Mama's Memories for M: Playground Weather Again!

Maliana ~
This week has brought lots of fun on various playgrounds...it's so nice to see the sunshine again and enjoy the coming spring! And while we have had lots of fun, we've also had a rough patch involving playgrounds too. We'll start with the rough, and end with the good.

Typically I get to school to pick you up just as playground time is starting. One day, since it was so beautiful, I decided to let you play (for nearly an extra hour!) as I talked to your teachers and watched you having fun. Unfortunately, when it was time to go you had a complete meltdown, with me having to get pretty tough and carrying you, kicking and screaming, from the school. I suppose it's good that you enjoy school so much that you sometimes aren't ready to go home when it's time, but on the other hand it makes it so hard on days like these. All got better shortly after getting home, thank goodness. It was probably a combination of having a lot of fun, and also being tired from all that playing, but regardless, it was rough.

The other instance involved your getting hit in the eye by another boy just before I got to school to pick you up. I opened the door to come outside to the playground, saw you, and knew something was wrong. You physically were fine, but I think it was a bit rough on your ego. I decided if any time called for a special "you and me" time, it was now. So I decided to take you into Westerville for some relaxed exploring in their old uptown section. The whole way there I wedged one arm into the backseat so I could hold your hand, and we talked about how getting hurt made you feel and also what to do next time anyone hurt you or your feelings, making sure you tell an adult like your teacher or Daddy and I. Then I made sure to let you know that it was not your fault, that sometimes people just do mean things, and that tomorrow was a new day and you would once again have lots of fun with your friends at school.

Once into Westerville, we headed to Schneider's bakery so you could pick out a yummy cookie and some chocolate milk, then we proceeded to window shop and found a great new candy store that we'd never noticed before. By the time we got back to the car, it was a good day again.

window shopping

a new candy store ~ score!!

I never know if what I tell you sinks in or not. However, I definitely wanted what I had to say about your getting hit on the playground sink in. Luckily, I got a confirmation just before we left uptown Westerville. You just wanted to hang out a bit in the car, and since we really had no particular place to be, I decided that hanging out would be just fine. I got some wipes out to clean the cookie and candy residue from your fingers, and you decided to take it back from me and clean me up too. As you gently wiped my hands and arms, you began repeating back to me, in a very sympathetic tone, that if any people hurt me out there, I needed to come and tell you, because you were my "mommy". You must have sat and empathized with me, and my pretend hurts, for at least 15 minutes. It was the sweetest gesture from you, and a sigh of relief for me that you took in and processed one of those harder life lessons about the cruelness in the world. As much as I want to protect you from any pain or sadness, I know that I can't. But I can arm you with the resiliency to rise above it and seek out the good in the world, in spite of any difficulties you are sure to encounter. And for that, I am grateful.

Now, onto the fun playground stuff! I've watched you play quite a bit at school on the playground with your friends, and I have to say, it's neat to see you keeping up with all of the kids, kids bigger than you and typically boys. You really get right in there and it's neat to see you having fun with your peers. One particular day after school, we went to another playground at Pointview Elementary School on the way home. They have a really great painting of the United States on their blacktop and so you quizzed me on the states, hopping from one to another, asking what each one was. Then you asked me where China was...to which I had to chuckle and say that it was way off this particular map, but maybe we could bring some chalk back and draw in China for them. After that, we headed over to their kindergarten playground, which is just the right size for you. We had a ball!

hey monkey! say cheese!

climbed up all by yourself ~ queen of the mountain!

this is what I see when you're going to catch me on the slide

At home, we have continued having a ton of fun in the evenings, taking family walks in the cool night air. I just love these times together...we laugh so much, my stomach hurts sometimes!

One sunny day after school, you asked me to take you on a bike ride with you on the back for the ride. It was a challenge to get the bike down after all winter in the garage, but you reassured me, "You can do it Mama, you BIG!" I finally got it out, but you decided against the ride after all, feeling how teetery the bike can be with you in the bike seat. You are getting so much bigger and it is definitely harder to balance us now. It's amazing how much difference a year makes since you used to love going for bike rides last year! Looks like we'll have to look into one of those bike trailers after all.

On Friday we met my friend Pam and her little boy Jack at Polaris, for some fun in their Jack Hanna play area. Unfortunately, we discovered they had taken down their tree house with the slide, but you both made the best of climbing on the animals there anyway.

riding the zebra

After running around for a while, you and I ventured into the bathroom to go potty before hitting the road. All I have to say is, those dang auto flush toilets!! They scare the piss out of you, literally!! Poor thing. I need to figure out a way to make sure they don't flush while you are sitting on them because half the time, you refuse to even use them, which makes it tricky when we're out and about. After you finally agreed to use the potty, we went to wash our hands and you proceeded to do your hair, (aka soak your head), in the sink. When we left, it looked like you'd just gotten done swimming. You are so silly!

Later Friday night, you, Daddy and I went out for dinner and then decided to get a spontaneous hair cut for you and I. This was your fourth hair cut and you did great...sitting up on the little booster in the big swivel chair and even bravely enduring the blow dryer. When she got done, you were so proud of yourself, and even perfected the art of the "hair flip and head toss" while showing off your new cut. It was so cute!
Once home, we put up your new 3 year pictures in frames...I must say they turned out so adorably! You were so excited to help put them up.

See? I couldn't pick just one to post here...so I had to put them all up. My little rock star ~ ADORABLE!
As we put the pictures up, we found some old pictures of you in the frames, tucked into the back each time we updated a milestone photo. As we all looked at your 18 month pictures, you noticed your cleft lip. This was the first time you really noticed and asked about it. It was a great opportunity to sit down together and talk about it honestly. We began by reassuring you of how beautiful Daddy and I think you were and are, how in LOVE with you we fell when we saw that little smile in China, and how when we brought you home and the doctors sewed your cleft lip together so that you could eat, drink, and speak more easily, how worried Daddy and I were about losing your precious smile that we had come to love more and more every day, but that we were pleasantly surprised to see that your smile was beautiful both before and after your surgery. As we talked with you about this, you took it all in, grinning at various times, appearing to embrace and accept our first of many stories and discussions about this part of your journey. And for this, I again am grateful.

the smile that melted our hearts from day one

Saturday brought a fun time at Rock my Bao Bao. You were rested enough that you got up and really participated, having fun and singing with a friend just before class. What is it about kids and microphones?!?

you and Leah at Bao Bao

After nap, you woke up and were so excited to see Lao Lao at our house for your play date. Daddy and I went out together and had already finished dinner, when you and Lao Lao were just leaving our house. You both had evidently been playing in your room and the playroom the whole time, having a ball and playing hide and seek with Abby. You LOVE hide and seek, even if you are hiding from a dog. Ha ha. You went out for dinner, but called me about halfway through so Lao Lao could ask me a question. I guess it was just too much to hear my voice while out because after that, all you wanted to do was come home, saying, "I want my mommy". You weren't upset, you just wanted to be home. I guess it's good that you like to be home. I can understand that. Sometimes, it just feels good to lounge around the house.

Saturday night you had Daddy and I laughing...you've been sighing and grumbling "Oh man!" lately, when asked to do something or if you have to wait for Daddy and I to do something for you. It's not really nasty, it just sounds like you are exasperated. It's exactly what a teenager sounds like...and here I thought we had at least another 10 years before hearing this! Ha ha.

Sunday we headed to your cousin Brianna's birthday party. It was really fun, and nice to see family again. Brianna turned one and they had it at the YMCA, with some fun gym playtime after we all ate, so you kids could burn off some energy before heading home. You had a ball, and were so proud of your fancy shoes and pretty dress, having been so excited to wear it since we picked it out the night before. And in spite of wearing such a pretty outfit, nothing was going to stop you from mixing it up during playtime. I love that about you ~ appreciative of the fancy stuff, but are far from being a girly girl. You're the perfect mix, exactly as you are!