Mama's Memories for M: Our Fabulous, Full February

Mali ~

Happy New Year ~ year of the pig in the Chinese zodiac! Since you're not a fan of the traditional lion dance (too loud) and didn't really feel like dinner anywhere, we did something different to celebrate. I noticed that a local yoga studio was having a Chinese New Year celebration and we were able to attend and try various practices like Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Fan Boxing, and Nia...plus eat delicious foods like dragon fruit, dried persimmons, sweet buns w red bean filling, Chinese jujubes, coconut rolls, etc. It was interesting to try all of these new things with you and Daddy.

Then, in the spirit of trying new things, we found a cool place to try archery the very next day. In spite of being quite nervous at first, you picked it up very quickly!

With all the fun stuff this month, you know we have to balance it out with some not so fun stuff. Well, this time it came in the form of needing to get a giant baby tooth (a canine) pulled to make way for your adult tooth. The sucker was hanging on for dear life, not willing to let go, and making everyone else tilt sideways. It was time to force the issue. So...we found ourselves at your new dentist, Dr. Niemann, who is a godsend ~ so patient, understanding, and gentle! You were so scared and stubborn that our standoff with you took 2 1/2 hours but, by golly, we finally got some laughing gas in you and pulled that little bugger out! Whew! What a fight...but you did it! Nice job, kiddo!

Still numb but trying desperately to eat a piece of celebratory cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory.

And of course, more celebrating of our victory over that tooth with video games at Dave and Buster's.

After the tooth trauma we headed back to "regularly scheduled programming" by and needed to get back to business, making a Valentine box for your class party. This will likely be the last class party of elementary school so you decided to go out with a bang...or perhaps a flush? Ha.

even a poop emoji inside

Another big highlight of this month was participating in JA Biztown. Essentially, it's a field trip for the fifth graders to a very elaborate, fully functioning make-believe town with 18 different businesses that each of you kids manned with different jobs and were given the task of managing your unique responsibilities and budgets, treated 100% as adults for the day. Your particular job was as a bank teller at Huntington and you took your job incredibly seriously. You even had to interview for the position! It was all so cool and I got to come and help out for the entire day. Such a neat experience!

this was my brown bag lunch
you made for me that day...LOL

this was taken on the day of your interviews
(looking spiffy!)

The next two pictures were taken when we got home from Biztown after surviving the whole day. It was much more exhausting and stressful than I imagined, but we did it and I was so proud of you!

Another day you got to finally have your bud Jelysa over for a playdate. I got you some kits to make tiny Japanese gummy candies, which is what you're holding in the picture below. I'm glad that you have found friendships like you and Jelysa's. Makes me smile to watch you and your friends being so silly and supportive of one another.

And the next picture is just a funny picture from Lao Lao when you were snoozing at her house... and being spied on by Max. Ha.

And here was me stretching with Pipsqueak. Every time I lay on the floor to stretch, she joins me to do the same.

Evidently, Pipsqueak was a little attached to her mama this month.

And...here's just a random picture of Suzy trying her first pup cup from Starbucks...and your mom looking like a crazy person. LOL

We also got to spend some time bowling with our buds, the Meyer family. So nice to see Jos and Dylan again!

Another day was a bit of a dreary day for me, just one of those blah, long Mondays where I was feeling blue. That is...until I had dinner with you! You always have a way of picking me up with just your smile and our fun conversations. I love that you are in our family. How did we get so lucky?