Adventures With Our Virginia Visitors

Maliana ~

Well, girlfriend. The past week has been full of ups and downs. It's mostly revolved around your adjustment to this new school year. It's been trying at times and you were actually feeling pretty blue on Tuesday. Being in a brand new class, discovering that your circles of friends from kindergarten are shifting, and attempting to begin new relationships while not feeling quite sure where you fit in at all times is hard. I remember. I used to feel the same way from time to time in school. It can be lonely. As a parent, I also know that these uncomfortable situations can be good growth opportunities. They can be good tools to help you discover more about who you are and developing a strong future self. I know all of these things, but nonetheless, it’s painful to watch your struggle. 

At the current stage of your adjustment, lunch and recess are two parts of your day that are shaking you up and challenging your confidence. You have come home with a few stories that made my heart ache. Fortunately for us, we have Daddy on our side. Good old Daddy. On Thursday, he happened to have the day off of work and decided he was going to surprise you at recess. Well, he most certainly did! You spotted him as you walked out to the playground and ran and jumped into his arms. He not only hung out and played with you that afternoon, but basically allowed 80+ first graders to man-handle him as well. He was a little like the pied piper on that playground. Essentially, your daddy is just a large kid himself, so he was the perfect person to send in for the job. He brightened your day, made all of the kids laugh and squeal, and before he left, introduced you to the entire first grade. When he called to tell me about it at work later, I cried. You are on the map now, kid. Whether you like it or not. Hopefully this makes a positive difference for you. Regardless of what happens, one thing is for certain; we sure are lucky to have a daddy like our daddy. He’s pretty great.

By the end of the week, (which we never thought would get here), we finally got to welcome our friends from Virginia, the Williams family! They arrived late on Friday evening, nearly midnight(!), but that was no problem as we enjoyed hanging out on our deck and looking at the moon while we waited up. In doing so, we discovered that you desperately need a telescope though…

you actually could see the moon through these
binoculars, believe it or not!

It was great to see Brad, Stacy, Sierra, Laurel, and Cadence again and even though we all just crashed into bed when they got here, we got to wake up and spend all weekend with them. Saturday was your long awaited Family Day Party, precisely 3 months after our actual Family Day and just a day after Cadence's. We waited to throw the party this year so that it could coincide with their visit and we could combine both yours and Cadence’s celebrations. It was a great turnout, the rainy weather held off, and since we were directly next to a playground this year, you kids were very busy having a blast running and climbing and playing on the jungle gyms during the whole party. To be honest, I barely got any pictures of you or the older girls because you were so busy all afternoon. It reminded me again that you are definitely getting to the age where I don’t see you much because friends are way more fun and much much cooler than Mom and Dad are anymore. And I ain’t gonna lie – it stings a little to have officially become 'uncool'. Feeling you pull away, as every kid must do, is also just the tiniest bit uncomfortable for me since you and I have always been so close. *sigh* C’est la vie, I suppose. You are growing up; and that’s a good thing. What was it that I was just saying about those uncomfortable situations being growth opportunities? Hmmm. I guess I need to take my own advice, huh? I'll work on that. I promise. 

Anyway, here are some photos from the party…chock up another successful celebration of all of the diverse families that we have had the joy of knowing this year. I love having so many reasons to celebrate and doing so with our friends, family, and 'framily'!

Papaw and Daddy

Brian and Pam

Jack and Pam

Uncle Forge getting a squeeze from Memaw

Audrey Ayi, Lao Lao and Jenny

me and my mama, your lao lao

Stacy and me

Sophia

KK and the octopus hot dog I made her

the boys and their meat
(how many men does it take to grill?)

some of us Fu mommies!
(Jenny, Christina, and yo mama)

Brad loved Lao Lao's guacamole

Sierra

pretending to drive a school bus

Lainey and Carter

Cadence

Sammy

Cassidy

Carter (and Christina the prankster)

Memaw and Papaw

Jess, Daddy, and Courtney (who evidently likes KFC)

Jack

the kiddos

we brought mancala, of course!

Mark and Jenny
(and Daddy photo-bombing)

Brian...everyone liked to take a spin
on Uncle Forge's skate board

Cori, Sophia, and David

Maddie

Brad aka Skater Dude

Cadence and Lainey really hit it off, so fun to
see our friends come together

Happy Family Day Williams family!

Happy Family Day to us!

on our way home from another successful Family Day party,
hizzah!!

After the party, Stacy and I headed downtown to see Audrey Ayi’s art show at the gallery while Daddy and Brad held down the fort with all of you crazy kids (you, Laurel, Sierra, Cadence, Joey, Alex, Sammy, and even Sophia and Cori were all playing at our house when we left ~ good luck, dads!). This particular show was a little different than Audrey’s last show as this time she had also included art from you, Cori and Sophia. It was a great show and so neat to see Audrey’s art on display again. I’m hoping to bring you back down to the gallery when you are more well-rested so you can see your art work for yourself. However, here are a few pictures of it. You are officially a galleried artist, kiddo. So sweet of Audrey to do this for you girls.

our favorite local artist at her second art show

your works of art are the far left and bottom pieces

special acknowledgements from the artist,
Audrey Ayi

long view of Audrey's art show...yours, Cori's and Sophia's
artwork on the far right side of the photo

your portrait for Audrey of the art museum that she
will be working for soon

By the time we all hit our pillows on Saturday evening, we were pretty exhausted. We had originally planned on hitting the zoo on Sunday, but made a last minute detour to go out to Aunt Beth and Uncle Kevin’s so all of you girls could spend more time together. It was a good call because Uncle Kevin’s place is pretty fun; goats, chickens, a go-kart, a golf cart, a trampoline, more riding toys for the little ones and 5 acres of land for you kids (and grown-ups) to go crazy! Memaw and Papaw even met us out there with pizza and wings and it was a mini-reunion from the beach (minus a few). It was a really nice last day spent together before they headed back home. 

battling with the goats

Lisa and Maggie are so cute, not sure which one this is

I love KK's photo-bomb in the back

if you look closely, you are reaching for KK who is running
after the golf cart and reaching for you

Daddy let you take the golf cart for a spin

getting ready to take the go-kart out...

and tearing it up!

go-karts and trampolines..we were begging for a trip
to the ER that day, weren't we?!

kids + a golf cart = endless hours of fun

if you notice, we're all giggling here because just as the timer
was *almost* ready to snap the pic, a goat strolled by and
*almost* ate the camera strap...we were freaking
out just a tiny bit. ha!

Just before heading out to Kevin and Beth’s, you and I had to make a slight detour to your first group swim lesson though. You’d had some individual lessons at the beginning of the summer, but these are your first group lessons in a few years. I am hopeful that you will get more out of them now that you’re older. So far, you seem to be responding well and agreed to at least try everything your instructor asked of you. Fingers crossed! A lot of work ahead, but it was a good start. Proud of you, kid.

all lined up, listening to your instructor

it was so hard for me to feel comfortable sitting so
far away from you as you swam (all on your own)
with a kick board in deep water like this

I'm so proud of you, Munchkin!

Sunday evening we had a bonfire with the VA crew before they headed home bright and early the next morning. Since it was your last night together, you and Cadence wanted to attempt to sleep together in your big loft bed. You read bedtime stories together and were off to a good start, but a few minutes after I came back out to the bonfire, you both showed up on the top deck, asking me to come inside because you needed something. Evidently, it was a bit too much to sleep in there alone and so I agreed to let you both sleep with me in our big bed. Within 5 minutes of us laying down together, you both were out like a light. Two exhausted munchkins. Poor Daddy was relegated to sleeping in your loft bed that night. Sorry Daddy!

reading your bedtime story to KK

two sleeping munchkins (on Daddy's side of the bed, ha!)

Our visits with the Williams family always seem to go by way too fast, especially this one; but it’s nice to have friends that we feel so comfortable around, with whom we have so much fun and laugh so much, and just generally get along so well together. Many more memories were made this weekend. So thankful they could come and spend this time with us, strengthening and enriching the little village that we all now share.

Feeling full and blessed.

Love,
Mama