Malone Family Fun Week, Part 2

Well, the last two days were kind of a wash. Sadly, we had a flat tyre (aka tire) this week that we way-overpaid to get patched at the dealership. On Thursday it was flat again. Sigh. So, Josh had a hilarious day: he drove the car to the dealership to get a new tyre (they greatly discounted) and biked back home. Then, he went on campus to get videoed for a how great is our University for internationals promo video. Then, I dumped grease down the sink and he got to take the pipes apart and fix it. Then, he rode back up to the dealership (uphill!!!!) to get the car. On the way home, he noticed the headlight was out (oops- did I forget to tell him about that before Christmas?), so he bought and changed the headlight. So, all in all, he was a cyclist, a model, a plumber, and an auto mechanic. Not bad!

The kids and I hung around for him and went to the HUB. these were the sweet faces there:

(side note: an older man liked R so much, he gave her a pound to get a treat! She was delighted- not only did she get a bag of M&Ms and Skittles, she got 5 coins back- all for giving ONE coin! When she ate the Skittles, she said, "Mom, these taste like Skittles." Sad, but not surprising, that my 2 1/2 yr old daughter already knows that.)

My shoes kept getting untied- this was the sweet face of the naughty culprit. Can I tell you how infatuated I am with this kid?????? Just look at him!

Today, we had the car and wanted to go to a super-cool new park, but it was cold, drizzly, and very windy. So, we hot our favorite Italian haunt, Rustico, and took advantage of their cheap lunch fare- amazing to say the least! (I do have TWO earrimngs- one is just always turned!)

We topped both afternoons/evenings off with lots of Madeline DVDs (a new fave) and special treats, such as popcorn, chocolate, and/or ice cream. A pretty glorious week.

I have to say- I love seeing Josh look at Rebekah this way. Many, many times this week, he has looked at one of our kids (ofetn after Rebekah has said something hysterical or crazy-smart) and said, "I really love that kid." After all the hustle and bustle of Christmas and travel, it was truly great to get some family time of our own.

Other updates:

This week, we decided 2 are enough. We can't imagine having a 3rd child. :)

Luke seems somewhat interested in crawling- not even close to doing it, tho...yes, he's 9 1/2 months. He is also a big fan of his socks. LOVES pulling them off. Obviously, still a big fan of sleep! Now that he can get his own paci, the second I put him in bed, he rolls and lunges for one. Oh- my new favorute thing about him is when I pick him up from naps- he grins at me from behind the paci and looks for his bottle. The moment he sees it, he tongues out his paci and opens his mouth like a little bird. Love it! Okay- one other awesome new development- Luke shakes his head "no" at me when he is done eating or when he doesn't like something. It's HILARIOUS. I keep forgetting he's a little person, with likes and dislikes, and not just a baby anymore (even if he is stationary). And one more thing- Luke has been eyeballing our popcorn. He spit out his paci and opened his mouth. Never one to pass a moment to share treats with my kids, I gave him a kernel-free tiny bite. He was a BIIIIG fan.

Rebekah is...well, Rebekah. We got her a bunch of plastic food for Christmas, complete with pots, pans, and dishes. Besides Mickie, maybe the best money I've ever spent. She has fed us countless numbers of meals and even served us tea. There are 3 ice cream cones and we each get one every night. When she feels Luke is getting too much attention, she picks a favorite toy and puts it in front of him and says, "Here, Buddy," so she can have me all to herself. Sweet and selfish. :) Today at the restaurant, i didn't realize she hadn't pulled up her pants and we walked back to our table with her pants and panties around her knees. Awesome.

I am doing better with work- I have worked my tail off and am on-time, slightly early so far. Yea! Granted, I have almost no feedback yet, so major revisions might be in my future...

Things we are working on:

Sign language with Luke. Did I mention he's 9 1/2 months old? Better late than never.

First time obedience with little R. A good number of bottom pops for blatant disobedience. She's a quick learner, tho, and has even learned a polite, "No, thank you" instead of throwing something. She also asked today "What are my options?" I am seriously afraid she has already outsmarted me.

Something I want to share:

Somewhere in this chaotic 2 weeks, I found a sweet satisfaction with my life. Maybe it was all the sweet "Mama grins" I get from my son, or the verbal, "I looove you, Mommy!"'s from my daughter, or the "Have I told you how proud I am of you?"'s from my husband, regardless of where I found it, the Lord has planted a seed of contentment in my heart. I am so thankful for my Lord, my husband, my children, my family not with me, my old friends, my new friends, and even my work. Someday I will be thankful for Scotland. Not right now, but someday. For sure, this is a refining time of great stretching for me in many ways, but of real dependence upon the Lord and Josh for the first time...a time for me to become the woman, wife, and mother God designed me to be.

Well, back to life...have a great weekend.