Hair Cut for K

On our way to Vancouver K decided that she wanted to cut her hair.

She has never had a hair cut except the bangs we did last year and the occasional trim.

I gave her all the usual talk about such a drastic change and she listened intently.

She was still absolutely certain it was what she waned to do and I got really excited.

When we woke up in the hotel her first words were where is a hair dressers?

We drove to the mall and found a salon and with a bit of hesitancy from the dresser K got her hair cut and it looks so sweet.

Of course I had my camera.

We donated the hair to Wigs for Kids and K was really proud of that.

It took me all day to adjust to the change, but she was a firecracker about it and hasn't stop fussing and looking in the mirror since.

She is ecstatic.

I think she look so much older.

I am so proud that she made such a big decision and thought it through and sees that it can really pay off to do things that you like for yourself.

Go Girl.

Out with the Old

I know who really wants to see a picture of my back side but there is a story to this.
The girls and I came home one afternoon form a birthday party to an all out Bathroom Reno!!!

What we admittedly and naively presumed to be a 3 day adventure turned into a 10 day marathon.
A few days without water and power and having to use the laundry room toilet wasn't all that bad, but having to resort to going to a hotel for showering got a bit much.
The results though?
A modern bathroom.

And a breakthrough.
As you can see in the photo I managed to convince J to let me paint a log wall.
This was huge, a leaps and bounds huge, step for him....and me.

This next picture was taken on day 2 of the reno when J had to actually take a mini chainsaw to make room for the new bathtub.
E slept through an entire 45 minutes of it going on in the next room.
Oh!!! to sleep that soundly.

But it made getting the tub in so much easier.

In a small log house that is 40 odd years old, we were very lucky that it was soundly built.

The whole reno went smoothly in that aspect, but their are definitely learning curves when you are a "do it yourself"er.

And my goodness, the mess and garbage is unreal.

Look at the all relatively useless garbage that we got rid of.

Recycled what we could but still.

I cannot believe the waste and packaging.

We started in the bathroom, but it migrated as reno's do and ended up doing some to the kitchen as well.

We re floored the two adjoining areas with this cool aggregate flooring and the affect works quite well with the logs.

If you noticed in the first picture the yellow vanity and green toilet with the matching mini tub (well the tub was removed already) and the panelling on the walls.....well none the less the old bathroom was definitely a conversation starter.

Now here is our modern masterpiece.

Is it alright to be in love with a room?

And my painted wall?

And the soaker tub?

I have the bug now.

I see more reno's coming up.

A get away day at the beach recently during the reno's.

Culture

With homeschooling we have had the chance to submerge ourselves in many topics.
I like to study each holiday and event happening and usually make it into a lap book for the girls to always have and look at.
This week with Valentines we have been making so many things I'd have a post a mile long.
These paper mache hearts are hanging from our chandelier and look so fun.

We have been learning about the Lunar New Years and of course the Olympics as well.
Busy times.

The other night we also had the fortune of going to see the Watoto children's choir.
WOW!!
Such a fabulous time and the girls were so deeply moved by their stories and the music that I have a feeling we will be studying Africa next.


I am shocked by the sheer magnitude of poverty and despair over in Africa and the number of orphans is so sad.
I hope that sponsoring a child really does help and make at least one kids life better somehow.
I wish I could take them all.
As a parent, as a human being, my heart aches to think about it.

We also had the great luck of going to the women's hockey game, Sweden against China.

It was all about the Olympics and I was glad because we won't be going over to Vancouver for the games and this way they still get to feel the hype.

Go Canada!!

I Feel Like Grumbling.....

This afternoon I took the girls to the Film Festivals Bazaar at a local hall in town.
We had a great look around and thought it was a very well represented cross section of conscientious associations, businesses and causes.
On our way out I stopped to peruse the Eat Vegan table.
I am not sure if it was an organization or just a couple of people who like to inform people about healthy dietary options, either way I left ready to battle.
After looking at their pamphlets, a grand array of topics from milk, feedlots, GMO's and such I asked what their stance on home raised meat as apposed to the feed lots they were so rightly against.
I knew what may be said but sometimes I like to stir the pot.
Pot was stirred.
One stood and came into my personal space and asked if the kids knew about what was going on.
So I questioned her if she meant if my girls helped raise and care for, befriend and nurture these animals, all the while knowing that one day they will be on the dinner plate? Yes.
She said loudly enough so my girls would not miss it, if they see them get slaughtered, do they know what actually happens to them?
So I tightly corralled in the girls in my arms and asked if she meant did my girls know that the chickens we raise get shocked and their thought slit open and then dunked in hot water to remove the feather? said yes they do!

OK maybe I went a bit far but heh I felt I should prove a point.
She backed off a tad and was a bit struck that indeed my girls did know.

I get it most people do not have the time energy of land resource to raise their own meat, let alone allow their kids to see them get slaughtered, if they were to choose to, and then packaged and put them proudly in the freezer.
I also know most people have no clue, or simply care to ignore the reality, about feedlots, and all the horrific handling's of meat that is sold at the local supermarkets.
We call our meat Happy Meat and when I told her that she scoffed and turned away.

This is when the younger one sensed she should get involved and said that she doesn't eat what can have a choice.
Ok If I had the time, and I didn't with two kids wrestling to go, I would have gotten into that one.

Choices!!?

So does this young woman think that the Sea Warrior shirt she was wearing was made her an advocate for choice.

I should have asked if she had any sugar today, sugar that was grown in another country in cruel slave like conditions, or was it sugar made from GMO beets.
Did she washed her hair, teeth, clothes, dishes with stuff loaded with laurel sulphates and nasty unpronouncable ingredients that came from foreign places that has travelled here many 100's of miles in big trucks, powered by fossil fuels.
Did she eat an organic banana? Follow that trail.
Or anything with corn? Or cotton, or soy???
What does she travel in, how does she heat her house, does she flush a toilet, does she have electricity or a cell phone.

Choices!!

Unless you live in a cave unfortunately many choices are made for you.
Yes we can make choices but it very hard to live the ethical life we do deeply desire when their is no accountability from governments to help us make informed choices, when we are all tied into a system that fails those who want to be free of the machine.
I applaud their intentions but do not attack me about my diet and lifestyle because I choose to give my children a choice.

It really through them when I said I ate RAW.

I allow my girls to make informed and educated choices from an early age.
I give them the age appropriate information they can absorb and they can go from there.
They understand why I choose to eat Raw and they try it often but they know they enjoy to eat meat and they can say they know exactly where it comes from.
They know where their food comes from and they help grow it and understand the process.

I am out of steam now but I feel trapped sometimes and I love to debate and have meaningful conversations, even through in a few conspiracy theories but do not get in my face about my choices and I won't about yours.
Thank you.