Counting up my gold coins for the week...

Maliana ~

Going through and writing these letters to you is like counting up gold coins, my good fortune from the past week. If I don’t necessarily always realize how good I have it in the moment (I try really hard to though), it definitely becomes crystal clear as I review our time together for this blog, and what a windfall we had this last week!

First, I’ll start with our Sunday together, which can only be summed up by labeling it a “M and M” day…(aka Mali and Mama Day). Daddy was on-call for work, so you and I spent all day, and I mean ALL day, running like mad women. We attended mass with Memaw at 8:30am, then met Papaw and a bunch of their church friends for breakfast at Bob Evans.

singing a hymn with Memaw

ahh, off to start a new day!

but not without a kiss from Memaw first

After stopping home briefly, we headed back out and picked Memaw back up to take her to Slate Run Farm with us. It was so much fun, more than I expected! That place is awesome! It has a living historical farm on-site and you got to check out the house and grounds, get up close and personal not only with the animals there, but with old-fashioned chores like watering the garden from a well and helping to clean the corn to make corn brooms too. I had no idea you would so thoroughly enjoy it, but you did. And it was so nice to spend this one on one time with Memaw too.

heading into the farmhouse

surveying the garden

watering the plants with well water pumped into a bucket

Mama wants to help too

found a bug!

Hi Mr. Moo Cow!

up close and personal with the horses

you favored this dappled guy

peee-yewwww! those pigs stink!

helping with old-fashioned chores

I heart that smile!

Memaw and a silly monkey

gorgeous red barn and even more gorgeous little girl

beautiful big girl

ornery smiles on our way out

After Slate Run, we headed over to watch your cousin Joey’s soccer game. It was good for you to see the soccer game, since you’ll be playing on your own team in exactly two weeks. And you loved seeing your cousins again, after having spent the afternoon with them on Saturday too (but I’ll get to that in a bit).

watching the game with Alex and Sam from the shade

running for some post-game donuts

good game Joey!

Once home on Sunday, Lao Lao met us and we all took a walk on our nature trail, stopping at the playground (of course!) on the way home. You had a blast and dragged Lao Lao all over that playground, making her imitate all kinds of strange words you made up before you’d let her go down the slide. I taught you how to play “I spy with my little eye…” earlier in the day, so we played this during the last half of our walk home. You LOVE this game! And it’s so adorable to hear you say “I spy, with my little ‘oy’…” You tried so hard to convince Lao Lao not to leave once we got home, telling her she had to stay because of the ‘neetos’. We were very puzzled, until we realized that you were saying ‘mosquitoes’, afraid they would get her if she went out to her car. Ha ha! Nice try sweetie, nice try.

taking in the wonderful night with Lao Lao

trying something new

you girls are silly

no one can say Lao Lao isn't in the moment...what's up with that face?! ha ha

Moving back through the weekend, as I mentioned above, you got to spend Saturday afternoon with your cousins, Joey, Alex, and Sammy at Memaw and Papaw’s. Daddy and I took advantage of this and spent our own quality time together, winding up at the Zucchini Fest and then hitting Franklin Park Conservatory before coming back to get you.

at the fair, on a ferris wheel...first time for Daddy and I in YEARS!

Daddy and I really needed this time to relax...but we still missed you!

however I think you were having quite a good time yourself

I can't believe Papaw actually got all of you in one shot, looking at the camera, and smiling ~
I think this might be a good candidate for a Christmas card!

your surprise from the Zucchini Fest ~ a spidey hat!

Saturday evening, we headed to Wai Gong and Memaw Lisa’s. We grilled out, then all headed over to the nearby pond and you went fishing for the first time ever. You were excited about casting and reeling, but not so sure about baiting with the worm or the fish we actually caught, at first. After a few minutes, you were checking out and even touching the fish…but never did enjoy those worms though.

explaining the basics of fishing

watching that bobber

peace and quiet...fishing at dusk

yay! we got one!

not so sure at first, but then agreed to touch the fish before we threw him back in

I just couldn't resist this shot...so cute

After fishing we came back over to sit in the crisp night air, so cool already that we needed a blanket to wrap ourselves in as we sat there relaxing. It was like the first taste of fall. You were playing and giggling, adorable as you scampered barefoot through the yard that was completely dark by now. The only light was from tiki torches that surround the patio and a shooting star that your Uncle Blaize spotted. It felt good.

sharing a moment while walking back with Memaw Lisa

and now fleeing from Wai Gong's teasing

having fun, all piled on the same chair with Uncle Blaize and Memaw Lisa

So, moving even further back through the week, you began with your new pre-school class this week. It was an adjustment, but they transitioned you all pretty well, and while there was one day where you had misplaced your silkie (hidden it in a play purse in your new classroom), and couldn’t fall asleep for naptime, you all in all had a terrific week. You even had Ms. Brandi cracking up one day at nap when you tried to convince her that you had already slept, pretending to snore with your eyes closed, then quickly saying, “But don’t tell my mom!” You also saw Ms. Beth come in and got all excited, (she is one of your favorites at school), and yelled to her, “Hey Ms. Beth! It’s me Mali! M-A-L-I!” while grinning and waving furiously. Ha ha. You are a character!

Out shopping one afternoon immediately after school, you even saw some flowers at Kroger and said, “Ms. Brandi and Ms. Rachel don’t have flowers! We need to get some” and insisted on buying them and taking them back over to them at school. Of course, how can I argue with that kind of thoughtfulness and generosity, so that’s exactly what we did. Hopefully, it helped make their night. I told you later that that is exactly the kindness that makes you such a great person, and that I was proud of you. You beamed.

Daddy attempted to take you to kick the soccer ball around another evening this week too…you were so cute in all your gear.

I took Abby for a walk while you two headed off for the field. Unfortunately, both girls (you and Abby) lost interest fast and wanted to come home. However, it left time for you, Daddy, and I to take a long walk together, with you being “Chatty Kathy” in the stroller the whole way.

We helped to celebrate Aunt Tina’s birthday with her this week too, going to their house for Uncle Joe’s lasagna and cupcakes. You, Sam, and Erin do so well together, with Erin being so thoughtful, having bought you a cute little bowl when she was shopping a while back (just because), and Sam acting like such a good ‘pseudo-big brother’ to you. We stayed so late that we got you ready for bed before leaving, pleasantly surprised and touched by the fact that they actually have a toothbrush with your name labeled on it at their house that you must have used a while back. How sweet. It’s nice to be blessed by such loving people. What great friends. It confirmed my conviction once again of, “Who says family is biological, right?"

one of the sunflowers that we gave Tina for her birthday, as BIG as your HEAD!

3 stooges, watching the 3 Stooges

As for your quirks, there have been many emerging. For one, you are obsessed with your soccer shorts. Daddy said he was in the shower one morning and noticed the bathroom door opening slowly. When he peeked out, you were standing there with a ‘shit-eating grin’ on your face, holding your soccer shorts up and nodding…the same soccer shorts that you had already worn at least two days in a row and changed into every night after school as well. He texted me on that one…laughing at you. You are quite the little tomboy, turning your nose up at anything girlie during a shopping trip to Kohl’s with Dad and me, insisting on another pair of athletic shorts and a toy motorcycle instead. You chose the motorcycle and “vroom”ed from the backseat the whole way home.

You got upset with me one day when I asked you, “How was your day at school little one?”…correcting me by saying, “I’m not one, I’m three! AND I’m not little, I’m big!” Ha ha. And speaking of corrections…I was also explained another difference between boys and girls, in the world of Mali anyway. Evidently, boys have butts, while girls have hineys. Hmmm. Good to know.

So….anyway….with that, the week is about all wrapped up and summarized…gold coins counted and put in the priceless bank of our memories, with one more final note.

As I got ready for work on Monday morning (just yesterday), you stumbled into the hallway and stood there quietly, half asleep, until I noticed you outside the bathroom door. It was 5am and you were refusing to go back to bed, insisting on watching me getting ready for work. I pulled your little blue cushy chair out and set it in front of the bathroom and let you curl up there. Luckily, you fell fast asleep in a couple of minutes.

just wanted to be near Mama

It struck me as bittersweet. Part of me, (ok, all of me since I am not a big fan of Monday mornings anyway), wanted to stay home, go back to bed, and curl up with you, then wake up slowly and happily, ready to set off on another adventure together. However, another part of me is grateful that I have a job, can go and allow each of us to have our own little worlds independent of one another too, and then come back to spend quality time together, which is all the more sweet and appreciated because we do have our days apart. I definitely don’t take our time together for granted, simply for the fact that it’s not there day in and day out. And, oh how you love going to school too ~ Heaven forbid if I ever took your daycare time away!

So, while the anxieties of motherhood surround me, second-guessing every decision for how it might affect you for the rest of your life. Panicking or worrying about things that will likely never happen, but are conjured in my mind nonetheless. (As a side note, Lao Lao said that this anxiety never goes away, even when your “baby” is somewhere in her mid-thirties!) So, even though I have a long road ahead of sleepless nights, I take heart in mornings like this one, with you curled up and dozing next to me while I prepare for the week ahead. Although I know you won’t always want to spend so much time with me, especially when you are navigating those turbulent teen years, I can rest assured that at least for now we are adoring our time together, one moment at a time. Like I told Lao Lao as we took a walk this week, I just hope that when it’s all said and done, your entire childhood is filled with this same happiness that you are so full of right now. I know it’s a tall order, but that is my prayer. One day at a time, I suppose, one day at a time.

Love,
Mama