I missed out on emailing a Christmas update for 2012 although I did manage to mail a family photo Christmas card—if I had your mailing address handy, you got one. Maybe I'll have more mailing addresses next Christmas (hint, hint!). For this li'l family update, just pretend it's still December 2012 (family ages and accomplishments are written AS IF we aren't having Christmas in July!). I'm hoping to be more punctual for the Christmas 2013 mass email. No promises though!
D and T started the year 2012 boldly by taking a trip SANS KIDS to T's beloved Dominican Republic. It was awesome to see the people and places that became so dear during the mission. Hopping on guaguas, riding on the back of motoconchos, cramming four or more excursions into one day--this was made possible by Saint Dona (D's mom) who partied with our kids in Detroit while we were gone. Bless her!!
D began to really branch out with his leisure-time (i.e. time-away-from-being-a-resident) this year. He helped to re-roof the house (a big and expensive job!), led the sag wagon for an important race, revamped the bathroom sink and garage door, worked as a doula, and taught himself to play the accordian in two weeks! He also contracted pneumonia, fought the sickness and won after three rounds of antibiotics. He took T to a Red Wings hockey game—fun! The whole family enjoys hearing (if we behave ourselves) his nightly piano serenades. D also discovered something thrilling--he can earn more than the residents' salary of $7/hour when he works extra shifts at the local urgent care offices—yay!
T continues to be awestruck that everything tends to move toward entropy. All she has to do is sit here and eventually everything's a disaster—how is it done?! She worked as an incubator for the first half of the year (doing a bit of running and yoga on the side) and lactated for the second half. This occupation earned her the title of Miss Universe (in the eyes of the smallest Malouf at least) and she is constantly in the spotlight. She was also honored to win first place in the exclusive "Tera Half-Marathon" in the fall. Speaking of winning, she tied for first place in the Witches Cackle Contest for Halloween--who knew she was so talented? T enjoyed teaching more HypnoBirthing classes and of course sharing one more amazing birth with her favorite doula.
Nena/Squeak (6) is boisterous and happy, just like her mama--perhaps there's some cheerleading in her future? She taught herself to ride a bike in two days, loves her baby brother to pieces, and is a superstar reader. She is the smartest, tallest, loudest, and most outgoing girl in her class. Of course, she's also the shortest, quietest and most shy girl too--that's the fame you get when you do homeschool! She doesn't want to miss a thing—she'd like to be in every room, every conversation, and involved in every activity at the same time (T also has this desire)--it's a shame there are only 24 hours in a day and 365 days a year.
Pip (almost 5) continues to be a tender hearted charmer. He is still in love with balls, sticks, cars/trucks/trains, his Mo, and his big wheel. He is an amazing worker--always offering to help his mama (she is so grateful and is planning to put him in charge of the kitchen duties!). He helped Squeak with the tomato crop over the summer (they literally did all the watering and harvesting while Mami breastfed all day) and we had a wonderful time eating the fruits of their labors. Pip is so delighted to have a baby brother!
Chiquitita/Squirt (3) is still "la bebe" which works fine because our youngest is "el bebe"--thank goodness for Spanish! She LOVES cheetahs so we all do too--she wears cheetah print every chance she gets. She also gave up diapers thanks to our family's favorite comfort food—cheetos! She is giggly and sweet, loves to swim, dance, ride her tricycle, and snuggle her “Mo” and her mama. She is great at taking care of her babies and is a marvelous big sister. Chiqui is truly “merry”--we love watching her sit at the piano with a songbook open, singing the very song on that page (she isn't reading yet, but she has memorized the pictures on each page).
Peep (6 months) is pure delight. He's our first baby to arrive on time--I know he was excited to get here because he is in love with all of us. He is the perfect fourth child—with things in a constant state of chaos, all we can really offer him is a joyful, “Welcome to the party!” and his cheerful response is, “Hey, guys, I'm here, and I love parties!” He is so happy to go with the flow. Peep also started out as our best sleeper and our biggest babe. As his siblings before him, he wants to be a marsupial and has an extreme dislike of the carseat and diaper changes. I'm so grateful for my snugly baby, his constant hugs and smiles, and the ring sling and Ergo that have kept us close. He spent a good amount of time practicing the plank position before he became a champion crawler, and now he's everywhere!
We love Detroit and feel very blessed to live where we do—we love our house! Last year I wrote about how awesome our city is; this year I'm going to talk about our awesome house—we wish we could take it with us everywhere we go, and here's why:
We are all cozy on one floor—no worries about losing my kids inside
Finished basement that has room for storage, laundry, and a play area
A laundry chute—truly the best thing since sliced bread!
Gorgeous tile work (put in by a previous owner) in the bathrooms and kitchen
Fabulous neighbors
Awesome fenced backyard that is just the right size for our little ones
Pretty brickwork outside in the front and back (also done by a previous owner)
CVS is right around the corner
Small enough to clean in a few hours
Location is optimal—so close to many fun activities
If I ramble on much longer, this little note won't get sent until Christmas (a year late!). We send our love and hugs to you all. Hope you are enjoying a wonderful Christmas in July!
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