Bellies

This morning I stood in front of my mirror and tried rolling my belly around; you know wiggling to and fro. There was no beauty in it and it barely moved. Why in the world was I going to a belly dancing class? I had no idea what to expect or what to WEAR! I guess I sort of thought the pros could draw a face on their tummies and then SNAP... Happy! Sad! Happy! Sad! Surprised!

It wasn't anything like that. I loved it and if the class was closer I would totally sign up.
To me it felt like belly dancing was all about celebrating and empowering womanhood, and not sensual although I am sure you could make it that way. The teacher explained each move and how it was based off of how a woman naturally moves. We focused a lot on control and centering like you would in yoga, and I love feeling like I control my body.

Also different than I expected, but I loved the fact that the women demoing were grandmas and mothers and their bellies were women's bellies. Bellies with stretch marks and discoloring and worn skin and yet so beautiful!

In American Tribal Belly dancing there is a leader and then everyone else mimics based on the cues, so you just memorize moves not a whole dance so a lot more emotional and interpretive in style. This also allows people to participate in flash mob belly dancing! :D (Which might just be something I would be interested in so not really a mob... "flash solo")

So new bucket list item: Belly dance on the beach with a beautiful sunset and my toes squishing in the sand- and wild elephants prancing about, yeah that would be a bonus. I am so SERIOUS!!

Anyone that knows me I am not the most graceful, so it wasn't pretty and I am glad there were no mirrors, but it was a great workout. Don't be scared like I was. Find a class and dance! It is a BLAST!

Winter Fun!

This week I had the great opportunity to take these three kids to the sledding hill. It was smiles from the first run down the hill up to the time that I had to tell them it was time to head home. Although people had a long loopy sidewalk to watch the kids sled many people still had to stop and watch because they were simply too entertaining. It took the first half an hour for the girls to listen to me and not try to climb the hill at the steepest point, but they had a wonderful time falling back down the hill; who needs a sled anyways?!

These girls are too funny! 

I love her little marshmallow run to go help her friend! 

There were two jumps but this is the baby jump.

Another day we built a snowman. Daph's coat was being washed and her gloves were in the car, and Demitri refused to wear his gloves... but we had lots of fun!

We love our snowman who only has a baby nose "that we can EAT!".

Adjusting Preparedness

I am constantly trying to learn how to manage having multiple children and still find time for myself and my husband to get out like normal human beings. Sometimes I feel like I am really making headway, but then something shifts like my kids learn a new skill like climbing, or have a new dream I need to protect them from like swinging through trees or riding elephants (Yes that is the current toddler obsessions).

Honestly my life is much like Pocahontas' life...

"What I love most about rivers is:

You can't step in the same river twice

The water's always changing, always flowing"

When dealing with these growing kids often what worked yesterday is not the same today!  No groundhog days, no predetermined schedules, because it is sure to change. 

And with this change I am excited about what might come next but also nervous about what is waiting for me just around the river bend. 

Just Around the Curtain... Waiting For Me:

On this particular day I was playing church volleyball. This is a pretty common occurrence and I have found many different ways to occupy my kids during this time so I can have a few moments of valued adult play.  This time I miscalculated... 

Instead of being in full view on a stage like normal -on account of bringing new Christmas scooters with us and the hazardous 4 foot drop- we put the kids in a side room with a large curtain separating us. When my two year old son grew tired of scooters he moved onto coloring which inevitably made his sister and the other two kids want to steal the coloring book since I again miscalculated and only brought one coloring book. I told Daphney to tear out some pages and the hollering dissipated so I figured all was well.  

Again a miscalculation.... [Silence is a double edged sword]!

At the end of our game I ventured a look behind the curtain, and I saw the two three year old girls coloring nicely together with the coloring book and then I saw the younger two children one of which was my son. These two had obviously been denied an option to color on the coloring book and had kindly taken to decorating the church wall with crayon. I approached my son trying to remain calm and figure out how a good mom would handle this situation with love and the appropriate discipline and a pinch of possible natural man. However, what I had prepared got thrown out the window as my son excitedly pointed at the wall and his eyes glistened as he proclaimed with urgency in his voice, "Jesus, JESUS." I stood there too shocked to say anything as he continued as if I didn't understand the red scribbles were really a wonderful mural of Jesus. 

Out of embarrassment the other mom and I made a quick pack to not let anyone else know. However, my daughter and her best friend wasted no time, and quickly spread the word of the kids misdoings so I guess it is now fair game for the blog.

Another day additional judicial adjustments will be made and crayons will only be used in full view. 

ps. Thank goodness we didn't have to redo the wallpaper and the wall was cleaned to perfection in time to go home and feed Paisley.

Paisley Pics

My favorite pics of our 3 month old. 

Yes that wide mouth is how she smiles when she is real happy and playful. To do it you kind of have to focus on opening not only jaw but the top of your mouth. It is a very freeing joyful smile that will be sure to make you happy if you try it out. I hope she never grows out of it!

We love when Grammy reads to our kids almost as much as they love her books!

Pet Ferret

Daphney has fallen in love with a ferret puppet that we have rented from the library for the last three months. She, ferret, and gorilla had lots of grand adventures and always slept together. Daphney sleeps with as many stuffed animals as can fit in the bed and then some additional ones that litter the floor get to use towels as blankets; but they are strategically placed and never too close to the monsters under her bed. Seriously we spend more time having to put the animals to bed then our kids. But I would say ferret was second in command if gorilla was sick, and now that we have to return ferret, "Gorilla won't stop crying." This is a picture of the very sad Daphney. 

I took Daphney to the library and she did one final puppet show with her "friend." Then we said goodbye as Daphney pushed the ferret into the dark return hole. I took a picture of her returning it and I am pretty sure the librarians think I am crazy. But, Daphney ended up being braver than I expected and is happily awaiting the day we can go back and be reunited with FERRET!

Christmas 2015

Demitri's face when I asked to see his present...

He immediately ran it over to dad for protection. He didn't trust me with carrying his Halloween bucket when trick or treating either, but that one was probably justified. 

Christmas Candy tastes better out of a Halloween pumpkin?

We didn't really have the traditional Christmas this year, and we missed a lot of the Christmas festivities. I was bummed, but a lot of good things happened because of that. 

1.)   I threw my own Christmas Festivity at my house mid December with a few friends. It was a lot of chaos but a lot of fun. It felt good to be planning things rather than waiting for someone else to do it. We had lots of soups, played Christmas chimes, and decorated gingerbread men. We had 10 adults, and 10 kids with Daphney being the second oldest and Paisley not being the youngest- so emphasis on the chaos.  

2.)   It gave me time to think about the real reason we celebrate Christmas and evaluate my relationship with Christ. 

I started to think about the importance of testimony not only for my own well being but for my kids. In the Book of Mormon we read of the believers living in America who were going to be killed if the signs of Christ's birth did not happen. I think of the parents who had such a strong testimony to not only risk their own lives but their kids by continually teaching them to believe. They confidently led their children when the world might say to take a surer route, give up and just say you don't believe. 

I want to be a mother like that! 

I think of the pioneers who knew that following the prophet and obtaining temple blessings were important enough to cause them to leave everything and travel across the plains even if they or their children died in the process. The prospect of death would not blot out their faith for them. They led their children's growing testimonies, while the world might say to take a surer route, give up and just say you don't believe. I want to be a mother like that!

While I know we must let our children stand on their own testimonies, I want to be ready when they look to me with a relationship with Christ that is strong enough to dispel fear. So this December I set that as my present to myself and my kids - to look unto Christ and to invite Him to guide my scripture study. It made this Christmas really special and meaningful. 

-We all knows parents put first priority on their kids so scripture study sometimes at least for me would be shortened or forgotten after all my kids needs were met, but this mindset helped me prioritize scripture study more than anything else that the world might say we need to be doing for our kids.

Learning the Gospel as a Family

Shane and I recently got called to team teach the sunbeams. It includes eight active three year olds. After what I thought was our first successful class Daphney began asking if next week she could go back to nursery. I decided she could give us some honest feedback and asked her "what about nursery she missed," so we could incorporate it. She cried out in a defeated voice, "Mitri!" (Demitri)

We are starting to really have fun with our family nights whether the kids are comprehending much is still unknown. But, Daphney is right it is more fun together!

Here are two pictures from acting out the nativity. Shane is the Donkey...:D Daphney is the pillow stuffing pregnant Mary. And Demitri who also wanted a pillow... was the proud Joseph who is leading the donkey with care.

Shane was telling the Nativity story to Demitri and he said , "There was a man who was King over all the land and his name was...." "-Jesus!!" He is starting to learn the most important answer. :D

Mary is holding the newborn Jesus.