Sharing Blessings for the Fourth of July

Maliana ~

Thank goodness we have the backpack for you. We have gotten so much use out of it this week and weekend! You were so excited to dig it out and go for a walk where we found some yummy wild raspberries off the trail, then later when Lao Lao came over and we all took a long walk to the playground where you channeled your inner country girl and actually pooped in the woods! (Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do when your kid has to potty). You are definitely heavier (and longer as your legs dangle considerably lower) this year, but it’s just a better workout for me, right? Anyway, it’s totally worth turning my legs to jelly, seeing you so thrilled to be enjoying our nature walks from a new vantage point.

2 cool chicks, right?

yum, wild raspberries!

One day this week, a balloon guy came to your school and made your class balloon creations. You had him make you a sword and holster that you proceeded to wear when I picked you up, strutting the entire way with the biggest swagger, as we walked from your classroom to the car. You were so proud!

Sir Knight Mali

Then upon arriving home, you have begun something new recently. As I’ve said before, you love playing hide and seek, with no one in the house allowed to be immune to this game, including Abby the dog. As soon as we will get home from school, you tell me we have to hide; then you call for Abby to come downstairs. As an unsuspecting Abby bounds down the stairs and rounds the corner, you jump out and “scare” her. I hate to break it to you, but I don’t really think she gets too scared…confused maybe, but not scared. However, this exchange never fails to make me laugh. You are too funny kid.

measuring how tall your favorite teddy is on the same wall we measure you on = super cute

Friday was a tough start to the holiday weekend. A weekend that was very busy and full of lots of surprises of varying degrees. Daddy actually had to go pick you up at school early due to you not feeling good and getting a fever. You ended up not being too sick, which was thankfully confirmed by squeezing you in for an emergency doctor’s appointment that afternoon.

Once home from the doctor (and me from work), we got ready for our first round of guests this weekend. As I mentioned before in another post, we met a lovely couple at the Asian Festival back in May. Well, we had You You and William over for a cookout on Friday night and it was so nice to get to spend time with them. You were a bit more subdued than usual, probably due to not feeling top notch, however we thoroughly enjoyed the evening. They brought you a gift, a wonderful Chinese paper-cut book with all of the Chinese zodiac animals, which was very thoughtful. Then while they enjoyed trying our American fare for the cookout, we enjoyed trying the delicious Chinese dishes they brought of salted eggs and a really yummy seasoned beef. After dinner, we had s’mores over the fire and shared more of our stories. It was really neat to learn a little more about their lives and understand more about their experiences both back in China and also since coming here to America. It was a very good evening with new friends.

Saturday evening included a birthday and bon voyage gathering for Audrey Ayi. She will be leaving for Germany soon and will be gone for 2 months. We’ll miss her terribly, but are very excited for her and wanted to make sure we celebrated her great opportunity. I think you were still feeling a little under the weather and discombobulated on Saturday too, acting up and being a little more ornery than usual, but otherwise it was a really nice time with really great company.

Not only did we have these two planned gatherings with friends this weekend, but we had another unexpected surprise that added to time spent with friends as well. Late Friday night, Daddy got a call from a long-time friend, who it turned out was having some fairly serious difficulties. Without going into much detail here, he and his family needed help. So, without thinking twice, Daddy and I invited them to come stay with us for a few days to help them get back on their feet. So, since Friday night/Saturday, we have had four extra honorary family members. This is a big plus for you since they have two girls, ages 5 and almost 2, with whom you have hit it off smashingly. It has been fun to watch and listen to you girls interacting, running around, giggling, and having the most hilarious conversations. Your antics have definitely helped to lighten the load and brighten our days in this time of stress. It has definitely been tight with all of these extra bodies in our house this weekend, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I love teaching you that opening yourself up to helping others is its own reward, and I think you’re definitely getting it.

Of course to add to the stresses, Murphy’s Law just had to strike on Sunday afternoon when our refrigerator decided to stop working. Great timing, right? Well, normally something like that would have driven me nuts, especially with all of these people relying on us. But ironically, for some reason we dealt with it like champs and it didn’t even phase me much (which was very odd because usually I am the 'Queen of Freak-Outs'). I’m not sure, but maybe it’s because I have a new perspective and am realizing even more how blessed we are as a family now; or maybe it’s because it just feels good in general to be able to help others and that has carried over into other areas of my life; or maybe it’s something else entirely. Whatever it is, I know I’ve been reminded lately that doing whatever you can, to share whatever you are able to with others, is definitely the way to a life of happiness. I sure hope this lesson can be passed on to you as you grow up. I think we've got a good start so far.

and they're off! gotta love slip n' slides!

playing "hoarders" in your princess tent ~ how much stuff is IN there??

you're jammin' so hard you're blurry!

So, if you are (hopefully) learning important life lessons this weekend, you are also learning not so important ones too. What with all of the entertaining we’ve been doing lately, you filled up a cup of water in the bathtub the other night and informed me, “I’m drinking beer”. Oh lord.

The fourth of July finally arrived on Monday, and we finally got to do some traditional celebrating. Lao Lao came over and you, me, Daddy, and Lao Lao all headed down to the annual Doo Dah parade. You enjoyed it, laughing at some of the marchers and floats, and when it was all over, said, “Let’s do it again!”

matching tie-dyed shirts ~ a must at the Doo Dah (thanks Lao Lao!)

taking pictures of the parade

After getting home and taking a good nap, our ‘temporary family of seven’ headed down to the Park of Roses for the annual fireworks festivities. We met Wai Gong, Memaw Lisa, Uncle Blaize and his two friends there and ate a picnic dinner, played on the playground, lit sparklers and smoke bombs, danced to the live music, and put together all kinds of glowing bracelets (which you insisted on doing yourself ~ Little Miss Independent) and other toys, before the fireworks began around 10pm. You did phenomenal during the fireworks, covering your ears as usual, but actually getting into watching the display, even being slightly disappointed when they ended. Daddy even got teary eyed this year, as the three of us huddled together taking in the colorful flashes, loud booms and pops, and patriotic music blaring through the night air. Given the trials and tribulations of this weekend, the brilliantly lit night sky seemed to dissipate all of our troubles. If just for this time, we were forced to be in the moment, sitting together gazing skyward and enveloped in the radiance of the firework display…it was definitely another one of those magical and memorable times I’ll remember.

geesh, we are loaded down with fun! ha ha

picnic dinner

buds

silly monkey

weeee! (as Wai Gong peeks over the top at you)

we survived the playground!

eek, sparklers!

Memaw Lisa aka the "Candy Lady"

dancing

T minus 10 minutes until BOOM!

our own little firework against the night sky

ahhh, family

And finally, in light the many events of this past weekend, I wanted to share another couple things lately that I’ve noticed to suggest your heart for others continues to grow. For one, you have become more encouraging of others. For example, you and Daddy were “golfing” in the living room the other day, practicing hitting balls into a cup. When Daddy would fall short or miss, you’d look at him and say, “That’s ok Daddy. It’s tricky.” When I heard you say that, my heart smiled. Then, during our fun fireworks shenanigans on the 4th, that ornery Wai Gong decided he was going to tickle me (even at 35, he still feels compelled to tickle me mercilessly). As soon as you saw me in distress however, you leapt into action and rather than joining in “torturing Mommy”, you began to actually try to wrestle with Wai Gong and literally threw your body on top of mine to try to protect me! Then, as I sat up, you lovingly put your arm behind my back and helped me up, saying “It’s ok Mommy”. You have never done that before, and it was so sweet. My little bodyguard. Little glimmers like these keep occurring, in the midst of all of your own orneriness, tenacity, and fierce independence. Every bit of this, from each end of the spectrum, I love. You are growing into the coolest little girl.

Love,
Mama