Apple Picking, Football, and Soccer = Feeling Like Fall!!

Maliana ~

Soccer season has officially begun for you now. Anticipating your first practice, I took you on a bike ride to the soccer fields where you will be playing so you could get the lay of the land. On our way home, we stopped at a playground. After romping around a while, you asked me for a piece of candy I had in our backpack, stating “I need some energy.” (I didn’t even know you knew that word).

ready for the bike ride!

Sunday afternoon we all went to your first practice. Unfortunately, your coach was a no-show (chickened out due to weather), but most of the kids showed up since the coach cancelled so late by email. Luckily, Daddy stepped in and ran you all through some drills. You did great. We almost made it through practice without silkie, almost. Once when we thought you were running to the sideline to get some water, it turned out to be a “silkie break” instead. A couple sucks on the silk, and you were good to go. Ha ha.

all suited up for practice

let's go!

mad skillz

hydration

happy girl

what we thought was a water break...turned out to be a "silkie break"

stud

"playin' with the boys"

thanks for coming out to watch the little squirt's first practice!

After the game, Lao Lao came with you, Daddy, and me to Red Robin for a celebratory dinner. Just before leaving, you were goofing around and accidentally caused Lao Lao to throw ice water on her pants…all throughout her crotch. We all cracked up. Fortunately, it wasn’t too cold of a breeze when she left, but there were definitely plenty of stares. 

celebration dinner

The rest of the weekend was filled with more fun too. We kicked it off with apple picking at Lynd’s Fruit Farm with Mia and Jack. I was shocked to watch you eat three honeycrisp apples while in the orchard. You all had a blast running races through the trees, and then you and Jack had more fun riding the barrel train and in the playhouses. Before leaving, you and I went to the farmstand and picked up an apple fritter and fresh squeezed lemonade to munch on for the ride home. You asked me, “Mama, you wanna go on a date to pick pumpkins with me?” It was so sweet. Of course, I said yes. We’ll have to do that soon. You drifted off to sleep, wanting to hold my hand while we drove. This is quite a trick, as I have to contort my arm and shoulder in such a way to reach all the way back from the front seat. When I finally pulled my hand back after you were asleep, my shoulder ached, my arm was slightly numb, and my hand was sticky from all of the fritter sugar on your fingers…but it was totally worth it to make you happy.

this one looks good

tastes good too!

buddy Mia

buddy Jack

woo hoo! barrel train ride!

even through the corn field

Saturday we attended an event at the zoo through Children’s Hospital to spread information about the new Cleft Lip and Palate Support Group that we are starting. Several of the staff at Children’s and some other moms and I are attempting to start a group for families just like ours, to help educate about cleft lip and palate conditions and challenges, provide support to any and all who need it, and of course have fun getting to know one another. It was a wonderful turnout; with twice the amount of people responding than was originally estimated. I got teary eyed as I walked into the event, feeling proud and thankful to be part of this group. We all got to explore the zoo after our luncheon and you had a blast.

thank goodness you and Lainey helped us navigate the zoo!

discovering the joys of the "Little Bugs" playground

messy ice cream faces

serious and beautiful

Audrey Ayi came over to visit us after we got home from the zoo. Unfortunately, I had completely mixed up the days and missed meeting her at the airport when she arrived home from Germany the night before. We had been all set too with a big sign, and even a costume (which I’ll get to later). However, it all worked out and we finally got to see her tonight. You were thrilled that Audrey was home and so excited for her to get here, waiting by the window for 15 minutes before she arrived. You kept asking me, “Is Audrey all done with Germany?” You gave her a big hug and kept wanting her to carry you around our house all night.

our sign for Audrey Ayi...you drew nearly all of the artwork yourself. lots of hand tracings and happy faces (which are getting better and better every day!)

happy to have our buddy back!
looking sassy with your gifts from Germany

We got some help from the grandparents this weekend too. Friday evening Lao Lao came over while Daddy and I went out to wish Uncle Lu Lu good luck in Houston. You loved having Lao Lao for a sleepover. Before I left, you gave me a huge movie-star kiss, taking all of my lipstick off in the process. Then said, “Bye girlfriend!” (Huh?) While we were gone, Lao Lao said that your imaginary friend Hubey was causing trouble, so you had to put him in a timeout saying, “Look at my face. This is not a happy face.” (Wow…at three years old, you are already sounding like your mama).

you crashed on the couch with Lao Lao before we got home for the night

adorning Lao Lao the next morning with a tiara and stickers

Sunday you and I took some donuts over to Wai Gong and Memaw Lisa’s so that Lisa could help me color my hair. You hung out with Wai Gong while Memaw Lisa went to work on my noggin, helping Wai Gong put up his inflatable Browns guy for the season opener.

got our hammer!

Grrr!! Go Dawgs!!

Other fun tidbits from the week include going to a Westerville South soccer game. In spite of the wind and drizzle, you, Daddy and I braved the elements to sit bundled in blankets on those cold bleachers, drink hot cocoa, and cheer on the Wildcats. There was a lull in the game when a player dislocated his elbow and they had to call the squad. You were concerned and kept repeating “He need him shin guards!” We were trying to occupy ourselves until the game started again and began saying “Mama Mia!” and “Ciao Bella!” very theatrically…(I have NO CLUE why). You thought this was quite hysterical, so of course we all kept saying it. This continued the rest of the week as well. Our little Chinese-American-Italian pre-schooler.

Another day this week I sensed Daddy was having a stressful time at work. So we had been looking around Party City and found a great Buzz Lightyear costume that you insisted on getting. We dressed you up and arrived at Daddy’s work. You had to walk in the doors sideways because your wings were so big. You were feeling pretty proud of yourself and completely brightened Daddy’s day (and I suspect many of his coworkers’ days too).

my favorite little super hero!

Finally, this week ended on Sunday, September 11th. This was the 10th anniversary of America’s national tragedy when terrorists not only took down the World Trade Center Towers, but also took the lives of many more people at the Pentagon as well as in Pennsylvania. Although a decade has gone by, it remains a very emotional memory, such a huge blow to how our country views the world and itself. These events have brought forth the best in people, but sadly, it has also brought forth the worst in others. It’s interesting to me that you will learn about what happened from your history classes, and you will never live in a world that knows otherwise. Aside from when the Challenger space shuttle blew up, this was the first traumatic historical event that I mindfully lived through, remembering exactly where I was when I heard the news. All week and weekend there has been a lot of actual footage, memorial services, and documentaries about 9/11/01. On Sunday, we took time to reflect and I can say that most of all I just feel a deep sense of sorrow for those who lost their loved ones.

After watching a documentary on Sunday evening, I also have a renewed reverence for the NYC firefighters’ heroic efforts. They tried so hard to save whom they could, and at the very least, tried to sort through the rubble to salvage whatever they could, even if it was just something to help a family have a proper burial for their dearly departed. They were the ones who were running in to harm’s way, when everyone else was running out, then alongside dozens upon dozens of volunteers sifted through the ashes for weeks afterwards. You sat between Daddy and me on the couch, watching a particularly well done documentary about 9/11 then and 9/11 now. You saw me crying and had many many questions about what was happening. Some of it I could explain, some of it I could not. No one really can. How do you explain acts of violence? How do you explain hatred? Towards the end of the show, you told both Daddy and I, “Firemen are my heroes, firemen are my friends.” Me too sweetie, me too.


Love,
Mama