girl--the spits both ways! Not so much anymore!)
--enrol Pip in Pre school for next year.
--get back to meditating nightly.
--make a substantial start on my term paper this week.

Vancouver, BC

--This is inside the VAG--Vancouver Art Gallery. The exhibits were wonderful. One floor of impressionistic landscapes, and one floor modern art which was interactive. I climbed through this amazing tree house sort of structure, sang "Baby Beluga" inside a recording booth and tried out all these instruments.
--Peter after a compliment from a stranger about his shirt in the hotel hall.
--Peter making us reservations at the hotel restaurant--the guy making the reservation has a tres sexy french accent.
--These guys were giving away free Doritos on Robson street--name the new flavor and win $25,000.
--Night time Vancouver.
Art Gallery at night.
--A fur protest in front of The Fairmont.
--Scientology protest in front of the VAG.
--Me.
--More Scientology protests.
--Me heading into the VAG.
--Starbucks breakfast on Robson Street.

Hotel Vancouver

The photos are all from the Hotel Vancouver--our suite, the outside view and me with Beau. I love being at Hotel Vancouver. It is so familiar and relaxing. The dogs Mavis and Beau have been at their posts. We just got back from picking up breakfast to-go and a Starbucks' Awake tea for me. We are now back in our room, supposed to be working for a few hours before we hit the shops.
Yesterday was an adventure. I took the Airporter bus in from the airport while Peter headed straight to UBC with "The Candidate"--he's been back and forth to Vancouver all month with various candidates applying for the position as head of UBC Libraries. The bizarre thing was that just as I stepped off the plane, a man walked down the hall right past me and I recognized him as my first cousin Jeff Novinger, who is from Calgary. I was going to run after him to say hi, but again, "The Candidate" had to leave for UBC immediately and I was in charge of hauling all of Peter's and my luggage to the Fairmont alone. Thus, I had to go with Peter and crew to the luggage pick up immediately.
The bus ride to the hotel was fascinating as the driver (who was very kind, by the way, helping me with all my luggage) had hairy ears. It was the most amazing thing: the inner rim of his ears grew long black hair. He was of East Indian decent yet, I'd never seen true hairy ears before in my life. Even our closest relatives, chimps, have naked ears.
I arrived at the hotel and met an old friend for a glass of wine in the lobby lounge.
Peter arrived at the hotel by 7PM and we did and evening downtown walk and picked up a little supper to go. The atmosphere had been tres relaxing and fun. I love being downtown in big cities! It helps staying at a Fairmont. Today our suite comes available and we move rooms for the next 2 nights.
Today we hit the hotel gym, and after our work session we shall shop Robson street and I noticed a new H&M in the mall.Tonight, a swim, a Valentines dinner here at the hotel and perhaps an Imax film. Tomorrow we plan to take in The VAG and hike around Stanley Park and perhaps another film! I love it here!
Oh, but I do sooooo miss my little princesses and everything reminds me of them. From the tiny tot in the airport with two little golden brown ponytails, to the "Hotel For Dogs" toys advertised in McDonald's window. I am so lucky though, to have my Mom back home with them. They adore her and she is so loving!
Good luck to my Mistaya at her Sweet Heart Basketball tournament today! She won her game last night. Yay Mistaya! And sweet kisses to darling little Tabs, whose tummy has been off lately. And Big Lovin's to my little wee Pippi who is such a brave girl on the phone!

Sickly Sweet & Revoltingly Evil

This is Tabs in her "Lost in space" pose, and her "cognitive overload" pose. I'm using a few shots of her to illustrate my PowerPoint presentation. I had to pay her $8 to model for me. The Mist outright refused! Can you imagine? Are they my daughters? I'd have paid my Mom to let me be in her PowerPoint presentation!
Enjoying a quick tea with my Mom before I leave for the airport. Tabs is home this AM with a tummy that hurts but I will drop her off at school this afternoon as she doesn't want to miss the Valentine's Day party.
Pip is at daycare. I packed and am ready to go to Hotel Vancouver! Meeting a friend of mine for coffee as soon as I arrive.
Filming last night was cancelled as we didn't have enough time to complete it before we were booted out of the theatre by a theatre class. Our group has decided to present live instead and skip the taping.
I went to the 3D movie "Coraline" Wednesday night with Misty. Wow! I loved it! The ending was a little weak as I didn't like when the villain turned spider like (I love spiders!). The rest was brilliant, yet I couldn't help rewriting the ending in my mind to make it more subtle, more sickly sweet, revoltingly evil.
My dear sweet Mom brought me Tibetan prayer beads and a Buddha coin! I love them both!
Some rotten children stole MY red mini luge last night--the Mist saw them do it! I tried to hunt those bad, bad boys down in my van this AM, much to Mistaya's mortification. Lucky for them all, we couldn't find them. My darling Mom spotted the luge in the neighbor's front yard just moments ago. I raced over to reclaim it and all is well. And lucky for those bad, bad boys, I never had to give them my Buddha Mama lecture!

Biophilia Vs. Ecophobia

Pip's Little mermaid party pics from this past Sunday.
I may change the name of my blog. Ideally, I would have two blogs. But I haven't the time to do 2 blogs justice. So, I may incorporate all my ideas into one blog, thus a name change. But rest assured, it will still be the same blog, just a new name. It's all for the evolution of blogging.
I am going to rehearse my presentation in one moment while Pip watches Aladdin. We are filming tomorrow night. We have a lot on our plates the next few days. Mistaya is having three friends over to work on a science project and Tabitha's invited one friend. I'm going to make some brown rice-crispy, chocolate peanut-butter squares for them after I rehearse. Mistaya got a part in A Midsummer Night's Dream. She is a fairy. She is very excited about it. She has a Sweetheart Basketball tournament this weekend which will have her Granny hopping (Granny is babysitting while Peter and I fly to Vancouver on Friday). Pip has a birthday party to attend on Saturday and her big sis Tabitha will escort her to that.
A novel idea about teaching environmental science to children. We discussed this in class, after a group presented on the topic. Biophilia vs Ecophobia. Teach children to love nature first and foremost. Have them just be in nature. Leave any stats and save-the-planet stuff for their teen years. All kids need is to develop a personal love of nature--in their own backyard.

Baby Buddha Boy

Is Fernando a reincarnation of one of the Buddhas?
The evidence is compelling...
You be the judge.

Talent and Time

This is Penelope in the exquisite hand-smocked dress made for her by her Granny, the talented Sandra Forsyth Hart. The dolly is Lena, also hand made by the same talented Granny. My mom is the talent behind these creations, and I can honestly, and unbiasedly say that my mom is one of the most talented people I have ever known. She is a genius with fabric. She sews, smocks, designs clothes for children, dolls and adults. Her work is museum/gallery worthy. One day I hope she has a show of all the dresses she has smocked over the years, they are breath-taking. Oh, and she makes porcelain dolls as well.
My day is dull compared to these creations modeled by my little birthday girl. The Birthday girl is a little off today--tired. She did not want to get out of bed today. Although at the moment she is laughing an evil little laugh at poor Doe-Doe, whom she has locked in his kennel.
Started back to the gym this AM. It felt good.
Worked this AM on campus. So much work to be for Friday!!! I must have my part of the project completed for Thursday night, as we meet to film our talk at that time.
Tabs stayed up late and woke up early to complete a novel she needed to read for the "Battle of the Books" club she joined.
Mist is at more play tryouts. I must pick her up and take her right to dance soon.
Honestly feeling a wee bit overwhelmed. No time for fun. Just work. I want meditation time, go out to a movie time, time to read etc. But this month all I have time for is Uni work, children's activities and keeping the house from being condemned by public health. Also Fernando is exhausting! He just bit Pip's cheek and made her cry.

Lovers

Fernando Doe-Doe has taken over Pip's Tiger chair just like his predecessor Weldy Woo-Woo. What a cutie! The people at the vet's call him "Little Man"--I find it quite appropriate.
Let me see--a crying jag on Friday due to too many things to do, not enough time and a respiratory virus that has hung on exhausting me. Recovered in time to delegate some of the chores required to throw Pip her party that starts in 2 1/2 hours. Class all day yesterday. I was so burnt afterward. it is a challenging class because it requires full on participation and concentration. Also, I feel like a chocoholic at an all you can eat chocolate buffet. I see all the potential social opportunities awaiting me in the class room and I go full out--trying to capture as many social options possible until it ends and I can go home and collapse. I'm a bit of a social junkie I think.
So, party today for the Pip. She awoke and immediately asked me, "My friends come?" Man, that kid melts my heart.
Mist made herself and her Dad eggs for breakfast. She is so cute, so competent. And the Tabs offered to give Pip a bath and wash her hair. So the two of them are in the tub now, with all the mermaids.
Tabs teacher meeting went well--Forgive me for "Mother's brag time!"--Her teach loves her. His only concern is how to challenge her because she finishes her work in record time and has so much free time on her hands. We are thinking of a self directed study of German(her choice) or researching projects.He is also blown away by her architecture skills--apparently she creates amazing things at the back of the class with blocks etc. and he can't believe some of her buildings.
Mist did splendid on her report card: she won an academic achievement recognition and work ethic recognition.
Pip came running into my room last night naked but covered in a blanket--I said "Oh, it's my little nudie girl." And she said, "No! I a ghost!" and she proceeded to race around my room with a blanket on her head, trying to scare me.
Onto me...will start my workouts again after a week of being too ill. Tomorrow morning work on project with Uni friends. Tuesday night Uni Pub night. Girls: dancing, basketball and piano. Friday I'm off to Vancouver for 3 nights in a Fairmont suite with my lover...hmm...

Fleur De Sel

Shopping with Mist and Tabs. Tabs and I collapse in Chapters while Mistaya pays for her latest book series craze: "The Uglies."
Coming home for daycare with Pip--look closely, Fernando is stashed in the front of my coat.
So much to tell...Mistaya has a call back for the school play--A Midsummer Night's Dream. She attended a social justice conference today and LOVED it. She's arrived home with info on racism, sexism etc. I am so proud of her! She is a very active, social and ambitious little gal.
Tabs had piano tonight and soon Peter and I need to go for Parent & Teacher interviews. Tabs is so hilarious, she wrote to a city counsellor at school--Michelle Rule--so Michelle decided to visit her class. Tabs is so impressed she's announced that Michelle has grey hair and that she(Tabs) will never dye her hair--she'll let her hair go grey like Michelle's--whatever! Tabs has these careers in mind for herself: singer, dancer, prof soccer player, cancer researcher.
Pip wore a pink tulle dress today and called herself "Sleeping Beauty" all day. She enjoyed daycare this AM. I picked her up with Fernando stashed inside the front of my coat--he licked my face the whole walk.
Peter arrived home from Vancouver late last night and will fly back tomorrow AM--revolving door.
I have Pip's party to prepare for on Sunday, an all day class Saturday, and I leave for a Vancouver weekend on next Friday. I also noticed a Grad social at UBCO pub on Wednesday, which is a music trivia night with prizes etc. I will see if some of my class mates want to be on a team with me--sounds fun. Oh, Sunday night must meet my group to plan our presentation for class. It is going to be a crazy presentation: we are spoofing TED talks. We'll film ourselves presenting as eccentric intellectuals.
Taking Fernando to the Vet tomorrow for his 2nd vaccs.
Still have chest cold--not working out--leaves me feeling desperate! I need to push myself physically hard everyday to feel zen.
Hey, my good friend Dr. Fuzzy-Buzzy has out done me on facebook--she's got more friends than me!
And life is strange!!! Somehow, my thesis idea (learning practices of writing online--which developed out of my love for blogging) and Peter's thesis (knowledge comprehension of online reading and how online reading tools enhance the online scholarly research environment) stumbled into each other! Who would have ever thought that we could meet somewhere in academia? We have such different backgrounds! Me creative writing/art and Peter technology and teaching/learning.
Oh, and for all you foodies/chocoholics out there:
Lindt Excellence-Fleur De Sel, definately worth a taste. Nice with a cup of black tea.
Now, to turn you off your chocolate. While I have been attempting to post this, Fernando pooped beside me and ran through it, spreading it all over the living room. And as I tried to clean it, he ran through it a few more times, playfully grabbing the paper towel chewing on it and trying to run away with it. Finally I stuffed him in his kennel and when I let him out, he dragged the newspaper bottom out with him and ran all over, while eating bits of it! Argh!