Peter's Dolly

Peter and his dolly. Tee-Hee. Actually he's holding Tabs' doll for her on a hike.
My darling nieces are over for supper tonight as well as Mist's friend Maddi. Thus, I had 6 little girls enjoying chicken fingers, rice and veggies.
Nearly finished my lit review. I hope tomorrow will be the end of it.
We only have a few days to pack up for Hawaii. Mist is flying with Theresa and family because they'd invited her to join them before the rest of my family decided we wanted to go to. So that means Peter drives her down to Grandforks on Saturday while I attend class. Theresa will meet us there and take Mist back to Nelson. T, Mist and family fly Monday: Spokane-San Francisco- Kona. We fly Tuesday: Kelowna-Seattlle-Kona. Our first three days are in a suite at the Orchid Fairmont--dreamy! The next 11 days at a condo on the beach--yay!
Tabs won 3 awards this report card: citizenship, work ethic and academic excellence. Mist is enjoying volleyball and my darling Pip was injured today. Tabs took her down to the neighborhood park. Pip fell face first off the swing onto gravel. Her cheek and chin are all scraped open and bleeding as are her knees. We cleaned her up and gave her Motrin and she is happy now, playing with Artemisia.
Trying to be more aware of my lower back when I do yoga and lift weights. I am too flexible in the compression position and this has caused muscle strain and pain. Because I can do an amazing cobra in yoga, I always lift up super high to show off. This behavior is damaging my back! No more compressions( curving spine inward) only extensions (curving spine outward).

Dance Fever

Pippi on her way to preschool. She has a crown on under her hat and thus the Russian hat is quite vertical!
Nem and Tabs are busy practicing their dance for friday night's dance competition at the school. They're dancing to Owl City's "Fireflies." Pip and Artemis are watching Cinderella and Mist is at a volleyball game and will later go to a friends for pizza. I have made a pot of Thai peanut chicken but without MIst home to eat it, perhaps I should save it for tomorrow. Tabs and Pip won't touch it.
I've decided to finish my lit review for my class paper. I guess I better get busy if I don't want to take it to Hawaii with me! Tomorrow I shall start.
Watching my diet and doubled my meds (that stop acid production in the gut). Also I am taking 4 tsp. of Manuka honey a day to kill any unwanted gut bacteria. It is quite yucky to eat so much honey. It may take up to 4-6 months to cure my gastritis.  I have to get another blood test done but I am putting it off as any medical buildings/offices cause me stress. It has been a long, difficult time this gastritis. I've lost 5 pounds because of nausea.
My new mantra involves a compassionate/holistic approach to maintaining my health balance. No more pushing. Only kindness.
I am P O'd at Bikrams. I asked that my remaining classes be used by my sister as my health break means I cannot do such grueling workouts (on a great day one feels the need to barf at least several times during a Bikram's workout--imagine how one not yet 100% would feel)! Of course she spouted her garbage about how Bikrams is healing so I should be doing it and no she would not let me give my classes to Miranda :P! :P! :P!
I really want to take Zumba once a week as I love to dance. But alas it is so popular I couldn't get into the class :P!
My new workouts include much of the same save not getting up quite so early and substituting a gentler yoga for Bikram's and adding Zumba. I hope I can start my new regime next week. I don't want to loose all my muscles!
My favorite TV DVD's to watch when one needs a pick me up: Friends, Seinfeld, Sex and the City and The Office. All quite delightful.

Poverty Obliterating Pumas

A party at Miranda and John's apres Daniel Bolshoy. BTW, Daniel Bolshoy was amazing once again! The most magnifique guitar player. And I talked to him after his concert. He's an interesting guy: born in Moscow, raised in Jerusalem, teaches at Concordeia in Montreal. Ya, I'm a big fan.
Supper afterwards at M's was delicious. Curried cashew chicken/tofu, rice and stir fired boch choy/lima beans and brownies for dessert. I loved it all.
Bikrams this AM. I am actually starting to like it. While I'm doing it, it is grueling, but it is a great Friday morning way to stretch out completely, And it is the only workout I get where a teacher guides you through it with encouraging words. I feel a little spoiled.
Tonight I am taking Peter on a date. A hot date. He looked hot today in his suit and Black and white striped shirt. He'd better not change...you never know what I've got in store for him.
First he needs to proofread my paper that I finished yesterday. Today Pip stayed home with me because she has been not herself for a few days and only wants to stay home with Momma. We spent the day together and went for coffee at Starbucks--her favorite thing to do! I received many compliments from strangers today on what a dear sweet girl she is--so true!
Tonight MIst and her friend Sara have planned a marathon weekend of living in poverty. They created their own social justice group called POP (Poverty Obliterating Pumas)--their plan is to sleep outside all weekend and live on a dollar a day. I wasn't completely aware of their plans until 1/2 hour ago. I'll be in class all day Saturday, and Sunday Bark Busters has us in school for 4 hours! I hope it all works out--I'm thinking the weekend seems a little crazy as I write this!
Tabs is her terrific little self. She is so loving with Pip and a good buddy too. She joined choir at school and is happy about that. She also loves her musical theatre/jazz class.

Bikram's & Dragons

Tabs, Nemi, Pip and Artemi as a dragon. They entertained our Hawaiian guests with this creature. You can't see the head in this Pic but it was quite impressive. They made it out of paper and stuck it on the front.

Beautiful weekend. This morning Miranda and I up early for Bikram's yoga--killer as usual. And we recently returned from the beach. Mist stayed home as she is recovering from a fever/cold type bug. Tabs and Nem gathered unusual rocks on the beach and Artemis and Pip ran all over nude singing "Honey, Honey" for all the fellow beach dwellers. I went for a we dip but I was so tired from Bikram's and this cold bug I have that I did no heroic swims. Peter and John chatted on the beach together.

Tonight I shall watch a little of "Office" season five on DVD.

Tomorrow morning a quick early grocery run and then it's up to Myra Canyon for a bike ride along the Kettle Valley railway trestles.

Don't even ask me about my school work. No time to date. Next week I will get caught up in prep for my first class.

I found a new home for dear Silver. A single woman named Tia who is new to Kelowna, works nights and just wants some fuzzy company to greet her each day. She is perfect. I think Silver will be very happy with her--he was so unhappy with us as he hated the kids and Fernando. Still, it has been a very stressful situation for me.

Now we are working on the fence so I can manage Fernando and make my life a little simpler. Fernando is very bright. Yes, he often poops in the house, but he always does it in the bathroom, next to the toilet--if you are considering a new pet, don't read my blog. The amount of work I do cleaning up poo, pee and vomit will turn a saint off pet adoption!

Girls back at piano lessons and loving them. Once all three girls are playing, I want to buy them a baby grand.