Dancing after dinner

After dinner I often do the dishes, while Emily takes the kids into the living room to play. Sometimes we reverse this, but she gets home later, so whatever.

I turn on the radio, looking for music. And more often than not, I'll look up after a minute and there's Kate, standing in the kitchen, doing her little dance. Generally she keeps her feet in place and just kind of rocks back and forth and side to side, bending slightly at the waist and maybe -- maybe -- the knees. With a huge smile spread across her face. Not sure if it's because of the music, or because she's dancing, or because it makes me laugh to see her dance, or all three. Definitely, though, she's playing to a crowd of one, dancing and smiling.

Eventually we're all there, dancing after dinner. Me hand in hand with Kate, Emily with Jack, or vice-versa. Or all four. Jack's dance, when he dances alone, is a little different from Kate's. Currently it's kind of like he's the "M" in "YMCA" -- he stands feet apart, elbows out, hands dangling, with a tight-lipped expression, furrowed brow, like he's concentrating very hard. And then he picks it up and starts moving his hips back and forth, then waving his hands around ... a little like a street mime, actually. Then he breaks into a big smile and shuffles his feet some. Runs in place a bit. It's a very free-form dance.

When Kate takes her dance up to the next level, she jumps in the air. Not too high, or well, but she jumps up and down a little. Big smile. Momentary surprised look when she nearly loses her balance. But doesn't, and then more smiles. Smiles all around.