celebrations and leaps forward

Sasha has always been a fan of music and boogeying along to whatever we play. With thanks to a temporary hand-me-down CD player from Che, she now has control over what she wants to listen to and when...she is loving this!

In the past month since my last post, it seems she has made many leaps in her development and we have just been amazed every day. She is trying more and more to sing along with songs, her vocabulary continues to expand and she very quickly picks up actions to follow along to new things.

Last week we had her first follow up with the eye doctor, and they say the glasses make a difference. Having a strap to keep them on has also helped her realize they make a difference too, and she now wears them all day. She will have another follow up later next month. If she is still favouring her left eye significantly at that point, we will supplement with a patch/drops, but at this point they don't feel that will be necessary. We'll see ;)


Earlier this month Sasha had a blast playing at Keyan's pirate birthday party...until she decided she would rather play outside and kept escaping out the door - here she is getting caught in the act! It's funny when we walk past the common room she always wants in (after being to 2 parties in there no wonder!) but when we are in there she always wants out. It's that 'grass is always greener on the other side' thinking known to many toddlers. lol

We've decided for her 2nd birthday we will have a gathering in the common room as well since it's a great space for running and dancing around. Mark and Che are going to make her a puppet theatre and maybe do a show for her, and we are also going to create a 'tickle trunk' full of dress up stuff as this is something she loves now. Costumes, puppets, music and books...she will be one happy tot!

On the 15th we went to the peace rally which marked the 5th anniversary of the war in Iraq. Though she enjoyed rockin' out to D.O.A. again, Sasha was far more interested in playing in the foamy soap bubbles in the fountain (I believe someone must have put dish soap in the water as it smelled like lemon) and chasing the bubble clumps that flew through the air to stomp them out.


What Sasha has become tremendously good at is climbing! So here she is climbing one of many rocks around the art gallery. She will climb anything, anytime, anywhere. She is an adrenalin junky with little fear to try new things. Sometimes quite frightening to witness...and my sympathy continues to grow for what I probably put my own mom through ;)

Che has been taking rock climbing lessons, and he thinks it is something she will love. I think I'll wait 'til she is out of diapers before I give that any further thought! I do look forward to hand gliding, bungee jumping, or skydiving with her when she is 18 if she wants to. That is an agreement I have with Che for his 18th (only 4 years and a bit! holy moly). Choose your thrill and I'll take you - and make the leap with you too. (Been a very long time, but I have done them all before and want my kids to feel that great sense of alive you feel when you land! gotta be done at least once) We're trying to convince Mark to join us...a good way to mark your 50th year...jumping out of a plane for the first time! hilarious! But you can't beat that for a father-son bonding moment ;)

The 15th was also the day we had a wonderful evening at Gilly's. Celebrating their soon-to-be-new-home they will be moving into! Hooray! And it was so nice to have a relaxed evening with friends we've been longing to reconnect with for some time over yum yummy food. (sooooooo nice to get quality time with Jim & Joey again!!! haven't spent time with them since I was pregnant!)

The best is watching Sasha and Merlin playing together! Considering the first time they 'played' was simply lying beside one another on the floor 18+ months ago...they have come along way! And here's a melt my heart moment - Gilly told me Merlin said "Sasha fun friend"!! oh my gawsh! A wonderful dose of positive energy for us all that night :)

Another dose of positive for me lately has been plenty of praise and encouragement from folks around me for the documentary idea, and all the little bitty things they see me do to try and make a difference in my world. It humbles me...and also has infused me with a much needed dose of confidence!

I've always admired the achievements of the extraordinary women in my life, and am never surprised to learn of new women who create positive change through pure will power. And am awestruck and thankful that I have managed to inspire a little passion in others. I will keep trying to raise spirits and hope, and remain thankful to the wide array of women who inspire me too! :)

With International Women's Day having passed recently I have been reflecting on all the great women I know, and I am a lucky lucky girl to have you all in my life! I celebrate your continued inspiration, support, encouragement and cheers to sharing in the ups and downs of life! super squishes to all of you lovely ladies!!!

One woman in paticular had a profound impact on my life and that is Moira. She saw something in me, that I did not see in myself at the time, and listed my name as a potential panel member for the Charter for Public Education...and this month we celebrate 5 years since the Charter was published! I am so proud to have been a part of that process, and thankful for the experience which has led to so many great learning opportunities I've had since.

And 5 years since the Charter for Public Education was published I'm happy to see it being used as a tool for dialogue in communities which are struggling to defend their schools from the chopping block of district budgets. CPEN is committed to working with group efforts around BC this year as we rekindle regional network connections. Mike (the CPEN Prez) was recently in the Cowichan district for a public hearing to prevent their communty school closures, and we aim to get out there and work with other community groups facing the same problems! Schools for sale is a major issue right now...

So it seems more than appropriate to be making a documentary on the impacts of privatization on our public education system! I've worked through some major anxieties since my last post (why this has taken so long), on whether my idea was a good one, and questioning "what the heck have I gotten myself into this time?!" As someone who tends to jump into things with two feet once my instinct has pulled me in...well it finally hit me that I'm now a writer/producer on a documentary... Say what?!

After plenty of soul searching, research, one-on-one talks with mentors and friends, a wine & cheese night which bred some new ideas and inspiration (many thanks again Andrea!!!!)...I have conquered my fears and am now feeling comfortable and very capable in my new role as producer. Having worked through the anxiety stage we are back at work with a production schedule we can live up to, and the writing has begun to flow a little more easily again.

The other 'first' we need to conquer is the first day of filming...which will be next weekend! Our aim is to film 2 days worth of 'people on the streets' interviews, a rally to protest the selling of of public schools in Victoria on April 7th, and filming the conference LA april 18-20 (Tri-National Conference in Defence of Public Education...and can you guess the theme?..."Public Education Not For Sale!").

a few more pics of our super cutie to end this post: one of her fave activities is pretending to nap (she has a very funny fake snore) and putting her stuffies and dollies down for a nap; and though she is a big ball of energy, she still has many moments of quiet and independent play too. Hope she will always have this balance ;)

fun in the feb blahs

I'll start with the eye update: we took Sasha to the eye doctor last wednesday (a drama to get there as transit was rerouted around the explosion on broadway!) and the prognosis is good. Dr. Kennedy's opinion was that what she has is an acquired estropia (very common between 18 months - 2 years.), which causes an eye to turn in when the effort to focus becomes difficult. If left to long it can be severe as their little brains are still flexible enough to just get used to seeing out one eye and give up on the one that requires too much effort. Though it is a condition that can lead to blindness, he patted us on the back and told us we were good parents for getting her in quickly. The fact that she is irritated by it and still trying to control it herself was proof it is not too late to put those eye muscles back to work.

This week we picked up her glasses which will hopefully help correct the problem she is having focusing her right eye in as little as 6 months. It could take longer, but ultimately he believes she will outgrow it. We may need to supplement with an eye patch or drops if she continues to favour the left eye after a few months. The glasses themselves should be enough...and with stylie pink frames she's bound to keep turning heads with her cuteness :)

This look kind of expresses her feelings on wearing them so far. teehee. not to worry. there are a few more pics below from when she actually kept them on long enough to get pics...and they tell us she will want to wear once she realizes they make it easier for her to focus.

Since Sasha started at Tina's child care a few weeks ago she has gone from a few words and many signs, to a bunch of words and constant babbling . She is also starting to sing a whole bunch too...so sweet! There is another boy at Tina's who is about 2 1/2. On Sasha's first day he asked me why she didn't talk. I said that she didn't have many friends who could talk yet (and her best friend is deaf...though little Merlin is also starting to talk lots now too!), but knowing him would encourage her to learn words because she would look up to him as the big kid there. When I saw him the other day he was all smiles when I thanked him for his help teaching Sasha new words.

Though I would prefer a mon-wed arrangement which she can't offer, we're hoping to stay with Tina for a bit as other care, close to home and affordable, is proving crazy hard to find. Perhaps if we had a car (and Mark his license) we would have more options. Sasha seems to like it at Tina's as well (the first few days she walked away from me "bye bye" and straight for the room of toys), though she had a few days last week where she got mad at me dropping her off...daddy was the hero who rescued her. I'm hoping that phase has passed. The days she gave me the cold shoulder I was also really sick with a stomach bug so didn't take it well...aren't kids supposed to be nice to their moms when they are sick? LOL

Aside from a week of sickness (Mark caught it too but didn't get hit as bad by it) things around the home have been good. We are all fans of Sasha's favorite game which is hugging people around the room. She'll go from mommy, to daddy, to brother, and around and around. And every day before bedtime we do a big family hug where she leans into each of us for her kiss...makes me all mushy.

Che has become more and more comfortable watching out for his little sis, and she loves that he will push her around in the variety of tot cars left around the passageway of our co-op. (our suite is at the end of the row of townhomes on the right...up those stairs at the end)

Sasha is very good for everyone who watches her (we are the ones she is testing, naturally). She's had no problems with my friends who have filled in, her grandparents she adores, and so with his practise helping us and Granpa, Che has earned a chance to watch her all be himself next week. He may even have to change his first diaper ;)

Since my last post we have had two family outtings. One night for Mark and I to go out with Dad & Liz, and Sasha went to play with Annty and Luis Phillipe. We had a lovely indian meal and then went to see the play "The Satchmo' Suite" at the Cultch. An amazing show!!! Really...if it comes to your town - don't miss it!!

Our other family outting was to meet up with Tom, Kristina and Keyan for the Chinese new year parade. Nice that Chinatown is one neighbourhood in walking distance for us. Sasha loved all the colour and was full of oohs and aahs. Except all the fireworks at the beginning. Though it started to rain at the end it was a great time. I only wish I had known Gordon Campbell was going to be in front of me...would have come up with something witty to ask our premier. We did get interviewed by Telus TV. He said it was because of the cute baby on my back, and asked why we were there - to celebrate one of the many cultures of our Vancouver home of course! The nice thing about city living is the opportunities you have as a parent to expose your kids to so many different cultures and new things. :)











On the education front things are still busy, though there have been a few postponements. The PEP forum that was supposed to be this weekend will be in a couple of months likely. The CPEN celebration for the 5th anniversary, will now be a series of regional forums around BC to mark the 5th year and reconnect with the communities that were a part of the original process.

With many many thanks to those of you who took the time to vote for my proposal, I received the 100 votes I needed to create an actual fundraising project at givemeaning.com. Now I just need the Public Education Research Foundation (PERF) to agree to be the charitiable organization attached to it...fun of fundraising.

Tanya and I are going ahead with filming this weekend. Our first day of 'folks on the street' interviews. It will feel good to actually have something on film, and to begin work on the trailer we will use in our pitch to other funders.

I'm constantly trying to find blocks of decent writing time. My ability to manage the time I have has improved greatly, but to really tap into the creative juices it takes a big chunk of time. This is very hard to juggle around needs of family, work and having a mental break once in a while. I am a bit behind...but for the most part we are doing well with the overall film schedule. My friend Allan is contributing his time as our production manager for a while, which is a super big help for Tanya and I in getting organized. Once I get the proposal for the CBC done I will feel much better...

Next week is another crazy busy one. On Thursday, Che will look after Sasha while I host a CPEN meeting here at home. Then Tanya and I, along with my CPEN cohorts are off to the CCPA fundraising dinner. An annual event I always look forward to for the great food (Fraserview Hall is consistently good with their indian buffet), thought-provoking guest speaker and hugs from friends and colleagues. :)

Friday night, my friend Andrea is hosting a wine & cheese event for us to pick the minds of teachers, parents and potential municipal candidates on what success might look like in public education. We may do some filming at the wine & cheese, but overall it will be a good night for promoting our work and narrowing the focus on local positive and negative issues for our district.

I'll finish off with a few more pics of Sasha in her styley glasses. I especially like the one of her and Mark all smiles. :)

lazy and crazy

Just over a month into the new year and as always there's plenty to write about. After a big unpack at the start of the year, we kinda lost our mojo and have just been enjoying our new home...though those little things left to-do are starting to make me itch to get them done already. teehee.

here is Sasha enjoying our patio space. lots of dirt to dig in and rocks to pile all over the place. simple good times :)

we are not thrilled at the easy access to our patio though, having the case for our canopy go missing from our patio table one night. our initital thought was that someone had taken it just to be a jerk. afterall...who needs a carry case for a canopy without the canopy? Susan's insight was that it was likely someone who is homeless and needed it to protect their stuff. I was grateful for the new way of looking at it as I can let go of anger over it thinking that it will help someone who needs it. it will be a pain for us to transport the canopy for camping etc...but we also aren't on the streets in the cold wet of vancouver winter. And we'll put up a latice soon to block entry to our patio in the future.

so the cute picture of Sasha is above before you see the worst one yet. Over the past week or so she has developed a lazy eye. as you can see the look we're trying to adjust to is this one - cross-eyed!

I took her to the doctor on thursday to get a referral to a pediatric optomitrist. (a hellish experience because we were kept waiting waaaaaaaaaaay too long, so once again her patience was maxed before we saw the doctor. that, and I think she's now afraid of the doctor giving her needles. grrrr. a very fustrating morning!) She tells me the wait can be long but she'll try to get us bumped up the priority list. If it is simply some muscles going lazy in her right eye, one relatively effective and easy treatment, if caught soon enough, will be to use a patch to cover/ drops to blur the good eye to put the lazy one back to work. She could potentially be a bit far-sighted as it seems she is going cross-eyed when trying to focus on things long range. I'll update on this as soon as I am able.

Other things to update about in these crazy times include some fun experiences. Our evening out with Penny was a night of interesting new things for her. We had dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant just a few blocks away. Yum yum yum. The performance was not what we expected, but it was a good show. We thought the two orchestras would be doing some combined work, but overall enjoyable for our first exposure to modern orchestra music. Much gratitude to our hero Susan for babysitting that night!

In a couple of weeks we have a night out on the town with Dad & Liz too...still looking for a sitter that night. hint hint any takers in vancouver? ;)

Another good time was had last night at the Holly Day party held for our co-op. We got to meet another handful of families, and I gotta say I'm in heaven to be surrounded by so many folks who like to hug like I do! sweet! Here is one girl we're really happy to know. Lyndsay is going to be our mother's helper now and then in a little win-win for us both. She's almost 12 and trying to increase her experience as a babysitter, and I need another couple of hours in my week to work on writing and such. Sasha loves her, and Mark & I were actually able to spend time chatting with our new neighbours a bit, including Lyndsay's parents, as she was already being a big help in keeping an eye on our roving exporer girl. Yay!

I'm two weeks into my new work schedule now that the job share has begun. It will take my body clock a while to get used to being at work 'til 9pm a couple of nights a week (as it delays bedtime etc getting home later), but the stability of a set routine should help out. whenever we finally have that set routine organized that is...

Tomorrow Sasha is starting her first day at a child care! We found a really nice woman offering licensed care out of her home. It is affordable and only 8 blocks away. Sasha loved her and her home when we went to check it out. We signed an agreement with her for mon-wed so i can work on documentary stuff on the day i don't work. my mon and tues alternate which was making finding care just around my hours really complicated. As I'm always looking for writing time and interviews etc, I figured why juggle? Tanya recommended just looking for 3 days...d'uh! why didn't I think of it sooner?

Well, today she calls and says the 2 days I had originally asked for would work better as one of her other moms has decided that she needs the 3rd day. So now I am dealing with immense frustration at having to look for affordable, close to home care all over again! arrrgh! we have a month...so hopefully the stars align and something else really awesome comes together.

On the public education front I had a great time at the conference held last weekend on Equity & Inclusion. There is a weird synergy following me on education since I put it out there that I'm making a doc on the issue. For instance, I was thinking one day that I needed a contact in China. The next day, at the CPEN board meeting, we have a new board member who is fluent in 5 languages and active in the Chinese community. And she is super keen to help me translate and promote anything around the doc. Cool. but it gets better. the day after that, I'm working at Brit, and the former ED just happens to be touring with a delegation of community education people from...that's right...CHINA! Shanghai specifically. even cooler that they are from a district in China that believes so strongly in lifelong learning that they actually commit 60% of their budget to education.

the synergy continued around the conference. Tanya and I had received correspondence from someone suggesting two names we needed to talk to...and those two gentlemen just happened to be the keynote speakers for the friday night portion of the conference I was at a few days later. Another country I was thinking I needed a contact in was Cuba...and at the conference I reconnected with one of my mentors...who just happened to be leaving for Cuba soon! shut up! crazy...but i'm not gonna question it!

oh yeah...my friend, before heading to Cuba, sent me an invite to speak at a Tri-National conference (Mexico, Canada and USA) in defence of public education in April. They want me to speak about the Charter process and how teachers and communities can work together to create positive change using the Charter as a tool. The even craziest part of this all-expenses-paid trip is that it is in L.A.!!!! say wha? that's right...going to california! insane. I'm still giddy from the honour of it all.

Can't wait for the trip though. For so many reasons, including that Tanya and I will also do some filming while we're there so it will be a multi-purpose public education extravaganza! And maybe we'll get a night on the town in with my friend Javier.

Back to the present. What else is up in february you ask? I'm hoping we'll have our 100 votes by the 11th on my proposal at educateme.givemeaning.com so that we can actually post the doc as a project that people can make donations to. Would sooooooooo appreciate if you could vote for it if you haven't already. And to those in the 80 who have voted - huge mega hugs of thanks!!!!

The Vancouver Public Education Project (PEP) is hosting a forum on the 23rd on advocacy and leadership. That is also the day that we will actually begin filming for the doc! As the forum is at the Central branch of the library we're going to begin our 'man on the street' interviews before and after, as well as getting some footage from the PEP event.

gotta spend lotsa time writing to get proposal out on schedule...but as always i'll be back when there is something worth sharing. like cute pics of Sasha sleeping with a wonderful new quilt sent from her east coast Grammy Martha in New Brunswick. check out her quilt shop "The Covered Bridge Quiltery" if you're ever in Moncton or visit her site www.thequiltery.com

off to a great start :)

Sasha has a new favorite spot to hide...my guitar case! Endless peek-a-boo fun ;)

Here is the real definition of fun: a week of sickness (congestion, sore throat, mild fever and a brutal cough that made her cry) mixed with all four of her canine teeth coming through the surface at once! Sleep deprivation has been a challenge for us but it seems she is pretty much back to health. And she was surprisingly happy throughout it all given her level of discomfort...

Glad she was better a couple of days ago for the first playdate with Merlin in our new home. They were full of joy to see each other again and Sasha was all over him with hugs...and his big smile all afternoon was proof of his happiness too. Gilly and I were so happy to realize at one point -"the kids are playing in Sasha's room and we're able to sit and enjoy our tea together!" A bittersweet moment as we really liked they are old enough and able enough to play away from us...but the flip to that of course is that they aren't little babies anymore! They've both progressed so far and it's so wonderful to see.

Sasha's favorite instrument to play these days is the harmonica. She'll dance around playing it for ages and does a hilarious little dance, bow and clap for herself when she's done. (but she claps for anyone who makes music - why not herself?) Che led the tots in a little music time - presenting the 5th st band. He's got pretty great rhythm! And both the little ones had a blast making lots of noise with him. Music to our ears! kind of - lol

After a few visits from friends and family and time to get to find our way around the new 'hood, we are finally feeling settled in and loving life in the co-op so far! The people we've met are all terrific and everyone continues to make us feel welcome. Thomas jokingly (i think) said he was giving us 'til the end of January before he started asking us what we want to commit time to around here...but I've beat him to the punch and found one way to contribute.

One woman undertook starting up a newsletter for our co-op a little while a go to help build a feeling of community. She was looking for people to contribute items, so for the January newsletter I wrote an article, the first in a series I am writing on public education through the lens of my experience in my many hats in that realm. I'm calling it Lifelong Learner because that is what education equates to in my mind...lifelong learning. If any of you are interested in receiving a copy of any articles let me know.

I'm feeling really stoked about the progress Tanya and I are making with the documentary. We now have some solid interview commitments and the support I've been given so far for the project is fantastic!

One thing you can do to help (If you haven't heard from me through other channels already) I'd really love it if you could visit givemeaning.com/proposal/educateme and vote for my proposal so it will be given official project status. If we get 100 votes by Feb 11th (and we only need 51 more at this point!) then they will support our efforts to raise money for start up funds while we work through the application stages of CBC, NFB, etc.

This is a busy week to come. Tomorrow, after I work, we are taking Penny out for a night on the town. I'm very much looking forward to the performance "Dual Eclipse: Orchestras of Two Worlds" (part of the PuSH International Performing Arts Festival) we're going to see at the Chan Centre. A long time since I've been to any kind of theatre show, and this is at a theatre I haven't been to either - so excited!

Then Monday the job share finally starts! Yeepa! wooooooohoooooo! Once I get child arranged (it is surprisingly difficult to find part time care that gels with our needs...but I think something will work out soon enough!) 3 of the big stresses of last year are in a place of stability for a while. aaaahhhhh

A meeting for CPEN mid-week and a public education conference on the weekend add excitement to the week as well!

To end on even more of a positive note: here are two more pics of our cutey pie having fun around home :)

hip hip hooray new year!!!!!

Here are the grandchildren and great grandchildren of Herbert Petrich...celebrating life and family as we gathered the other day to honour him with a Polish/German feast for Christmas. yum yum yummy!

Sasha loves it when everyone does 'arms in' and a 'hip hip hooray!'...and in this moment of cheer (captured by my aunty Christa) with my family I felt a much needed burst of positive energy. A readiness to enter the new year with a lighter heart and a confidence that comes with new found stability with home and work...and reconnecting with your roots. We really couldn't have asked for a better time for our first gathering in our new home :)

Christmas was filled with some tension for me as i had this overwhelming selfish desire to say "see ya everyone! i'm unpacking!"...a desperate urge to settle into our house before having to give any energy to anyone else. The instability didn't feel truly over with boxes stacked around us...after 4 weeks closed up in storage. Five months of instability of home and work had me longing to just nestle into our new place...and make it a new home. holidays be damned...

But a good dose of family is what i really needed...so we spent Christmas eve and day with Penny. The big dinner was at Jane's this year. The snowy winter in Coquitlam made it a bit of a drama to get there. We actually couldn't get all the way up the hill in Mum's car - so Jane had to come down and get us in her van!! It's really funny in retrospect...though at the moment I was a little tightly wound and was having a hard time finding the humour in it. A glass of nice red wine, time with the Whittam clan members here this year (Jane, Sarah, Daniel, Kenton, Dad & Liz, Mum and us) and a feast of turkey and vegetables...all the stress just melts away with these key ingredients ;)

I didn't get any pics except these two worth posting (a new camera is officially topping the list of things to buy this year!) Sasha enjoying her finger puppets from her stocking and her music intruments with her daddy and brother. sweet family music!





I breathe one last weary sigh for the year that was 2007. Breathe in and out once more to shed the negative emotion that came with: family in the hospital (5, including Sasha, that came out alive...and one that did not); a 3 month strike for Mark and I; having our home sold out beneath us and trying to find a new place to live...while on strike; leaving a community we had developed some roots in; a doozy of a concussion (and #12 to boot); limbo waiting for a job share to go through...these are just the biggies.

Everyone I know seems to have lived through a genuine roller coaster of emotion in 2007. So I hope everyone is able to take a deep breath and let it go. I also hope everyone had many positives to remember as well...cheers to the 'ups' that kept us sane through the wammy of anger, tears and fustration!

I breathe one last sigh of gratitude for the positive emotion that came from: watching my daughter and step-son grow into their toddler year and teen years...love love love the kids! (even when...and sometimes because...they test my patience to the limits! teehee); the family and friends that supported us in so many ways!!!!!!; a visit to Ontario to see my loved ones back home - and included my last visit with Grandpa which was a great one!; after maternity was over going back to work at Brit where I actually love working; a trip to Sun Peaks for the BCRPA symposium which was a super learning opportunity and fun networking time - and a awesome road trip with the ladies; Sasha getting off antibiotics after a year with no reinfections to her urine or kidneys; fun and MC'ing at community events; celebrating 10 years in BC with two fantastic family road trips to an abundance of places that start with C around the province; hanging out with amazing people on the picket lines at Brit...time flies when you're having fun and the days on the line were made bearable because of the great souls we got to bond with; a wonderful weekend on Saturna island for a friends wedding...joy of bonding with friends and meeting new ones...in a gorgeuos environment; a great forum and AGM which I got to MC for CPEN; starting work on the documentary with Tanya; the job share starting in the new year finally providing me a stable schedule to organize child care around...and the ability to really plan my life a little bit again!; our acceptance into the Northern way housing co-op providing us with an affordable home in Vancouver...stability in a new community we look forward to exploring - and loving our new place...now becoming our new home!

yep...I'm still a very lucky girl at the end of this year. As always, I came out of all the bad with a list of good that made it much better...gotta love hindsight eh? ;)

Here are a few more pics my aunt took from our Christmas with my family. I was a bit stunned when the realization hit me that when I moved here Cheyenne was just a bit older than Sasha is now. My baby cousin is no longer a baby...she's blossoming into such a beautiful young woman!! And Sasha absolutely adores her - though what's not to adore? :)









Over the past few days we've actually gotten a lot accomplished in settling in here. I've a blister on my hand from days and nights of building furniture (we purchased some DIY shelving etc)...it was very therapeutic to do something constructive! Though we still have a list of things-to-do for every room, we're almost done unpacking - yay!

The cheesiest thing we've done yet as parents: bought an area rug because it's called "Sasha". Not kidding. Canadian Tire. We actually liked the pattern of another one...but when we felt its texture was nylon and horribly uncomfortable...the comfort and humour of the Sasha rug won out. LOL. And the first thing she did when we put it down was start running laps around the coffee table laughing hysterically...so cute!

With home and work now in a state of balance again, I begin the new year with the strength to work on all the pieces of my public education advocacy! Between the Vancouver Public Education Project, the Charter for Public Education Network (celebrating 5th anniversary of the Charter for Public Education in March), and the documentary "Educate Me?!"...I'm up to my head in a multi-leveled dialogue on public education issues and using these opportunities to engage at the local, provincial and national debate on who controls the agenda for public education, who should and why?

My ears are wide open to any thoughts any of you have on public education! What are your rants, raves, and most importantly...your ideas and vision for what could be. give it some thought...then please share!!

Today we get to see more family...a visit with Karli, Blair, Elise & Brett! When Heath & Melissa get back from Mexico (poor things) we will finally have seen all of our west coast tribe. And I'm full up with love from family again...a very good rejuvenation. :)

Now it's time to catch up with all of our friends!! Isn't funny that when we need our friends most is usually when we retreat into quiet solitude? Well, Mark and I are ready to break the spell, come out of the woodwork and celebrate with friends again! Having missed out on every single holiday gathering of friends and work parties...well...we're feeling a big urge to get our boogy on soon!!! Any takers?

Another thing we're lookin' forward to is another visit to Ontario this year. Along with an opportunity to see all my loved ones (in less than a year since last visit) Easter weekend my family will be gathering for some kind of personal service for Grandpa. And as we reflect again on the loss of an elder I will also be able to celebrate new life when I get to meet the 2nd baby boy of my soul sista Tania! Can't wait for that moment...and to see all 9 of the children of my friends who just grow too darn quickly!

Now wrap your arms around yourselves and let's share a virtual hug - and a cheers to all the positive possibility of the year to come...can't you feel it? How fabu it's going to be!! yep...my old optimistic self is back - how 'bout yours? :)

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