Maliana ~
Wow! What a Christmas! I have to admit. I thought I was ahead of the game, even having most of my shopping done this year earlier than I have in my life, but when it came down to the actual week of Christmas, I was as frazzled as ever. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it immensely. I was just surprised to still feel like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off to the very end. I need to work on being more relaxed and flexible next year.
The craziness was due, in part, to all of the people we ran around visiting and were able to spend time with this week. Daddy was working late, either at work or at the gym, so you and I took off one night with Joe, Tina, Sam, and Erin to eat at Dirty Franks (a hotdog joint where you spontaneously and hilariously morphed into a makeshift hostess and tried to seat a family of four as they came in the restaurant, ha) and then the nativity scene downtown. We detoured a bit to look at some other Christmas lights at the Columbus Commons. You and Erin loved them, with you saying, “These are the most beautiful lights I’ve ever ever seen!” All of us together can be pretty loud, silly, and even outrageous at times…but always a blast! The squeals and laughter of you kids is better than the best Christmas music.
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| Audrey as Rudolph and you as Santa Claus |
She helped us make our magic reindeer food and then set it out on our upper deck near the roof, so the reindeer could find it.
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| getting ready to sprinkle the magic glitter into the reindeer food |
And speaking of prepping for Santa’s big night, you and I tried our hand at making cutout Christmas cookies one day. You were a bit tired and grumpy from a long day at school, but we had fun nonetheless.
We iced them on Christmas eve morning with Lao Lao, which you had considerably more fun doing. Lao Lao and I reminisced on just how messy you were that first year we ever iced cookies with you. Sprinkles, drool, and sticky icing found themselves all the way into your diaper ~ it was truly hysterical! And now this year with your precision of the icing and sprinkles ~ just look at how far you’ve come!
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| 2009 Christmas Cookie Decorating |
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| 2009 - The beginning of the mess |
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| 2009 - Decorating cookies is fun! |
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| 2009 - "Oh, that's where that sprinkle went!" |
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| 2009 - Oh boy! Get the hose! |
Fast forward two years...
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| 2011 Christmas Cookie Decorating |
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| 2011 - Look at that precision with the icing this year |
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| 2011 - Just a dab of sprinkles |
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| 2011 - and Voila! |
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| it may be less messy, but no less fun in 2011! |
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| "We're almost done!" |
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| you insisted on doing a 'gangsta' pose when showing off your cookies |
And speaking of Lao Lao…we had our annual Festivus celebration with Lao Lao, Grandpa Rick, and Uncle Forge on the 23rd. Unfortunately, Uncle Flint couldn’t make it this year because he worked until 11pm (boo!). Regardless though, you were ecstatic when I picked you up from school on Friday, giving me a running leap and gigantic hug when I arrived at school and then all kinds of silly chatter on the way home. When you feel so giddy like that, it is heaven for this mama! Lao Lao came over early and brought with her red, green and gold nail polish. She helped us get all dolled up with some fancy Christmas nails, which you thought were great! (I have to admit, I do too!)
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| Fancy Christmas Nails! |
We ate dinner once everyone arrived, and you had all of us place our hands together and say a prayer of gratitude. Grandpa Rick brought his hands down during the prayer, and you promptly reminded him to keep them up and together in front of his face in true prayer form, vigilantly keeping an eye on him the rest of the time. It was pretty funny. We had decided that Lao Lao was going to sleep over with us that night, under the Christmas tree and lights. So you also felt compelled to interject into everyone else’s prayers, “And Lao Lao gonna sleep with me!” Your excitement about our pending sleepover with Lao Lao was hilarious.
We opened our gifts, which I think your favorite was your new Innotab from Lao Lao (an Ipad type thing for kids). You figured it out in no time and were absorbed in it for quite a while. Uncle Forge had thoughtfully framed a picture of Lao Lao and I from our trip in NYC. I really like this particular picture. However it was taken in Central Park during a time when you were having a bit of a meltdown and were quite ticked with us, refusing to be in the picture, even after much coaxing. You evidently remembered this because you saw this picture and admired it, but then informed us, “I’m not in that picture. I was mad!”, using your sign language for “angry” for full effect. Wow! You have an amazing memory and capacity to express yourself kiddo.
You played Santa for us all, and helped all of us, as well as Abby, open our gifts. Abby loved her gifts, and was very anxious for you to open them for her. It was funny when you paused, looked at her and said, “Just wait!”
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| Garrabrant Festivus |
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Forge bought you an Angry Bird for Christmas because he
remembered the tantrum you threw 2 months ago at the mall
when I wouldn't buy one for you = good uncle points for Forge! |
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| "Just wait Abby!" |
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| kisses for Lao Lao |
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| thank you Grandpa Rick |
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| looking funky under the Christmas lights |
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| as usual, loving the box more than the gift |
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| sleeping under the Christmas tree |
So, as I said before, I was a bit frazzled and stressed at various times this week. One of these times being when I was trying to get us ready (and keep you clean) before our Christmas Eve mass. As much as I hate to admit it, I was getting irritable and snappy. At one point, Daddy and I got to bickering and you said, “Daddy, just leave Mommy alone.” Then a little later, as I was finishing fixing your hair, I sat you down and apologized to you for being grumpy with both you and Daddy. When you asked why I was mean to Daddy, I said I was feeling stressed but that I shouldn’t have been mean and I asked you if you thought I needed to apologize to Daddy, to which you said yes. So, you marched me out to Daddy and said, “Mommy has something to say to you Daddy.” Daddy and I both apologized to each other right in front of you, hugged and kissed, and then you insisted on a family hug. Wow. Out of the mouths of babes. I wish I could say that we never had moments like these where Daddy and I model “less than stellar” behavior for you, (e.g. impatience or being hurtful), but we’re also only human. The best I can say is that we also try to model taking responsibility and correcting that behavior too. I’m sorry you had to see that, but I’m also impressed that you were able to step up and speak out in the midst of that tension, even at 3 years old. That you felt your voice was important enough and you had the confidence to point out when something was not right. I hope you can hang onto that voice. I’ll do my best to work on modeling only good behavior (although I can’t make any promises). And when I can’t do that, I’ll at least do my best to nurture a sense of justice and that strong voice of yours.
We did eventually make it to Christmas Eve mass, meeting Memaw and Papaw at church. Daddy had to stay home to be on-call for work. Memaw and Papaw were very happy that we made it though. You loved the singing and had a lot of questions about the service on the way home. You had wanted to know why I didn’t get communion, saying, “But Mommy, you’re big”…evidently thinking that all grown-ups were allowed to get communion. I explained that I wasn’t Catholic but that Daddy was born Catholic so he could get communion. To which you replied, “Daddy was born cleft lip, just like me?” Thankfully the car was dark and I was in the front seat where you couldn’t see my face as I was stifling a giggle. You had thought we were saying “cleft lip” when we said “Catholic”…and they do sound very similar when said quickly. It was so cute! I explained the difference and attempted to explain what a Catholic is in 3 year- old terms (not an easy task). I’m hoping things were clearer once we arrived home.
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| getting ready to leave for Christmas Eve mass |
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| at church with Memaw and Papaw |
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| you loved the hymn books, would hardly let any of us put them down |
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nothing sweeter than a child singing
(even if it is your ABC's like you did (loudly) at the first quiet moment, ha ha) |
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| checking out the nativity scene at the altar with Papaw |
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| very curious about baby Jesus |
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| all dressed up, but always with your tattered and well loved silkie in tow |
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| smelling the poinsettias |
Once home, we had Vince and his girlfriend over, as well as Audrey, Memaw and Papaw for dinner. We haven’t really seen Vince since last Christmas but he got down on your level and eventually you were talking up a storm with him.
After dinner, and before bed, you and I loaded you into your wagon ( a gift from Lao Lao and Grandpa Rick) and walked around the block to look at Christmas lights and try to spot Santa’s sleigh. Daddy met us halfway through our walk, as he finally had wrapped up his work for the night. We didn’t see Santa’s sleigh, but it was a nice walk nonetheless.
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| off to search for Santa's sleigh in the Christmas Eve night sky |
Once home, we got milk and picked cookies for Santa. You carefully set them in their spot before we listened to the Night Before Christmas. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find our book, but in 2011, thankfully we have Youtube and so watched a nicely done animated version of it. (Is that a sign of the times or what?) We finally plopped you into bed, where you fell fast asleep in a matter of minutes.
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| making your selection for Santa |
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| "All set!" |
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| they're all for you Big Man |
Now before I get into the festivities of Christmas day here…I have to mention this.What with all the craziness of the past several days, there was also an abundance of sweetness this week. One day we arrived home to find a beautiful package in our mailbox. It was addressed to you from a little girl, Cadence, who we have never met in person yet, but we hope to this spring. Her mother and I have become friends through Facebook, ever since before she came home from China (just like you!) Cadence also was born with a cleft lip and palate, and as each of you girls have grown over the last few years, it is remarkable to see the similarities between you, both inside and out. In fact, you have looked at pictures of Cadence on Facebook and swore it was you! But, back to the package. We opened it up and inside was a card with a Christmas letter from their family, an ornament, and a t-shirt for you. On this little pink t-shirt it reads, "Though she be but little, she is fierce" (a quote by Shakespeare). I couldn’t even get through reading the quote to you without getting choked up. I was so overcome by the thoughtfulness and kindness of someone we have never met in person. You turned to me and said, “Mama don’t cry. It’s gonna be ok.” I immediately wrote Stacy (Cadence’s mom) a thank you note via Facebook and sent it to her. Evidently, she had seen and bought this exact shirt for Cadence, and thought of and had to buy one for you too. (She and I both follow each others’ blogs, so she is more than familiar with your spunkiness, and I with Cadence’s, as well as Cadence’s two older sisters). I am looking forward to all of us meeting someday. I would love to see you and Cadence side by side, as well as see what will happen with all four of you girls together.
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| Thank you Stacy and Cadence! |
I’ve said before how fortunate we are to have been able to bring you into our lives and how lucky we feel to be able to share yours with you. You have been nothing but an absolute joy for our entire family. I can hardly even remember life before you were in it. We are so blessed. However, the secondary bonus for us, as far as adoption goes, is the truly phenomenal people who have entered our lives because of it. People we may not have otherwise had the opportunity to meet or interact with, had it not been for this journey to you. I know I just said it, but it needs to be said again because there’s no better way to describe how I feel. We are so blessed. Ok, so back to Christmas day!
First I have to say that you gave us a great Christmas gift of sleeping in until 9:30am! I was up an entire hour before you, and was sitting on the couch thinking, “There is something seriously strange about this!” But, before I did get up and out of bed, you briefly woke up, looked over at me and scurried over to give me a HUGE LONG hug before collapsing down next to me again to slumber for another hour. Now, THAT was a great Christmas present!
You were amazingly sweet on Christmas morning. So excited about seeing what Santa Claus had brought. You went through your stocking, and then helped the rest of us go through ours. It was so cute. You opened all of your gifts under the tree and were so appreciative, even walking over near the fireplace and saying, “Thank you Santa.” In spite of all of your talking about wanting a blue motorcycle for Christmas, you never mentioned it once after you finished opening your presents. (“Santa” had put the motorcycle in the bathroom and kept it hidden from you until the very end, when you thought you were all done). You opened the door to the bathroom and were shocked! You put on your police officer uniform, walking around with major swagger, then hopped on that bike like you owned the joint. It was awesome!
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| checking out your sweet new ride! |
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| "Howdy m'am, just going to gas up my hog!" |
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| Officer Mali, wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas! |
The best part about the whole thing, something that I kept saying to Daddy, was that I was so impressed by your never whining about not getting the motorcycle or even asking about it once before you saw it. Even when you thought you were done and you hadn’t gotten the only thing you had asked Santa Claus for all year. You were simply appreciative of all you had received. That was the most surprising and humbling thing about Christmas morning as far as I was concerned. I was fully ready for you to be disappointed, or something like it, when you thought the motorcycle never came. But you weren’t. You were just grateful for what you had.You truly are an old soul. You astound me on a daily basis, and Christmas day 2011 was no exception. You are incredible. I am so grateful that you are such an appreciative kid. I hope you can hang onto this as you get older, because as the saying goes, “It’s not happy people who are thankful, it’s thankful people who are happy”. Man, I love you so much.
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