Just to make you laugh

I don't really have much to say today.  Well, I could say that we did finally get some real snow!  But I think that is all over the news with the winter storm warning for all of colorado.  We probably got a foot and are due for a foot more.

I also was thinking how much just a small note means to a kid.  My dad, who has a new iphone, sends these voice messages to my kids on a daily basis and they just LOVE it.  It makes them all feel so special.  Thanks Dad.

So, since that is all I have to say let me just share something that had me laughing so hard it made me cry this week.

Hopefully it will bring you a good belly laugh too.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc4t66r54dU

Family Fun

This last Wednesday it snowed a little (it's been a really low snow year for us) and Brad and I just happened to have the day off.  This, along with cheap lift tickets due to locals day, presented us with the perfect opportunity to pull our children out of school and head up to the ski hill for a day of family fun together.  Now, lest you think I am a terrible parent who does not place the proper emphasis on the importance of school, our children do have to have a 3.6 GPA or higher to be able to accompany us.  Last year Jordan had to miss a day of family skiing because his grades did dip below that.  He was really bummed when he had to attend school for the day as we pulled the rest of the children out.  It made for a great teaching moment before his grades starting counting in high school.  Our philosophy is if you don't get good grades you won't be able to attend college.  If you don't attend college you won't be able to have a good job.  If you don't have a good job you won't be able to pay for fun things like skiing.

It was a great day.  McKenzie, Jake and I stick together.

Jake because he's still young, and Kenzie and I because we're cautious skiiers.  Even though Kenzie's faster than me, I think she and I will always ski together.  Jake will eventually move up with the other boys.  He already is faster than both me and Kenz.

Riley, Ben and Jordan all follow Brad.

They all know that if you go with Dad it means going down black diamonds.  Brad is never phased by anything the ski hill has to offer.

Jordan, who has been following Brad since fourth grade, looks pretty comfortable with whatever Brad chooses to descend.

And while Ben and Riley don't have the best form yet they follow Brad down everything.

Because he takes them down such difficult terrain both of them are pretty good at finding small jumps and catching some air.

While there is NO WAY that you will find me jumping ANYTHING big or small or going down anything harder than a blue I am comfortable enough now on snow skis now that my heart doesn't beat heavily as I get off the lift and sometimes I even look like I know what I'm doing.

I go slow but try to constantly work on my form and it's paying off.  Kenzie and Jake on the other hand just want to make it down the hill as fast as possible.

 

When we all get together someone always ends up in the snow.  And being the empathetic and kind family we are, we always get a good laugh at that someone.

That day Kenzie and I ended up being the last off the hill getting lost for a moment.  We took a trail that was called "Okey Dokie" which was NOT Okey Dokie and lucky for us we found our way to the lift that took us to the base just in time before the attendant left.  He scolded us and told us to go straight to base this time...and we did.  Now the joke between Kenz and I is Okey dokie is not okey dokie!

I just don't have any pictures.

I don't.  I should and I don't.  I need to get better with just taking snapshots on the phone.

Sorry I didn't write last week but I was too busy watching the superbowl game.  That was quite the game don't you think?  I loved it even though my team lost!

So onto the Belt family happenings.

Jacob turned 7...really, 7!  I still see him this way.  Recently he mentioned to me that he had never had a friend birthday party and well, he was right.  So, by mentioning this he guilted me into hosting one for him yesterday.  I told him it was his one and only friend party. (I hate throwing birthday parties...it's just not my thing).  It went smoothly thanks to Ben, Riley and Kenzie.  They helped me so much.  I was so glad when it was over.  Now, only one more to host for Riley, he's never had one either.

We have had such nice weather lately!  Almost all the snow is melted and I think winter may be over.  Lucky for us but not so great for the ski hills.

Quote of the day:

Kenzie (while digging in her brother's bag for the shared cell phone):  "Ew!  Is that your singlet?" running to the sink to wash her hands.

Jordan:  "Why do you always have to act so much like a girl?"

Kenzie:  "Because I could get cauliflower ear or something just from touching your singlet!"

Yes, she did say she could get cauliflower ear from touching his singlet.

She also commented to me later that, "I could get poisoning just from that smell, mom!  Grody!"

Life seems to have reached a sweet spot lately with the business.  I have brought in front desk help to relieve me some up front and it has been well worth it.   Now we are working to get a building of our own.  Always something to do.

Glad life with the business has slowed down because life with my children is speeding up...or rather, just requiring more of my focus and attention.  To be honest I always feel exhausted, emotionally exhausted that is.  I'm exhausted from constantly trying to decide which battles to fight and which battles to let lie.  Do I let my kids have a phone or make them share?  Now that Jordan's has an ipod do I let him have snapchat, instagram, twitter or do I limit those things? (The snapchat is gone through his own choice and he's a boy so the other two he doesn't care about.  Ha, after a few days of texting his friends he got bored with it! Of course, Kenzie won't be that way)  Do I talk to my daughter's performing arts teacher about her being the ONLY seventh grader in  the group and get her moved up a group or do I let it lie and teach Kenzie perseverance and patience and long term vision.  Do I fight with her about the leggings and tank tops she wears to school or just be glad she isn't wearing the short skirts and shorts that I see around?  Do I worry about the friendships they make or don't make?  Do I let them go to the movies with a group of kids their own age or do I chaperone them?

It's all these battles and more.

The hardest things about your children getting older is just learning to step back while still maintaining the appropriate amount of supervision.  The thinking and rethinking of this along with the battles you sometimes have to fight when you stand your ground is so mentally demanding.

And yet I still have the younger boys and with them it's different worries...are they getting enough of my time?  Do I tell them I love them enough?  Did I read enough with them?  Did I play enough with them?  Did they have a healthy enough dinner?

It's funny.  When I was in dental school we were friends with a couple named the Evans.  Dar, the dad, came from a family of 10 children.  One of the things I was always appalled by when he would talk of his childhood was when he would tell me that really in his family they never had a set bedtime.  That many times they would just fall asleep where ever and whenever in the house each night.

Funny how perspective changes when  you get to that stage of being so busy. Many are the times Jake falls asleep just like that.

I don't think it's because I'm being neglectful.  It's really just more the schedule we now are running with the teenagers.  I have a brother who is seven years younger than me.  He is five years younger than the youngest of us older four.  My mom always said Matt had a different childhood than we all did with mom chasing all of us teenagers around.  I can understand what she was trying to tell me now.

Speaking of my children I want to share my new favorite song before I sign off.  It is by One Republic.  I love it because I think every parent wants this for their child.  Here's the video and below are the lyrics:

Hoping you take that jump

But don't fear the fall
Hope when the water rises
You built a wall
Hoping the crowd screams out
Screaming your name
Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay
Hope that you fall in love
And it hurts so bad
The only way you can know
Is give it all you have
And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain
Hope when the moment comes you say

I, I did it all
I, I did it all
I owned every second
That this world could give
I saw so many places
The things that I did
With every broken bone
I swear I lived

Hope that you spend your days
But they all add up
And when that sun goes down
Hope you raise your cup
I wish that I could witness
All your joy and all your pain
But until my moment comes
I'll say

I, I did it all
I, I did it all
I owned every second
That this world could give
I saw so many places
And things that I did
With every broken bone
I swear I lived