Mama's Memories for M: Tents, Jets, and Apple Picking

Maliana ~

Ok. Now that summer is done...let's get down to business. It finally felt like we had turned a corner and were truly officially back to school by the time you sprung curriculum night on me at the last second recently. Of course, maybe I should have been prepared. Either way, surprisingly you actually really wanted to go but mostly because you wanted to see your friend, Alex. So we grabbed some dinner and stopped home so you could pick up a bunch of your Star Wars toys to take with you (Alex loves Star Wars), and off we went. Curriculum night was fairly uneventful. It was nice to see your artwork up in the school and also to see that your friend, Jocelyn had specifically listed you on some of her artwork too. So sweet!

I love that you wrote, 'I love my family'
(we love you so much too!)

aww...Maliana Wilkinson is listed first on Jos' friends list

The one thing I did learn at curriculum night is that homework is going to be a bit more, which can be a tiring fight in the evenings. Luckily, it's cooled down some and we enjoyed trying things a little different lately. We layed down a blanket under our tree and you really liked homework time for once. Sometimes a change of scenery is all it takes. And I really enjoyed when you would lie on my belly while reading one of your books to me too. I love these sweet moments.

With all of your new homework responsibilities, we tried extra hard to fit in some more family time. We introduced you to one of Daddy and my favorites, the Goonies. While it got a bit intense for you at certain points, you liked it overall. It is such a classic movie from Daddy and my childhoods. You even wanted to play Goonies one night by going on an adventure with me in our neighborhood. Ha.

We also spent our first night sleeping in a tent as a family too! You LOVED that, giggling uncontrollably as we got ready to settle in for the night. See for yourself...

Video: So Excited to Camp!

You and Daddy set the tent up on our deck (since the yard is way too tilted to be camp-able) but it worked out great with our air mattress inside. It was a beautiful night, warm in our sleeping bags with the cool night breeze blowing outside and through the screens in our tent. Daddy even read us 4 whole chapters from The Halloween Tree, an autumn tradition from his childhood where Papaw used to read it to him (and uncle Kevin). You loved it. And while you and Daddy fell asleep pretty quickly, I had more trouble and snuck inside around midnight. You made it all night in that tent...and were so proud of yourself! What a trooper!

all snuggled in

telling us a ghost story of your own

reading a little Halloween Tree before sleep

And below is the next morning...you were so proud to have made it all night!!

We also got to try out a new park, Hilliard Darby Metro Park, for another Fu outing. We didn't stay long but definitely should go back. The park was huge and looked really beautiful!

trying to spot the bison that live there

beautiful

Then you went foot-golfing with your Daddy and had a ball! (no pun intended. ha!)

Since it's pretty much fall here, that means it's football season. Not too far back, Daddy went to a football game and had a fun guy's weekend and so it was just the two of us for a few days. We mainly hung out, did chores, played at home, and found simple ways to have fun. We didn't spend a dime but had a great time! I even got "surprise hugs" as I filled your bathtub one night, and a random declaration of "Mom, I'm having fun with you!" out of the blue. I was sincerely reminded of how simply spending time together is such a treasure for kids. And parents too! None of us need all of that material crap to bring us together and have fun. I definitely need to remember that.

a brownie football you made for Daddy to surprise
him when he got home...

but you couldn't wait and ate it!

I never realized laundry could be so hilarious

So, once Daddy got home, it was not only nice to all be together again, but also to be surprised with being invited on an impromptu check ride on one of Daddy's jets. Definitely a perk of Daddy working in the private charter industry. We got to ride all around the downtown Columbus area at sunset and it was beautiful.

checking out the jet

jet selfie

ready for takeoff!

watching the sunset

downtown from high in the sky

Not only has the cooler weather made it feel more like autumn, but you, Lao Lao and I got to go apple picking recently too. It was a grey overcast day, but nice and cool and perfect for apple picking. We hit Lynd's once again and I got to recreate a picture that I took 3 years ago. You have grown so much since then! My little peanut is not so much of a peanut anymore!

jump!

a little help from Lao Lao

what a difference 3 years makes!
(still holding your favorite Amish trail bologna)

The same day as our apple picking excursion, we celebrated the Mid-Autumn Moon festival with our local FCC group. It was nice to spend time together and do the annual lantern parade. You were a little more subdued this year, probably worn out from all the apple picking, but traditions are good to have.

your legs have grown so fast in a year...
your pants are now capris!

lantern parade

"Stay cool"...too cute

Thinking of the all the cold weather heading our way (eventually), we decided to get you ready for winter with a new winter coat, boots, etc. You outgrew your coat from last year already - those arms (and legs!) are growing like crazy so it was definitely that time again. Well, the coat that you picked out showed up pretty quickly and you were so excited! You wanted to bundle up right then and there the night that it arrived and go for a walk with me (in spite of it being somewhere around 50 degrees still). Your excitement is so cute.

and another (more chilly) morning when you just can't quite let go of
summer shorts but really, really wanted to wear your new coat too

When you weren't busy getting all bundled up in your new winter gear, Lao Lao decided to take you and your buddy, Jos on a playdate one day too. You had a blast and it was so nice of Lao Lao to take you both out for some spontaneous fun. When you got home, I could tell you had had fun and also that your obsession with photo booth photos is still intact. I'm glad you have friends with whom you can be so silly!

And speaking of silly, I will leave you with some recent funnies from the last few weeks. Some are pictures of your homework, some are actual conversations, some are pictures of text conversations, and some are just Mali-isms that you've gifted us with out of the blue.

# 2 ~ "The flying toilit left the door open" ~ ????

with Hillary Clinton hoping to be President in 2016,
you dug these out and have been playing with them.
(Nutcracker Hillary and Corkscrew Bill Clinton!)