What? Someone is turning 4?! Better get to planning a PaRtY!

Maliana ~

The warm weather continued at the beginning of this week, but snapped cold and even snowed a bit by Wednesday! Thankfully we took advantage of the sunshine on Monday with a walk to the playground with Abby.

using your "bazooka" to shoot bad guys from the
top of the jungle gym

You did not want to go to bed that night, however I pulled out my secret weapons of tickling your back and singing Taylor Swift’s “Never Grow Up” to you and grudgingly, you acceded to the Sandman. Even when you are grumpy and fighting sleep with everything you have, I love your warm snuggles.

Your birthday isn't for almost another month, but I couldn’t stand to wait any longer and so we went out this week to buy your birthday party supplies. It’s going to be a Rock N Roll theme, and you are sticking by the Justin Bieber cake request. I’ve also decided to attempt microphone cupcake cones for your school party. Wish me luck!

choosing your party supplies at Party City

We found an outfit for your 4 year old pictures too. It’s quite different than what I had envisioned, but you are happy in it so who am I to argue? An annual portrait is supposed to reflect your kid’s personality, right? So, this outfit definitely does the job in showing some of your quirkiness!

you sure did have fun practicing your ballet moves
in the dressing room

wow! flexible much?

THE outfit...ballet leotard, fuzzy leopard hat and
matching gloves, tights, and cowboy boots!

After this little shopping spree, you requested a date so we went to Panera for dinner. I ordered French onion soup and when I told you what it was, you said, “French onion soup? Woot Woot!” and did a little ‘raise the roof’ move. Hysterical! Coffee almost came out of my nose when you did that!

And speaking of coffee spilling…I was trying to carry all of our loot in the house once home and dumped coffee on the ground and all over my boots, pants, and coat. I was flustered (to say the least), and you ever so sweetly allayed my frustration by saying, “It’s ok Mom. It’s no big IDEA!” Hee hee. You are so considerate (and adorable!)

Audrey came by for a visit this week too. You love to play doctor and so while she was here, you fixed her up a bit.

I don't know about you, but she looks like a nervous patient

We went shopping for a while and then ate dinner at Red Robin. You order for yourself nearly every time we eat out anymore, and do a pretty good job of it too. You also like to share personal things with our servers...for example, tonight our waiter (and most of the tables around us) knew exactly when you were going to the bathroom and what you were going to do in there. A small discussion about keeping some things private ensued after these statements...but no harm done. It was pretty funny. And of course we had our spontaneous dance party in the bathroom as you had remembered what we did last time. I don't know what it is about RR's bathrooms, but they just make you want to boogie.

After being so warm earlier in the week, the first gray and chilly day made me want to curl up inside. It was a lazy evening and I decided to make bean soup for us. When it was finally done and you tried it, you said, “Mmm, this is good! Thanks for making it Mommy!” Now, I’m not a big cook, well, not consistently anyway, but responses like that make me want to cook every day!

And finally tucking you into bed that night, I leaned over in the dark to tell you, “I love you, forever and always” (like I usually do). This particular night though, you silently reached back through the darkness to grab my neck and pull my lips to yours for a kiss. Let me just say, you are not a big kisser. Hugs, yes. Kisses, not so often, and especially not unsolicited. So, this took me by surprise. It was so sweet.

Finally Friday arrived and with it, SNOW! We headed home and you were so proud that you could put all of your winter gear on by yourself, even remembering to bring extra tissues in your pockets! I was pretty impressed. Not only that, but you brought home a spectacular masterpiece of Spiderman that you had colored at school. Ms. Nancy was even taken aback by your obvious artistic talents!

a masterpiece by this wonderful artist I know

"I dressed myself!"

 

"Look Abby, deer!"

 

saying hello to the deer in our woods
(you can see them way up on the hill in the back)

You were frozen but happy when you came inside, so we warmed you up with some peppermint hot cocoa in your special "big kid" mug from Audrey Ayi. Yum!

Saturday morning it continued to snow, so we bundled up and went hiking with Lao Lao at Highbanks as part of the metro parks' winter hike series. It was cold but so refreshing and you had a blast exploring the snow with your walking stick(s). You had us (and an older woman behind us) laughing when you stopped at one point in the trail and exclaimed, "Hey! Somebody lost their rock!" as you pointed down at a stone on the ground. Halfway through the hike, we stopped at the nature center for some vegetable soup, cocoa, and cookies. The volunteers there were impressed about the big to-do you made about kicking the snow off your boots before entering, and one of them even made a big to-do (for your amusement, I'm sure) about kicking the snow off his own shoes as he spotted you just before he came back in after stoking the firepit outside. This firepit, by the way, reminded you of the one we had in the Smokey Mountains. There's that amazing memory again!

It took forever to get you out of that nature center because you were so inquisitive and wanted to look at EVERY display they had. You were really taking it in. You also insisted on putting together some of the puzzles there too, telling us "Guys! I don't need your help!" It was hard for us to sit back, but oh how I love your "can do" spirit. 

Winter Hikes!

 

looking to the future,
ready to blaze your own trail

looking to see if the creek was frozen

leading the way

you're so tiny!

I love this picture

helping you up a tough hill

the girls on our hike

Once back from the hike, Lao Lao gave us all our Valentine's Day presents. For the two of us, she got us our own mussels with pearls inside, coming within a kit where we could then place our pearls in matching necklaces. It was so neat to get to open our own mussels and dig out the pearls. Ours were both cream color, which supposedly represents happiness. This particular gift was thoughtful also because the city you were likely born near in China, Xuwen, is known for their pearl farming. Knowing what this gift was already, I had been showing you pictures on the internet of the pearl farming in Xuwen and explaining that that is where your China mommy and daddy likely lived or live, or at least near there. These kits actually did come from Southeast China, so for all we know, they could have come from Xuwen (or somewhere very close). Now, when we wear these necklaces, there is a double meaning. Very cool. Thank you Lao Lao!

the package the kit came in

here are the mussels before we opened them

showing off your pearl

After resting from all that hiking, we headed off to a classmate's birthday party. It was at an indoor facility that specializes in games of all sorts and an inflatables room. Needless to say by the pictures, we ALL had fun!

getting harnessed to climb the wall

not so sure...

with the birthday boy, Francisco

And here's a video of you trying to conquer the mountain one last time with the help of your "guns"...gotta love your "no quitters" attitude!

http://youtu.be/Z0HexcqxXrA

After the party, Daddy headed off to Memaw and Papaw's with you so you could see them and be surprised by your cousins who were also there, and I headed off to get some fun girlfriend time with Audrey Ayi. As always, you had a TON of fun with Joey, Alex, and Sammy. Waking up on Sunday morning, I asked if you had fun with your cousins and you said, "You mean, my three friends?"

wrapping up the evening by performing "surgery"
on Papaw by putting marbles in his belly button (???)

Sunday morning you went to the gym with Daddy while he did his mobility training and then headed  straight to your weekend hangout, Gena's, for breakfast. At the gym, you evidently were encouraging Daddy, getting right in his face along with the trainer and telling him, "It's ok Dad, keep pushing Dad!" Daddy goes to a really great gym that is kind of like a family...so it's nice you can see this kind of encouragement and then be allowed to model it right there in the moment. I think you really helped Daddy get through his workout too!

I finally finished addressing and stamping your birthday party invitations, we ordered some Bieber cupcake toppers (cupcakes are so much easier than a cake when the Biebs is involved), and I completed and ordered your birthday shirt. I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. It's meant to look like a concert t-shirt since this birthday is all about Bieber, microphones, rock and roll, and music. Here's a sneak peek. I can't wait until it arrives!

there's a sassy picture of you on the front that says,
"4 year olds ROCK!!"
and this is the back of the shirt

The rest of the day we lounged around, played in the sunbeams coming through our front window, and just relaxed before the new week begins. Happy Sunday!

Love,
Mama