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