Ahhh, Christmas ~ What a season!

Maliana ~

Oooh, doggie! We started off the week in a battle of wills at speech. Despite your looking adorable, insisting on wearing your new guitar footie jammies into speech (performing a wardrobe change in the parking lot), you were a HANDFUL in your session with Ms Ashley. She had to basically drag you back into the room where I was waiting and we had to put our heads together to see what we could do to get you to cooperate. She said you are extremely smart, and extremely strong-willed. A bittersweet combination when you don’t feel like participating in speech. We’ll all work on it though. Even your most challenging behaviors, I know I will be thankful for someday.

Once home, and with a little food in your belly, you felt better and put on a special concert for me by our Christmas tree. All were original songs accompanied by your guitar and with a very soulful face, my favorite being this little ditty, “I like Christmas lights…I like my home with Christmas lights…I have my soccer practice tomorrow…my daddy’s at work”. I tell you what, moments like those, watching you make up that spontaneous little song, makes me remember how awesome it is to be a kid. How awesome it is just to be alive. You are such a gift to us!

Unfortunately, your strong will reared its head later in the week, during our trip to Michael’s to get craft supplies. After talking to our awesome neighbors (total pros at raising kids and our local go-to sources for our “help!” moments), I tried a new tack with you and decided to be the “heavy”, asking the clerk to watch my basket while I carried you kicking and screaming to the car so you could finish your tantrum. I won’t go into the gory details, but eventually you calmed down and we did end up going back into Michael’s and got a TON of Christmas art supplies. We came home and had a ball making a cute little reindeer craft together. You were quite the helper. I also realized part of what might have been behind the art store blowout. At bedtime, you actually asked me for some medicine. You are nursing a cold, a case of the “creepy cruds” and I am so impressed that you are actually self-aware enough to ask for (and willingly take) your medicine. What 3 year old does that?!? You are such a big girl!

our cute reindeer craft

After buying all of those art supplies, we had plenty more crafts to make and so we did some painting the next day. This is your new thing, painting. You ADORE it! After enjoying creating our painted masterpieces, we enjoyed creating BLT’s (and eggnog, also a new favorite of yours) for dinner and had a Christmas light picnic in your room while we watched a movie. Then, we took Abby for a walk once it was dark, to see who in our neighborhood have their Christmas lights up already. You insisted on using the hip hammock that we took to New York with us, but I didn’t mind. I like the cuddle time too, and it kept both of us warmer during our walk.

painting our Christmas figurines

voila!

mmm, bacon!

Christmas lights picnic!

On Thursday, I had book club while you went on a Daddy/Daughter date with Daddy. You were SO excited! You went to Red Robin and then had an impromptu visit with Santa. Evidently, you told Santa that you wanted a motorcycle. Daddy and I were so happy, and surprised, since we Santa actually already got you a motorcycle for Christmas. Way cool!

you ordered Red Robin to sit down with you and color ~ Daddy said he was a bit taken aback

wrapping up your date with some frozen yogurt

As an aside, I have to mention my epiphany, you could say, while at book club this week. I really appreciate, feel comfortable with, enjoy listening to, value being heard and understood, and rely on the strength and presence of this group of women who are all so different yet all so similar at the same time. I no longer feel guilty about leaving you to spend time at these monthly meetings, and look forward to them more and more each month. I gain so much from my attendance (which I think makes me a better mom to you anyway), and it provides an opportunity for you and Daddy to have special time together (as you definitely did this week). In my life, I have friendships with women, good and solid friendships that have stood the test of time and that I treasure deeply. But, it has taken a while for me to warm up to or feel at ease in groups, and sadly, particularly with other women. I’ve got some theories, but I’m not 100% sure why. I also wish it weren’t so, but it is. However, with this group it feels different. Perhaps it’s just age, experience, wisdom; perhaps it’s the bond we share through our experience of adoption and parenting and all that goes with it; or perhaps it’s just the right people coming together at the right time; or maybe it’s a little of all those things rolled into one. Whatever the combination, I am grateful. And I suppose in applying this lesson to my blog of memories for you, I will share that I am realizing how important it is to have a group of women that you can share with, feel comfortable with and understand, who can be kind and honest with each other and can support and accept you for who you are. You never know where these people will come from, when or how they will enter your life, or how long they will stay. But remain open to the possibility of these people, whoever and wherever they may be. As for our group, I know that we are all still getting to know each other more through book club, Fu playgroup, and COFCC classes and functions; and my hope is that we (us Mommies, Daddies, and all of you crazy kids) will continue to do so for years to come.

But back to your antics for the week. I have to mention a few incidents where your mannerisms seem so much more advanced than 3 years old. I listened in on you one day, when you took my phone and proceeded to go through my phone list, calling many of your favorite people and leaving voice mails for them. Your phone presence has come a long way and the messages are sounding more and more grown up all the time. So cute! Then, another day as you and I chatted about our days at work and school, you got up as I was talking, to hang up your coat, and as you walked into the other room, you yelled back over your shoulder, “Keep talking, Mom, keep talking!” It was hilarious! You sound more and more like your Dad and I every day.

Friday night was date night for you and Lao Lao and you were THRILLED! Lao Lao was gracious enough to endure a really long day at work and then at our house so that Daddy and I could meet some friends for dinner. You even tried to stay home from school that day because you thought that Lao Lao would come earlier if you stayed home. You painted some snowflakes with Lao Lao (using more of our million craft supplies from the other day), and had lots of fun but fought sleep with a vengeance. When we came home at around 11:30pm, you were still awake (in spite of all Lao Lao’s attempts to get you to go to bed), telling her that you couldn’t go to bed because “Mommy and Daddy need me”. (You are just the sweetest!) You were such a tired little zombie that within minutes of our being home, you had fallen asleep in my arms.

Saturday was a busy day. We attended the COFCC holiday party, which was a blast! It was so great to see all of our friends from that group, and make some more great new friends too! We are all getting to know this group better and each time we are with them, we discover more phenomenal people that we probably wouldn’t know otherwise if it weren’t for this amazing adventure of adoption. Daddy and I feel so lucky!

Grace Lin, author of many books, was at the event and did a book signing, read to everyone, and lead a drawing exercise where you all drew a rabbit (since this is the year of the rabbit). It was really neat to meet her and I bought five of her books for you. She even had a novel about the year of the rat, which I had to buy since you are my “little rat”…according to the Chinese zodiac. A few people commented on how good your speech is sounding. I just had to mention this, since you work so hard on it. Way to go sweetie!

most of your Fu group friends...you were not quite into taking a picture though

listening to Grace Lin read one of her stories

listening intently between your friends Carter and Cassidy

Santa came towards the end of the event, and while you did go up and sit on his lap eventually, you initially told us, “I already saw Santa” and acted like you weren’t interested. Ha ha. You also were consistent and told this Santa that you wanted a motorcycle too (a blue one this time, we think because Uncle Lu Lu has a blue motorcycle). Looks like this is an honest to goodness wish for Christmas. So glad that it’s been taken care of already! (I’m excited to see your face on Christmas morning!)

oh boy! you found a microphone...

testing, testing, 1-2-3

and here she goes...

you're a natural behind the mic...I think you were just
wrapping up your rendition of Jingle Bells here

a little fun with the curtains

with your buddy Mia

explaining to Santa what you want

listening intently to the Big Man

you requested to take this picture of the 3 of us ~ I love it!

After the party, we headed outside to play on the playground with your buddy Mia. You girls’ squealing is hilarious, and seemingly contagious since if one of you starts running and squealing, the other immediately follows suit.

more fun with Mia

giggly girls

Mom wanted a ride too

We headed to Memaw and Papaw’s house that afternoon for dinner and help decorate their Christmas tree with your cousins, Joey, Alex, and Sammy. You absolutely love these girls, and vice versa. In fact, there was a bit of a dispute and some territoriality that night. Each one of your cousins wants you all to themselves. You are in high demand, girl.

cracking nuts at Memaw and Papaw's

your cousins are finally here!

Joey was instrumental in getting you to eat your dinner

you adore her!

pretty little girls

playing the "monster game"

oh my how you girls love that game!

horsey rides!

wow Joey ~ you're pretty strong!

Daddy and his girl!

took a break from playing to pose in front of the tree

checking out your angels that Memaw and Papaw hid around the house for
you all to find...you each loved finding them!

decorating the tree

Sunday was a day of rest for all of us. We all slept in until 10am, a first at our house. You and I are both sick, and after getting up for a while, actually went back to bed for another 3 hour nap. Once up from our nap, our fevers had broken and we were feeling much better. Since you weren’t feeling well, Daddy went to the grocery store and brought home a surprise, a Toy Story 3 snuggie! You were so happy and thanked him profusely, proclaiming, “I love my new blanket! Thank you Daddy!” over and over again. Daddy also made dinner for us all so we sat down together as a family and you requested we eat under Christmas lights. We turned off all the lights except for the white Christmas lights strung around the kitchen. It was a great way to eat dinner. Good idea Mali!

As we hung out later that night, Daddy and I surprised you again with your very own video message from Santa, (with a little help from this awesome web-site called the Portable North Pole). We showed you that he had emailed you a video and sat you down to watch it. You LOVED it, and watched it no less than 5 or 6 times! You told us multiple times after the video, “I’m gonna be good!”

Here’s your reaction to seeing it the first time…priceless!
http://youtu.be/UkNErVC9Cdk

When we all finally went to bed, you got upset because we turned off the TV, (we had let you watch Justin Bieber aka your first crush on a holiday special that night). You initially cried a bit when we shut off the TV, but then after a few minutes, followed Daddy into the bathroom and told him how angry you were that he turned off the TV. You went into quite a detailed account of how it made you feel and I was so proud of you for using your words to express yourself like that. I was also proud of Daddy’s very affirming reaction to you too. It was very sweet.

And then…

It was very funny. As Daddy headed into the kitchen you turned around to me in the hallway. As you stood, tugging at your extremely over-sized snuggie’s sleeves (making you look even smaller than you are), you looked up at me and with an exasperated and very grown-up look, shook your head and said, “He just keeps screwing around…he never listens!” I had to seriously stifle a laugh. Where do you come up with this stuff?!? Wait, don’t answer that one…it’s probably us. Anyway, you are just the bestest kiddo.
Love,
Mama