Jinger bells & other random things

Rebekah struggles with her "l"s, so that's how it sounds to us- "jinger bells."

You might be surprised how creative Josh is when he plays with the kids. This was his way of giving her earrings- and very fun ones at that! R was delighted!! She did try to sing Jingle Bells. In fact, she is requesting lots of things these days music-wise- I never thought I would hear my 2 1/2 yr old say, "I want to hear Destiny's Child, Mama." Apparently, Sesame Street gets lots of big names- she and Josh have been watching them all on Youtube- REM, Destiny's Child, James Blunt, just to name a few. It's hilarious- as is her very white girl dancin'!

There are more jinger bell pics later, but I don't feel like moving them. :)

This was right before Rebes got to go to her creche Christmas party- ignore her look, she was excited. You'd think she'd be used to the obscene number of pictures I take after 2 1/2 yrs of it!

These are 2 of the ladies who take care of Rebekah. (Luke does not go to creche b/c he naps at that time.) They are soooo sweet and obviously Muslim. I am committed to this group if only to hopefully get to share the gospel with them at some point.

I felt very Scottish the other day- Josh stayed back with the kids napped and I rode the bus into downtown due to horrible holiday parking. Anyway, it was raining, but that doesn't keep anyone at home! It has been said, "there is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing." (In fact, I agree. I got one of those plastic covers for the stroller and Luke is happy as a clam, even in the freezing cold rain!) Anyway, I just wanted to try the bus, figure it out, and hit some shops that are hard with strollers. I had great alone time!

This is my fave! It's an awesome CHEAP store!!!

Luke is such a stud! He puts up with so much!!!! (Notice how R's hands end up almost choking him in the following pics.) She genuinely loves loving on her little brudder. In fact, Luke was being a pill the other day in the high chair, which is actually quite rare for him. I was frustrated, so I put him in his exersaucer to give him some alone time. He actually normally recovers quickly in these situations, much to everyone's surprise. Anyway, R has become VERY protective of Luke when she thinks he's being treated unjustly.

R: Where's Lukey?

me: In his exersaucer.

R: Why did you close the door?

me: Because he needed some alone time.

R: Is he in room time?

me: yes.

R: get him, Mommy.

me: Who's the boss, Rebekah?

R: Mommy...(under her breath) and Rebekah and Lukey.

me: sigh. :)

She even cried the other day when he was crying and asked me to get him. (I was on my way to get him, just so you know!)

Don't be fooled- she is still human! She often suggests that Luke is ready for his nap, or would rather be put down. :)

Last story- yesterday was a typical "Being a Stay-at-Home Mom" day. Here is what happened: I love taking the kids to the HUB (food court and coffee shop at the U open to the public) in the am's sometimes. It gets us out of the flat and gives us somewhere warm to go. R likes to run up and down their ramp and L and I sit and watch her. Anyway, I let her hold my cell. We went home. L napped and R and I played. J came home for lunch and stayed with R while I took L to get another shot. I was 9 minutes late (they are never on time so I didn't feel the least bit bad about it- inconsiderate, I know). I checked in on the computer and it says, "You are very late." Whatever. They are nice enough and little stud kept smiling thru it all- so proud!! I brought him home. We played some more. Both kids went down for naps. R couldn't pee beforehand, so I knew she'd be ready when she woke up. I tried to fall asleep and I hear a knock. My neighbor (who is programmed into my phone) says she got a text that my cell was left at the HUB. I realize that it was foolish to let R have it in the first place. I decide we will go back after the kids wake up, even tho it was cold and raining (I mentioned the cool plastic thing for the stroller). L wakes up first, but he hasn't been taking as much of his bottle recently, so I decide not to feed him immediately, to wait until he's ready. Well, he's ready right when I hear R wake up. Being a supermom, I keep feeding him while I help her out of her bed. She says she does not need to pee. I am not convinced. Right as I sit down to finish feeding, R panicked, says, "I need to tee tee!" She RUNS to the bathroom, but can't get her jeans undone and pees all over herself. Embarrassed and hating being in wet clothes, she starts crying. I rush back there and console her, still feeding Luke, who is none too happy with all this commotion. I hold him in my left arm, the bottle with my chin, and pull off R's wet clothes as she's crying. I tell her, "It's okay. You tried, sweet girl. It's okay." I try to get her to go on the potty, but based on the amount of tee tee on her clothes, she seems done. I finish with Luke, put him down, and go to tee tee myself, having waited until she woke up to avoid making noise while she was napping. I am midstream and R says, panicked again, "I need to tee tee!" I stop, ready to have an accident myself, and throw her on the potty. As I'm doing it, the phone (as far away as it can possibly be) rings! I run, half-nude to get it, but miss it. I get the kids bundled up and we go back to the HUB. R narrates the whole time: "The birds aren't here anymore because they went where it's warmer. They don't have any sweatshirts like me....you have to step over the water so you don't get your feet wet. If you get your feet wet, they get cold, so you have to step OVER the water, like this...Why am I cold, Mommy?" We did get the phone and made it back home again. I put L down for his 3rd nap and made dinner. Oh, and I forgot to mention that in my zeal to get ahead in my Bible study due to Christmas and an impending work contract, I did 2 days of the wrong week for my Bible study!

As I recounted to Josh (who was my missed call, trying to tell me about my cell b/c he, too, had gotten a text) later in the day, "And to think, people actually think we get bored staying at home!"

Okay, I have to add this because I just heard the toilet flush and R came in. She just handed me a popcorn kernel and THEN says, "I got this out of my bottom, but it's okay." What?!?! So, we did a serious hand-washing.

Flashback "Friday"

These are 2 books I LOVED growing up. We brought my old copy of Madeline from the States. However, I was delighted to find 'The Little Rabbit" in the flat. I read and read and read this book at my grandmother's house. It brought tears to my eyes when I saw it here. Of course, my little bunny loves it, too.

This was meant to be on the Christmas tree on campus set of pics, but it didn't make it! Look at those gorgeous blues!

I said I'd take pics of the ceiling of our beautiful church and I finally managed to remember. these are for you, Andrea! I took them from the balcony.

Lumberjack Luke and Rebekah

Thought you might enjoy seeing Lumberjack Luke and his sister in action...

This was particularly fun. A sweet friend and her fam of 4 just finished up here and headed back to the US Tuesday. Rebekah loves Miss Tammy and Hannah. We even got some of their cool girly stiff, like this bike and this whole outfit! Rebekah delightedly chose her own clothes and even picked the matching bow :). I was a fan. Anyway, R is super-psyched about the bike and is oh, sooooo proud of herself for being able to "climb on it all by myself." Josh lowered the seat for her to be able to and we take turns pushing her around on her "big girl bike."

Seriously- too cute for words!!!!

In fact, we have gotten lots from Hannah. Because we already have so much wrapped under the tree, I just randomly laid the new things around the flat, curious how long it would take R to find them all. Answer- about 5 minutes! ( Josh told her "Hannah Claus" had come. :) ) So funny and precious- I had forgotten I had put some stuff away in a drawer for a rainy day. I opened the drawer in her presence, and she exclaimed with more excitement than ever, "What is thaaaaat?! Is that for me?!" It was a bunch of doll accessories and she has loved every moment of playing with them!
Rebekah doesn't miss much and never has.
All of us have been battling some mild forms of colds. When Josh's throat gets tickly, he goes "Hmmm" a lot w/o realizing it. If I were not a perfect wife, it might slightly annoy me. Anyway, after sitting with him one morning, Rebekah turned to him and asked, "Why are you going "hmmm"?" Awesome.
Similarly, after entering the bathroom with Josh, Rebekah sniffed (our toilet smells regardless of how clean it is :( ) and suggested he use the "yellow stuff" and pointed to the room spray.

She helped me clean the shower with the spray bottle. She looked on the bottle and pointed to the shower head and said, "It looks just like this!" I love the connections she makes!

Christmas in Aberdeen

Josh was studying last week and heard tons of bag pipes- they were lighting the tree! Here are some pics...

This was right before church yesterday- I thought he looked too cute!

Rebekah is still really into holding and feeding (read abusing the poor child) "my baby brudder." Actually, her new thing is that he is her baby.

Luke has started mimicking his daddy! They have long "bah bah bah" conversations and like to stick out their tongues at each other. It may not seem like much, but it is so fun to hear his voice and see his personality develop and to see that he is on track developmentally.

Rebekah has resumed napping! Luke is also seeming to go back into a semi-predictable routine, too.

Rebekah's new thing is "what...for?"

For example:
R: Mommy, what is Madeline crying for?
me: She is sad.
R: What is Madeline sad for?
me: Her tummy hurts.
R: What does her tummy hurt for?
me: She needs to have her appendix out.
R: What does she need to have her appendix out for?
me: Because her tummy hurts her.
R: What does her tummy hurt her for?
me: Rebekah, let's turn the page.

Also, because 2 of my friends here are noticeably pregnant, Rebekah has started wadding my scarf up and holding it at her tummy and saying she has a baby in her tummy. In fact, she told me "I can't carry you right now, Mama, because I have a baby in my tummy....but I can hug you." :)

This might be hard to explain- I have those stretchy headbands that are supposed to be tight on your head and hold your bangs back. So, R loves them! There is a TINY white tag on the inside, which immediately drew her attention. It has the brand name on it. She asked "what does this headband have a tag on it for?" to which I replied it was the company's name that made it. If she's gonna keep asking me these questions, I'm going to answer them as best I can. So, she continued to play with it and decided the little white tag was her "camera"- I wasn't allowed to hold it because "You might drop it, Mommy, and then I'd be very sad." Hmmm....so, later in the week, we were all 3 in Luke's room, playing together. She asked me "What are we in Luke's room for?" and I said "To keep Luke company while he's in the exersaucer." Rebekah thought and then pointed to the tag and said "Like this is a company." Oh my gosh- does she forget anything?

Rebekah also likes to imitate people's facial expressions. If anyone makes a funny, sad, mad, or whatever face in a book, she is all over it. She'll do her best to make the exact same face and then ask, "why's ______ going like this?" It amuses me greatly. She does the same thing when we stub our toes or drop something and make a funny noise, like, "Ah!" She'll imitate it and then interrogate us. Praise the Lord we don't cuss!

Happy Birthday, Carrie and Billy!

Today is my dear, dear friend's and my brother's birthday!

Carrie- you have been one of God's greatest blessings in my life. The way you loved me and then my kids (or was it the other way around? :)) touched me deeply. You befriended me at a great time of need and i am so glad for that! I think about you all the time, especially Fridays, and miss our chats over Diet Coke and lots of treats. I miss laughing and crying with you and trying to encourage each other to be better wives and moms. You are an incredible woman and I love you!



Billy, you are my big brother and you have always looked out for me, even when you weren't sure you liked me. :) I know I can always count on you regardless of circumstances and that you will support me regardless of anything. Your daughter and wife have proven what a great man you are- anyone who can have those 2 in his life is worthy of respect. I love you very much.



Happy birthdays!!

Knee socks

Well, it snowed again and was pretty icey. so we have mostly been at home. You have to amuse yourself however you can, even if it is ridiculous socks...

Rebekah wanted to go outside anyway, so after naps (for the first time in 5 days, she took a nap!!!!), we spent quite a while bundling up...in fact, we spent more time preparing to go outside than we actually spent outside. Rebes was not at all impressed with the slippery ice. I don't think she has ever gripped my hand so hard! So, we came inside and drank hot tea and ate buttered popcorn instead. I am so excited for Buddy to get in on our snacks, too, but looking at these pics and his fat little body as I bathed him this morning, I may have to be more careful with him! ;)

You maybe can't tell by the rosiness, but Luke's acne is slowly getting better. He hasn't gotten many new break-outs at all and the red you can see is mostly still healing from old ones...possibly scars. :( We do have a ped derm appt for him next Weds, which I am really excited about- to have someone who knows something about it look at it instead of saying (for 7 months!), "It's just baby acne."

Only with your secondborn....

Luke was sitting and Josh was on the couch. Josh was holding a teddy bear (as seen in the following pics) and mused aloud if he could knock Luke over if he threw it hard enough at him. I said yes, Luke would fall over, he thought not. Without saying another word, I put my arm in front of the baby and Josh hurled the bear. Besides being slightly confused as to what happened, Luke held firm!

That was probably the hardest I have ever laughed as we processed what we had just done...

Bekah is starting to have preferences as to what she wears- hence the scarf and raccoon tights sans bottoms.

Poor Luke takes a lot of abuse- Bekah put a bow on his head and announced, "Lukey's a present!"

Luke decided it was more fun to eat the bow...

The tree! Becks helped decorate and Luke even watched. I wrapped most of our presents this morning and we are still discussing that presents are for Christmas. Rebekah already wants to know which are hers and what's in each one...(note in the background that the grass is still green!)

No, these actually were not posed...Bekah gave Luke some much needed love and attention totally on her own...