Fall Dance Collection

So I teach dance at Paradise Valley Community College. Every semester I get to choreograph for the dance collections. This year, I was working with 23 dancers of all levels and abilities and ages (youngest dancer was 16; oldest was in their 50's). It was a challenge but, as always, watching it performed gave me the kind of high I imagine people get from marijuana--a mellow kind of buzz/warm fuzzies. Is that a good comparison? The other dance was brewing in my brain all last summer while I was huge and pregnant. I can't tell you how great it felt to get to really dance it out once Wyn was in the world instead of in me. That dance was harder to watch. . .mostly because I wanted to be up there with the dancers. I guess the itch to perform is something I will never really get over. In fact, the other day while eating teppanyaki with Paul and my bro and sis in law, I told Paul that I think being a Teppanyaki chef would be something I would like to do when I am old and can't dance anymore. Paul whole-heartedly agreed, calling me an exhibitionist. . .so in 50 years, maybe I will be working at Sapporo.

India. I have never been anywhere like India . . .not even close. It was amazing to be there with someone--my brother--who had lived there for two years. So I got to see all the touristy stuff like the Taj Mahal, Charminar (a mosque in Hyderebad), and the streets in Old Dehli, and the intimate stuff you wouldn't get to see unless you knew someone who lived there. For example: I got to visit several families in their homes. They were so kind and welcoming! I was shocked, surprised, and amazed all at the same time. There were 8, 9, 10 people living in one house that was no bigger than my family room. They all slept on the floor together, cooked and ate off of a small supply of stainless steel dishes, lived, studied, loved, and laughed in few square feet. I had such a great time meeting some of Ty's favorite people in India. . . There is so much I could write but I want to be brief so I have composed a quick list of my favorite things:

1. Eating with my hand! (Right hand only; left is considered unclean)

2. the way the Southern Indians shake their heads side to side (like the pendulum of a clock) to answer "yes"

3. poo mugs (a little pitcher of water used for cleaning yourself up after using the bathroom)

4. Watching Indian men dance at a wedding party. They punch their fists in the air and kind of hop around to this awesome Indian techno music. We saw them from our 5th floor hotel room, and we all couldn't resist opening up curtains and the windows and dancing with them. I think they thought we were just as hilarious.

5. The crazy, crowded streets and the insane traffic. People, cars, rickshaws, autos, cows, bicycles, motorcycles everywhere!

6. The beautiful sarees and chudidars that women wear

7. learning all about Shah Jahan and his beloved wife, Mumtaz Muhal, and the whole story behind the 22 years it took to build the Taj

8. Bartering for everything (although I must admit I was a little timid and had Ty do the bartering for me at first. By the last day of the trip, though, I did my own negotiating for a pretend cobra in a basket for Lincoln and some Indian Bollywood cds. . .I even got the shopkeeper to throw in a cd no charge!)

9. The Hindu Temples and the calling of the gods (there are thousands of Gods in the Hindu faith and they are "called" by name in Hindi over a loud speaker on the temple grounds)

10. My own personal tourguide (little bro Ty) and being able to ask him a million questions, some of them more than once.

All in all, it was very hard to leave my family, especially little Wyn, but I would do it again. One of the best experiences of my life. And, despite the odds, everyone survived and due to my diligent pumping, I was even able to resume nursing!

The pictures are of a snake charmer coaxing a king cobra out of a basket; Missy, my mom, and I in front of Charminar (check out the auto rickshaws on the right and left); and Ty and I up in Charminar (look at that insane traffic in the background!)

INDIA

I have to unpack, do laundry, and spend time with my kids (to make up for leaving them for 10 days). But I had to take time to post this and say "INDIA ROCKS!" This is me in front of the Taj Mahal. I will post more later . . . it may not be until after Christmas!

Cousins

We spent five and a half days in Boise with Paul's family this last week for Fall Break. The kids had a great time! Paul's brother, Mark, came up with his two kids for two of the days. Bella and Lincoln LOVE their cousins! Here they are: Lincoln, Bella, Kate, Alder, Wynston (in Alder's arms). They harvested veggies out of Grammy Beth's garden, picked raspberries, made cookies, built forts, shot home made bow and arrows (thanks to Paul's craftiness), painted pumpkins, karate chopped the dead corn stalks, invented new versions of tag, and wore each other out. I have never seen kids fall asleep so quickly!

Wynston

Man, I love this kid.

Grandpa Rick Celebrates 30 Years as Harley Franchise Owner

Whoah. That's a long title . . . and also self explanatory. Here are a couple of pictures from the event:

My dad (Grandpa Rick), me, my sis Meliss, Bella, Paul, Lincoln and Wynston is in the stroller. This is taken in the showroom of the dealership.

Lincoln riding around the dealership on a motorcycle with his Grandpa Rick.

My Dad holding Wynston in his showroom.

As ALWAYS, my dad throws a great party.

Wynston meets Great Grandpa Brimhall

My Grandpa Brimhall (my mother's father) is Wynston's only maternal great-grandparent left. It seems fitting that Wynston should love the porch swing that Grandpa Brimhall made so much. We spend a lot of fussy evenings on the porch swing: doing Bella's homework, reading, or watching Bella and Lincoln jump on the trampoline. I should post a picture of the swing! I think I will . . .

Wynston's Bath

Wynston loves bathing this way. It won't be long before he will be far too big to fit in our bathroom sink. . .we'll enjoy it while we can!

Lincoln's 1st Day of Preschool

Lincoln was all smiles on his first day of preschool. He was excited to take his batman backpack that his little brother Wynston got for him. He loves both of his preschool teachers and telling me about the Bible stories (it is a Lutheran preschool). There is a little girl named Bella in his class and so now he qualifies which Bella he is talking about (preschool-Bella or his sister). We are really proud of Lincoln!

Wynston's 1st Hike

While Bella and Lincoln were at a friend's house, Paul and I took a little road trip to Payson to do some hiking. Wyn was quite the trooper. He did great on the drive and LOVED riding in the front pack during the hike. The scenery was beautiful, the weather was cooler, and Paul and I had a fabulous time chatting for hours.

Paul is pointing to his pocket because we caught a horny-toad, and he was carrying it back in his pocket so Bella and Lincoln could see it. I hadn't seen a horned toad since I was a kid. It brought back great memories with Colter and Ty. . .

1st Day of School

August 11, 2008: Bella's first day of school was Wynston's 3-day birthday. Bella picked his outfit and introduced him to her 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Glenn. Don't you love their uniforms? I think they are so dang cute. Lucky for me, Bella loves them also.

August 24, 2008: Bella is the best big sister (besides my own of course). She fed Wynston his first bottle today (which he took fabulously!), burped him, and held and loved him while I got everything ready for church . . . I love that girl.

Wynston Paul Nielson

Aunt Missy and Wyn. She was the first to meet him just a couple hours after he was born.
Grammy Sherida met him next. . . she was on Bella and Lincoln duty :)

Grandpa Rick came to visit when he got back from Sturgis on Tuesday.



Wyn made his debut on 08-08-08. He weighed 8 pounds and was 21 inches long. He came into the world very fast. . . Paul recorded my last contraction at our house at 3:00 a.m. and he was born at the hospital (a ten minute drive normally but Paul ran a few lights) 29 minutes later. Basically, they got me in a gown, checked me, wheeled me to a delivery room, and the ob missed the birth of our son but arrived in time to deliver the placenta. . . needless to say, I didn't get any wonderful drugs like I was hoping for. . .
Bella and Lincoln brought homemade presents for their new brother when they came to the hospital and Wynston had presents for them too. It was so fun to have them on either side of Wyn, looking at him so adoringly.

Paul has been fabulous, taking Bella and Lincoln to the waterpark for hours the last two Saturdays, making cookies with them, building castles, etc.

Wynston has dark hair and blue eyes and looks like he is Bella and Lincoln's sibling. He has been sleeping really well so far. . . knock on wood. . .knock on ALL the wood.

I am feeling great. Best delivery (besides the pain) and fastest recovery yet.

Wynston is healthy, beautiful, alert, and really, what else matters?

no longer virgin ears

Bella got her ears pierced this year and talked her grandma into doing it at the same time! Bella was EXTREMELY brave. In fact, she didn't even flinch or blink her eyes. I thought maybe the lady missed her earlobes. . . wish I had that kind of strength.

My claim to fame

My friends from our Seattle days will recognize this lady. This is Kari Anderson—owner of ProRobics. She was a presenter at the IDEA World Fitness Convention that I went to in Las Vegas earlier in the month. I took three of her classes during the 4 day event. She is so fabulous and down to earth and actually remembered me (and my name!) from the days when I taught group fitness for her in Seattle. I haven't found a class (at a gym) that I enjoy as much hers. And yes, I am very pregnant here. 37 weeks to be exact.

Lincoln - lover of all things creepy and crawly

Lincoln is so unafraid that it makes me afraid! Here he is with a bunch of beetles and cockroaches and a live crab. Paul found that crab while digging a huge hole at Mission Beach (think of Joey in Season 3 of FRIENDS). The kids played with the crab without actually touching it for about an hour. Lincoln eventually couldn't take it anymore and picked it up to examine it more closely.

Bella - a fish in the family

Bella is one of the youngest and by far the smallest swimmer on her swim team. But check her out! She tied for first in breast stroke, took second in freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly, and received another 1st place for completing an "I.M." or individual medley. The IM is an optional event that some of the older kids didn't even do. We were so proud that Bella completed the 100 meters of breaststroke, backstroke, freestyle and butterfly!

Intro

I don't know what I am doing with this blog thing. I have felt the pressure to put one together and this is my attempt. . . no promises.