Tadpoles and Tang Soo Do

Maliana ~

Ok, so before I forget (again), I need to post your four year old portraits. I think they turned out fabulous, don't you?

So Monday of this week, or of any week, is traditionally rough. However, you went out of your way to help me out with dinner in the kitchen as soon as we got home, diner uniform and everything!

thanks girl!

After a good dinner, you headed off to the gym with Daddy where one of the trainers gave you your own WOD (workout of the day) just like the rest of the gang. I love that you are so into this, and that the staff at the gym are not only allowing you to participate but are so encouraging of you.

Once again this week, we have had amazing weather. It feels more like June than March. For some reason you have been bugging me to take the car to get it washed. (I guess when your four year old is telling you to clean your car, it must be time.) So I took you through the carwash and you were very excited, that is, up until we actually got in there.

looking a little concerned in the carwash

But you made it through without tears and now we’re nice and sparkly again.

After the carwash we went to pick up Audrey and all of us went to get frozen yogurt and then to the Park of Roses for playtime and a picnic.

digging in at the Groovy Spoon

"Hey fisherdudes!"

you turned the tables on us and took some silly shots, ha.

"Mom, I'm trying to ride a bike here!"

Once home, you were excited to have Audrey here so you stayed home from the gym to hang out and play. You requested Audrey be the one to give you a bath before bedtime too, and while you were in the tub, you painted Mia a watercolor picture. See, you and Mia have been the most dedicated pen pals lately. Every few days, you will send each other pictures, letters, stickers, or even tattoos through the mail. It is very cute and always exciting to get something in the mail!

The next day you and I decided to make bath time more fun by making fancy ice cubes to play with using a cool tray and some food coloring. You loved helping to make them and the cubes turned out really cool!

Since the weather was still unbelievable, another day after school we opened all the windows in the house, turned on Imagination Movers, and painted at the kitchen table. It was one of those nice relaxing afternoons. You went to the gym again with Daddy and left a little early so you could stop at a nearby playground before your workout. Brilliant idea, as you had a blast and were totally ready for bed after all of that exercise!

I also have to mention this week, just one of the many new things that amazes me. You like to “read” your books back to us, or along with us, at bedtime. It is pretty remarkable because you pay such close attention when we are reading to you, that you not only can recite what your favorite books say, but many others as well, even after reading them just a few times. I’m quite impressed with you. And of course it’s incredibly adorable to hear you telling us a story, with all of the appropriate inflections in all the right places. Maybe I should really start working with you on your reading skills. Who knows?

And speaking of books, I had book club this week so you and Daddy had Memaw and Papaw over for dinner while I had my “mommy time”. Before all of this though, Daddy took you with him to meet one of the stars of a TV show, the Deadliest Catch. It’s a reality show about deep-sea crabbers/ fishermen who work in one of the most dangerous professions around. Daddy was so excited and even though you weren’t really familiar with who this Captain Keith guy was, you got into it too. He was a really nice and down-to-earth guy and definitely took a liking to you.

with Captain Colburn of "The Wizard"

By Friday, the skies had taken back much of the sun from earlier in the week and were thinking of storming. Before they did, you and I took a walk/bike ride across Hoover Dam. You were pedaling so fast it was almost hard to keep up with you. You went all the way across the entire dam, and back again, all on your own. I was astounded by how much stronger you are! And you kept stopping every now and then, looking back and saying, “Look Mom!” and gesturing back to where we had just come from, clearly proud of yourself and how far you had pedaled. It was awesome.

hitting the open road

stopping to enjoy the view

Once home, the storms were just about to reach us. We stopped on our way into the garage to take a big sniff of the air and agreed that we both LOVE the smell of rain coming.

You were so sweaty from all of that bike-riding that we popped you in the tub again. I noticed we had a package and while you scrubbed down, I opened it and lo and behold…your tadpoles had arrived! You were more excited than I thought you’d be, which makes me excited. We got their habitat all ready and after much ado, plopped them in the tank. I know I’ll be crossing my fingers for the next 12-16 weeks that they actually make it into frogs. And I’m not letting you name them until I see some sort of legs sprouting. You’re already so attached, in spite of the doses of reality I keep sprinkling in about life and death and nature. We’ll see. I’m just glad that you are so stoked about such a great learning experience.

my tadpole with her tadpoles

feeding them for the first time ~
thank you Lao Lao!

Later that night, you and I were watching TV before bed and you made the sweetest little gesture. You noticed me scratching this awful patch of eczema I have on my finger. All on your own, you grabbed my finger and asked, “Where is it?” and when I pointed it out to you, you began scratching it for me. You went back to watching TV but still kept scratching for me. Then after a little while, you inspected it again, and said, “There, all better.” It was a small but incredibly tender gesture on your part. Which reminds me of another small but thoughtful thing you did for me last weekend. Evidently, I had “mush brain” on one of our trips to Target and after a half hour of shopping with you and getting us both up to the register, I realized that I didn’t have my wallet. Uggh. I was so frustrated at having to leave all of our items there and come home with nothing. You looked at me and could tell I was frustrated. After asking what happened and my explaining it to you, you ever so sweetly held my hand as we walked out to the parking lot and said, “It’s ok Mom.” We even had to leave behind some stuff that you were going to get too, which I can imagine would be tough for any four year old to take in stride and also why I was all the more impressed with your composure. This isn’t the first time you have either taken the initiative in comforting us, or called Daddy and I out when we are not doing our best job of good role-modeling for you. And I tell you what, there is nothing that centers one more, or snaps things into perspective faster, than hearing little tidbits of wisdom coming from the mouth of their little. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, you are an old soul Mali. You astonish me. How did we get so lucky?

Saturday morning we finally were able to take you to the local martial arts studio for your introductory class of tang soo do. I wasn’t sure what you’d think of it, in spite of begging us for over 6 months to attend a class like this. You surprised us all by LOVING it and jumping right in! I had a good feeling about it, and you clearly were into it, so we signed you up that morning. They sent us home with a book that tells about the art, as well as your uniform (size quadruple zero!) You may be the smallest student they have ever had, but your personality, heart, and spirit make up for any physical size you may lack.

learning to bow each time you enter

listening to Master Han

not listening to Master Han

waiting for your turn

kicking

thrilled with yourself

"Check out my belt!"

breaking a board

fighting stance and having fun!

After lunch at Gena’s and a nap, we headed to Wai Gong’s and then to Highbanks for a picnic and some playground time. We had fun and while Wai Gong attempted to tease you mercilessly, you looked at him at one point and said, “Let’s just do that later.” Ha ha.

drumsticks!

Angry Birds paddle ball

"C'mon hurry!"

monkey bar races

you loved climbing this little corkscrew thing,
and making all of us nervous!

Memaw Lisa helping you swing;
learning to pump your legs

Superman!

still not so sure about swinging very high (as you can see)...but when
you eventually began laughing, those silly little giggles pressed
against my chest warm my heart every time

uh oh! what did they find?

what is it?

a worm!

it tickles!

Sunday you and Daddy spent much of the day together. You started it with breakfast with Memaw and Papaw, then headed off to a movie with just Dad. You chose your outfit for the day; frog jammies (which you’ve been wearing ever since the tadpoles arrived), tie-dyed hoodie, bright pink purse with bulldogs dressed as a bride and groom on it, and your new white summer sandals with the slightest heel. You were feeling fancy and definitely looking the part as well! You both saw the sequel to ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’and as you and Daddy walked out of the theatre, you said, “That movie was awesome!” You definitely are an adventure movie fan.

whole theatre to yourselves, just you and Daddy!

Daddy also took you to see the Easter bunny, actually having to bribe you to leave the theatre with a visit to the giant rabbit. Oh, how far you've come from being terrified of anything dressed in costume.

When you got home, Max (Lao Lao’s kitty cat) was there since we are cat-sitting this week. You were so thrilled to see him and he was instrumental in getting you to lay down for a nap. In fact, you were happy to take a nap as long as Max was in there with you too. Of course, not before modeling your new tang soo do uniform. Very stylish!

rocking the dobok

A large part of Sunday afternoon and evening we spent performing a family concert of sorts. You pulled out a bunch of your instruments and microphone, then we all danced like crazy around the living room to your Lemonade Mouth soundtrack, taking turns playing different roles of each person in the movie. It was hysterical and I can only imagine what we looked like to any neighbors that happened to be walking by, especially because Daddy and I were the only ones tall enough for them to see through the windows, bouncing around like maniacs. Ha ha.

superstar in the making

Here's the link to you singing Taylor Swift's "Never Grow Up"...the concert that started all the shenanigans that afternoon.

http://youtu.be/mNtdEfxxwEo

Spending this time with both you and Daddy, completely losing ourselves to our imagination, just having fun, and not being afraid to look really silly reminded me of how great it is to be a kid. Why do any of us ever grow up? Just like the song’s lyrics say, “I wish I’d never grown up.”

I guess logically I know that none of us can stop the chronological march of time, the ticking of the years, the inevitable changes that take place in our lives and to our bodies. The one thing we all do have a choice in is to never FEEL all grown up, no matter what our age. That being said, I also logically know that as you get closer to your tween and teen years, you’ll go through phases where you desperately want to be “all grown up”. I too remember what it was like to want to hurry through those years when you feel like nobody is listening to or understands you, when you’re never allowed to make any choices for yourself even though you feel like you know everything and your parents know nothing. I remember what it was like to desperately want to experience your own freedom, make your own decisions, find your own path, and do things for yourself. But take it from me, it’s not always all it’s cracked up to be.

Depending on how old you are when you read this, you could be thinking to yourself, “Ha, yeah right Mom. What do you know?” And that’s fine too. I thought the same thing about my parents. But just promise me this, you’ll at least take your time. Have fun just being you, whether you are a child, a teenager, or an adult. Enjoy all life has to offer. Regardless of circumstance, you can find the good in any situation if you look hard enough. And no matter how old you get, never forget how to laugh and be silly, (too many of us adults have lost that along the way.) One lesson that being, or having been, a child gives each one of us in life is the ability to stay completely in the moment, and enjoy life for what it is, a gift. The sad part is that most of us forget that lesson as we race toward adulthood. So, please, if you can…slow down. Never forget what it feels like to be a kid, and enjoy every drop of your childhood while it’s here. We only get one of these grand times, and the older you get the more you’ll realize it’s one of the most priceless eras of anyone’s life. Thank you for slowing me down and reminding me of that every day.

Love,

Mama