Pippi Gymnastics

Biking the Kettle valley Railway this morning.

It is paradise up there. Biking through the tunnels and between narrow cliffs the air is crisp and refreshing and biking on the hot, sun-soaked trestles (that smell of train grease) is exhilarating.

I am suffering from post-stress disorder as well as impending stress disorder. My skin has decided to flare up...I shall overcome!

Tomorrow I will be up bright and early--well perhaps dull and early---in time for trying out yet another hot and gruelling yoga class with Miranda.

Fernando has decided to fill Silver's shoes by peeing all over in the kids bedrooms. HELP! Get me out of this pet nightmare! I've never had more difficult pets in my entire life than Silver and Fernando. Silver has been adopted into a new home (Thank-G) and I will break that little Fernando's 'naughty to the nuts' spirit of his or else he will find himself knocking on a certain Aunties door in the Kootenays.

I am pooped from a lot of heavy duty workouts lately. So tonight the entire family (Pip did nude gymnastics on our bed as the rest of us tried to catch the odd glimpse of the screen through her antics) watched part of season five of "The Office" on a DVD until our player overheated. So while it cools down, I popped Pip and Tabs in the bath and managed a blog update.

Finally meditating again--just before bed each night. It is my much needed vice.

My Lovely Date

A hot chocolate face.
My darling Pippi was the perfect Starbucks date. She is a Fashionista. She picks out clothes and brings them to me, to help her get dressed. This is her Princess outfit.

I met with my supervisor yesterday. I have a lot of work ahead of me. My thesis will be a small piece of the giant Digital Fiction project I have planned. It is overwhelming, considering, I want to actually do some ground breaking, pioneering work. So it means talking with the top people in the field at other Universities and even approaching publishing houses for some form of sponsorship. All I can say is YIKES at this point.

The new giant indoor pool, slides, wave pool, surfing pool is finally open--actually it is ahead of schedule. I will buy us memberships and the girls and I will do a pool night each Wednesday before supper (to avoid crowds!).

Tabs had wacky hair day at school and soccer pics this evening. Her hair is a mass of pony tails and braids. 

Mist's drama coach is pleased with her fairy dancing in the play and has positioned her as the front fairy.

Pip has been enjoying practising yoga moves with me. She is determined to do them all correctly and insists I help her with the positions until she's mastered them. She "loves" them all. 

Class on Saturday. Family photo's at the park on Sunday. Tomorrow something fun. It all depends on the weather, whether it be indoor or outdoor fun!

Here's to a blast from the Pineapple Express!

Tabitha's Magic Garden

I picked this little kit up at a toy store in China Town. Tabitha built the set by folding the paper included, then she poured the liquid into the bottom of the tray and viola: over night a crystal garden grew. It is lovely, teasing little fingers to touch the fluffy, billowing pink trees. But, alas, the fluff disappears into nothing when touched. The crystals are delicate.

I miss San Francisco--the city. I long to put Pip into her stroller this morning and head straight down Powell Street for an early morning Starbucks fix. I wonder if I would ever get sick of the city? Maybe the winters would be cloudy and cool? For me to pop Pip in her stroller and walk to the nearest coffee shop from my home, would take me a minimum of 1 1/2 hours each way, and that would be running it!

Reading "Omnivore's Dilemma" for a class critique. Making notes while I read sure takes the fun out of reading. A lot of reading and presentations for this new class.

I would like to take yoga once a week for my flexibility, but it is so difficult to fit it in. I must workout by 6 AM weekdays. All my mornings are filled with other sports and actually I cannot find a yoga class in this city that starts before 9 AM. I am wondering if I should leave it until my life style allows for such a class? IE: When Pip is older and in school? Or I am finished with my graduate studies? Or would that be horrible for my body? Should I make time now, no matter what because flexibility is so important to one's health? In addition it is pricey, approximately $20/ 1h class. And each studio is at least a 15 min drive from my home. These are my obstacles: time, childcare, money and distance. What should I do? How should I rethink this? Is yoga a priority now for me? Yes, I am not as flexible as I usually am. I do need it physically to loosen my spine up again. What to do....any suggestions at looking at this in a fresh light?

A beautiful morning in Kelowna today. I purposely missed Spin class and slept in until 7 am as I was so not getting over my jet lag from San Fran. One needs to have one morning a week that one doesn't rise at 5:30 am, just to get caught up on the weeks stresses.

So, to recreate the blissful mornings I experienced in San Fran, I have decided to take Pip down to the water front for a morning walk and then pop into the down town Starbucks and then take her to a park. This afternoon I shall read more of that frighteningly tragic book "Omnivore's Dilemma"--so I can feel like I am feeding my family SHITE and ruining the world in doing so....

Baby Hat

This is Pip yesterday. She picked out the hat herself and insisted on wearing it all day long. She calls it her "baby" hat. 

Pip and I had a beautiful morning. We did a little shopping for my mom's birthday present. Then we had coffee at Starbucks and each purchased a new book from Chapters. I finally got "Jesus" by Deepak Chopra. It is about the lost years in Jesus' life. It is written from the perspective that Jesus was an enlightened, holy man, not a god. This is the belief I follow.

Then we took Fernando to Tabitha's class for show and tell.

It is beautiful out--sunny and warm. We've tossed aside our winter clothing finally!

Tonight Mistaya's made supper--we shall dine when Tabs returns from ballet. Mist has made a slow cooked turkey breast in gravy, sweet potato and Brussel sprouts. It was her second choice after I nixed her first: onion rings and mushroom pizza on the side.

Fernando is proving to be a very unique little guy. Very bright. He talks back to you, singing when any loud noise disturbs him. He's very athletic--climbs and jumps, extremely devoted to me--follows me anywhere! And lion hearted--No fear. Loves all other dogs and jumps head first into mountain streams.

Tonight is a clean up as I am having a house keeper come in the morning to give me a quote.

I ran into Mist's drama couch at the gym this AM and described the fairy outfit we have, that Mist refuses to bring as a costume for her play (the fairies have to provide their own costumes). This one is an expensive and beautiful confection of aqua tulle--purchased last year for a dance recital. The coach--Jasmine--said she'd love to see it. So I sent Mist with it this morning and Jasmine loved it! Few! One costume sealed and delivered.

San Fran on Friday morning. I will have 3 days to tour alone as Peter conferences, then it is fours days together. I am so excited as we will stay at the Fairmont on the hill and have a suite. I will use my alone days to shop and try out a French Patisserie I read about and want to try out. You know me and French Patisseries! I could sip tea and eat chocolate all day long!

I have decided it is time to invent an all over cleansing stretch program like yoga but different--a more modern approach for the modern soul who wants to be limber but thinks head stands are for opossums and bats. 

Ode to 'Nothing But Naughty'

How did I end up with these two? Not Mistaya, no, she is almost always my darling angel girl. But Fernando the pirate and Silver the leather sofa peeing kitty have got to go! Not really... no matter how dreadful they can be at times, I do love the fluffy critters.

Mist dressed 80's today for spirit day at school. Yes, a little clone of me it seems.

Tabs stuffed duck has become the class mascot. He goes to school each day with her and even sits in a desk! Tabs teacher Mr. Recsky is a good sport.

Pip is sitting in my bed watching "Boogy Whale" and eating Shreddies. 

Now about that yoga again...yes, it has a habit of pointing out my anatomical abnormalities. Bikram's pointed out that I do not sweat like other humans. I hardly sweat at all so I can not tolerate high temperatures. Ashtanga has pointed out that I have abnormally long legs and a short body. While everyone else is placing there knees in their armpits and shoulder standing, I am a fidgeting mess. Why? The length from my hip to my knee far exceeds the length from my armpit to my hip. Thus there is so way I can tuck my knees into my armpits to do a (kneeling) hand stand. And leaning over, legs spread to place head on mat? I have to pretty much do the splits. Like I said, my body is short and my legs are long. Case in point: when I'm pregnant the world knows. My belly sticks out hugely in front because there is no where for the baby to go but straight out--but that is an entire other blog "Ode to the Tummy."

Tonight I am taking my girls to the school dance. "Shakewood Annie" is playing. Hot diggity dog!  Peter is going to return a box spring we purchased that is too long for the antique bed. He doesn't want to come to the dance.

I have my last class tomorrow. I present. I always pick an outfit to present. One that will sell my topic. Tomorrow, my talk is quite casual thus I am wearing my cool Tommy Denim jeans, a washed out polo shirt in pale ocean blue that looks vintage, my new shoes--leather converse Mary-Jane's and my trusty Tibetan prayer bead bracelet. Now wasn't that an interesting outfit description?--most likely not.

Cinderella Does Yoga

The girls and their friends performed Cinderella in our back yard. Tabs is the prince, Pip the wicked step-sister and Mist the fairy godmother.

Just returned from Ashtanga yoga. I tried out the Oranj studio downtown. Here's the thing about yoga, many postures make me feel nauseous or the shoulder stand really hurts my wrists and elbows. So, yoga is hard for a variety of reasons: some of the stretches are difficult, some of the postures require major muscle holding--all this I can handle, it is a challenge. I can get better at it. But the nauseousness and painful wrists? I think perhaps those can be overcome in time too? I do hope so. The Oranj studio has incredible classes, all sorts of yoga and yoga fusions. I plan to try a new one each week until I find the perfect fit. Time matters too. Evenings are best--I won't need daycare. However, in the winter sometimes fresh snow makes the mountain drive back home nearly impossible, so I may miss some winter classes. Oh well, accept it girl, you live on the top of a friggin mountain...

Will work on my web site tonight and tomorrow. Then class on Saturday. And then the class is finito! And I'm of to San Francisco next Friday with my secret lover...yes, my secret lover is also my not so secret lover--but I had you wondering.

Trying so hard to be mindful about everything and stay in the Zen Zone. I just realized that the most important thing in navigating on this earth is to remember that we as humans are tribal and that no matter what the cause, what the crisis, one has to always tread wisely so as to never alienate themselves from their tribe. If one alienates oneself, then all is lost and one is as good as dead, in a sense. In the wild, a human cannot survive alone. I find this helpful whenever I am very passionate about a cause. I think first, how can I work on this cause without alienating people with my over the top passion?

And hey, we all have a little Cinderella within...once I was shouted at in Florence by an Italian street vendor. He didn't like my bartering and screamed at me all the way down the lane, "You F*#*ing American Princess!"--ha, he had it wrong! I am a f*#*ing Canadian Princess!

Midnight at Lac Du Bois

Here are the pics I promised of our night hike. The top is the entrance where we park our car--beyond the gates--pure wilderness. I loved it and could have explored far and wide. I am not fearful of wilderness, probably because I was raised on acreages across western Canada (and it is too cold for the rattlesnakes to be out of their winter den). Peter, he's not so into night hiking. He's a city boy--born and raised.

The last pics are of Earth Hour. Peter and I went to a dimmed Cafe after our

wilderness jaunt.

The girls are back at school after a two week holiday. Tabs is still covered in hives.

 Mistaya has drama practice after school and then I will take her to ballet.

 I have decided to change the way I cook. I only make things I love. I am hopeful this will inspire me to keep cooking. Tonight it is homemade cheese pizza with raw veggies on the side.

I tried to dismantle the bunk beds and move them into Pip's room on my own. As it stands now, they are precariously and dangerously hanging in mid air-- the room is shut off until Peter arrives home and can help me finish the job.

This morning, since I am finished my class assignments early, I worked on my art/book web site. I am photoshopping another book cover for the site. I hope to have it up by the time I return from San Francisco. 

Pippi and Fernando are playing rather noisily behind me. Pip is turning into another horribly picky eater like her sister Tabitha. It is very stressful to prepare meals for children who refuse to eat. All she wants to eat is peanut butter, And 

then all she does is say, "My tummy hurts!" 

She even wakes in the night to say it. She seems healthy though. And I took her big sister to the doctor many times for the very same complaint and to no avail. 

I am off to a new yoga class tomorrow. I need to stretch even though I find yoga boring. I've tried many kinds, many times. But as I feel I am not as flexible as I have been...so, it's back to yoga once a week to supplement my cardio/weight workouts.