Happy Saint Patrick's Day

We all had such a fantastic day yesterday. The night before we all painted our nails green and decorated them with shamrocks and four leaf clovers. Before we went to bed we also had a fun time running through everyone's closets to see what St. Patrick's attire we had. The morning of we enjoyed some Lucky Charms with some green milk, munched on some nummy green shamrock rice crispie treats after school, and convinced our brains that green eggs still taste the same as yellow ones for dinner. But the best part was knowing that we feel the luckiest to have found our own personal pot of gold...each other. Hokey, I know. But the girlies and I honestly talked about that yesterday. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Oh, That Woh-man! (Closer lovers will know where that quote comes from)

We were in Sacrament Meeting today and things were surprisingly manageable for me as we sat there listening and singing. Through out the meeting, as usual, Eva would tap me and want to show or tell me something. Today she'd aggressively tap me while simulataneously saying something to get my attention. I'll admit that the first couple of times I didn't actually notice what she was saying. Then on the third or fourth time I wasn't sure but it sounded like she was saying, "Mormon". After trying to really decipher what it was she was saying, I realized she was saying, "Woh-man!" to get my attention. You should have seen the twinkle in her eye and heard her loud stomach chuckle when she knew I'd finally gotten her sarcasm. I LOVE glimpses like this of my Eva, the one that makes me laugh instead of cry.

Changes 3

Back when Eva was a baby I took a trip, just her and I, to see my some of my family in Idaho. While I was there I had a conversation with my sisters about eyebrow waxing/plucking/tweezing and what they thought about when it was appropriate for the girlies to start doing their eyebrows. The reason I was seeking other's advice on the matter was because one night as I was tucking Line and Malia into bed, Line asked me, "Mom, why do my eyebrow's look like a man's and yours don't?". We had a cute little conversation about the fact that mine used to look like two caterpillar's wrestling on my forehead, until I was introduced to my first pair of tweezers. I reassured her that when she was old enough, she too would own her very own pair. That day has finally come. It was part of the hair straightening day, and it was super fun to gather all of our waxing equipment around us in the kitchen after all the littles were in bed. (Thanks Canny for helping us pick out the right stuff.)

Oh my word. You should have seen us. It was so enjoyable for me to just banter back and forth with these two stinkers. Line was the most freaked about how much it would hurt and ended up being the most chill about it. Malia on the other hand, was the one who gave Line the hardest time about being nervous, and then ended up shedding a few tears during her turn...you can see her ducking her head at one point. The girls were each other's photographer.













These growing up moments surprise me. When these changes occur as a result of the girls growing up, I want so badly for Naki to be there to celebrate them with us. I crave being able to hear his voice teasing back to the girls and just being physically present. Although I am unable to adequately find the words that will express the feeling I have after we've completed an event that went smoothly and was cheerful, in this case the girls' first eyebrow waxing, I know that even though I didn't see him or hear him, he was an active participant. The times that I don't feel like this are the times when there is contention and when it seems like everyone is arguing and/or crying. In this case, it was just the weirdest experience, to know that even though we did something again without him, somehow we didn't. It doesn't even make sense to try and explain. I think part of it is feeling him through the girls and the things they say and the expressions on their faces as they say it, that I know he would so enjoy. Sometimes it really does feel like I didn't do it alone even though to the eye it appears that way.

Bathtub Buddies, Changes 3

With our insanely busy schedule, one of the changes that we've reinstituted around here is that many hands make light work. This isn't a new concept for us in our house, but it is definitely an absolutely necessary one that without, the girls and I wouldn't make it day to day. Before Daddy died it was just one we taught and practiced without needing it to work in order to survive. But now the need for us to all work as a team is even more essential than it was before. Naki and I have always believed that children are capable of hard work and it is in fact a tool we want them equipped with as people. Without the ability to work hard it is quite impossible to achieve much in this world. Unless you were our shadow 24 hours a day, it would be impossible to describe what these girls are capable of. They can do ALMOST as much as I can in the house, and soon the quality of their work will be up to par with the quality of an adult's. We've definitely learned that you work hard and then you play hard. The girls aren't always super thrilled about this new change, of course. What child would be? However, when their work is over and they can play, they have admittedly discovered that there is more pure enjoyment in being able to play, knowing it's extreme opposite in it's truest sense. I know that who they are as girlies is a foreshadowing of what kind of women warriors they will become.

The other night we rushed home to do a quick session of dinner and baths so that we could head out for round two of dance classes for the day. This isn't possible to accomplish without the girls being the bathers while I'm cooking dinner. There just isn't enough time for me to do both. I love hearing them in there, talking and playing with each other. It isn't always smooth sailing, but this particular night it was.





Babe...check out your fierce future women warriors. Aren't they just the bestest?

Changes 2

I know I've written before about my previous epiphany regarding the understanding that God gives us friendships as blessings. I count my friendships as very personal and intimate blessings given by a loving Father in Heaven to help compensate for the best friendship I've ever ever had, but that is currently suspended, waiting to be continued as soon as my responsibilities in mortality are completed. I was taught as a child to "be careful who your friends are"! Pure friendships are relationships that exist because both parties truly wish for the other's happiness over their own. They trust each other implicitly. The love that should exist in an honest and real friendship mirrors the love that our Savior has for us all, charity. I have been surprised to discover that I actually have friendships like this! I say surprised, because I still struggle to believe that I can be worthy of such love from others. Last week some of my friends asked if they could please have some time with the girls so that I could have some time on my own. All of us Maile girls truly needed that time for ourselves in our own way. If you would like to see pics of the girls enjoying their special night while I enjoyed mine, you can read about it here. They were treated to a special night of nummy food and special makeovers. I came back home to girls, all dolled up and feeling glam. It was so sweet to see them feeling loved and valued, learning without even knowing it what true friendship feels like. Line especially loved having her hair straightened, and REALLY wanted to start learning how to do her hair by herself. When I say REALLY, it doesn't quite cover the amount of emotion she used to express her desire.

Let me clarify...she's done her own hair for quite some time..uses product, does her own hairstyles. What I mean when I say doing her hair by herself is using a blow dryer, round brush, flat iron, etc. all by herself. She has such an enormous amount of hair that she is easily frustrated with the challenge that it presents every time she tries to do something with it.

Now. I have known this day was coming, and have personally dreaded it. Again, it would've been nice when I was wanting to have children so badly if it could've been brought to my attention that I'd need to have beautician training. Seriously. HELP! I can barely make my own hair presentable, let alone needing to be the person that needs to teach others how to make their's presentable, too. But after our friends left that night, I promised her that since there was no school on Monday we could just work on it with my undivided attention...and that is a coveted thing around here.

She was so so so stoked! I had to take pictures of the process, which if anyone wants to know, took approximately a total of 3 hours. We're both hoping that she can cut that time down considerably as she practices...which she is doing as we speak. I was so proud of her, that even when she got frustrated she didn't cry and she didn't quit. I guess that's what happens when you really want something badly. Here are some pics I snapped of the process.








Here she is with the finished product. She was immensely proud of herself, and even though I had initially dreaded this, it was yet another change that I actually ended up enjoying. I love watching these girls of ours learning and growing. It is the most rewarding process for us as parents to know that despite our faults and inadequacies, our children can still feel our sincerest love for them. It is the purest friendship I have, and hope to have forever...the friendship of my children.



We of course had to go out and buy her her very own blowdryer and flat iron, and she is using them for the first time today. Such fun.

And...uhh...not sure how this stinker got in on the fun...

Changes

I've been reading a book called Mindful Eating, and it has so much incredible insight, not only into eating, but into how to live your life in the present. It is based on Buddha's Four Foundations of Mindfulness, and so far it is pretty fascinating. There is statement after statement that I just want to digest, and somehow make a part of my permanent way of thinking. I think it's one of those things that I'll have to read and reread in order to make it a part of myself. Here is one of the quotes that I read last night while waiting at the girls' dance classes.

"The secret for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, and not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."

We're trying to do that around here, although I must say for me that is not an easy thing to do. Not just since Naki died, but really, that's just not my personality. I do look back at the past, I always worry about the future, and constantly live in anticipation of my future difficulties, but honestly do try to enjoy living whatever my present is, whether that's when I was a missionary, newlywed, new mother, etc., despite my tendencies to look backwards and forwards with trepidation.

Having said all that, I've really been trying to see the present with a clear perspective. I've tried to embrace changes, good and bad, as part of my present experience, so that my mind and body will be able to live wisely and earnestly. The next several posts are all about changes happening around here in our house, some good and one not so good. Truthfully I've enjoyed almost all of the changes, even if initially I was unsure about them.

All of the girls, after they moved out of the crib, have moved into this bed. Even Ane attempted to sleep in this bed, if only for one night, only to have been moved right back into her crib. It is a daybed, and we've used it, and used it, and used it some more. The amazing detail of this bed is that it was MY bed when I was a little girl. I remember when my mom ordered it and it arrived at our house, and I have TONS of great memories attached to it with all of my siblings. We've been nursing it along, trying to help it not fall apart, for over a year now. It had a telltale squeak that would give away any child's slightest move while laying in it.


Well, our dearest friends have moved away, and as they were consolidating their things, asked me if I would like to purchase the bed they had been using for their girlies for the steal of all centuries. I leapt on the offer, and broke out my tools to dismantle the old beloved daybed.


We decided to set up the bed under the window because it looks so perfect, but I'll admit I'm extrememly nervous about when that window could be opened and littles are leaning against the screen. I'm currently looking into some window childlock ideas for when winter is over and that window will be start to be opened more regularly.

Eva was super excited to sleep on it her first night.


Then, when Ane saw the bed the next morning and saw that there was a bed on the bottom, she made the decision that she was ready to sleep in a bed and move permanently from her crib. I didn't think it would actually work, and that I would end up putting her back into her crib in the middle of the night. But I am happy to report that I am wrong! I believe completely that since I started working more hours, and my littles have been taking naps at their sitters' homes, in a BED instead of a crib, that she was primed and ready to do it. You have to see what a big deal this is for me. ALL of my past experiences of moving babies out of their cribs and into beds has been a several month long process, one brought on because a new baby needed the bed that the toddler was sleeping in. Even last time, when I tried to move Ane into a bed over Christmas break, was an unpleasant experience. I truly believe that this smooth transition is a gift from my Father in Heaven. This is a snapshot that I took of the girlies this morning when I woke them up.

It seems so weird to not have someone sleeping in the room right next to me. The new bed is a sweet gift from even sweeter friends, and it's a perfect change. But Ane not being a baby sleeping in a baby's bed, that is definitely one of the changes that I didn't want. But it's so fun to see her having fun and feeling like she's one of the big girls.

I found these pictures on my computer, and realized I hadn't shared these priceless treasures. Addie was over one day, my sister Katie's oldest daughter, and the girls decided to try out all of Line's Spy Gear she received as her Christmas present this year. Of course, you can't be a spy without dressing for the occasion. Because the girls' dance classes require black clothes, they had plenty of black to arm themselves with. Good thing I didn't let out the secret that I have black face paint. Who knows what would've come of that!