Snow outside, snuggles inside

Maliana ~

Just tore myself from bed after putting you down for a nap with Daddy. It has snowed a lot this week, leaving an abundant white blanket outside our windows. It is beautiful, and very cold. This afternoon, you insisted on both Daddy and I snuggling under the covers with you, until you fell asleep. Your routine lately has been, helping to recite your bedtime stories (mostly your Llama Llama books), and then this afternoon you treated us to some singing. I love hearing your little voice singing "You Are My Sunshine", your "ABC's", and "Baa Baa Black Sheep". Your ABC's made Daddy and I giggle as you blended together LMNOP into one long funny sound by flicking your tongue in and out. As you finally quieted down, first by copying exactly how Daddy was laying, and then by falling asleep with your face no more than two inches from mine on our pillow...I got that familiar warm and snugly feeling that I get in one of "those moments"...the ones that I wish I could freeze in time forever. It was hard for us to get up from the warmth of that bed, but alas, a Mommy and Daddy's jobs are never done.

Anyway, I do have some phenomenal news from this morning. Your diaper was dry when you woke up! When we got you dressed and made the discovery, I was ecstatic. And of course, you were too when you realized what a big deal it is! Daytime has been a breeze to stay dry for a while now, but nighttime with no accidents is the next big milestone. We'll keep working on it, but you are on your way! I am so proud of you!

This afternoon we headed to Wai Gong's to check on him since his wrist surgery, and before his heart catheterization. He is doing much better and you played with everyone while there. Seems like the big theme today was tying shoes...Memaw Lisa and Blaize both did re-ties for you. You watched their every move, and keep trying to do it yourself. Memaw Lisa even made the comment that she wouldn't be surprised if you were tying your own shoes soon!

playing with a cool car game Blaize brought out for you

And of course, you conned Wai Gong into some yummy ice cream (instead of your dinner!) One of the many perks of being a grandpa, I suppose...spoiling your grandkids and undermining Mom and Dad.

Going back to the beginning of the week, it didn't start out the greatest. We took you to the doctor on Monday, who told us that you just seemed to have the "creeping crud". A nasty cold that they can't really do much for, and then on Tuesday when you went to school, you told your teachers that you didn't want to eat your macaroni and cheese at lunch, or go play outside (highly unlike you) and instead took a 3 hour nap!! When I picked you up, you were snacking on Ms. Brandi's own banana from home. She said she was worried about you and when you looked like you wanted some, she shared it since she just wanted you to get something in your belly. She is a really sweet and caring teacher. We are so fortunate. Luckily, when you woke up, you appeared to be nearly feeling back to normal. Anyway, we headed to Kroger's to pick up some foods that you would like, to make sure you kept on eating to fight off whatever this was. You definitely must have been feeling better because as I pushed you around the store in the special "race car cart", you kept singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" at the top of your lungs. It was really cute. It's amazing what wonderful medicine sleep can be.

Later this week, you were my little helper. You helped me snap green beans for dinner one night, as we watched Hannah Montana on TV. Let me just say, you are quite the snapper! Who knew? And your other unofficial job now is to help me put away the silverware when we unload the dishwasher. It's a great sorting activity for you, and you seem to enjoy it. In fact, being any kind of assistance to me, Daddy, your teachers, or most anyone else brings you such joy and a sense of accomplishment.

Friday when I picked you up from school, Ms. Brandi made the comment on how independent you are, which was evident when Audrey Ayi and I took you out for a bite to eat (Chinese Garden, of course). As we sat down and ordered our drinks, without my even asking you, you looked at the server and said, "Juice please". Then proceeded to pull some chapstick out of your pocket and put it on (I didn't even know you had it). Not even 3 years old, yet somehow going on 13 (at least!) When I took you to the bathroom, you of course did it all yourself (which has become the norm), only opening the bathroom stall door to proudly show me the dogs on your underwear. Ha ha ha! When we walked into the restaurant, the host recognized you from last week and said (to you) smiling, "Hi! You're back!" I guess we are getting to be quite the regulars here. You and Audrey were also really cute today, taking turns writing various words and pictures on the napkins as I finished my dinner. In fact, I didn't realize this but 3 of the servers actually were standing right behind our booth, just watching and grinning at you. They also kept bringing you things like their own personal candy from the Chinese grocery, a key chain with the Chinese Garden logo, and one of them even folded an origami bird for you out of some sort of wrapper. It was really sweet of them.

Audrey Ayi helping you practice letter writing on the napkins at China Garden

After bath time, Audrey Ayi stayed and helped tuck you in

Saturday was a fun family day. In the morning, you watched Daddy wrap up his P90X workout, then insisted on doing some yourself. You love to exercise! We headed to Rock My Bao Bao (awesome to see the other kids after a long break) and then on the way home, we stopped at Giant Eagle to grab some odds and ends. We stayed to eat some lunch from their deli. We saw a policeman getting some coffee from Starbucks there, and you waved at him and then turned to me (initially calling him a fireman, and then a policeman), but saying "Protect me" while you gave yourself a big hug, miming "protecting". It was really cool. You are learning (and retaining) all sorts of things, every day!

Mmmm...Giant Eagle has an awesome cafe/deli to munch on lunch

Tonight, we headed over to Mia, Fred, and Michelle's house. What a wonderful evening! They are some of the nicest people...and you and Mia are like two peas in a pod! It was amazing to watch the two of you play together. The evening was full of giggles and laughter, mixed with the occasional, usual toddler negotiations to share, etc. I love being around other families who look like ours, and you thought it was really cool when on the way over, I reminded you that Mia had also been born in China and had come all the way home on an airplane with her mom and dad too. You lit up when I said that. You and Mia really worked well together, taking turns, mothering each other as you gave one another rides in the doll stroller (pretending to be each other's mommy), playing guitar with Fred, playing ring around the rosie, and making both Daddy and Fred do push ups with you girls piled on their backs. The peals of laughter were such music to all of our ears.

@ the dinner table

Look at how hard our daddies are working, just to get laughs from us! Boy, do they love us!!

obsessed with guitars

Fred and Michelle said that they had not yet seen Mia take so well to another child, which made it all the more heartwarming to see how well you both hit it off. At one point, you and Mia were in the bathroom together while you "dropped a bomb". You girls were just chatting it up, Mia getting you toilet paper, and you trying to fix your pants. I pulled Michelle over and said, "Flash forward about 14 years, and we'll probably see this same scene, except they'll be getting ready to go out and wanting to borrow one of our cars." We both laughed, but the scary part is, 14 years is not that far away. Oh, how fast you will grow up. Like a saying one of my co-workers said to me this week that really struck me, "The days may be long, but the years fly by." How true that is. How true that is.

Promise me one thing Mali, just this one thing. Please don't try to grow up too fast. Enjoy your youth, embrace your silliness, and savor every moment of carefree abandon that youth affords you. Adulthood comes, whether you want it to or not, with all of its various responsibilities and ups and downs. So slow down and be a kid. There will always be time to grow up, but none of us can really go back again. However, as Lao Lao said to me today, one of the joys of having children, is the permission to become a child again yourself. And you my dear, are a wonderful inspiration to me, and everyone you touch. We can forget our worries for those precious moments when we are in your presence, and just be. Be free to feel the joy of childhood, through your eyes, experiencing the wonders of the world for the first time again. And it is pure magic.

Love,
Mama