Vampire Mothering

Above pictures of me taken this past fall, 2011 by my daughters (they capture my true wanna-be personality).

Vampires and Witches.
We are no different than other moms. We just work after dusk.
This is who I have become unwittingly.

I want regular Zumba hours. My hours now change every few months: at UBC, campus will be out in March and my contract will end and at the Rec centre, the schedule changes every few months. I don't like teaching every night because this is when my 3 children are home from school. But until I get hired as a regular Zumba instructor at a gym, I have to take the shifts I get. I have an audition tomorrow evening at a new gym. The audition is right after my class at UBC. If I get this gym job, it will add at least 2 more evening classes to my schedule. Thus far I am teaching 3 evenings a week as it is.

This first year of teaching Zumba has been difficult in that I don't know when and if I'll get a contract from month to month. So, I commit to too many classes often, knowing the "too many" may only last a few months. It's hard to parent like this. But at the same time, I love to dance, love latin music, love teaching so I am hooked. Not to mention my job keeps me amazingly fit.

My goal is to get on with an established gym, commit to them and that is it--2 evenings a week and other day light hour classes. Though, I may always teach just one ZumbAtomics class at the rec centre while my girls and nieces are little--because they love it.

 I have no time to study dance anymore. I like to take at least one class a week to learn new steps and keep fresh--but I have no time with my evening so full.

And no, the dance isn't even my regular job. I use the day light hours to work on my writing/publishing, painting and other professional pursuits (I am trying to build am empire here :) ).

On a most delightful note, Pip and I took the dogs down to the lake for a walk this early evening. It was so great to walk along the beach. The evening sun, sparkling water and golden sand made me forget that it's still winter in Canada. Pablo was so naughty though, he barked ferociously at every dog we met. Fernando is much friendlier. Fernando is mean to human strangers and nice to all dog strangers. Pablo is the opposite: nice to all human strangers and mean to all dog strangers.

I must brag just a wee little bit (vampire moms are like that): my smarty pants daughter Mistaya is only fifteen and in grade ten but she is taking grade eleven honors math at school because she's a math whizz (like her sisters). And yesterday she brought home an exam: 100% :) Tabs wanted me to brag that she brought home a social exam last week: 100%. And Pip? She's quite a good little reader already and only in kindergarten. There, all my daughters were bragged about (witch moms like to be fair). In truth though, as a little girl I so wanted to be a real witch. I believed witches had so much freedom, adventure, autonomy and power--and that's what I wanted too. Still do :)