Cheese Biscuits and A Kilt

 

Our week in review:

It is so nice to not have Elsa's dance lessons on Monday now.

Monday after dinner Elsa asked Chris to help her make a snack of Down Under Cheddar Biscuits. She got this recipe from Activity Day Camp this past summer. The biscuits were a lot like the Red Lobster biscuits you get minus all the butter and garlic. We all enjoyed getting to try Elsa and Christopher's hard work. Elsa took a selfie with her biscuits.

Tuesday is now my busy day with violin and cello lessons in the early afternoon here in town and Scottish Dance lessons in the late afternoon. At least  music lessons are at the same time and place.
This was Elsa's first Tuesday in her new dance class. She really loves that it is more structured with students who help her to work harder and be better. All the kids and moms seem really nice. Elsa is pretty dedicated so far. She brings her own little notebook to write down what she needs to work on each week. She likes to have me video her and then watch it to see what she needs to improve. When she is not sitting down she is practicing her dancing. I think back to the years I took ballet. I absolutely loved taking ballet and performing, but I know I was never this dedicated. I guess for now we'll just roll with it and see if she continues to really enjoy it.
On Saturday Chris and I took her to her teacher's studio in Portland, and she was loaned a kilt, blouse, and vest for her upcoming Saturday performance at the Tartan Tea. She gets to use it for indoor competitions which start the beginning of February. She is really excited about that! She can't wait to start competing.

 

We are going to have to see about getting the kilt to not move around on her. I noticed it had moved a bit from putting it on and practicing her fling to this video and practicing again. Here she is practicing with the kilt on for the first time. She loves how the kilt swishes when she jumps. She noticed that she was getting a bit tired near the end and letting her feet slide a bit. She was a trooper to practice and put on a big smile despite the fact that she has a cold and was not feeling too chipper.

Second day of practicing with the kilt on (nighttime). The first time went pretty good, but then it went downhill from there. This was her second practice, and the third one kind of ended the same. Her footing got a bit messed up, and she couldn't stop laughing. It made us all laugh. She's a good sport. She decided to move onto the sword just to show Chris what she has learned so far and then called it a day; time for pj's and bedtime.

No post is complete unless there is a picture of Molly 😀

Miss Molly snuggling up with Wolfie.

For history this week Elsa was learning about the formation of one China and Qin Shi Huang. She also learned about Chinese calligraphy. This was her attempt at some Chinese characters using a paintbrush.

Tuesday after Elsa and I got home from her dance lesson we sat down to dinner, minus Chris, and then watched the 1943 movie The More the Merrier. It was pretty funny. The kids and I enjoyed it. We wish Chris could have watched it with us, but he was busy trying to finish up the old Toyota at a friend's house so that it can be sold. It is almost done, and I think he'll be glad when it sells.

Wednesday night, while Myles was at Scouts, Elsa and I played a round of Scrabble. She wanted all the lights turned off and to play by candlelight. I did have the TV on Pandora so that we had some extra light. We listened to Christmas music while we played. I think we used up just about every tile for that round.

Elsa got a little package of Holiday Jelly Belly jelly beans. She was nice to share.

I got the following pictures from Aeva this week. She was recreating a picture from 2012.  I'm so glad she sent it. It made me giggle.

Chris is keeping busy with his class and lab on Wednesdays and Fridays as well as work and the old Toyota. He had an interview this past week with a company that is practically across the street from his current company. He has been called back in for a panel interview for Monday. We shall see what happens from there. Several people have already left from his department, including his boss. If  nothing pans out from the interview this week he will be registering for more classes for winter quarter at the local college.
The past two Saturdays I've not been home for long stretches. I had errands last week, and this Saturday I got to go out with my best friend, which was fabulous and needed. Both Saturdays I came home to a vacuumed house, dishes done, and scrubbed bathrooms. It was absolutely wonderful, heavenly, and much appreciated. Love that guy. He's a keeper for sure!

Friday morning Chris sent me a little message with a link saying that he lost it at work and was glad no one was around to see. I clicked on the link and music started to play at which point I lost it too. This song is on my playlist, and every time I hear it I cry. So, in honor of Miss Aeva here is a past recording of her playing what is known at the "Uncle Ben/Aeva song" (AKA: Where's My Mind):

Miss Meg has finished her first Explode the Code phonics book. She is really excited about that and ready to move onto the second book. She now knows the sounds of 8 letters and is working really hard at connecting sounds to make words. She loves learning and even tries to get me to do school with her on Saturdays.  She loves doodling and coloring on everything.............hmmm I wonder where she gets that from?? She loves to try and copy Elsa's dance steps. Although she is a bit of a tornado, she has the sweetest heart which kind  of makes up for all of her messes. She's working on getting over a cold. It started out as croup and then moved on to a full fledged cough and runny nose. I think she's on the tail end of it though.

I was given this glass vase and thought it would be great to put my little pumpkins in with these leaves my mom sent. I think it looks very nice as our table centerpiece.

Our family is going to take on a challenge. Myles says it sounds like an experiment, and I told him the I guessed it was a spiritual experiment of sorts.  As a family we read over this post from Elder David A. Bednar's Facebook page (November 2015):

A number of years ago, our family learned a meaningful lesson on gratitude that we have never forgotten.
While I was serving at Brigham Young University–Idaho, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles visited our home. Earlier in the day Sister Bednar and I had been informed about the unexpected death of a dear friend, and our immediate desire was to pray for the surviving spouse and children.
As I invited my wife to offer the prayer, the member of the Twelve, unaware of the tragedy, graciously suggested that in the prayer Sister Bednar express only appreciation for blessings received and ask for nothing.
Sister Bednar responded in faith to the direction she received. She thanked Heavenly Father for meaningful and memorable experiences with this dear friend. She communicated sincere gratitude for the Holy Ghost as the Comforter and for the gifts of the Spirit that enable us to face adversity and to serve others. Most importantly, she expressed appreciation for the plan of salvation, for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, for His Resurrection, and for the ordinances and covenants of the restored gospel which make it possible for families to be together forever.
Our family learned from that experience a great lesson about the power of thankfulness in meaningful prayer. Because of and through that prayer, our family was blessed with inspiration about a number of issues that were pressing upon our minds and stirring in our hearts.
The most meaningful and spiritual prayers I have experienced contained many expressions of thanks and few, if any, requests. Let me recommend that periodically you and I offer a prayer in which we only give thanks and express gratitude. Ask for nothing; simply let our souls rejoice and strive to communicate appreciation with all the energy of our hearts.

I think this quote from President Thomas S. Monson goes perfectly with it too:
 "Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God's love. To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven."

So we are going to focus more on giving thanks and expressing gratitude in our prayers this month.

As for Myles, we have enjoyed watching some documentaries together by American Experience, a series about the Constitution and Declaration of Independence by Glenn Beck (which was very informative), and a podcast on The Blzae TV with an NYU professor on postmodernism which led to a great discussion about communism. We really  like to watch things together. Oh, Myles and I are also reading the book Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.
Myles is just about looking at me eye to eye lately. Not much longer and he'll surpass me. My hair gives me some height.
I love, love, love this boy of mine more than can be expressed. He makes me laugh and is a great helper in the absence of his older sisters. However, I'd love it if he could be serious for once when taking pictures with me. Well, I'll just have to be satisfied that at least he is willing to take pictures with me.

As for me, I'm keeping busy. I loving my calling, I love homeschooling, I love the things that I have been learning lately, and love it when Chris and the kids make me laugh. Also, I just finished reading the church history book, Saints, as well as a book titled Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I would highly recommend both.
Life is good, it's hard, it's frustrating, it's wonderful, and I'm just thankful for each day that I get to enjoy another day here on earth.