No Rainbows Without Some Rain

Maliana ~

Phenomenal speech therapy session! You hadn’t been there in 3 weeks since our therapist had been getting married and on her honeymoon, but no matter because you did a bang-up job last Monday. As we sat in the waiting room, you looked at me and said, “I go upstairs and I cooperate”, and you did! Way to go!

And speaking of therapies…I FINALLY went to a chiropractor this week as well. I have been having such trouble over the last 2 weeks, with certain days not even being able to pick you up. When I told you I was going to a back doctor, you asked, “Then you can carry me?” and when I said yes, you said, “Thank you Mommy!” You can be so sweet and appreciative.

celebrating national chocolate cupcake day!

enjoying your new Toy Story 3 bubble bath...making good use of it on the
most adorable little "bubble butt" ~ when I gave it to you, you said,
"Thank you Mommy!"

I  think this Facebook status sums up some of your antics this week…always interesting living with you!

~Theresa Hart~
never underestimate how much harder it is to go to the bathroom when you are knee to knee with a 3 year old sitting on her stool in front of you, with no personal space whatsoever, repeatedly asking if you're done with a more than helpful look on her face, anxious to squirt your hands with sanitizer.

Thursday was rainy and cold, so it made for a perfect day to stay inside and make Halloween crafts. You have been more into painting lately. Thank goodness for washable paints!

After Daddy got home, I headed off to book club with some of the other China mommies and Daddy took you to Memaw and Papaw’s for some firehouse stew. You had fun and have been getting to be more and more of a “Papaw’s girl” lately. It used to be that you would give him the stink eye whenever he was around, but now you go to him more often and even give him kisses from time to time (but only if it’s on the soft part of his cheek, above his scratchy beard). It’s interesting to see you grow and change as you get older, in all kinds of areas.

playing with their magnifying glass

Once home, I put you to bed and after singing some songs, we had one of those spontaneous giggle fits as we lay there in the dark. I was checking to see if you were asleep yet, and had leaned way over your face. Well, you weren’t asleep after all and whipped your face to mine, scaring the heck out of me. For some reason, we thought that was hysterical. Anyway, we kept doing that to each other for the next 5-10 minutes, laughing until our sides hurt.

Friday I went to do a little pre-Halloween/ Christmas shopping (trying to get a jump on it so we can all enjoy the Christmas season a little more easily)…but here’s another Facebook status that sheds some light on some more of your antics. You are so funny, (and SMART!)

~Theresa Hart~
so...I was doing a little Christmas "recon" for Santa and was showing Mali pictures of some gift ideas on the internet (to check her reaction, etc). She then told me we need to take our laptop to Santa, to make sure he knew exactly what she wanted. Why do I have the feeling we're going to be the only people in line at the mall with a laptop and Powerpoint presentation?

By Saturday, I was spent. Daddy could tell that I’d had more than my share of any kind of stress this week, so thankfully he let me sleep in on Saturday morning while the two of you got up and went to breakfast at Gena’s, then on to watch your cousin Joey’s soccer game. I do have to mention something funny here. As you know, Daddy has no peripheral vision due to the brain tumor he had removed in 1999 (I’m sure by the time you read this, you have had your fun in practical jokes on Daddy related to this fact). Well anyway, he admitted that today at the soccer game, thanks to his lack of full vision, he was holding your hand and led you right into a trashcan at the soccer field. Evidently, you both were not paying the best attention. No one was seriously hurt…and I had to laugh aloud when Daddy told me this. And of course I was laughing WITH you both, not at you. Ha ha. I can only imagine what that must have looked like to a spectator. 

you ran on the field with the team and insisted on getting
some high fives for yourself

Joey had a double header, spaced out by a few hours, so Uncle Kevin, Joey, Alex, and Sammy all came over and played at our house until they had to leave for her next game. Despite all of your obstinate behavior and tantrums this week (yes, you have been giving us a run for our money lately…which I think has been exacerbated by feeling a bit under the weather), you did nothing but completely perk up when you saw your cousins. You four girls play so well together. It’s awesome!

Lao Lao came over to visit after the girls had left, and you were so excited to see her that you made this incredibly strange squealing sound like you could scarcely contain yourself. When I was helping you down from your chair to go see her at the front door, you looked like one of those cartoons where the character’s legs are spinning in mid air in anticipation of running at the speed of light to their target. You have missed her and wanted her all to yourself which became quite clear when I came back to your room to talk to Lao Lao briefly and you looked at me and said, “We’re going somewhere else” and when I asked why, you sighed and stated, “Because you’re talking to Lao Lao.” At that point, you both agreed on a date for just the two of you in the near future…you are thrilled.

you booted me out of the room...which is probably good
because I think you were doing some kind of medical experiments on her

Sunday morning started with the “donut dance”. We all headed off in the car in jammies and slippers, in search of the yummiest donuts we could find. But not before you and I bounced around and acted like complete lunatics in your room doing a silly jig. Nothing like making a small moment more fun by celebrating it with dancing, right?

Sunday afternoon Daddy and I both went to your soccer practice. You are doing better, but we discovered that you were clingier again with my being there. You like the drills, but are not a big fan of the mini-games. Having Daddy and silkie with you on the field helps immensely, but it’s all still a challenge for you. Perhaps this isn’t your cup of tea at the moment. There are so many activities out there to try…we’ll find something you really like. That’s the most important part.

not sure about soccer but you sure are cute!

Daddy came out to help you do crab-walks

On the way home from practice, you amazed us by pointing and saying, “Mommy! That’s where you run!” when we were driving by the running trail on the overpass on 161 (a local highway). You recognized it and said, “That’s where you run with me, and Abby!” We were shocked. You are so aware of your surroundings (well, except for the incident with the trashcan at the soccer game, he he), it’s incredible.

So, if your soccer practice was a bit bumpy…we ended the weekend on a super fun note. You got to spend time with your cousins yet again on Sunday night at Sammy’s birthday party at Dill’s greenhouse. You rode in the barrel choo-choo train, played in the straw maze, and we all went on a hayride in the dark. Before cupcakes and presents, I took both you and Sammy to the bathroom (Sammy insisted on coming with us) and so we skipped through the parking lot, hand in hand, singing “Potty party! Potty party!” On our way back, you both had shoes that lit up when you took a step, so I watched each of you race ahead of me, blinking, shrieking, and laughing through the dark.

feeding pumpkins to the turkeys

ready for your first barrel train ride of the evening

gorgeous sunset over the greenhouse

Daddy LOVES to drive the tractor

all aboard!

spooky hayride in the dark!

"hop on! I think I know how to hot wire this thing!"

When it was time for Sammy to open presents, Daddy and I were so impressed with how polite you were, neither crowding Sammy or grabbing at any of the gifts (as we’ve seen happen time after time by other kids at birthday parties). You would stand and watch her open presents, then every so often you’d run back over to get a hug or snuggle from us, then go back to watch her some more. It was very sweet. You surprise us every day.

So...with this blog I write all of these notes all week long, to help jog my memory of all the little things you do that I want to include here. As I look back through the previous week's moments, I come across all of the easy stuff, the silly stuff, the "fun" stuff...but of course there are also those moments where I am completely exasperated and have no clue as to what to do or how to handle you. There are times when all I want to do is scream, especially over the last few weeks. You have entered a new developmental period where you are increasingly stubborn and strong-willed. That, coupled with the fact (as Lao Lao pointed out), you are a born leader, inspiring (sometimes demanding) others to follow you, can really create some havoc at our house. At times I want to pull my hair out. I keep reminding myself (and Daddy) that some day we are going to be so thankful that you have this 'tough as nails', opinionated, and strong indomitable spirit...but my tag phrase following that little reminder is usually..."Just not today".
 
However right now, by the very end of the week when it's time to sum up our recent adventures, those exhaustingly trying moments don't seem nearly as powerful or exasperating. I have much less, if any, desire to include them in these mementos to you. Here's one of the many little reasons why...

On the way home from Dill's, you hung in there and stayed awake, wanting a snack (and water, and to potty, and a book, and a song, etc) before bed. After our whole bedtime routine was done (including much creative stalling on your part), I lay there with you, our faces about 5 or 6 inches apart. You were laughing; eyes squeezed tight, nose crinkled, open mouth squealing and teeth grinning ear to ear. That right there, in the middle of that laugh when I was looking right into your deep brown eyes...THOSE moments are the ones I want and need to include in these memories for you. I take sooo many pictures of you (as you are painfully aware and sick of at times), hoping to capture just that smile, just that laugh, just that feeling in those perfect moments. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get it just right on film, but I hope that I’ll somehow be able to remember them forever.

Love,
Mama