It's festival season again!

Maliana ~

It was very hard to get up to go to work today after another jam-packed weekend. Really, every day I fight the urge to call in sick and stay home with you, especially now that the weather is nice and there is so much fun stuff to do outside!

Last week started with your helping me take Abby to the vet. You are getting to be so helpful, insisting on holding the leash in the lobby, while we waited for the vet. When we got in the exam room, both the vet and her assistant remembered you, even asking about how many more surgeries you would have, and remarking on how much better your speech is now. The assistant even remembered your pigtails from last time and the vet made a comment about your squeaky shoes. You definitely make an impression!

While we had a good evening after taking Abby to the vet, you were an itchy mess that night. I think it was the darn antibiotics you were on for your ear infection. At 1am, I wound up giving you a bath since you simply could not stop itching and were miserable. Then I completely coated you in calamine lotion before trying to get some more sleep. It seemed to ease up your discomfort, thank God!

Tuesday we took advantage of the hot weather and cooled off by washing my car after school (completely your idea, I might add). I guess when a 3 year old is noticing how dirty your car is, it’s definitely time to wash it!



being cool with mom

After the car wash, you and I sat in the front yard on our lawn chairs and discovered the deliciousness of edamame. You not only like eating it, but you like saying it too (and it’s so cute). We actually ended up eating those little bean pods again later in the week when you, Daddy, and I went to Pei Wei for dinner. It’s always a relief when your kid takes a liking to something so healthy!

trying out our new hammock we bought in Hawaii

Thursday, you and I stopped at the farmers’ market at Easton to pick up some fresh strawberries to take to the hospital for Mia, Fred, and Michelle, and the newest addition of Mia’s little brother Freddy. This was the first time you have really seen a newborn of a close friend, one who we’ve been anticipating for a while now, and also have a somewhat rudimentary understanding of where he came from. You just sat there in awe, staring at him for a while, before you and Mia began playing hide and seek with the privacy curtain and being your silly selves. You girls chowed on the berries before we finally said our goodbyes. I’m still not quite sure why but you have such a hard time with goodbyes, refusing them altogether most times. No hugs, no waves, nothing. Poor Mia was trying her hardest to give you a hug but you just kept refusing. I think it’s because you simply just don’t like to leave if you’re enjoying yourself, thinking that if you don’t acknowledge the goodbye then we don’t have to leave, which makes sense in that 3 year old kind of way. I had to chuckle however when as soon as we got in the hospital corridor you looked at me and sadly said, “I want Mia”.

Mia's new brother, Freddy

you, me, and Mia

So, not only did we hit the Easton farmers’ market on Thursday, but we hit the North Market farmers’ market on Saturday morning too.



you like to stick your tongue out in pictures lately

see what I mean?

Then after that, we headed to the Columbus Arts Festival.

Daddy and I were heading out on a date night that night, so you asked if Lao Lao could take you home from the festival and wound up hanging out with her and Uncle Forge all afternoon and evening. You thoroughly enjoyed your time with them, going out to dinner, running errands, hitting your favorite playground, and even playing ‘nail salon’ with Lao Lao who let you paint both hers and your finger and toenails bright red. She sent me a text during the night that read “don’t worry, there wasn’t an axe murderer at your house, I just let Mali paint our nails.” Ha ha!

wow!

When we woke up on Sunday, you showed me a little pile of treasures you brought home from the playground, including a pearly purple button. When I talked to Lao Lao, she said you were insistent on bring this home to me, which you had actually explained earlier that it was for my pajamas. I couldn’t believe you remembered this, but I have a strikingly similar missing purple button on the pair of my owl pajamas (that match your pair) and you thought for sure that this was that button. I was pretty impressed that not only you remembered the actual button that was missing, but that you were so thoughtful as to insist on bringing it home for me. What a sweet kid you are!

I remarked on how super your nails looked and what a great job you did that morning too…to which you replied, “I know!” Nothing like a preschooler’s modesty!

Daddy went golfing on Sunday morning, so you and I took Abby running, relaxed for a while at home, and then headed over to Wai Gong’s for some pool time. You had a blast, as usual. Daddy met us there later and we all ate dinner together.

splashing with Uncle Blaize

getting used to the sprinkler

ahhh!!!

 

making paper airplanes

And finally this week, I figured out something you have been saying for a little while now, but didn’t really understand. A lot of times you will try to ask for something or be explaining something to me and refer to something as “hini”. I couldn’t be quite sure until this week when I realized that’s how you say “thingie”. I just think that’s so cute. And no wonder it took a while to figure out because even after I understood “hini” equals “thingie”…I still have to figure out what “thingie” you are referring to. Sometimes living with a 3 year old is like a perpetual brain-teaser…but at least you’re keeping my brain sharp.

Love,
Mama