Family on the Lake

Maliana ~

What can I say? What a fabulous weekend away at Lake Michigan. I seriously don't know how to begin expressing how touching it is for me to watch you on weekends like this.

On Friday, we headed up north, through South Bend, IN and into New Buffalo, MI to the cottage that Daddy and his family from South Bend and Chicago have been going to for more than 2 decades now. Memaw and Papaw came up and spent the weekend with us as well. It was wonderful for you to get some unadulterated "Memaw and Papaw time" too, an 'oh so' precious commodity.

It's always nice to get away, but what makes trips like this one all the more special and amazing is being able to watch you basking in the love of family. Some of this family you may not get to see more than a couple times a year, but they are family nonetheless. Family, in the complete unconditional sense of the word...one that welcomes us in year after year, and since you have begun coming with us, loves you and adores spending time with you just the same, no matter the distance or time between visits. Family where you too adore each and every one of its members just as much. It's amazing to see how well you fit right in, being shy and then comfortable and ornery with the grown ups, making your cousins laugh (and definitely vice versa), pitching in at family dinners and then joining in the conversation and festivities in that special three year old way, running here and there to do the "ever important, top secret, kid stuff", and frolicking on the beach doing what kids do best, being forever in the moment.

Lots of things you said and did this weekend made me (and many others chuckle)...but a few of the memorable right now include your catch phrase lately of, "Let's rock and roll!" when you're ready to go somewhere. Upon hearing me fart at one point (I can't believe I just wrote that), you asked, "Mom, you need to get gas?" (I think you're a little confused about gasoline and bodily functions at this point, but it was pretty darn funny nonetheless). The water was fairly cold this weekend, especially our first day at the beach, so in spite of shivering uncontrollably and your lips being near purple, it was pretty difficult to convince you to get out of the lake ~ you are one hard core water bug! And then of course there were the very sweet comments all weekend about how neat your personality is, how much fun you are, and how adorable you are. Daddy and I said thank you and told them how much we appreciated their compliments, (and obviously we couldn't agree more). You are the best, kiddo.

Really, at this point, there's not much more to say. I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves. There are so many more great moments that I wasn't able to capture...they just happened so darn fast. But I think I did a pretty good job of conveying the basic feel of our weekend at the lake.

what's a good road trip without snacks?

we made it!

first picture on the beach

Mali and new favorite teddy from Papaw

Tootsie Pops ~ a lake house staple

Swashbuckler Mali

one of your favorite toys all weekend

heading back up the TONS of stairs to the lake house (someone will sleep good tonight!)

Mali and Papaw

showing off your big muscles after a good breakfast

belly is full after the annual breakfast at Rosie's

Mama and Mali, with the local Barney's grocery in the background

protecting Daddy from the sun

ecstatic happiness

stand back! I've got a shovel full of sand and I'm not afraid to use it!

not only did you like making sand castles more this year...but also loved hunting for smooth round stones on the beach

 

Bailey helping you squirt Daddy

army crawling with Reilly

exploring the sand dunes with Reilly and Bailey

shooting "bad guys" (I think you look like the 4th Charlie's Angel)

listening to Justin Bieber with Abby

a common sight this weekend...Mali getting tickled

fun of the evening, going to get hotel ice with Memaw!

laying out with Mama

here you're telling me that you're going to play baseball with your friend (Braden)

Daddy pitching to you both, simultaneously

sizing up your pitcher (notice the Tootsie Pop, I told you it's a lake house staple)

a swing (and a miss), but good effort!

another familiar sight this weekend...laughter

getting some rest after a big couple days on the beach

Mali, Jacqueline, and Brewster



kids' table...Dawson, Reilly, Braden, Abby, and Mali

ok, so it's a staged 'sleeping' picture ~ super cute anyway

Mali, Abby, and Reilly

the obligatory sunset family picture on our last night at the lake

So, I just keep reflecting on this weekend as I have been waiting on the pictures here to upload. I am overwhelmed thinking about how great it is to have family, both the family that we celebrated at the lake this weekend, and the multiple members of our family that stayed home. It also got me thinking, once again, about family in the general sense. The word family can be defined differently by all kinds of people. Families can look so different and be brought together by so many different circumstances. It's fascinating to me to look at all the unique people with varied life experiences, that can end up in the same place, sharing special bonds, and calling each other family. If nothing else, you have shown us that family, by no means, has to be biological. I can acknowledge the importance of having and knowing biological family, and by no means do I want to diminish that need. But at the same time, I also want to express the beauty that family can gain its origins in such unique ways and in all sorts of places. I also believe that families built in these ways are no less deeply connected than any other. I suspect considering yourself as being part of a family, biological or not, probably FEELS the same to nearly everyone. That feeling is hard to describe, but I know it's as real as you and me. Kind of like love. Try describing or conveying a clear definition of love to someone else. It's near impossible, undefinable, but it's real. Maybe the two are interchangeable...love and family. Yeah, that makes sense to me. Because until Daddy and I brought you home, and became a family of three...while I understood what love was, I had no idea the depths to which it could take me or the appreciation and reverence I could have for it in my life. Loving your child, loving someone more than yourself, is the most powerful and vulnerable feeling in the world. Then watching as your child is embraced by those you love in such an unconditional way, in a family...well, that's just the icing on the cake.

I'll love you forever and always Maliana.

Love,
Mama

Had some fun...now off to the lake!

Maliana ~

Just a quick note before we head out for our big lake weekend! While it’s been a short week so far, you’ve been just as entertaining and interesting as ever. On Monday as we drove to speech, and went up and down some big hills in the car, you yelled, “Mom! That hill freaks me out!” Huh? How do you know that expression? While at speech, I was breathless, my heart was pounding, and I was on the edge of my seat. Was I watching an action movie in the lobby? Nope. Just sitting in the room with you and Miss Ashley, watching you make progress in your speech. Guess that’s one cool part about being a mom…getting ecstatically excited as your kids do something new or make progress on something they’ve been working towards for a while.

Tuesday was your water day at school. Daddy picked you up just as you were heading outside, so he decided to let you stay and watched as you splashed and ran around like a maniac in the sprinkler with your friends. Good times.

And if the water day at school wasn’t fun enough…Audrey met us at home and you, Audrey, and me headed out to the zoo. You are getting so much more into the zoo, on a completely new level, each time we go. You have favorite animals, you want to linger a little longer at some more than others, you are more interactive with the ones you can interact with, and you have an opinion on just about everything. Just like speech, it’s neat to see you progress in this area too.

not all of the wildlife was in cages...I can't believe how close this chipmunk let you get!

looking at the red panda

what is it with you and checking statues for boogers?

yeehaw!!

letting the goat sniff your hand and get to know you

Audrey and I also have a new favorite word that you say now too. We were munching on Combos on the way to the zoo and for you; it comes out as “Commo” except that last “o” is drawn out just long enough to be extra cute. We’d giggle every time you’d ask for another "Commo-o-o".

Once home from the zoo, you insisted on Audrey giving you a bath. You guys played together and then she worked with you on your letters and even some sight words…and by God if you didn’t start recognizing different people’s names as she wrote them on the edge of the tub in washable bath crayon. I was amazed…and Audrey should be a teacher. You already know how to spell your name and can recite it perfectly, but this was new to me and ever so neat.

Finally, on Wednesday, Daddy had me giggling at his description of you. It was hat and sunglasses day at school, so not only did Daddy let you wear these to school, but also let you pick out your own outfit. It was a mismatched doozy too…and he said that your hair reminded him of Edward Scissorhands meets Cousin It…but you had the biggest swagger as you strolled into school in the morning. I swear ~ your personality is bigger than Texas! Don't ever let that go.

So, like I said…we’re heading to the lake on Friday, tomorrow actually. We get to see our South Bend and Chicago families. It should be a lot of fun and you are super excited (we all are) for some fun on the beach. Signing off for now…

Love,
Mama

Fathers Day Fun

Maliana ~

So, Happy Fathers Day to Daddy! We had a great celebration with him, which I will elaborate more on in detail, but first, we’ll recap the rest of the week.

On Monday, Daddy brought home a real Chicago pizza via one of the pilots at work…so you got to taste your first Giordano’s! The thing was huge and you liked it, however I don’t think you were as excited as Daddy was to surprise us with it.

1st real Chicago style pizza

After eating that huge pizza, you and I headed out on the trail for a long walk with Abby. This time I had to walk, not run, since that pizza was sitting like a ton of bricks. However, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Going so much slower allowed for you and me to talk more while we were out in the woods. You even turned around to talk to me, face to face at one point, singing a little song over and over about how the “sun goes down and the moon stays up” while we watched the setting sun. We discovered an inchworm that you really liked for some reason, insisting, “He needs us!” and really wanting to bring him home with us. You also surprised me by remembering where you had your first outdoor pee on a little side trail when we had a ‘bathroom emergency’ on one of our other walks…last fall! Geez! Talk about a great memory! I would have missed all of this had I been running instead of walking that night. As we arrived home in the cool night air, I had a little epiphany about recognizing, in the moment, that I truly LOVE my life with you, as your mom, and that I needed to savor times like these because I’ll look back on nights exactly like this one and remember them fondly someday. It was a cool feeling.

After we got home, it was the usual bedtime routine, which made me laugh as we got out your new spin brush for your teeth. You are doing much better with it, not squirming or whining so much, and when I remarked and complimented you on this, you said, “I know Mom!” (Again with the modesty ~ ha ha).

This week was a good one at school. You even wanted to stay later one day just to finish your lesson on the reading rug. It was neat to see you request more than just additional playground time from me when I come to pick you up ~ I love that you love to learn!

Have I told you how much we enjoy our neighbors? We sat out one night in the yard with the Szwabinskys and just talked and played around. Roman is getting ready for wrestling season, so after watching Natalia and him spar for a bit, you spent the rest of the night wrestling Natalia and/or tackling any unsuspecting victim you could find sitting in the grass. We caught fireflies and, at the kids’ suggestion, you kept trying (hard I might add) to get your own butt to light up too. Thankfully, no one’s pants needed to be changed.

wrestling (or is it boxing?)

more wrestling

Daddy left for Florida on a business trip on Wednesday, so Lao Lao came over to spend a couple nights with us and help me take you to school in the mornings. You got so excited to have Lao Lao over, insisting on helping carry in her bags.

our new bellhop

We went to a very silly dinner one night (where you kept us very entertained and I got a bunch of random kisses right on my lips ~ LOVE those!), and then after dinner we threw on our jammies and took a moonlit stroll. You were lulled to sleep by the stroller movement and the cool night air, not even stirring when I brought you inside later.

toasting to dinner at Pomegranate

in our jammies, heading out for a bedtime stroll

We celebrated Uncle Joe’s birthday on Thursday by meeting Joe, Tina, Sam, and Erin at Buca di Beppo’s in the arena district. You had an absolute blast with them all. You and Erin had me cracking up at wanting to go to the bathroom together, repeatedly, at dinner. I can’t believe girls’ going to the bathroom in groups starts so young! And the narrative in the bathroom between the two of you was hysterical too (e.g. “Hey, I’m wiping!”…”Me too!”) These guys & gals are some good eggs. You can never have enough good people in your life…we’re so lucky.

mmmm...spaghetti!

buds

goofiness

mmmm...ice cream and brownie cake

silliness

outside Buca di Beppo's after dinner

On Friday, I came home with you after school to find your toilet plunger on the kitchen table. Luckily, this is the plunger that you decided you had to have from the dollar store and use it only as a toy (it has NEVER seen the inside of a toilet bowl)…but I had to text Lao Lao and ask her about this. All she had to say was, “Oops ;)” Looks like you guys had some interesting mornings together before school this week. Lao Lao did say that you were a big helper while getting ready, keeping her company while she drank her coffee (with you eating breakfast and drinking your hot cocoa in your “I think I’m hot stuff” grown up travel mug with lid), then “assisting” with her makeup application too. I really appreciated her help in taking you to school in the mornings…and it was nice you got to spend this time with her too.

We picked up Daddy at the airport and you were so excited to see him. Holding the Fathers Day card you had made at school over your head (upside down) as you watched the airport corridor for him, squealing as soon as he was spotted.

Daddy!!

Father's Day card you had made at school

A great thunderstorm was rolling in that night after he got home. So we all piled into the garage with our lawn chairs and sat there watching the trees begin to dance and smelling the rain coming. It was all fun and games, until that first really loud thunderclap that sent you into a panic…after that, we decided it was best to go inside. Poor thing. It actually startled Daddy and I too…I can only imagine what went through your little head.

Saturday morning we woke up and headed downtown to see the Pride parade. You sat for the first part of it with your hands over your ears saying it was too loud…but after a while, you were used to it and then really got into it. By the end, you just kept peering down the street looking for floats and shouting “One more! One more!” I was a bit puzzled though as at one point, you pointed to a crowd of marchers and shouted, “Hey! There’s Hubey!” I had no idea your imaginary friend was marching in the Pride parade. Who knew?

eating strawberries and waiting for the parade to start

it was loud, but you got used to it after a while

checking out the crazy sights

"one more! one more!"

After the parade, I collapsed into a much-needed nap while you and Daddy spent some time together. You helped him grocery shop, went out for a pizza dinner, and when I woke up you were busy break dancing in the living room. You were so serious too! Girl ~ you got some moves!

helping Daddy grocery shop, evidently in charge of the list

And this brings us to Sunday, Fathers Day. We woke Daddy up with cinnamon rolls in bed, where you also presented him with your special gift. We had dressed you up in Daddy’s shirts…his soccer shirt, a golf shirt, and two football jerseys (ND and Browns), then gave you the appropriate sports equipment and I took photos of you while you posed and “played” each sport. You had a blast! I turned the pictures into a collage and we wrote “Happy Fathers Day 2011 ~ Love, Your Little Sports Nut” on the top. The whole project turned out great and Daddy loved it!

gift for Daddy

And below ~ another quick snippet of one of the many reasons I am thankful for great neighbors. On Sunday afternoon, Natalia brought over the project you made while you were playing over at their house the other night. Jen was clipping coupons, so Natalia helped you make a collage from the extra ads. There is lots of paint, glitter, animals, Lightening McQueen race cars, and a Tow Mater truck in your pictures. When you saw your creation, you were SO proud of it and immediately displayed it on the fridge, all on your own. We are so lucky to have such great friends right next door who so willingly spend quality time with you whenever they can. Great great people. 

your amazing collage

Later that day, we had Papaw, Memaw, Wai Gong, Memaw Lisa, and Uncle Blaize over for a cookout. You enjoyed spending time with everyone, as usual. We presented Wai Gong with a similar collage to Daddy’s, with just you in a Browns jersey with a football, for his birthday on the 21st. He loved his too. You kept us all entertained with your silliness, with Memaw remarking that pictures just don’t do you justice, you need video to capture all that you do appropriately. I agree. I was also surprised and impressed with your changing attitude towards goodbye hugs when it was time for everyone to leave. All on your own you willingly gave each and everyone hugs today, something you don’t usually do since you don’t like to say goodbye, thinking that if you don’t give hugs, people don’t have to leave. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to see you readily ‘sharing the love’ as our guests departed. Very nice.

yay for smoke bombs! (thanks Wai Gong)

the Dads

splitting an ear of corn with Mama

Blaize being the great uncle he is

swingin' with Memaw

getting ready to light some smoke bombs in the yard

fun with the smoke...and also why Wai Gong nicknamed you "Crack" for the rest of the night

mmm...cookies

hammock time!

being teased by Papaw again, I'm sure...

trying to catch a smoke ring

that's my girl ~ smoking is YUCKY!

So, as you can see, this was a good week with lots of time spent enjoying many of our family and friends and wrapped up with a great Fathers Day. This is what it’s all about.

Love,
Mama