Summer Date

Yes, my lovely date likes to apply her own blue eyeshadow on such fancy occasions as a date with Mommy.

These photos were taken on labour day. The last day of summer for the Pip and I. We had a date. We dressed up in our new dresses, went to the park and then for coffee. And now my beautiful, darling baby girl is in first grade.
My other beautiful darlings are in eleventh grade and seventh grade. Mist is not happy with her schedule at school. She's taking nothing but academics, French and Band. She really wants to take Japanese for fun--so I will find time to meet with the counsellors to see if we can make this happen.
Tabitha has not made it to school yet this new term. She has been ill with a mystery fever and headache for 4 days now. No other symptoms except tiredness, fever and significant head ache. I worry, late summer is the time for West Nile etc. And we spent time in the Southern States and Oregon this summer--lime disease. I've taken her to the doctor but for now it is a waiting game to see if she gets better or worse in the next few days. My mind stops when my babies are sick. I cannot focus on anything but their return to health.
September is my least favorite month of the year. I do not like saying goodbye to summer--never have. 

Okanagan Ranch Country

More pics from our Labour Day at O'Keefe Ranch.

Back to the fall. How did it arrive so soon? It seems like I only just arrived home from Asia last week. I am so missing the bliss of summer.
Back to classes at Uni for me. I am a student once again. Back to no more leisure time.  It is the first week back for myself and my girls--not just school, but Tap dance, figure skating x2, piano x2, soccer, and choir. Not to mention that I am feeling totally overwhelmed by my duties as head master of this crew and have put my own aspirations of taking latin dance on hold until next spring. The only thing I must fit in to my schedule aside from Uni work and working out is meditation on Mondays at The Yoga House and I would like to add one yoga class to my routine. As it exist now, my work out routine for the fall is this:
-Zen Studio weight lifting 3x/week (my new home gym)
-running 3x/week.
-biking up Knox Mnt. 2x/week until it snows and then spinning.
-Sunday Knox Mnt. hike from top to bottom to top again.
-Down Hill skiing on the weekend once it snows would be nice. And skating on our local pond too.
(skiing is hard to accomplish with our crew as it is hard to find a free weekend day and just getting us all suited up in equipment is a challenge. The expense is an issue too. Also, it will be Pip's first year on skis).
I am already suffering from grey sky syndrome. I thought my light lamp was for October to March. But if this gloomy week is any indication, I may need to get it fired up early.

Wake Me When September Comes...

More photos of my darling Pip.

Tabs is ill with a slight fever and cold bug. She passed her swimming and confesses to love swimming--this is wonderful considering the mental block she had against swimming last year.

Mist passed her swimming as well. I attempted to register them in dance at the Canadian School of Ballet and both girls chose to do a class in musical theatre/jazz. Piano lessons start this week and of course, school. I have to pay $200 a child to have my girls on a school bus. It is robbery considering we live too far for any child to walk to school--an hour and 1/2 walk up steep hills for Tabs and an over two hour walk for Mist.

I took my sister Miranda's advice and grocery shopped early this morn--I hate grocery shopping, so it is nice to have it over with so early in the day.

Starting Monday, I will have my Zen back on--no more sleeping in past 5:30 and missing the gym! No, I am back on for the new school year.

I must get an overview of my thesis project to my supervisor this week. That is what I shall be working on.

Thinking about a movie tonight with Peter, "Moon."

Miranda's fam and my fam are hosting wine and cheese for a couple from Hawaii (Joop's Nephew and wife). They are checking out our homes for a possible house switch this Christmas. Their son just started Uni at UBCO. My family and Miranda's would spend Christmas in Kona, Hawaii and they would spend Christmas in our homes visiting their son. I hope it works out as we'd all love to visit Kona in a few months! Theresa and fam stopped by Thursday night and all of us met the Hawaii family and friends at Joey's for an enjoyable meal. We all chatted so much that the waitress was frustrated as no one was interested in ordering food until late!

I have reached a Buddhist based philosophical decision. It is the hardest decision I have had to make in a long while. My Persian cat Silver seems to be going down hill mentally. For the past five years he has become intolerable to live with. He insists on peeing and pooping anywhere but his little box. I have tried EVERYTHING--drugs, new litter, new box, new confined living area etc. Although he is now confined to living in the laundry/ front entrance area, he manages to create at least 3-5 messes a day for me to clean up. So, with a heavy heart, and an exhausted mind, I realize he is not fit for cohabiting with our family. We must give him up. It is tragic, as I have always had a cat my entire life, yet now I no longer can have one for many years--a new cat would smell all the places Silver urinated and may mark as well.