The hardest part of minding my business and holding firm to the belief that in no way is it my business what others think of me is when it slaps you right in the face and you're staring it down and there's not a damn thing you can do about it in a healthy way. So you have to make the choice against toxicity and anger and negativity. You choose to clamp down until you taste blood for as long as it takes to find your center again.
Because that center? It's rich and full and this week it filled me with laughter.
Who cares that we've watched Toy Story 80 times in the past four days? The kids love it and Bella spends the long minutes it takes to rewind our old VHS tape (that was recorded off cable back when Javi was a toddler) jumping from every semi-stable surface while exclaiming, "To ifinidy an beyong!" During the movie? They are rapt and silent.
And, yes, I am constantly refolding and putting away the kids' clothes (or more like hounding them to refold and put them away). But their clothes are strewn here and yonder because they love dressing each other up and running through the house playing cops and pirates and fairies.
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A certain 9-year-old boy refused to have his picture taken in the fairy costume, but he did send me his sister who tried to dress herself after a costume session.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7kn6mum82Uyb_uJxqRZDobUUCubj8dk7S_7z1eiWX5XOV38UsYTSms_Dm0sVNydKhVSOU9wtCdXXyUx-_t0bJzlvpcKDW4gCdKbCUAulwbg0uFhvfcVTylqbSfoPrM4o0nYH/s320/bella+dresses+herself.jpg)
And then tonight, after a long session of blog coding*, the Mountain Man fed both kids Cheerios and then we headed out to see Pirates! The Musical -- Bella's first time sitting in a theatre and watching real people sing and dance and perform before her very eyes. So now not only does she want to be a pirate (thanks Pippi!), but she also wants to be one "up dere on dat stage" (as she stage-whispered through the whole show).
After the production ended, she swabbed the deck, steered the ship, and rowed to her heart's content. You can always tell when my kids are enjoying themselves because the can't stay still long enough to snap a photo -- which would've been easier if my batteries hadn't died right as I tried to snap a pic of Bella in the crow's nest. But that's why God invented camera phones, right (even if none of my people know how to look directly at them)?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhuEr1rlAlaYfuCZ9VRu8cttXjUsjG-rOoS1qexJvLo2kiuocoWZjdDDgnnmBu2fO0pJLi88RGq4X1d4WeUiStnqF2EDl-W8YXV_bOgILiblGLIOr49pxGrCy8YTuKWhD4Crs/s320/pirates.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6x1s8HYcbTyoI1xa5YNVDYsgvfE35W65rZ8C7IRvNtMAqDRD2mRlreaqMr_R80dHnrPZleegFEYntx09C848QEJWJ_RXQKQjSN6JPmCO9mxs493fmOyGh7nQfso08nnNPNPt/s320/swabbing+the+deck.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0fRs1JckStoXPnsCgCug3zlyWVNOk1jz9_z75dB3AWTOvicplXeODCO7PvTFkXN5RQ_fX_6XaFARIvUoL9Fkcyg6s7d_p5Qv4nzzMsRK47KlR_mrRvjAjwOQp3gA24bH1_dP/s320/bella+and+the+queen.jpg)
See? The center will hold. The world will right itself. And as long as I focus only on that, we're gonna be alright.
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*Be a gem and come tell me how much you like my new look. Pretty please?
***This post is part of !!! and Feel Good Fridays.***
i love the re-work! fresh and clean:)
forget the haters. you and your beautiful family are thriving:)
(i put up a community page, too, but my columns are all crazy-like. i should go back and fool with it!)
have a great weekend.
Love the new layout!! :)
Love the new layout, too - so fresh and so clean clean!
You're doing fine.
STOP WITH THE MOTHER'S GUILT. Are your kids happy, fed, and loved?
Then don't worry!
I like the new look!
@Christie - I promise, no mother's guilt. More like fake-Martha-Stewart-why-can't-things-be-perfect guilt.
I'm so glad everyone likes the layout!
Love the new look -- clean and classic.
Hate the haters who made you lose your sweet marshmallow centre however briefly.
LOVE the crazy pirate-fairy kids.
Love the simplicity of the new look. And from what I see in the photos, your life is full and beautiful and abundant. Don't ever let anyone tell you different!
Blog is looking good! As are the kids.
I LOVE your new look. And I love how it all centers. As much chaos as kids bring into our lives, they are the very center of it too.
And Javi is a very smart boy. Haha. No blackmail picture for you! :P
Honestly, I love your new look, fresh, clean and gorgeous!
We're struggling a bit here too...but I'm reminding myself that a new day, or a new week brings a fresh start. And from the looks of things, lots of adventures for you too!
I've got a little something for your fabulous self.
http://therealpoopsie.blogspot.com/2010/07/versatile-beautiful-sugar-doll-of.html
New Look Rocks. And this post teaches you that amid the noise, there is beauty.
Your new look is !!! And so is your center. Isn't that the best part of everyone? Glad you looked inward for peace instead of outward for validation. Sometimes refocusing our perspective is all we need to appreciate the !!! in our lives.
Very nice new look! I'm a big fan of white space and simplicity. Hold firm to your center. There's some beautiful little beings there for you.