8 Years and 8 Thing We Love About You: Happy Birthday Malachi!!

#1  Your giggle that we hear during funny movies or when being tickled.

#2  The way you look out for those who are feeling left out.

#3  The way you love a good story and know what a good story needs.

#4  The way you look out for your little sister.

#5  Your generosity with your things/toys.

#6  Your honest prayers. 

#7  Your artistic eye and the way you notice and appreciate art.

#8  Your wonderful imagination.

We love you Malachi.  You are so very special to us and we love to see how you are growing up.

Love, 

Mom and Dad

Checking out his new toy.

Gathering around the birthday cake.

Your own personal birthday song sung by Mert.

Singing Happy Birthday.

Sonora getting a turn at the candles because they were the kind that kept relighting!

Birthday Blessing

Yesterday was my birthday.  Thirty five years.  Aaron and the kids surprised me by making supper and a birthday cake.  As we sat to eat Aaron asked the kids to pray a blessing for me on my birthday.  Malachi prayed this prayer for me:

"Dear Jesus, thank you for Mommy.  Bless her on her birthday and help her to be happy with her new responsibilities now that she is older and is 35.  Amen."

Amen.

Malachi and Sonora

Just wanted to share some fun recent pictures of Malachi and Sonora

Discovering Poetry

This week Malachi discovered poetry.  He got a timeout and was sent to our room and after his timeout was over he chose to stay in our room longer.  I kept checking on him and for the longest time he was just looking out the window.  Then he came out and asked for paper and I gave him a notebook.  He went back to the window and that is where I got this shot.  He was writing something and I was curious.  After at least a half an hour I came in and asked what he was writing and he didn't want to say.  I think he was shy to share his writing.  After some coaxing I got a peak and it was a series of short poems about the rain and the scenery outside.  Very simple and nice.  I'll have to ask his permission to post them sometime.  He stayed busy writing for a very long time.  Malachi definitely has a gift with language and a need to express things in language.  I hope this continues to be an outlet for him.  It was interesting to see him initiate this need to write in this style all on his own.  I think is speaks also for how nature can move us.  As he was looking out the window at the rain and the trees and birds he saw some beauty in it all and wanted to capture it with words.  A good reminder to sit still long enough to see the simple beauty around us.

Budding Artists

Sonora

I am taking so many pictures of the kids' art these days.  These were two of my favorites from the recent creations by Sonora.  From her doodles to drawings she definitely has her own distinct artistic style and color.  I'm always finding little drawings here and there that surprise me.

Malachi

Malachi is much busier writing than drawing these days.  However, when he draws he draws well.  Birds seem to be the thing he likes to draw.  When he draws he definitely has an idea in mind that he works hard to capture on paper.  I'm really proud of his work!

How sleep comes. . .

Tonight as I'm sitting in the kitchen after having tucked two kids into bed I finally notice that silence has settled in.  Malachi has always been a good sleeper.  I think by 9 months he pretty much went to sleep with little fuss.  He knows how to settle into the stillness and let himself fall asleep.  When it is my turn to read to him at night I like to just lay there after we've read.  It's getting to be my bad habit of catching a little extra sleep for myself.  But I notice that after we pray he just lays there thinking and I watch his eyelids get heavy and then he's out.  I hope he is always able to go to sleep so easily.

Sonora, on the other hand, is another story.  Just as Malachi has always known how to fall asleep, Sonora has always known how to fight it.  So after I tucked both kids into beds tonight and went to sit in the kitchen, Malachi could be seen laying still and quiet and Sonora was tying on a bonnet, standing on her bed in tights and a long sleeve shirt with a white dress slip pulled over for pajamas talking just above a whisper to herself.  From my spot in the kitchen I could see everything.  Next came out the pencils and little pieces of paper and then a request for a snack.  Then she disappeared from sight, came back with some stuffed animals and started arranging them on her bed.  The next time I looked she must have started wearing out because she was finally laying down.  Then I could see her laying still for a long time, fighting to keep her eyes open and finally she fell asleep.  It sounds entertaining as I'm writing it but sometimes it really drives me crazy!

I enjoy the differences between these two.  They are both pretty sweet unique little kids and I love them!

Christmas Show

This week Malachi and Sonora had their school Christmas program.  Sonora's class sang and danced along with the first graders to several songs in different languages.  One was in Spanish and one was Latin I think.  I love this picture above showing her class singing "O Come All Ye Faithful".  They did a great job and Sonora was all smiles and giggles on stage.

Malachi's class worked together with the older kids to put on a musical.  It was called Christmas in Reverse.  They told the Christmas story going back to Adam and Eve and our need for a Savior.  Malachi had a speaking line telling of how after the prophet Malachi, God was silent until the Savior appeared.  He spoke his line so clearly and projected his voice so well.  We were really proud of him.   Here, the second grade "angels" are waiting to get on stage.

Here Malachi and his classmates are singing one of their songs telling the story of Christmas.  It was a beautifully done show.  Again this year I had tears in my eyes as I took in the truth of God's wonderful plan told by the mouths of children.  Well done, Malachi and Sonora!

Bringing Back Memories

Just wanted to record this little dialogue between Malachi and Sonora.  There is a new building going up just outside our living room window.  The kids have been watching them dig a hole and haul off dirt and on this particularly imaginative day the construction crew outside turned into something much more exciting.  It reminded me of when I was little and had a big sister with a great imagination.  
 
Mal:  Wait!  The truck's moving!  They're leaving!  Run to the other window!
Sonora:  OK!
Mal:  (From the other window) He's leaving the neighborhood!  I think he must be making a giant mud pie somewhere else!
Sonora:  Yeah!  Come back here.  A man is getting out of the truck!
Mal:  He must be the main thief.  He's the dirt thief.  Where is he going?
Sonora: I don't know.  Maybe he's going to the other truck.  Which one do you think is his?
Mal:  We'll watch from here.  No one can see us spying from here.
Sonora:  Those guys have so many plans.
Mal:  Yeah.  They are going to make giant mud houses too.  And even cover people with mud and turn them into mud people.  Who do you think they'll cover with mud first?
Sonora:  Maybe those girls down there.  Because they are so wimpy.
Mal:  That's not the right word.  Not wimpy, not greedy. . . they don't care about anything except what they look like. I'll call that word. . . introlooks.  Come on!!  Dirt stealer!!!!!!
Sonora (running to the window):  Count them!!!
Mal:  One, two, three, four, five. . . there's got to be at least ten of them.  Sonora, do you know how many there are?
Sonora:  No.
Mal:  There are ten.  Remember the two that drove off in the Mercedes?
Sonora:  Oh yeah! Ten!
Mal:  Hey Sonora!  Hurry!  Another dirt stealer truck!!!!!  See? (pointing out the window)
Sonora:  Oh yeah!
Mal:  (counting again) And there's eleven dirt stealers!

Their pretending that the construction crew is a group of criminals started a few weeks ago and I still sometimes here them call one another to run to the window because a new truck has arrived and the strange plot continues to build in interesting ways.  It really brings back memories of when we were kids and were building our new house.  Michaela and John and I used to spy on the builders, snoop through their things and gather "clues" that helped support our outlandish story.  

Family History and Life Skills?

Yesterday morning the kids were busy playing.  As I was in the kitchen cleaning up they were going in and out of the kitchen with their stuffed animals, hiding them in the kitchen cabinets and taking them out again.  As I looked around the house there were stuffed animals everywhere and the kids were very actively playing something.  I was curious what this game was about so the next time Malachi came into the kitchen I asked.

Me:  So Malachi, what's your game about?
Malachi:  It's mostly about family history and life skills.  Things that are important you know.
Me:  (smiling to myself) Life skills huh?  Like. . . . ?
Malachi:  Like getting away from bad guys.

Off he ran to play and I had a chance to laugh out loud.  Family history and life skills?  Where does he get this stuff from?  Fun times!!!

Malachi's Self Portrait

Last year I had the kids do a self portrait and we did it again this year so that we could compare their portraits and see their improvements as artists.  It's kind-of a fun tradition we are starting.  The above drawing is Malachi's 2nd grade self-portrait.  He just wanted to color the background and leave everything else black and white.  Very nice I think.

This is his portait from last year as a 1st grader.  It's kind-of fun to see the different style.  

And here is Malachi at work. 

First Day of School (one and a half weeks late)

I can hardly beleive we have a kindergartener and a second grader!  On September 5th the kids started school at Gateway International Academy.  They were excited and hesitant all at the same time.  Sonora came home saying she was going to be reading by the end of the year.  Malachi came home fairly excited that their class is working for a pizza party.  We are thankful for a good school, a good start to the school year and for the opportunity our kids have to learn.  We are looking forward to a great year!!!

Angry Birds

While in Canakale with our neighbors, the two boys had a lot of fun playing "Angry Birds" on the iTouch.  Well, Malachi, being the creative boy that he is, decided all on his own to recreate the game in real life.  We made the birds from toilet paper rolls  For the set he used his blocks and for the pigs he used his plastic animal pigs.  All of this was his idea.

Here you can see him start to set it up.  The pigs are on top of blocks, on the floor, inside a block compound, etc.

Then he would throw the "angry birds" at the set and try to knock down one of the pigs.  You can see a block flying in the air in this picture.  Because of the light weight of the birds (from toilet paper tubes) you had to throw frequently and very hard to stand a chance at getting a pig.  So, he made a point system where any block you'd knock down was10 points and every pig was 100 points and if you got to 500 points you could buy a bouncy ball to put in your bird and of course with that you could knock out the "president" pig who was inside a little block compound.  The first person to get the president won the game.

He had cars and lincoln log pieces and everything.  I have to admit, it was really challenging and fun.  He played it for a few days and then he lost interest.  I think the set-up was too time consuming.  I think I'll bring it up on a rainy day. 

Honest words, real feelings

Malachi is a deep kid.  I don't like to post too much detail on the kids because not everything is meant for the world to see or hear.  But, sometimes what they say really hits me.  We've got a kid who can't stop saying how much he misses his "family" (meaning all of you Grandmas and Grandpas and aunts and uncles and cousins back home).  It comes at the craziest times and as parents we don't take it lightly.  We know our kids miss family and we miss family but Malachi seems to feel it a bit intensely.  Tonight he said it like this:

Mal:  It's like this Mom.  Some people have lots of family, and some people have lots of friends, and some people have lots of things, and some people have lots of food, and some people have lots of servants, and some people have lots of animals.

Me:  Ok?

Mal:  It's a parable Mom (said with an intense look).

Me:  OK, so tell me what it means now.

Mal:  Well, I've got lots of food and some things and some friends and you and Dad are like servants taking care of me, but I don't have anyone I love like my family.

I'm not sure about this "servant" stuff and obviously the affection from his mom and dad isn't feeling enough these days, but I didn't take it personally.  All of you family out there, know that you are very important to Malachi even though you are far away and even though he doesn't always want to talk on Skype or the phone.  He feels your value very much and misses you guys.  We all do.  Being far away has never been easy and it isn't getting easier.  Much grace needed these days.  

Happy Birthday!!!

 Malachi, I can hardly believe you are seven years old already!

When you were born we were overjoyed to bring you home and to 

call you our son.  We are so glad God has placed you in our family.

It's so fun to see you grow up and to see all the things that you are learning.

You have so many special talents!  

Know that you are loved and so very special to us.

Happy Birthday Malachi!!!!!!! 

Love,

Mom and Dad 

Toothless Grin

Malachi has finally lost his two front teeth.  It started with one last week and then two days ago he lost the second.  I must say he looks pretty cute with his two teeth missing and he is 2 Lira richer.  That's all for now!

Scientist Overnight

Oh, and before I completely forget this phase that Malachi went through (they really can go that fast) I want to blog it.  Sometime last week we had an aspiring scientist on our hands.  It lasted about a day but it was creative.  One day he just woke up and said he wanted to be a scientist and by noon he had created a rat lab out of boxes and other recyclables.  It was for his stuffed animal rat.  By the time the day ended he had turned into an inventor and had made a TV of sorts out of a box with some kind-of hidden tape.  There is no end to the things that can be done with boxes and old plastic bottles.

A Healthy Imagination

Today as Malachi was eating a bedtime snack he said this:

"I went to Tokyo today at recess.  It was like a dream come true.  I had enough time to modify a car and drive it around a little before P.E. started."

Gotta love that kind of imagination.

Turklish

As Turkish language learners we speak our fair amount of Turklish (English and Turkish mixed).  These mixed languages (like Spanglish) must be the case for anyone living in an environment where you function in two (or more) languages.  I know we've given some examples of this before but here is a new one:

The other day at the dinner table Malachi was describing something (and you will probably be curious concerning what he was talking about but I really can't remember what the reference was) and threw in such a small Turkish suffix I almost didn't catch it.  He said, ". . . it was legsiz and headless. . . "  Siz is a suffix used exactly like our suffix "-less"  in English.  It means "without."  But I found it funny he used the Turkish suffix on the end of leg and the English equivalent for the same thing on head, just two words later.  Language is so interesting, it never ceases to amaze me what is going on in my head.

The Turks have this great saying.  It goes like this:  One language, one person.  Two languages, two people.   The point is that learning another language so broadens you that you become more than just one person.  That sounds good doesn't it?  More honestly, my second person still sounds a lot like Tarzan.

Christmas Memories

We've been making memories around here.  When I see our kids at ages 4 and 6 already I sometimes wonder how they got so big so fast.  I have to keep practicing intentional memorization so I can store away these precious expressions and even not so cute moments in my head for when the moment is over, the age is past, and I'm a reminising momma.  Here are a few. . .

Decorating sugar cookies today with Sonora's neighbor friend Havin.  Very classic with Malachi choosing not to decorate more than two because they are messy, Sonora and Havin using half a container of sprinkles on each cookie, all in one spot.  There was a fair amount of colored sugar and sprinkles on the floor when we were done but seeing those two little girls so intent and joyful at their work was worth every bit of the mess.

Tonight after watching a Christmasy movie as a family, Polar Express, Malachi decided to write a note to Santa.  Sonora kept asking where he was going to send it and then how to send a letter to God.  After writing a list of a few things Malachi hands it to Aaron and says, "Dad, this is for you so you know what to put in my stocking."

Before tucking Malachi into bed he insisted in opening his piggy bank to see how much money he had for Christmas.  We counted it out and it was 6 Turkish Lira and 9 American cents.  Earlier he kept asking his daddy to write a "malachi list" so he would know what to get him for Christmas.  I wasn't following their conversation but when Malachi was in bed he kept asking if we could go shopping tomorrow.  He said, "I just have to get something for Dad."  He was wondering if he had enough money to buy a Monopoly Board game and I suggested that maybe if Sonora pitched in a little and I did we probably could.  He was quiet a moment and then said he's rather get it himself, maybe just I could help. I suggested something else and he thinks a bit and says, "I might have enough money to get him something from a Kirtasiye (like a school supply store). . . maybe a stapler."  I said I would have his daddy write him a list.  I love to see the giving spirit in my kids.  I don't care what the gift is, it's the heart that counts.  So, we'll do our first Christmas shopping this week.

Learning to Read

Malachi is in first grade this year and for the last few months has been working really hard at writing and reading.  I am loving this phase, this age.  It is so fun to see his joy in learning.  And it is fun to see his world enlarge as now the world of print is opening up to him.  I hear him constantly working to sound out words:  something projected on the screen at church, labels, book titles, signs on the road.  And nearly every activity indoors is based on writing.  Like right now he is presenting a business plan to me.  He has two copies of the plan and it has all sorts of drawings and letters and symbols on it.  Anyway, it's been fun to see our little guy learn and mature with age and school.