WxPython question re: embedded activex internet explorer and excel

[jojoba]

Hi
I currently am using an activex wrapper in wxpython to embed  Internet
Explorer in a wxPanel:

IEmodule=win32com.client.gencache.EnsureModule('{EAB22AC0-30C1-11CF-A7EB-0000C05BAE0B}',
0,1,1)
InternetExplorerActiveXClass = MakeActiveXClass(IEmodule.WebBrowser,
eventObj = self)
self.WebBrowser                  = InternetExplorerActiveXClass(self,
-1)

(where self is a wx.Panel)

That was ok.
However, I am creating multiple of these activex webbrowsers and
putting them in a wx.Notebook, one per page (where each page is a
wx.Panel).
On each page, i load a different .xls excel file:

self.WebBrowser.Navigate2(excelFilePath)

Great. All the files load fine.
Ok, here's the weird part.
When i choose among the different tabs for the wx.Notebook, I can see
all the excel files fine. I can go into each and edit them too. But for
some reason, i can't get focus away from the last-loaded excel file.
That is, I can really only see the cursor flashing in a worksheet excel
if and only if i am in the last-loaded excel file.

I tried self.WebBrowser.Document.Application.Workbooks[0].Activate() to
activate another workbook (representing a different .xls file) but i
get a win32com error saying the "Workbook Activate method failed"

Is there any way for me to get out of this? Does anyone have any idea
how to bring other workbooks into focus using this activex scheme? Or
am i approaching this from the completely wrong angle?

thanks to anyone who can get past this madness,
jojoba