Good Friends, Fresh Air, Haunted Tunnels...and Creepy Clowns?

Maliana ~

Finally, the moon, stars, and planets aligned and our schedules worked out so that we actually got to visit with Audrey Ayi this week! It was really good to see her again after all of us being so busy. She came to get ice cream with us one night (as is our tradition) and was even nice enough to help you with homework and bath-time, (which was a huge help for Mommy too!)

working with your spelling tiles

As for us being so busy, I think things feel so much more hectic since you've started school and we now have homework and new responsibilities, along with the absence of your afternoon naps, it makes for both of us to become the "Cranky-Pants Twins" in the evenings. The hour or so just after school can be so challenging for both of us. I actually just heard another of my 'mommy friends' refer to the time between school and dinner as the "witching hour" and I'd have to say that the term is pretty darn appropriate. I do feel a bit guilty about my lack of patience with you lately, particularly during this time of day. Moving forward, I'm hopeful we can learn to master our moods and put a few tricks up our sleeve in the coming weeks. We'll see.

Luckily, on our worst day of the week, I enlisted your help in the kitchen (which you enthusiastically agreed to), so that helped. We also got to spend some time with the kids next door which always brightens your mood (and mine too)...can't help but laugh when you munchkins get together!

kiddie tattoo parlor

belly tats? get it all out of your system now, kids!

getting ready to go exploring?

Daddy and I also created a new game this week. It's called, "Hide the Spider and Scare the Crap Out of Your Mate". Daddy got me good on the very first night with this one...

so glad that Daddy and I still play pranks on each other...
even if I am the target of such a scare ~ thanks Daddy!

Aside from the special challenges since you've started school, I also noticed some really nice stuff this week too. You continue to take into consideration others' concerns and requests. For example, I picked you up at school on Thursday and your teacher, Miss Amanda, told me that you said the "cutest thing". She then proceeded to relate the story of how all you kids sing a song called, "I See Goddard" to the tune of "Frere Jacques" on the bus. Evidently when you kids start up all together it gets pretty loud and drives Miss Amanda nuts. So on one particular day, she asked you all not to sing it on the way home from school. The next day when your friends began to sing it again, you whipped around in your seat and told them, "No. You don't see Goddard because Miss Amanda doesn't like that!" It would be an understatement to say that Miss Amanda (and her headache) was very appreciative. Ha. ...That very same day you also left school with me without making a fuss or demanding that we stop in the lobby and play Legos (which you had begun to do every day). I had explained to you the day before that when I get off work and pick you up, I am just so tired and all I want to do is get home without delays. I promised though that we could stop before school on Friday and play with the Legos for a bit since I should feel better and not be so tired when I drop you off in the morning (versus after a long day at work in the afternoons). Well, that next day you not only remembered it all and didn't make one peep as we passed by the Legos, but you especially remembered our deal about playing with them on Friday morning. It was a good solution to what had become a difficult and tiring stand-off at pick ups, and also gave you something to look forward to the rest of the week. Anyway, I can't tell you how refreshing it was to not have to wrangle, cajole, bribe, or nag at you to 'please just get in the car and stop whining' after school. I made sure to tell you how much I appreciated your cooperation that night. It's the little things, baby. It always is.


You also attended your first school birthday party this week for a little girl named Tess from your kindergarten class. On the way there you told me that her mom had brought in cookies for the class, flowers for the girls and footballs for the boys, to which you added, "I ate a football, Mom." We headed over to the bouncy place where you joined the other kids and it was nice to watch you running around and getting to know your little classmates even more. You were also so thrilled that this time you could actually join in the bouncing since your toes are healed and your big ol' boot is off! Yay! Daddy met us there and relieved me from birthday duty so I could go home to pack for our upcoming mini-vacation weekend and I suspect to also attempt to finagle his way into some of the jumpy houses. When you both came home, he was so excited to tell me how he was finally allowed to jump with the kids and played monster while you both chased everyone, and of course, entertained the party guests with his trusty magic marble at pizza and cake time. Your daddy is one of a kind. That's for sure. 

Audrey came over on Friday afternoon to start house-sitting for the weekend and got there a little early so she was able to come with me to pick you up at daycare. You were so surprised and excited to see her that she got a great big hug when she walked in your classroom. It meant a lot to her. (See what I mean about the little things?)

reading your new book to you in her best Scooby Doo voice

After Audrey got all settled and Daddy got home from work, we headed off to Lake Hope with some more of our besties...Uncle Joe, Aunt Tina, Sam and Erin. We piled into a cabin in the woods and had a lot of fun together, even if poor Aunt Tina ended up getting sick with what seemed like the flu on Saturday (that stunk!), but otherwise it was a really nice relaxing and jam-packed weekend. It's always so good to get out of the city for a bit.

Although we got there late on Friday night (after 9pm), we still made mummy candle jars and played Uno until the wee hours. It's so fun that you are getting to the age where you can dish out (and take) a lot of good-natured razzing back and forth while we are playing games. Our cabin also ended up sandwiched in the middle of 3 cabins rented by an Ohio University business fraternity during a Rush event. Luckily, they were remarkably friendly and hilarious kids and once they realized we were semi-normal and not some grumpy old people, they warmed right up and some of them even ended up hanging out with us and chatting with you kids in the cabin. It was really sweet to listen to one of the girls share with us about how fondly she remembers going camping with her parents when she was little and her grandma was still alive. It warmed my hear to hear her share that she was looking forward to going home to see her parents next weekend too. I sure hope that we are building fond memories in your childhood so that someday, you will also look forward to coming home and seeing your dad and me when we're old and gray(er). At around 2am, you and I finally rolled into bed ~ I have no idea where you got the stamina to hang out with the 'big dogs' until so late!

with your mummy candle jars

some of the girls that hung out with us

you chatted up this girl, who is studying to
be a speech pathologist just like our
Ms. Katie!

the girls all loved you and Erin

On Saturday, we got up and made a big breakfast, played around, then headed out for some hiking near the Hope Furnace. You all did really well in exploring on your own with very minimal carrying until the very end. We relaxed in the afternoon and played games, then did some more hiking behind the lodge later. Once again, you climbed all the way up and down a huge hill that even Daddy and I struggled with ~ once again, where in the world do you get that stamina?!

breakfast outside

found some bugs

playing football

nice catch!

Tina was really starting to feel sick here so she sat out
the hike and took a nap on a hillside...poor Tina

checking out Hope Furnace

holding hands

hiking sticks

lead explorer

fearless

view of the lake from the lodge

in spite of your inability to fully read, you were really
enjoying playing a little Apples to Apples!

But, the crowning event of Saturday had to be what happened after dark. After dinner, and against all of my better judgment as a parent (and as a self-proclaimed chicken of anything spooky), we piled into the car and drove down some foggy (thank you, Mother Nature) country roads to try to find the Moonville Tunnel. There is a spooky legend behind this tunnel that many say is haunted. You can read all about it here. Anyway, we luckily came across a horse-drawn carriage that does tours of this very area on Saturday nights and they showed us exactly where the trail head was located (which we never would have found on our own) so that we could hike a half mile (each way) in pitch black woods with only a puny flashlight and six kids' Halloween lanterns to lead all of us to the tunnel. Somehow, we managed to find this old railroad tunnel and even made it about a quarter of the way into the tunnel before my intuition sent a spine-chilling sensation through my body and I called it quits, making all of us turn around and head back home. It was probably the scariest thing that I have (semi) willingly agreed to do. I was impressed with how well all of you kids did, you and Erin especially. There was no screaming or crying or any 'totally freaked out meltdowns' at all (well, aside from my mini-meltdowns). As freaked out as I was, I also knew that it would make one heck of an experience for all of us (if we made it)...and it most definitely did.

long story, but Uncle Joe brought along this creepy clown
to randomly plant in a tree in order to confuse and freak out
the next hiker to happen down this spooky trail on their
way to the haunted Moonville Tunnel ~ ha ha!
I love Uncle Joe and Aunt Tina's quirkiness!

so dark...glad you were holding my hand!

brave kiddos

in the tunnel ~ I was SO ready to get out of here!

Sunday morning, it was time to head home (which you were a bit bummed about, saying that you were really going to miss the cabin). You probably slept better here than you have slept anywhere else...being the last one to wake up that morning in spite of us all talking and making noise just outside your bedroom. Here's some artwork you made after we got back from our spooky adventure the night before:

I think you were recapturing our hike to the tunnel...
from L to R it's Daddy, me, you, and Erin under
the stars (and sun?) ~ so cute!

On the way home, you were in the best mood. You talked and sang and commented on everything the whole way home. For example:

Here's how I posted this sweet moment on Facebook:
~ after begging me to sing "Never Grow Up" with her and
having just finished our duet (for the umpteenth time)... 
Mali: "Ahhh...now I can relax"

As crazy and stressed as both Daddy and I have felt lately, this weekend was just what we all needed to reconnect and enjoy each others' company again in a beautiful setting with some of our favorite people. It's amazing what fresh air, good friends, and laughter can do for the soul. The best things in life really are free.


Love,
Mama