Peter Not-Pizzaface

This is one of my the basic ideas for the cover of my junior fiction novel. I have to get a cover together as I am possibly going to publishing it as an ebook first. I'm going to photoshop the whole thing again--possibly using a cougar portrait that I have 1/2 painted--I will have to finish that in a few days if I want to use it. I want to change the  title and name fonts, sizes, colours, perhaps get rid of the kid! So this will be my project for a few days. There are 3 books in the Not-Pizzaface series. They are fantasy/adventure novels (with a little comedy thrown in) that take place in the thrilling British Columbia wilderness. I love writing them. I've finished book number 2 and have started the third. Though, I move on to butchering my fiction novel for adults as soon as the above book is published.

Back from a month of travel! I love to travel but sometimes it feels good to get back and be able to tackle the work projects I have been dying to start since I graduated this spring. Now, all I want to do is write, write and write. Fiction, some free lance and writing for other blogs for $. I need to put my travelling to some use--I have some leads for writing professionally for a travel blog. I'd also like to earn income from this dear blog. AdSense is the worst company I have ever dealt with. It is like they are all dead behind the computer. No one responds to messages, emails, or snail mail (sent to their offices in California!)--they freeze one's account for no reason and refuse to respond for 4 years. If I could pull the plug and shut the entire AdSense down I would. Though, I suspect that there is actually no one working for them anyway and they do not exist other than in name. BOYCOTT ADSENSE!

A month of French pastries in Montreal and rich po-boys and pastries in New Orleans has left me bursting at my seams. I am eager to get back to my pre-holiday shape. Though what amazing times I had exploring both parts of the world. Louisiana was a pocket full of diverse and at times gritty culture. I LOVED it! The bayou is unbelievable in its beauty and natural diversity, the plantation mansions fascinating and a place to pick up hitch hiking ghosts I discovered. And New Orleans was so full of history, unique culture--so interesting to explore. Of course, the Gulf of Mexico and Wolf Bay, Alabama were idyllic and relaxing beach vacations.

Unsure if I will teach more than one Zumba this fall. I need to get that settled soon as I need to update my First Aid and CPR if I do (about $300). Teaching ZUmba is so expensive--more of a financial drain than a profit making venture. I pay $30 a month Zumba fees just to stay certified and then all of the safety courses I must pay for out of my own pocket. Also, to be a teacher takes hours and hours each week to rehearse for the hour of dance and add a new song each week. Teaching Zumba for me is not just a fun work out--it means at least 5 hours of my week devoted to prep on top of teaching. This is why I must decide how much I want to teach. I need to devote my career life %100 to writing at this time. This is my passion, my income. Thus I must decide if I want to devote more time and $ to teaching or just do it at other studios as a student to keep fit. Though I love my own choreo--I admit. When ever I dance to song in someone else's class (to their steps), when I've choreographed the same song--I always long to be doing my moves. Mine are more fun and groovin' (sorry I can't think of any other way to explain it but groovin'). So this is where I'm at with the Zumba.

Peter has been in Vancouver all week, he returns home to K for one day and then he takes our darlings to Saskatchewan for a week long road trip to visit his family. I will have the time to write 24/7. I am looking forward to diving in to the writing work.

Picnic with Pip

This is the view directly behind my home. We just walk over the top of the mountain and arrive here. It is easy to see why I adore this mountain.

Pip and Mom. Pip picked out this picnic spot for us.

Pip taking in the lake view.

More Pip

Pip enjoying the iced tea.

When the weather is lovely, I take the time to just be outdoors. Impromptu hikes and mini picnics happen with ease.  I adore a warm climate, it facilitates this easy living outdoors. Ironic that my ancestors chose Canada to immigrate to. Though I cannot complain about Canada. For what it lacks in tropical climate, it makes up for in almost everything else .

Preparing to leave the children and dogs for a week requires so much planning and prep that it is overwhelming--much easier to simply stay home. June is especially difficult as the children have many ceremonies to attend that I will miss. I am fortunate to have a very brave nephew stepping in to attempt the job of looking after this big, demanding brood of mine.

 Pablo comes home today. I will leave him just when he needs me and my time the most--to keep up his training. Again, I leave him in the hands of my brave nephew.

Today is a whirlwind: Walk Fernando, pick up Pablo, training session with him, nephew arrives, Spring Fair at the little girls' school, piano concert tonight for big girls (dear Tabs is included in both categories), laundry, grocery shop for week, pack.

I will finish my editing work and start some more while I am away.

Why do I blog when my world seems chaotic with no time to find mindfulness? Because it gives me mindfulness. The art of writing and creating this blog makes me present, engaged and contributes a teeny-tiny bit to the blogsphere and my own growth as a writer.

Desperately need to practice more mindfulness. Teaching Zumba requires complete mindfulness, one tiny slip up--a new thought floats into my head and bam! I forget the next dance step, the music sounds foreign to me and I blank out. Almost never happens to me because I am practiced at being present as a dance instructor. But with the craziness of the last two weeks, my mind was not as sharp as it usually is and yesterday I blanked out on one step during a song I have danced to 1000 times and know inside and out. Mindfulness may not seem like such a vital thing--teach a Zumba class and suddenly you realize how vital it is!

Walking the Dog with Mama Zoom

Eager passengers await a trip to the beach. Pip has a brownie snack in hand for the road trip. Could these 3 get any cuter? Love.

Mist and Pip (somehow I managed 2 dogs and the camera!). Mist doesn't need glasses but likes to wear this non-prescription pair she bought herself :)

A cool wind swept over the beach.

The girls didn't want to stick around. It was such an unusually cold morning.

I took over the beasts as we headed for less windy lands.

Later.

Mistaya's nickname for me is Mama Zoom. I love it because I am a mom and I teach Zumba. I am very excited because the gym I want to work for has (potentially) 3 classes for me to teach. It is relatively close to my home and it is the gym Peter works out at every morning at 5:30 am.

I am working on my writing when I'm not teaching Z--things progressing in my e-publishing. I am thinking I might have the right balance this year of writing time and teaching Z. Just enough socialization to allow me to focus when I have my solo writing times. I dare say, from personal experience, it is a delicate balance for minds like mine: super creative and social.

Mistaya and her friend swapped personalities for a day--yesterday they wore each other's clothes and pretended to be obsessed with the other's passions. Mist's friend wore Mist's silver "moon boots" and her David Bowie t-shirt to school. Mist wore her friend's The Beatles t-shirt. It was a success and they left their other friends rather confused.

Tabs' team won The Battle of the Books for their school and will advance to the district finals. The team reads ten novels and is quizzed on their knowledge of the books. Tabs is excited and is rereading a few of the novels to keep fresh.

Pip is the Pip--loving kindergarten, soccer and her dogs.
Peter arrived home last night after his trip to the prairies. And tomorrow we all leave for the Island. My dog-boys will be going to the Dog Spa for 4 nights (Pablo's first time).
Will post next from beautiful Victoria, British Columbia. Hopefully I'll have a few whale pics from our Georgia Straight crossing.

You Give Me Butterflies

Butterflies--a Zumba cool-down song to tryout. Choreography by Mix Hart (me) song by Michael Jackson. I edited the song, so this is only a taste of it.

I had a great  Zumba class tonight. I was called to sub a class. It was small but rewarding because I got to try out 4 new songs I've been working on. I am the teacher who introduces a new song weekly at least. I tell my students to be patient with me as this is a new song and I might blank out on occasion! I love new. I need to challenge myself as I get bored of my songs after dancing to them  about 5 times a week. So, thesis out of the way, I've gone nuts learning songs this week. I have one more salsa song to learn and then I am taking a break and perfecting all of them--I'll have the most awesome dance line-up for next fall.

The song above is called  Butterflies by Michael Jackson. When I trained with Gina Grant in Portland, she used this song in her line-up. I didn't know the name but I recognized the artist as Michael. I found it on itunes and choreographed some cool-down moves and stretches to it. It was a hit tonight. It is the cool-down song and the last song before we start the floor stretches. I do major stretching, with my class, after my hour of Zumba. Zumba is really hard on the hips, legs and butt and I like to protect these muscles as much as possible. I just love the song--it's a little addicting.
I'm also editing my novel--it is slow going as it is one LONG novel. But I am on the last 50 pages of a 500 page novel. This is the 100th edit by the way :P

April proving to be a busy month with several music festival appointments for my older girls: piano and choir as well as soccer starting next week also for Tabs and Pip.
One step at a time. 

UBC and Me

Me right now at UBC Okanagan. Pic taken with my computer--not recommended. I look terrible but not hideous so I'll leave it. Not much to say but I haven't blogged in a few days so I thought I'd stop by.

A difficult week. Change is always difficult. Good and bad changes are hard. It is the unknown fears of what is ahead that shake one. Regular evening UBC ZUmba is over for the term, my thesis is over. Now it is the unknown ahead for me. I have plans, projects, but how it will all come together and give me a good income is yet to be revealed.

I want my cells to vibrate to the frequency of love and happiness--and then magic--I shall be. (A little Buddhism and physics to keep me focused.)

For me, I am uploading my thesis right now--after struggles with copyright, I am finally uploading it and sending it back to Graduate Studies for a final formatting check. Next--in 45 minutes I teach Zumba here in the ballroom. Gotta go upload--write later.

OK, back from teaching noon Zumba. It was HOT in the ball room and a few of my students dropped like flies. Not really, but they left 1/2 way through class--they were over dressed and not in great shape so they packed it in early. I hate when that happens but some people think Zumba is a walk in the park which, it isn't. It's a hard cardio dance work out that one has to dress very lightly for. Zumba Gold is designed for those persons not able to handle hard cardio. I feel bad that these people drop out but I don't teach Zumba Gold--especially on Campus I have to cater to the average fairly fit person.And I encourage everyone to go at their own pace. I did have a couple of students verbalize what a great class it was today so I felt they were letting me know it wasn't too hard and the drop outs were just out of shape.

Haven't heard yet if my PDF thesis is perfect and ready for the final upload--hope he gets to it before the weekend.

Leaving campus. Left my dogs boys in the kennel all day :( Off to receive my first leg massage of the year. It has been a long time coming. Ideally I should have a leg massage weekly--my legs take a beating teaching so many hours of Zumba each week. But I don't have the time for a weekly massage. So my once a year will have to be it.

The weekend is a mystery. But a night out at the movie Mirror Mirror with my darling daughters just might happen tonight.

After the Fire: Bear Creek

A favorite hiking area decimated by fire last summer. It was the first time I'd seen the damage.

The Canyon and water fall at Bear Creek

Deep in the canyon a couple of Canadian Geese set up home away from all possible predators except perhaps a giant eagle. I zoomed in with my camera--they were way down, near the bottom of the very tall canyon. 

Mistaya and a burnt, young ponderosa pine.

My lovelies: Tabs, Mist and Pip

Beautiful Tabs

Pip and Tabs 

Peter managing the water break

Picnic time. I made a French style baget, based on a sandwich I had last summer in Cucugnon, France: baget, cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles. But alas, it just didn't taste the same outside of France. In France it was the most delicious sandwich I'd ever eaten. In Canada, it was so-so. Perhaps I forgot something... 

Peter in his anti-hiking shoes. He insists on wearing them!

My daughters and I hike through the burnt out forest. The fire jumped the creek and burnt both sides of the canyon.

After the fire.

Rebirth: after the fire and spring

Peter, Pip and Mist over looking the city across the lake.

Kelowna, BC across Lake Okanagan 

A hill (missing its trees after the fire), above a log-jam on Okanagan Lake.

A beautiful Ponderosa Pine with holes (made by some creature) all over its bark.

Hiked with my family at Bear Creek, Okanagan Valley today. We live in an arid mountain region and each year the forests surrounding our home and city are on fire. I knew Bear Creek was closed last summer due to a close fire but it wasn't until today that I realized it had actually been ravaged by flames. The thick ponderosa forest (as thick as a ponderosa forest ever gets--the trees need space and sunshine to thrive) was decimated. Ponderosas may just be my very favorite trees ever. Their bark is very textured and colourful and it smells of warm vanilla in the sun. 

I taught a Zumba class at World Gym (across the lake from my home) this morning and decided to meet my family afterward for a hike. Thus, I am in Zumba gear rather than hiking apparel in the pics. It was nice to get out and explore Bear Creek again--it is one of our favorite family hiking spots.
Zumba can be stressful at times. Little things can make me loose focus and screw up a dance. Case in point: I was introducing a new song I'd just learned this morning. The gym floor was laminated (plastic wood). It was too slippery for my dancing sneakers-- I had to dance in bare feet. And of course, some odd person left the class before it even started! One thought about the bare feet or why the person left, and bam--I forgot the next step. That's life.

Baby's Ears Bounce Back!

Confessions of an Old Boston Bull Dog Mother:
If you remember back to a previous post, I mentioned taping Pablo's puppy ears upright because the tips flipped over backwards. I read that sometimes this is necessary to help them develop. Well, it wasn't. After 3 days he'd chewed them all off and I decided to forget it. I thought his backward tipped ears were cute and left them. And then suddenly, just a few days ago, I noticed his ears no longer tipped back at the top. On their own they straightened upright. So there you have it. At 4 months, while teething, they flip back and at five months, straighten upright. A waste of tape I dare say. At least I only taped them for 3 days.
And doesn't my boy look handsome with his big-boy ears? He and his brother Fernando are so excitable. They sing together all of the time and terrify the neighborhood. Pablo will start this high pitched bark and Fernando then starts this mournful high-pitched howl along with him and they'll sing for hours! People living over a block away thought is was a woman screaming. They sound like wild banshees. Also, Pablo is lean and spry--can and will climb anything! He is a little ape.

Confessions of a Dance Fitness Instructor:
Treating my aching legs with my sister's advice. I have upped calcium by drinking the calcium orange juice and taking those chocolate chew supplements. Also, have switched to only wearing my 5 Finger Vibrams unless I am dancing (so-long stylish, cool boots). When I dance, I've gone back to wearing my professional dancing sneakers only. My ankle can occasionally go over in them but they save my knees and thighs from constant pain.
Went to a show last night: A Separation. An Iranian film. Very well done. Disturbing but it felt like a glimpse into a foreign culture. I teach many Iranian students Zumba so it was interesting for me to visit Iran virtually (in a way).

Confessions of a Canadian Mom:
I used to be the Queen of weekends. Always had a major plan--a wilderness hike or trip lined up. This year I am the weekend flop. I teach Zumba Sundays now and Saturdays I like to rest my legs (the only day I get all week). This has left me rather bored on weekends. My children are busy often too--at sleepovers, play dates, parties. But today, I want to do something interesting. I'd love to drive down to Keremeoes for a hike in the mountains and a visit to the old mill. I love that area because of its contrasts in beauty: the rolling Okanagan dry, Ponderosa Pine covered mountains meet the high, Craggie alpine mountains. So very beautiful. Also, it is the location of the only horse/foot trail linking the rest of Canada with the BC interior and the coast for hundreds of years before there were any railroads and roads--a lot of wild west history there. You'll know what I decide--next blog!

Beautiful KiKi

The above pics are of my beautiful daughter, our dogs and me. My daughter's nickname is KiKi because when my youngest daughter Pippi was learning to talk she couldn't pronounce Misty. It is funny, Misty is a nickname too--Mistaya is her real name. It is a Canadian Aboriginal name: In Cree it means slow running water and in West Coast Salish it means grizzly bear. She is both: deep and wise of mind, yet strong, feisty and independent like a bear.

My youngest daughters Tabs and Pippi (nicknames) are at their grandparents for the week. KiKi and I are spending some time together before she leaves tomorrow for the Kootneys. My Kiki is so much fun to be around. We go for lunch, shop a little, listen to music, she came to my Zumba class at UBC. All we've eaten for days is sushi for lunch and Mexican burritos for supper--only she and I are happy eating those same items day after day :) She is extremely wise, intelligent, musically gifted, humorous, kind, calm and fun. Also, taller than her Mum by 3 inches--she's 5'10" and still growing.

I have been in brain lock-down this week. Cramming my thesis down my own throat. I have to defend it on Friday. It is a brain drain. I concentrate so completely when I reread it that it exhausts me after a few hours. Will be doing more of the same with breaks only to teach Zumba and walk my dogs.
I'll be relieved when the MA is history.
 I am actually suddenly sick of all of my Zumba songs and want to learn about 6 new ones asap. I need a really good salsa. I cannot find a salsa dance that I love. All of the Zumba ones are too much fusion. I just want pure salsa. Salsa is one dance I prefer to be pure.  But that will have to wait. No more dance thoughts--only thesis thoughts until I pass this blasted defense. But rereading my thesis, I must say, good on me--much fascinating info and well written. Well, at least I'm my own fan. One needs to be one's own fan--who else will be there for you?

And I just have to report--all those women that actually have surgery to enhance their booties. SAVE your money! Or give it to me and take dance with me 5x a week for 6 weeks. I swear--I've always had a small bottom--I'm an ectomorph--long and lean. Yet, I tired on jeans I have not worn since before I started teaching Zumba and whoa! My butt has new muscles. I have a much bigger booty, in a good way. It's all just new muscle. I know I wax on about the benefits of Zumba but honestly it can totally reshape your body in all the right places.

To Weep or To Dance? That is the Question.

My eldest gals at their Sunday afternoon recital.

The above blog title is very significant in both the paragraph posting below and the following one.

My Saturday night movie out was The Artist--loved it: 1920's, dance, handsome lead male, fashion, love, a powerful woman--what's not to love? I adore the 1920's era. As a young woman (age 17-19), I was immersed in the writings of  F. Scott Fitzgerald--I read every thing he ever wrote. I also had bobbed hair and wore flapper inspired outfits--so watching this moving was also like visiting a younger version of myself.

Will be attending Pina tonight. It is supposed to be an amazing movie about Pina Bausch, a modern-dancing choreographic genius who died suddenly just before filming commenced. Speaking about dance. I suffered last evening. All night long my legs actually ached. This has not happened to me yet as a dancer. It's not like sore muscles--its over all leg exhaustion. I attribute it to not having 2 consecutive days off of teaching Zumba for several weeks now. I need 2 days with no high-impact dance in order for my legs to recover. This weekend I shall do NO high impact sports and finally let my legs rest. I dance this week: Sunday through to 2 classes on Friday then I will rest up for 2 days! Also, I am learning that I cannot teach 2 dance classes in the evening without eating something in between them. The last 2 Mondays I have not eaten between classes (nor anything before the classes since lunch and I don't eat until I get home again after 8 p.m.). Monday nights I see stars dancing my last 15 minutes of class. One doesn't realize how hard it is on the liver; not giving it enough food to digest. I am learning the fine balance of hard-core dance, eating, resting--slowly learning.

Day 3 of teachers strike. Taking the morning off writing and will go to the H2O centre to swim with my youngest girls. Mist is baby sitting her cousins this morning. I'd take everyone but my vehicle is not large enough.  I get to try out my new mono-kini :) 

Would post a pic of my new bathing suit as it is really cute and I am not modest at all. But every time I post a bathing suit shot--my dear friends who encouraged me to do it, leave me hanging!

Teaching Zumba at UBC again tonight. I love my UBC students and the ballroom is a wonderful place to dance! Will race home after class, eat and off the the show. Perhaps my dance loving daughters will want to join me. 

Madness on the Mountain

I live on  the top of a mountain overlooking the city on one side and a massive lake on the other. The forests surrounding my home are filled with coyotes, deer, bob cats, raccoons, owls and the odd bear or cougar. Last night I kept hearing two loud consecutive gun shots. I feared a poacher was at it again. A few years ago I made friends with a giant buck with massive 14 point antlers. Every morning on my run I would meet him on the trail. We grew used to each other and he'd let me run by him. And then one day I didn't see him, or the next. I read in the paper a poacher had killed a 14 point buck on my mountain.

Last night, I heard loud gun shots coming from the forest. The shots went on, about 20 minutes apart for about an hour. One particular shot sounded like it came from the forest directly behind my house. At the same time as the loud bang, my dark bathroom lit up from an outside light. My girls, Mist and Tabs came into my room. They were frightened. That was it. I called the police. I knew the idiots responsible for the noise were directly behind my house because I opened a window and heard voices in the dark, snow covered forest. I turned off all lights at the rear of the house so no one could see us moving about from outside.The little girl next door told me (this morning) that on one shot, the blind in her bed room rolled all the way up at the same time as the bang. She was terrified.

 No idea if the cops caught anyone but there were many police cars zooming around the neighborhood last night. Though, the only way to access the forest is by foot, snowmobile or helicopter. Cops in cars, zooming about the streets would have done zilch. Tabs was so frightened, she was shaking when she asked if she could sleep with Peter and I. I let her. I am a little tuckered from being up most of the night. I dreamed the cops actually were on snowmobiles in my back yard. They were wearing helmets but had short sleeves and in my dream I felt sorry for them as I knew they'd be freezing out there.

Friday has arrived. I'm off the the little girl's school to bring Pablo and Fernando for show and tell. It's the letter P day: Pablo, Pug and Pippi (my daughter). I teach 2 classes of Zumba. learning perhaps my very favorite song ever. I can't help it, I love the slow sexy songs because they are the most difficult. To move one's body and contort the hips and core in so many ways makes for one super strong core. Someone a the Uni complained my Zumba music is too loud and she can hear it in her office. And the music is aggressive and she doesn't like it. Well, if she'd get off her butt and dance with us she'd be a lot less irritable! But I will make an effort to make sure the ball room door is closed. However, she is only disturbed for the last 15 minutes of her day. My class starts at 4:45 and her office closes at 5!

I'm heading back to the mall to purchase a mono-kini bathing suit (almost looks like a one-piece in the front but is a bikini in the back). I tried it on last night and Mist hated it but I loved it. Decided that I'm buying it anyway--even though my Mist did not like it at all. I felt so lovely in it, I must sneak back and purchase.

Here's to a fabulous weekend my friends! xx

Encore Mist, Encore!

Tuesday night we attended a fabulous Jazz concert down town at the community theatre. Mist, my eldest daughter, played Monty (her bass clarinet). The concert was fabulous. Robert Fine, a local Jazz singer, accompanied the band on a few numbers.  The high school students are very talented musicians. Mist's band teacher told her she has %100 in band. Very proud of my beautiful baby girl. Tonight we have a date at the mall--more shopping for a bathing suit and black shoes for Mist. I love dates with my girls. We have so much fun together.

Decided to take the job with a local gym. I can become FA certified while working for the gym at a very reasonable cost. I just love teaching Zumba. It is so much fun for me. I love the adrenalin rush I get from having to remember, perform and teach 15 songs in an hour--there's nothing like it. I learned a new Merengue song yesterday "Bounce." Will learn a new Reggeaton song today--I need to add a new song each week or I get a little bored. The thing I love about teaching Zumba is that there is no upper limit. I can't possibly max out. There are always new songs to learn, dance styles to perfect, new dance styles to learn.

Off to work on my writing for a few hours. I like to write for 3 h a day. I'll switch to painting 3 h a day for awhile, once I get my first e-Novel published.

 Little Pablo is getting so tall. When he stands up on his back feet,  he grabs things off the counter. He already broke a mug today and pulled my Canon Rebel to the floor. Naughty pup. Naughty pup needs more puppy food. Off to pick that up from the Vet's too.

Humor Me and My Cool T-Shirts

My latest Cut-Up T-Shirt creation. I made it last night. It is my favorite. The secret is to purchase a tight and long t-shirt made of spandex and other artificial fibers. They fit so nicely without getting too saggy like cotton. Just for the record, I have no make-up on in the above pics as they were taken early this morning before working out.

Having to make some decisions today. I am forging ahead in many career directions at the moment--getting BC teaching certified for the k-12 system, starting my own e-Publishing house, pushing forward with my Zumba teaching. I pay a lot of money in certification fees for teaching in BC and Zumba. And now it seems, if I want to teach for gyms, I must get my FA certification to teach in Canada. It is all bureaucracy and ways to keep associations a float. But in truth, remaining Zumba certified is very expensive and to put more yearly fees on top of that I need to be seriously teaching a lot of fitness classes. So, do I want to get certified to teach in gyms? If I make that choice I have to be prepared to really teach a lot of fitness to make up for all of the fees. I need to make choices on what areas of my career to focus on at this time. Everything requires money to stay in the field.

Fitness is wonderful. I adore dancing and working out in every way. I can head to a class feeling so blah and tired and really not wanting to teach at all. And after the class I leave a different woman. I am happy, energetic and pumped about life. It is a magic pill for me. But don't get me wrong. It is a very competitive business and ageism is rampant. I am teaching along side women 20 years younger than me.
At my age (40s) one has to be fitter, a better dancer and teacher, than the competition. It helps that I am a fashionista too ;)

Dropped off 100 buttons for Pip at her school (we forgot it was 100 day until Tabs called me from school this morning), dropped Mist and a friend off down town at the Community Theatre in prep for their huge band concert tonight--all before 9 AM this morning. Now time to start my day.

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 :)

My Daughters Three

I found these pictures the other day while looking for baby pictures of Pippi for the previous blog. I love this casual series of my girls and I.

I'm looking for a new winter home base. Seriously. My days of wintering in Canada are soon over. My lungs are too sensitive in the winter. I taught two Zumba classes yesterday with bronchitis. My lungs are so inflamed! But I don't have a sub so I took my asthma inhalers before each class and went for it. Despite the lungs, both classes went fab. I choreographed a new song for my kids classes The Lion Sleeps Tonight. So much fun to dance to. And my new choreography for I'm Sexy and I know It is so much fun to dance to as well. Will post a little demo someday soon.
I find my lungs do best is the tropical jungle. I loved the hot, damp air of the Malaysian jungle. I want to live in a hot climate for at least Jan and Feb of each year. But aside from the jungles of Asia, I am also considering Spain or Southern France--love them both.

Tabs arrived home from camping. Her cough is worse but her spirits high. She loved the winter camp out.
Mist is the most amazing teen age girl on the planet. She is so much fun to hang out with. She is nearly always happy and full of fun. When I stopped in to chat with Peter in his office yesterday (after my UBC Zumba class), I noticed a paper sculpture on his window sill with a name  plate in front "Vince." I just knew Mist had left that there for him on her last visit to his office.
Pip is still on a birthday high: out for lunch with her parents and then her B day supper of choice was A&W. What can I say, she loves their baby burgers. It was the only fast food allowed: her Bday choice. I have been cooking each and every night! Vegetarian stir fry and brown basmati rice last evening after I returned from Mom & Me Zumba with Pip and my nieces.

A lazy weekend for me. Will no doubt include a trip to the doctors office for drugs to kill the bronchitis. I can tell when I have a bacterial infection. I want to get in a few ski days before spring hits. Not this weekend though. And next weekend I am hosting a huge ZumbAtomic birthday party for Pip. I've rented a hall down town. We are inviting about thirty guests for the dance party.

Now that I completed the ten day meditation course, I am allowed to attend three day courses--so much more manageable for me. I may sign up for a three day meditation course this spring to refresh my  meditation practices. But the course starts in May, so who knows what will be happening in my life by then! I guess spring is in the air because I am looking ahead, planning my spring already! Will hopefully include a trip to escape the last dredges of winter.