Skewl

You may recall my hesitation for Rebekah to start preschool (called nursery here). Well, Josh and I have been to 2 meetings, one of which involved taking Rebekah to see her classroom. If you ever want to speed-up making a decision, just tell your kid that she might be going to school and then the decision is made. It's done. No going back. Not with my child anyway. We talk about "skewl" every day, multiple times. She is soooooooooooooooo excited! So, she starts September 10th and I will go with her the first few times as she adjusts. She will only go for a shortened time, as well. Normally, it will be from 12:45-3:15 every day. We'll see. ;)

These are from the day we toured her campus and classroom. I had to discipline her earlier in the day and she was beside herself. Upon asking what was really wrong (she normally shakes off a spanking fairly quickly), she sobbed, "I really, really want to still go to my skewl." Evidently, she thought her attendance was based on good behavior. (mental note to self...) Anyway, I reassured her we were still going after her nap. The SECOND she woke up, she started giggling, "I'm ready! I'm ready for my skewl!" I got her and woke Buddy so we would make it on time. Josh met us there.

Here she is holding her packet of information, made just for her! there are pictures of what she'll do, as well as a picture of the sticker that will be on her peg for her jacket and backpack. Rebes is pretty thrilled she gets to take a backpack. Since hers is packed up right now, we settled on this purse as a suitable back-up for the visit.

This is the play room- I guess there are several classes, and they each have a set time for this play area. They work on various coordination things, like balance and climbing. These are not skills Rebekah (or I for that matter) possess, so I am a fan.

I liked all the arts and crafts in the rooms and halls. Crafts are much-anticipated by my little girl.

Rebekah is particularly excited about painting at an easel. Her new friend, Leah, is from Taiwan and does not speak a word of English, though her mother does.

This is Rebekah's actual classroom. She will be an "owl"- we did have to clarify that did not mean she dresses up as an owl. You probably can't see it, but along the far wall,t here is a sink and kitchen- they will bake together and we can buy Rebekah an art smock for baking and art work. For 2 pounds 50p, we can also spring for her weekly snacks. Interestingly, this is optional. I cannot imagine her reaction if we didn't allow her snacks. :( They are healthy, of course, and each child is supervised for teeth brushing afterward. They have their own brush, paste, and container for both, all with stickers to show whose is whose to avoid cross-contamination.

This is the reading area. Each teacher picks her own books, so you can bet we will make an appointment with her to see what she has chosen when we meet her. :) I can also, as a parent, come help with reading time, which sounds super-fun.

I imagine you cannot see them, but I was excited about the names of last year's students. Because of its proximity to campus, Rebekah's school is quite diverse and she will attend with many Muslim and international children. I LOVE that she does not question this, but sees it as a part of life. We did confirm that no religion or sex ed is intentionally addressed in nursery (tho with the varied backgrunds, who knows what might come out of a fellow classmate's mouth that the teacher has to deal with?).

Sweet one this afternoon.

When Rebekah picks her own shoes and socks, you can predict what she'll inevitably choose...

What did we do before we had kids?

Josh and I often wonder what we used to do before we had kids? I mean, we were married 5 years before precious came along...what did we DO with all our time?!

We hunted with my family...

Josh's first deer

We traveled...

To visit family (Frani and Phil- the coolest!) in CA 2003

Carnival Cruise to Cozumel and Belize 2004

Alaskan Cruise and my mentor's wedding immediately after (we flew back and drove straight there) 2006

Josh played guitar...many moons ago...

Josh helping with worship at our church

We did tons of mission trips- seriously, we've been to Mexico (and Josh to India) more than a dozen times...you'd think my Spanish would be better :)

Josh to India 2003 and 2004 (yes, he looks young...you know you're thinking it...)

Mexico 2004 with TCA (I taught Spanish 1 and 2 at Trinity Christian Academy for 4 years and went on the school trip to an orphanage 3 years (I skipped the year I was 6 months pregnant))...

Mexico 2005 with Dad with TCA

Mexico with our church (Culiacan) 2005 and 2006-I think?

We visited dear friends...

Our best friends, Matt and Shannon Morton, had their first baby in Sept. 2004 and I was officially in love with a baby for the first time. Elizabeth will be 5 in September- yikes! She also has a precious little sister, Abigail who is 3 months older than Luke!

We had a dog we adored...

Our Christmas picture 2004 or 2005?

We did outdoor activities that did not involve slides or bubbles....

Skiing 2005

I mentored young women and loved being a part of discipleship...

Wilderness- another TCA trip (these gals just finished their freshmen year in college- what???)

You know, we did a lot of cool stuff. Looking back, I have fond memories and even miss some of the freedom to just take off. However, NOTHING could replace the joy Rebekah and Luke bring us and the work the Lord is doing in their lives is just as valuable. With prayer, they, too, will have a passion for people and God's word and we will resume these activities soon!

Update

I decided you were due for an update! So, here is what we're up to:

Josh finished exams and is reading/writing his master's dissertation (they call the paper for master's degree a dissertation and the big one for PhD a thesis, so it's backwards from the US). He'd like to finish it by August and is working hard to relate it to his overall topic for his PhD so that the reading and possibly even the writing (about 60 pages) will correlate to that topic: Eternal Generation of the Son (that Jesus is and has always been the son of God and was not created so- basically a lot on the Trinity and how it works)...sorry, if I butchered that, Josh.

Josh got 2 scholarships we are super-excited about, especially since I heard this week that more than likely I have been "laid-off" from my wonderful writing job. I don't know for certain, but as with all things economy-driven, my job is on the line because of limited resources. Please join us as we pray specifically for 2 things: 1) Friday a council is meeting on a scholarship that would be great for us, so we are praying for a favorable response to Josh's application and 2) that my writing job would be funded for the fall.

The kids are great!!! Luke is a new man with all his crawling- I find that he is often lurching out of my arms, trying to get at something- having him choose to be elsewhere is freeing for us both! I still get tons of wonderful snuggles, so it's really the best! I just love this age! He still takes 2 solid naps and sleeps 12 hrs at night- love it. :) He practically dived out of my arms in a store yesterday, saying "Ba ba ba ba ba ba!!!!!"- I looked at what he was looking at- a crate of balls! Smart lad. :) He is talking a lot these days and we are remembering his sister doing the same. Maybe we make slow movers, but fast talkers! He also loves to read! He has been handing me his favorite books to read, which is just delightful.

Rebekah is still a handful, but in the best way. She has memorized a lot of her books and loves reading to us, to Luke, and to her dolls. She is full-throttle most of the time, but has resumed napping most days and sleeps past 7am, which is crazy for her! Growing?? She is very tall and slender, regardless of the ridiculous amounts of treats I allow (and am cutting back on, I promise!) and no one can believe she is not quite 3. Speaking of, Rebekah is jazzed about her upcoming Burger King Princess Party- she turns 3 on July 12th and we will be blessed to have Josh's parents with us!

This brings me to our major life stuff- we are finishing up our time here in this flat. As hard as it was to adjust to life here, I find myself amazed that we have made it throught the first (and hardest in terms of change) year abroad. Even though I am very excited about our new flat, I still have so many memories here that I will always remember this one mostly fondly. :) So, where are we moving? I lovely little semi-dettached flat (meaning more hosue-like and not a part of a complex or buidling with multiple flats sharing an entryway) not 5 minutes form here, very close to Rebekah's school and nextdoor to the University! Look here for pics- currently our sweet friends, the Greens, live there and have managed to make it work for us to move in and get some of their great stuff! Thanks, Chris and Rachel! However, we are out of here on the 7th of July and don't move in til the 29th of July (with josh's parents here 3 weeks!), so we have been blessed to have been allowed to live in a great house in Banchory- it is about 40 minutes away and we love the town. We'll live there 2 weeks of Josh's parents' stay and another week or so beyond. It has 4 bedrooms, lots more space, 2 bathrooms (I think), a great yard with a slide, etc. Plus, we can explore the area surrounding Banchory during that time. It is a great transition/vacation time for us.

We are also still studying for the driving tests. We have read everything we can about the rules of the road and are now practicing for the test with mock exams. The exam will be multiple choice based on the laws, etc. The second part, however, is a little more fun. It is called the hazard perception test and is basically like a video game where you click the mouse every time you think you see a hazard developing- it could be a car blocking the road, a pedestrian crossing legally or illegally, sheep in the middle of the road, etc. The thing is that you have to click within a certain window as you see the hazard developing abd there is only one real hazard developing each clip. There might be some sort of warning sign or signal and then a series of events, that are actually pretty tough to see, developing. As long as you aren't clicking rhythmically, you aren't penalized for extra clicks, but you are supposed to be intentional. You get a 0-5 score and Josh and I MOSTLY have gotten to the point that we get a few 3's, mostly 4's, and some 5's. The authority here firmly believes that all collisions (not accidents because that implies nothing could have been done to avoid it) are avoidable with simple defensive driving techniques. I actually am enjoying practicing and- crazy enough- find myself driving more cautiously and defensively as a result. The intended purpose, I presume.

Some pics to reward you for all that reading:

Rebekah and Luke love to play in this "tunnel"

I had these overalls for Rebekah and my mom sewed pink bows on the turtles' heads to make them girly. I said I would cut them off if I had a boy and I did!

Love the dimples

Sometimes you wonder if your child has been awake for a while or if he has slept well.

Exhibit A: the hair

Exhibit B: the intense sleep lines down his face

...which lead me to conclude that this is one well-slept baby!

I just liked his face, as he was craning to see what I had for him...

The aforementioned haircut- if you slick it over, it looks fine. Sorry, Luke. I took this picture because Luke picked up an entire french fry and took a bite- yea, Buddy!

Rebekah's funny mind:

Do you hear me crying? (Me: No.) That's because I didn't mind you popping my bottom.

Could you sing a poopy song? I'm pooping now.

Happy Father's Day!

I just wanted to say happy day to Josh, my dad, and his dad! I won't do them justice here, I know, but here is a little something for each.

Josh

You are a wonderful father to Rebekah and Luke. We didn't have kids until we were both ready, and it has been wonderful feeling fully supported the whole journey. You are a sweet daddy, a wise one, and a loving one. The kids LOVE you, as evidenced today by both- but especially little man, who chanted your name from the back seat. They know you are the "fun" one, and I love that.

I thought maybe you'd like to see last year's "present"- yes, the baby boy and the shirt.

This year, he wore a decidedly feminine romper that says "Daddy is my hero." Unfortunately, due to me giving him a "Dumb & Dumber" haircut in the spirit of saving money (uh oh), I didn't really want to show it quite yet. :)

Dad

I am so proud of you, Dad! I love talking to you because you always surprise me. I love how much you serve other people and how you are willing to do almost everything (French doors being the exception) for those you love. I have loved watching you on mission trips and seeing your talents come out. I love watching you with babies, especially mine. You are so patient and so willing to do whatever they (or their mothers) need, regardless of your own desires or time-restraints. You are so creative, so smart! You taught me a lot of things.

Mike

You and Phyllis are like second parents to me. I thought you didn't like me the first time we met b/c you said, "Well (patting me on the shoulder), hope to see ya again." I had no idea at the time that those were strong words from Mike Malone! Being Josh's wife, I can tell you that I appreciate the kind of father you were. Josh is an excellent steward and that is because of you! We have always had enough money, even in tough times, because of how you modeled and instructed Josh on use of money- tithe always comes first, then bills, then savings, then "extra" money. You also are a wonderful husband and Josh has followed in your footsteps there, too. You and Josh are so even-tempered, too. So, I guess I am thanking you for my own husband!