An Accidental Application

"I accidentally put some eyeshadow on my skin," said Pip.

"Ah...yes, the accidental application...know it well," said Mom.

Pip and I have been spending some time together (just the 2 of us) the past few days. Her sisters are away. Tabs is visiting her Granny and Granddad and Mist is visiting a friend at the lovely Bastion Ranch.

Pip is so much fun to be with. I am never more joyful than when I am spending time with my daughters. Pip kept the entire beach entertained the other morning with her wild dance races into the water. I'd say, "1,2,3, GO!" She'd begin her wild hip swaying routine while I counted and at GO! she'd race down the beach and into the water. Then she'd stand and do a water dance. Her finale was a dive into the water and an under water swim. Then,she'd resurface,run up the beach to me and we'd start all over again. 

I am enjoying my saviors at this moment. Some people call them vices but I call them saviors--the small routine things we do for ourselves that allow little pleasure breaks during each day. My saviors involve dark chocolate squares and a cup of hot black/green tea combo,sometimes it is a giant cold black iced-tea (no sugar but lemon) and other times, it is a half a glass of red wine in the evening. Though my favorite Savior is my evening mediation time, just before bed, it includes a green tea meditation time too.

--When there isn't enough time in the day for anything, that is the exact time one should indulge in a savior.

Christmas Concert Collage

A few pics from the numerous Christmas concerts we attended these past few weeks.

Have had little time to blog this week. I am on twitter and facebook and blogger so my social media time is split.

Must meet with ethics board on Monday and fight for my study. They said no--too much deception. But it is because it is so new and ground breaking that no one understands the online social research and I must educate them. Will come prepared for the meeting with APA online guidelines. 

All I can say is I am insanely busy with my darling children and my thesis work. Decided I have a long way to go on my MA so am putting off conferences until next fall. Except for the grad student conference--I can present my thesis in process so I will do that this spring. I am loving academic life though. Seriously considering a PhD. I really want to be involved in the global literacy of women and I believe a PhD will give me the platform to make a difference and get involved in a larger level with some big literacy international orgs. Will see though. Baby steps. MA first then if I do a Ph.D. it will be in creative writing. As I love to write! The thing that I find the most difficult about a full time painting career is the social isolation. I am so social--I need to feel connected--all day alone in a studio spells HELL to me. I love to paint but on a smaller scale. I LOVE people too much.

Spring Fair

Spring Fair at Tabs school. We brought along Nem and Artemi for the fun. Mistayas was a volunteer--that is her face-painting.It was a fun night for everyone and both Nem and Pip won themselves cakes at the cake walk.
Tabs 3D teddy bear cake turned out to be too soft--he kept slumping over and his head rolling off--learned not to use a cake mix, the consistency is too soft.

Last night we spent a wonderful picnic at the beach with my sis Miranda and her girls. Peter was golfing with work. The lake was very wavy but we all had a dip and the girls each built miniature jetties into the water using drift wood.
Today was Tabs last soccer game until fall and then the entire family spent about 3 hours cleaning the house. It has to stay spotless until we leave for Malaysia/Nelson as I never like returning to a messy house--we got rid of our house cleaner so we are our own cleaning crew now.
Off to Miranda and John's for supper in a little while.

Watched Tokyo Sonata last night. OMG if the movie is true to Japanese culture, I must say, it is disturbingly sexist. And men and their need to "save face"--a narcissist and immature practice.

Ridiculous in Ponytails

Darling Pip.
The other day I had Mistaya help get Pip ready for preschool. Pip's hair was ready for a wash but we had no time so I asked Mistaya to put it up in two ponytails. Pip arrived all dressed and looking adorable in two ponytails thanks to her sister. But poor little Pip, she did not like the ponytails. She cried  hysterically. " I don't want two ponytails....I hate pony tails...I don't like ponytails....I want to take them out!" After about ten minutes of her tears (and me trying to reassure her of her cuteness) she finally lay down on the living room floor in a desperate heap and announced in the most dejected voice, "I look ridiculous in ponytails!"
Of course, that did it. Any kid who can say that about her hairstyle deserves to be taken seriously. I let her take out the ponytails and she calmed right down.
I am exhausted today. A busy week of pushing myself at the gym and then Peter came down with the worst cold and fever ( he is a little better today).
This morning Pip and I made apple/walnut waffles for the family breakfast. Pip loved her own cooking. Then Pip and I went on a hike and counted 18 different types of flowers in bloom in the forest. Some of the most beautiful are the yellow balsam root and chocolate lilies and little purple shooting stars.
Tabitha is at an afternoon dance camp. Mistaya is playing the piano and Pip is in the back yard playing with Fernando.
My university class was spent outside on all day field trips to Armstrong and Vernon areas yesterday. It was chilly and windy and even hailed on us! However, the farm land around Armstrong in gorgeous and I learned a little about the first European settlers in the area. The Vernon mural tour was fantastic. I had no idea how many of them there are! It is well worth an afternoon trip to Vernon with my darling daughters to check them out again.