Happy Summer!!

Maliana ~ 

So this week has forced me to realize just a wee bit more that you are growing up. You decided you wanted to take two showers (all on your own) and exclaiming (once finished), "Mom! I washed all my parts just like you told me to do!". One evening you actually insisted on packing your own lunch for daycare the next day. Granted, it consisted of 2 string cheeses, a Capri Sun, mandarin oranges, peach mango applesauce, and grapes; but hey, it was all healthy. Girl loves her fruit, evidently! 

You also were feeling pretty good on Friday evening when you got the chance to hang out with your neighborhood buddies. Daddy and I let you get a little bigger taste of freedom by letting you walk around the neighborhood in the dark with Sophia, Cori, and a couple of other kids. You were clearly on cloud nine. I remember how *big* I felt when I got some freedom as a kid. I think your smile says it all...

After all of that running around, you (and Suzy) were pretty tuckered out...

...And in spite of my chuckles and amusement at this new turn of events in your level of independence, I couldn't help but feel the slightest twinge of sadness. No matter how much I fight it, I have to admit that my baby girl is growing up. However, regardless of how independent you (aka Little Miss Thang) is getting, you also reminded me that there are definitely moments when you still need me. You had a long couple days and a few meltdowns this week as well. One evening, after a particularly rough exchange over something fairly trivial, you climbed up onto my lap with your silkie and blanket and we both ended up falling asleep as I tickled your back. We slept like that for a few hours on the couch before getting up and sliding into bed for the evening. We must have desperately needed some extra snooze time. Vacation jet lag, I'm guessing. Anyway...just when I think that your old mama has become totally passe, you go and do something like that. Love it.

Saturday was a fun day. Audrey had spent the night with us on Friday (upon your request for a sleepover) and we ended up heading down to the Pride parade the next morning. I have taken you nearly every year since you've been home and it never fails to be entertaining and bring a tear to my eye to see the outpouring of support for the LGBTQ community. It's a cause that is near and dear to my heart and this year, you had lots of great questions that were interesting to answer. In particular, you were fascinated by drag queens and since many of them were so gorgeous and flawlessly convincing, you studied every tall and beautifully dressed woman we saw and kept asking how I could tell which ones were women and which ones were drag queens..."But how do you know, Mom?" Ha. How can I answer that one? There's really no magic formula. Anyway, I'm so glad that you are growing up with an awareness of diversity, an acceptance of all kinds of people, and an understanding that love is love, period. You (and people like you) give me hope in the future. 

passing the time

sources said there were 500,000 people there this year!

Happy Pride!

OUTSERVE ~ thank you for your service to our country!

you never know what you might see at Pride...

Once home, Audrey played with you for a while. As you both enjoyed game after game with your Littlest Pet Shop, you decided you wanted to host a wedding and Audrey told me later that one of the things you said during this pretend wedding was, "And do you take this man to be your lovely hostess husband?" Ha ha. So funny. Love your Mali-isms! It's fun to watch you with Audrey because she does such a good job of losing herself in both of your imaginations and immersing herself in your world, right along with you. Her genuine laughter and amusement makes my heart happy. I find myself wishing that I had her ability to remember how to let go and truly play like she does, and it makes me hope you never lose this ability either. People who know how to play, from age 1 to 101, just enjoy life more. Remember that. 

Saturday night you and I headed over to Jocelyn's house for a bonfire. We both had a lot of fun. They are such a very nice family and you get along so beautifully with Jocelyn. When I asked you if you knew whose house we were going to that night you asked, "Is it one of my favorite friends? Is it Jocelyn?!" It's great that you have such a good buddy at this age and that we all live so close to each other. Very lucky. 

Sunday morning we had some laid back time, taking it easy and relaxing. I took the pups for a nice long walk before it got too hot and then you and I went outside for a scavenger hunt later, which you actually took pretty seriously.

searching for items on your scavenger hunt

marking them off the list

You also had me pick up some litter that we came across and telling me, "We'll check it for finger prints later." Ha ha.

future EPA employee??

That afternoon, you went to play FootGolf with Daddy and Audrey. You did great and quickly fell asleep on the way home. Daddy brought you in and even though you woke up and fussed a bit, you fell fast asleep again once in my lap. We snuggled for a while and you ended up getting a decent rest which really helped put you in a great mood for the rest of the evening. The Szwabinsky family had come home the night before from their week long vacation at the beach and so you got to see your buddy Roman for a while, catching lightening bugs with him and just generally goofing around until bedtime.

A good ending to what is officially the first weekend of summer!
Love,
Mama