The Dentist, Ayi's Birthday, a Quinceanera and Then Some

Maliana ~

Started the week with an interesting conversation. You informed me that you now want to be a mommy, but you still don't want to have kids. I was curious about this and so asked you what a mommy does and you replied that mommies help you when you are hurt, help you when you don't know how to do things, and help you make things. We then talked about the different people in our lives who don't have kids of their own but are really, really good mommies, (both of us agreeing that Audrey Ayi is an excellent "mommy without kids"!) Eventually we rounded out our conversation with your declaration of, "I don't want kids. I think I just want a baby from China!" adding to this, "I want a baby like me!" Of course, I had to chime in that that sounded like an excellent idea and a baby like you would be perfect and is the absolute BEST kind of baby in the world, if you ask me. Ha. (I love these surprising little conversations we have on the way home from school ~ man, you are one cool kid!)

Evidently you also had a "paint your own ceramics" studio come to your school last week and on Tuesday we got to take home your creation. You were so proud, unwrapping it and then saying, "It's for you Mom, because you like rainbows and penguins!" Ha...well, OK then! Thank you honey!

rainbow penguin!

And one more funny for your Tuesday that I just couldn't resist sharing on Facebook:
~ So Shawn and I are catching up on our days as he tells me he had forgotten a toy for Mali's 'share day' this morning and evidently saved the day by fashioning a drum from an empty plastic Folgers container that was in the car. It was a hit and as I was congratulating him on his creative on-the-fly thinking, he added (in all seriousness), "Yeah, it was either that or I give her my Leatherman tool" .....(yeah, remind me never to let Daddy forget a 'share day' toy again. I really don't want to get 'that' call from school just yet ~ yikes! :)

Bi-annual dental appointment on hump day this week. You were nervous and highly dramatic (whimpering as you lay perfectly still in the chair), but we made it through the entire exam, x-rays and all. You did great! So proud of you for being so brave!

checking out your x-rays with the dental
assistant and the dentist

shirt from the dentist after a great check up!

You requested Red Robin for dinner and of course I had to grant that small wish. Nothing like a girls' date to brighten both of our days. At dinner we talked about all kinds of stuff, with you feigning sadness at one point because you only had two scars and I had more. See, you got your first strawberry on your knee a couple days ago while walking on the trail with Lao Lao (being such a big girl and not even crying even though it was a doozy! So glad Lao Lao was there and not me...I likely would have panicked but Lao Lao got you excited to use a flashlight to look at all of the oozing fluids when you got home. Can you tell Lao Lao is a 3 kid veteran of bumps and scrapes?) and while you shared that you were so proud of your injury because it reminded you that you are in the "Cool Scar Club", you said you wanted another strawberry. I had to reassure you that you will have plenty of time to accumulate scars during your lifetime...be patient. (I can't believe we had this conversation - who knew the idea of the "Cool Scar Club" would be so...well, cool?!)

modeling the bandaid over your strawberry

We stopped at Target on the way home and I just had to share this status on Facebook:
~ Target shopping is much more enjoyable (for everyone involved) when there's a 5 year old in your cart singing "Who Let the Dogs Out?!...Who?! Who?! Who?! Who?!" (completely off beat and off key, I might add)...just thought I'd let y'all know. Carry on :)

Thursday night you and I decorated the guitar cake we had baked on Wednesday before bed. You had wanted to make a purple guitar shaped cake with pink icing and decorate it for Audrey Ayi's birthday on Friday. As usual, I got all (unnecessarily) stressed doing something that I was basically trying to "wing" (sorry about my uptight streak sometimes...it's a sickness really), but by the end we both were enjoying it and it turned out great! (Man, was this a reminder that I need to learn to be (a little ok, a lot) less 'type A' during new projects. I could learn a thing or two from you kiddo and would probably have a lot more fun from the start!)

After finishing the cake, Daddy took you on a fishing date and you told me you were going to catch another 20 foot long fish! (Ha...telling "it was THIS big" fishing stories before you've even gone fishing!) Evidently, you did catch a big fish, all. by. yourself.!!! Way to go Monkeyfish!! Daddy also had a new Mali-ism for the list too...you kept referring to algae as allergy, as in, "Hey Dad, there's allergy all over my hook!" Ha. Love your mis-speaks...they're the best!

Friday was Audrey Ayi's birthday and so after we were all done with school and work, we took Audrey to our house briefly to present her with her special cake and then whisked her off to the zoo for some fun with the stingrays and on Dinosaur Island! It had just rained so we nearly had the entire zoo to ourselves...perfect time to be there in our opinion!

Audrey loved her cake!

getting ready to touch a sting ray!

they are so soft

you with a brachiosaurus

captioned from Facebook:
Dinosaur Island Boat Ride! 
(a little sad that Mali is old enough now to not
believe me when I tell her that usually only one
kid per boat gets eaten by dinosaurs)

We stopped home briefly, picked up Daddy, and then it was off again to the Bowling Palace with Audrey and some of her friends. This was the first time you got to bowl consistently and while I pooped out after one game, you (and Daddy) ended up bowling four entire games all on your own because you were having SO much fun! You even got two strikes in a row and accidentally bowled one of Daddy's balls but picked up a spare during his game where he bowled a 246 ~ What the heck?! Nice Mali, very nice!! Daddy and I sat back and just watched you excitedly interacting with everyone and really enjoyed your exuberant reactions to the whole experience whether you were tickled about something you'd just done or were cheering on another one of our group. You even asked Audrey if she would take you bowling again the next day...who knew you'd be so hooked? Ha.

we all go bowling but you are the one who ends
up running into a friend at the bowling alley!
so excited to see Joshie!

Daddy joked that you could go to the bathroom
and get a new beer in the time it took your
ball to make it all the way to the pins!

As for the weekend we headed to Fu Group for a play date and socializing among us parents. You kids had so much fun not only on the playground, but most of all walking around on the rocks in the creek. No crawdads were found, but you all got wet and muddy! I really wish I would have brought my good camera because I forgot how funny all of you kids are. I just love this group of kids and adults alike!

Fu fun!

Also, here are some funny conversations among our family from Saturday too:

On the way to our Fu Group ~~
(Mali *smiling and squealing from the backseat*)
Mali: I can't wait for tomorrow!
Me: Really? What's tomorrow?
Mali: (pause) I don't know...what are we doing?! 
(now that is a kid who just loves life)

On the way home from our Fu Group ~~
Mali: When I grow up, can I still live with you?
Mama: Sure, but I don't think you'll want to once you're all grown up.
Mali: Yes, I will. I love you!
Mama: We love you too and you are always welcome but...
Daddy: If I had it my way, you would get married and you and your husband would live with us!
Mali: I don't need to get married.
Mama: Oh yeah? Really?
Mali: Yeah, I don't need to get married. I already have a lot of rings! 
(Ha. I love this kid!)

Saturday evening we attended our first ever Quinceanera for an old work friend's daughter...here's my Facebook status while there:
~ sitting at our first Quinceanera and it is all very fancy and beautiful, except for the fact that my "dainty" daughter is sitting on my lap "dropping bombs" that could make the toughest man's eyes water...oh my lord child!

this is how you entertained yourself while we waited
the 3 hours before the meal was served!

Sunday was finally a nice, quiet day for us. We took some food over to Johnny and visited in the morning, went to brunch with Memaw and Papaw after that, then came home for an early nap. All three of us needed some sleep after such a busy couple of days It rained for most of Sunday, so it was the perfect day to relax and regroup before another week at school and work. Fortunately, 4th of July is coming soon so we only have about 3 and a half days of actual work ~ yay! While we did get to relax, there is inevitably always some chaos going down among all of you kids. Case in point...see below!

so a chicken, a monkey, and a ballerina walk into a bar...

buds

And finally a Facebook post from earlier...you really crack me up kid. 

Mali just told me that she is 38 years old and all dressed up for her first day at school (wearing a backpack, hat, headphones, rosary necklace and mood necklace ~ girlfriend is set!)...(coincidentally I turn 38 this year...I had no idea I had to start school all over again!)

Love,
Mama