Just Mal & Me...

Today has been quite a different day for me...a different day, but a very GOOD day!

I used to take days like these to catch-up, regroup, clean house, do "my thing", but today, today was different...

MaKayla is out-and-about on a "girly" day with Bri (my niece, her cousin) so it's just Mal and Me here at home. Since Mal and I don't get many days like today, it's been her day...a day where she gets to choose.

I got up with Kyle as usual this morning but then as soon as he called on his way to work, I woke Mal up from her restful slumber and asked her if she would like to join me in Daddy and Momma's bed to snuggle (something she and I used to do ALL the time when she was a little thing). She quickly jumped up and made her way to our room and without thought chose Daddy's side of the bed to nestle in to. We snuggled and drifted in-and-out of sleep with the bright warm sunshine streaming in on our faces until after 9:00 a.m. That NEVER happens so it was a treat for both of us.

When I asked Mal what she wanted for breakfast, she listed all the options she could think of: cereal, toast, pancakes, french toast, scrambled eggs...,"Let's see how about pancakes. Chocolate-chip pancakes!" Pancakes it was...with lots of chocolate chips. It was fun listening to her chatter about how Daddy makes the best waffles and MaKayla detests chocolate-chip pancakes because they're too rich and they make her stomach feel yucky. :o) She measured all the ingredients, thought the sour milk looked disgusting, warmed the syrup and waited...


*During breakfast she watched a McGee & Me movie...
*Then got a perfect score on her spelling test...
*Did her final writing assignment for the week...

We agreed that doing school together on the couch sounded like much more fun than books at the school table so I got on-line, found some neat work pages on the animals that live in the Grand Canyon, she ran down to the printer to snatch them up and then we settled on the couch to learn... It was a great time and she commented more than once how nice it was to do school "together"! :o)

Believe me, when Mal first found out that MaKayla was going to be "missing" yesterday afternoon, last night and today, the prospect was a little taunting...she relies a whole lot on MaKayla...always has!?! I informed her that we all need "our time" and this was MaKayla's time and in time, her time will come...

I heard of yet another adolescent in our area who I am presuming committed suicide this past week and my heart was saddened. I wondered what was so hopeless that this young man felt as though life weren't worth living. My heart broke imagining what went through his mind prior to the determined action that carried out his drastic decision and what should have been different that would have made him feel loved, valuable, special. It made me think of the "Mal and Me" time we have had today and how these times cement in her heart and mind how much she is loved, adored and valued. These hours of independent, affirmation are precious and necessary investments...moments that neither she nor I will ever forget. It seems as MaKayla grows older and our interests fall in line with one another, we have lots of alone time together that "just happens". As well, the four-of-us spend loads of time as a family, but this time, one-on-one time, is rare but wonderful! Much like the time she and Kyle spent in the yard last night kicking the soccer ball around, playing catch with the softball and talking about her day.

Op, pizza's on the menu for lunch and my girl is hungry... (Pizza's on the menu for supper tonight as well...homemade, not Totino's...but hey, who needs rules on days like today!?! We can eat the same meal twice...)

Need to get back to our Mal & Me time...