We started the week with some comic relief. Puzzles have been our new thing recently in an attempt to transition to an earlier bedtime. It’s the perfect quiet activity to help you wind down after a long day. The one on one time is a nice way to cap off our days and you appear to enjoy it so much that you don’t even really mind the earlier bedtime, well almost anyway. You even requested it on Sunday night before bed, “Mom, can we do our quiet activity?” It was very sweet. But back to the comedy. One of your puzzles is a map of the United States. It’s great because your vocabulary is growing to include all of our 50 states with some of them even appearing in your imaginary play. For example, you proudly told me the other day that you not only had traveled to New Mexico, but also OLD Mexico as well, solemnly nodding your head as you did so. You are too funny kid.
Now, when I say that you ALMOST don’t mind the earlier bedtime, I am referring to the inevitable bumps that occur in transitioning any kid to something new. For the most part, we’ve all done much better with earlier bedtimes across the board. I’ve had more patience all week (Daddy said I only sighed in exasperation a couple of times) and you’ve been in better moods each morning with very little fussing, which in turn helps Daddy tremendously as he tries to get you out the door and to school in one piece. However, there was one night in particular where, basically, all Hell broke loose. It was ugly, with a capital U. Eventually the tears subsided, the kicking stopped, the teeth got brushed, and all were sound asleep in bed at a not so horrible hour. All’s well that ends well, right? But the best part, the really good ending to that episode came when I picked you up at school the next afternoon. As we piled into the car, you looked at me as you buckled yourself in and said, “I’m sorry Mom”…when I asked why you said, “For not cooperating last night.” I couldn’t believe that you not only remembered but also felt compelled to apologize completely on your own. Wow. You consistently amaze and pleasantly surprise me kiddo. Seriously.
As for other bumps this week, Daddy and I got some disheartening news about what’s happened with a particular child at your school. Evidently, there is one boy in your class who has been grabbing your chest lately. You informed me one afternoon that he was “grabbing your boobies” and that it made you mad. We talked about it and then Daddy immediately called the director of your daycare to address the issue. I was shocked to hear this, and then hurt that you were dealing with something like this already (for crying out loud, you’re four!), and Daddy was basically just pissed. Luckily, the staff at your daycare is very good and immediately addressed the situation with teachers, and then talked with you kids the next day in class about respecting each other’s space and bodies, appropriate and inappropriate touching. I asked you about it every afternoon after and luckily it did not happen again the rest of the week. But it really bothers me that this kind of thing is already happening. I thought we had a few years before this kind of behavior was going to rear its ugly head, but I guess I should have known better. I’m just glad we have you in Tang Soo Do (which by the way you are kicking ass in lately!), and you better bet your bippy you will be taking more self-defense classes as you get older. I’m so glad that you felt comfortable enough to tell Daddy and I right away when something like this happened, and I hope you always do. I hate that I can’t be there to protect you at all times. I just hope I can arm you with enough self-confidence and the right skills and tools to speak up and protect yourself when I’m not right there. With your strong personality, I think you have a good start.
On a more fun and upbeat note, we harvested (aka it fell off the vine) our first squash this week! I don’t think it was quite ready, but hey, it’s still cool!
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| not sure if it's actually ripe, but here's the first squash from our garden! |
Audrey Ayi also completed her summer term this week and so we celebrated by heading to our favorite Chinese buffet after you and I got our hair cut after school. It was so nice to spend time with Audrey again and you were so excited to see her. When we all came back to our house, you insisted on changing into an outfit of black shirt and black shorts. Only later, after you had made another wardrobe change, did I realize that you had wanted to wear a matching outfit to Audrey’s black on black clothes. It was pretty cute. I just wish I had noticed that sooner so I could have snuck a couple pictures in. In fact, I didn’t notice it until Daddy had made the comment when he came home that you looked like a couple of “Sprockets” (google Saturday Night Live Sprockets and you’ll understand). Ha ha.
As for our haircuts, I decided to do something a little different with mine. And unfortunately, our hairdresser had something even different pictured in her head than I had in mine, so needless to say, I was a bit dismayed at the initial reveal of my new hair. As we walked to the Chinese buffet, and I kept checking my hair in the reflections of storefronts, you sweetly said, “Mom, I like your hair. I like it even better than mine!” Aww. You were so sweet to try to cheer me up like that. As I’ve said before, your awareness of the world around you goes beyond your years sometimes.
Later this week we had some more comedy as you decided to take over mowing for Daddy.
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| MP3 player? check! Lawn mower? check! Shirt off? check! Ready to mow like Daddy! |
On Friday Lao Lao came over to watch you while Daddy and I had a date and went to a baseball game with Uncle Joe and Aunt Tina and another couple. You of course spazzed when Lao Lao came over, always happy to see her. And you even gave Aunt Tina and Uncle Joe some big sugar when they came to pick Daddy and I up. Aunt Tina was so excited to get a BIG hug from you before we left. You and Lao Lao headed off to play games at KDB at Easton, spread lots of smiles as you insisted on (both of you) leaping to only the white squares throughout the mall, then of course took the obligatory photo booth pictures. Always a fun time. I think we are up to 16 different photo booth pictures in your collection with various combinations of people.
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| goofy girls |
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| baseball and beer! |
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| silly grown ups |
On Saturday we met up with our Fu Group for a play date at Inniswoods Metro Park. You all had a TON of fun together. It’s the best medicine to see you kids smiling together, a great mix of many different kinds of strong and unique personalities with one big thing in common ~ you all REALLY enjoy life. As you crazily ran around the park, laughing and being silly, I couldn’t help but think to myself that it is going to be SO much fun to watch you all grow up!
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| you with Delaney at the water feature (aka Supergirl and Popeye) |
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| you "hiking" with Laney |
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| "psst...Freddy. I can bust you outta that wagon if you want me to!" |
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| searching for roly poly bugs |
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| you with Mia at the "Earth on Turtle's Back" sculpture near the Children's Garden |
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| all of you kids LOVED the bridge |
On Sunday, Memaw and Papaw came over and babysat while Daddy and I headed off to try something new with Uncle Joe and Aunt Tina. You were looking forward to seeing Memaw and Papaw and so I knew immediately when they pulled up because not only was Abby whining like mad, but you were squealing at such high decibels I think Abby was the only one that could hear you. There’s nothing like hearing your kid jubilantly yell, “Grandma! Grandpa!” as she runs for the door. I didn’t experience a lot of that as a kid, so I’m even more grateful that I can live it vicariously through you. It’s pretty cool.
While you played with Memaw and Papaw, the four of us adults got to try out a shooting range. Tina and I had never shot any guns before, and I have to say, it was way more fun than I thought it would be. And that says a lot from two girls who did NOT like guns. My lesson learned that I can pass on to you? Always try new things, even if you are nervous or scared. You’ll likely be surprised by your experience and gain some confidence in the process. Basically, never pass up an opportunity to channel your inner badass ~ you'll discover things about yourself you didn't know were there and will never regret it.
The one drawback from the weekend is that I noticed that I missed you something fierce as I lay in bed with you on Sunday night. Aunt Tina made the comment that it was unprecedented that Daddy and I had two “grown-ups only” outings this weekend. And it was. While our time away gave us some much needed “let our hair down and get good and silly” time away, it also left me with a desire to do something new and fun with you this week. Now, the fun part is going to be figuring out what that “something” will be…hmmmm.
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| Aunt Tina getting used to the feel of the shotgun |
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| check out your mama! |
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| we did it! |
Love,
Mama
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