Malachi's 3rd birthday

So we decided to celebrate Malachi's 3rd birthday while we were in Texas with family and friends. If you have kids, you know that Chucky Cheese is sheer nirvana. So off we went with our Batman balloons and cookie cake in tow.

Lots of family and friends came and ate pizza, played skee ball and danced with Chucky. He gots lots of fun presents, including CARS pajamas saying "I am Speed". We laughed at those because Malachi's nick name is "west coast," because he's totally content with taking his time with pretty much everything in life.

Everyone pulled their tickets together and he got pencils, a Batman picture frame, some stickers and various other ridiculously overpriced trinkets.

We had a blast celebrating our buddy!!!

Arbitrary Parent Rules: Malachi specific

We've realized that most of our arbitrary parent rules are directed towards our loving almost 3 years old little "cute guy"-as he calls himself.

1. You cannot sit on your sister's head.

2. You have to open your eyes when you are pretending to sleep run. (This one unfortunately was learned by way of 5-6 stitiches)

3. You must put on pants before going ANYWHERE.

4. You cannot put your "private bathroom parts" (as Selah calls it) on your sister's leapster game.

Going "New England" on people

So we've been in New England for two years total. We never really considered ourselves southerners but now having been baptized in yankeeness, we are proud of the roots from which we grew. The pride comes in southerners for the most part being kind, hospitable, and just generally friendly. We have now dubbed a new word in our house and it's called "going New England" on someone. Just the other day we were selling our bed to this slick yankee who just returned from the Donald Trump seminar on getting rich quick. Because everyone knows that Donald Trump got rich by sipping cheap coffee at some seminar in a hotel conference room.

Anyway, he was a jerk and I found myself being really unsanctified in my speech towards him. I was having to "go New England" on him. What does that mean exactly?! It means being incredibly rude, brash, sarcastic and demeaning. But if you aren't this way to most people up here then you'll get run over and taken advantage of.

In all fairness, we've met some wonderful New Englanders. But it's funny because they're usually a transplant from the midwest or a Christian. I've been praying for a nicer heart towards them and for gentler words, but it seems like I'm going the opposite direction with this. Well, we've got 1 1/2 weeks left. Thank goodness for my soul :)