Break Out the Overalls and Hoodies...It's Finally Feeling Like Fall!

Maliana ~

Monday was a rough day (they usually are after fun weekends). You were so wiped out that you climbed into my lap (as I sat at the kitchen table) and actually fell asleep. I love it when you sleep on me and the shot below is one of the most adorable pictures I have taken of you lately, in my opinion.

Even though you fell asleep early that night, it was not before you surprised me with a beautiful family portrait you'd drawn at school. I love that your new "thing" when drawing yourself with family is making us all hold hands.

Abby's on the grass, there's a pond, a huge sun, blue sky,
but evidently this was pre-Pipsqueak??

Tuesday was your ortho follow up and voila!! Officially no more boot! Yay! On the way to school you said, "Miss Jessica and Mrs. Fitzpatrick are going to freak out!" Ha.

That night the neighbor kids came over and you all played together so well. It is so sweet to hear you all chattering away and encouraging each other (e.g. at one point you were having trouble opening a Play Doh container and Brooklyn said to you, "You're my best friend. You can do it!") It was even sweet to catch you all getting into mischief together as I walked into the kitchen and spotted this:

3 little monkeys up on the counter eating all my apples

Here's a little conversation that made me chuckle on an otherwise very somber day. It was the 12th anniversary of 9/11 this week ~ I'm sure you will learn about this tragic day in American history as you get older. I wouldn't be surprised if the teachers formally address it next year in first grade, but for now I just want to protect you from even knowing about these atrocities and the evil that lurks in the world. You are only young and innocent once, after all. Anyway...with that being said, this little tidbit definitely brightened my day:
~ conversation in the car tonight ~
Mali: "Mom, you want me to show you how to make thunder?"
Me: "Sure."
Mali: "Ok, the hot air and the cold air make an effect in the cloud. Just like karate. It goes BOOM! But they're just playing."
Me: "Oh! I didn't know that. Where did you learn that?"
Mali: "Mom...(said with a side smirk, raised eyebrows, and a shrug)...When you're in kindergarten, you just gotta know stuff."

The next day I picked you up from daycare and the first thing out of your mouth (after surprising me with a huge hug which felt so good since it doesn't always happen at pick up) was telling me that your friend Haley (who goes to daycare as well as kindergarten with you) had a REALLY good day today. Evidently she had listened to the teacher, behaved really well and didn't get in trouble in class for the first time ever today. Your teachers at daycare told me that that was also the first thing you had announced to them upon hopping on the school bus and coming in the classroom after school. I just love that you are rejoicing in a friend's success. Makes my heart very warm.

By the time the weekend rolled around, we were so ready. We kicked it off with a quick surprise trip to the zoo. I wouldn't tell you where we were going at all but you figured it out once we got to Sawmill Rd. Smart cookie. After the steamy heat wave that had rolled through town, the crisp, cool weather rounding out the week felt refreshing. The animals were up and active, giddy almost. It was perfect. We even got some love reciprocated in the petting zoo (where the animals are usually pretty blasé about being fawned over). About 3 goats enjoyed our grooming so much they kept putting their little hooves on my leg when we would stop. It was hilariously sweet.

After arriving home and adding the latest photo booth picture to our collection...it dawned on me that our family just might have a photo booth addiction. What do you think?

Lao Lao commented that at this point, it might have
been more cost effective to have just bought
our own photo booth for home ~ ha!

We also finally convinced you to go to another movie in the theater that night. You generally hate how loud the sound gets, but you braved it once more for Planes and we are so glad you did because it was a super movie! We had to sit in the front because we got there late since Daddy had to work a little longer but it all worked out because we felt like we were actually in the movie. So cool! We hit Fuzziwig's for candy afterwards (much cheaper than movie theater prices) and strolled through Easton on this brisk, fall evening. It was a really nice, impromptu family date night!

We tried out a new KCAP (Kids' Chinese Arts Program) class this weekend too, Pre-K/K mandarin. It is with a teacher that you have had before and she is really good with the kids, so we officially signed you up again. Exposing you to the Chinese language is something I don't want to regret not having done when you're older. We'll see how this goes but since you are more accustomed to being in school now, your ability to focus and absorb what you need to during this bi-weekly class should be just about right.

We spent some more good family time this weekend just doing some simple things. You took Daddy and I over to your playground behind the elementary school where we played on the kindergarten and then the big kids' playgrounds. We realized that our little family is very serious when it comes to playing 'monster'...in fact, it turned into full contact 'monster' and we even sustained some injuries. Ouchie! Daddy and I both agreed that it was so much fun to stop and take the time to play and just 'fart around' together. You ran from jungle gym to jungle gym and through the "forest" (as you call it) behind your playground, so excited to show Daddy all of the new stuff you can do now (e.g. swinging all on your own super duper! (as you like to say) high, climbing on the monkey bars and going almost upside down, etc). It was so cute.

a little lesson in static electricity and slides ~ look at your hair!

Since the grocery store was right by the school, we stopped to shop. Since you were not at all happy about this, Daddy decided to make a game out of it and bribed you to cooperate by agreeing to go on a mission to sneak around and secretly spy on me while I picked out our groceries. You both took this mission very seriously and needless to say, the looks on other shoppers' faces was hilarious. They seemed at first confused (probably thinking that Kroger was under attack) and then amused when they figured out what was going on. I love that Daddy is such a good sport, isn't afraid to look like a fool (one of the many reasons I married him), and knows how to make the most mundane tasks fun!

what I saw during most of our shopping trip

Spent a much needed evening with Uncle Joe and Aunt Tina (Sam and Erin) this weekend too, eating delicious Italian cuisine inspired by their recent trip to Italy. It was an amazing meal (as usual, they both ROCK when it comes to cooking) and always a nice time spent with this crew. We feel so fortunate to have this family in our lives.

you and E in the fort you built

I love to see you so comfy with everyone...and it looks like
Alice the dog is pretty comfy too...she must have
had an itch on her "unmentionables" ~ nice.

The weather continued to be awesome all weekend and so we enjoyed some more of it with a walk on our trail and time at the playground with Lao Lao on Sunday. I love the new 'hide and seek' phase that you are in...it's so much fun!

showing Lao Lao how you can pump the swing yourself

counting while playing hide and seek

you were in charge of Abby the entire
way home from the playground

love this...you were so proud of being able to
walk Abby home, just like Lao Lao
was walking Iroh

taking a breather at the top of the hill

Sunday evening we had Marky over for a birthday dinner. Always good to spend time with family and I think he enjoyed our birthday decorations and special gigantic birthday cookie *almost* as much as you! And somehow...some way...I'm sure Aunt Lori was celebrating with us as well. I just know it.

goofballs

out of all the costumes you could have chosen, we
came home with a Ghostbuster costume.
super cute...even when being
photo-bombed!

Love you, girl.
Mama