Christmas Celebrations and Sleepovers

Maliana ~

So, Tuesday of this week was your big Christmas show at school. First graders only. You had volunteered for a speaking part and were nervous but then totally took the bull by the horns at showtime. Daddy showed up at 5:30 pm to secure seats for the 7 pm performance. Total dedication.

As you marched out to the stage, you kept motioning for us to put down cameras and watch the performance, even giving us hilariously exasperated looks each time we'd pick up anything to snap a quick shot. Ha. That meant that I couldn't get any pictures of you on the microphone, but I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the professional DVD of the entire performance which we ordered earlier. Yay! Lao Lao, Audrey, Memaw and Papaw all came to watch you. Your own fan section. It was great. We laughed and of course, I cried. I always cry. Good cries. Just so proud of wonderful you! You played the xylophone, sang many holiday songs while doing hand motions, and recited two lines on a microphone to the entire audience, "Warm mittens to keep my hands warm as toast, On cold winter days when I skate or coast" ~ I was amazed at your stage presence, even reaching up to adjust the microphone to your height before belting out your lines, which you nailed (I might add)! It was fantastic. You got it goin' on! Afterwards, I got to meet your friends' (Ibti and Morgan) parents. You ran around with a bunch of your friends on the stage and had a great time being silly. I had a great time watching you completely in your element. You even gave some friends great big hugs before leaving, which was awesome to see since you can be selective with your affection sometimes. It was such a great night and I was a very proud mama! Love you so much!

Dr. Hazlett (your principal) welcoming everyone to the show

you are in the middle in the front row, appearing as though
you're singing but that was really a big yawn. ha!

you and Morgan on the xylophone...I love your smile!

with your absolute favorite teacher,
Miss Stenger

I came to help at your class holiday party on Friday which just so happened to be pajama day to boot and it was a lot of fun. The excitement for winter break in the air was palpable. Never fails. I always rethink my career aspirations right around winter break, spring break, summer break, and snow days every year and wish I had chosen to be a teacher. But, I digress. We headed home after you gave Miss Stenger a bunch of big hugs, realizing just how much you'll miss her over the next two weeks. It was very sweet. You even told me, with a sly grin, on the way home that you wished Miss Stenger could be your mom. Ha. And I have to admit...she is very very awesome!

reading the Night Before Christmas to your class

snacks after we played a bunch of games with you all

The very next day you woke up in the morning and said, "We've got a busy day ahead of us!" and you weren't kidding! It began with our friends, Ziying, Zuchao and Enle coming up from Cincinnati and bringing two more of their friends, Tanya (aka Mengyao) and Didi, with them. It was so fun to see them again and make new friends with Tanya and Didi. Daddy and I were surprised by the amazing feast they brought along with them, treating us to making dumplings together, as well as Zuchao's "famous" tofu with broccoli and ginger as well as a dish with bean sprouts, celery, ginger, onion and egg. Our entire house smelled so wonderful and the taste was fantastic, way better than we could ever get in a restaurant around here. It was so incredibly generous of them! Not only were our bellies well-filled, but we had a great time talking and catching up, and getting to know Didi and Tanya.

Ziying, Enle (Lucas) and you

giving Enle his Christmas gift

making dumplings

Enle "helping" with the dumplings

Zuchao making his delicious tofu

here we are about ready to eat their delicious meal! yum!
(you were already crashed on the couch at this point)

of course, Daddy had to pull out his magic
marble trick for everyone

Ziying and Enle

Tanya was so good with you

you had so much fun playing with her

here Enle is playing with the same exact toy we bought
you in China 5 years ago...and he likes it as
much as you used to!

such silly laughing...

After our visit, we relaxed for a bit until your cousins invaded our house to begin the 2nd annual Wilkinson girls Christmas sleepover. We had fun making ninjabread cookies, going to see Big Hero 6 at the theatre (which I was so proud of you for staying for the entire movie (in spite of whining and asking to leave multiple times during the intense parts) and then exclaiming, "I want to see that again!" at the end ... talking you through the rough parts is definitely the secret and I am so glad you realized how much you actually loved it!), then heading to Easton on the way home to see the lights and gigantic tree in the middle of the square. By the time we got home, I was convinced that everyone would pass out from exhaustion but you and Sammy were still going strong at close to midnight while the older girls had, in fact, passed out already. What is it with you littles? You sure can party!

ninjabread men cookies!

by the big tree at Easton...so pretty!

yes, I got all the way down on the ground to get this shot

not sure if we were supposed to climb into the nativity...
but you all had fun

Sunday was basically a quiet day with some silliness splashed in here and there. We all needed to recover from the day before...so much fun makes us all awesomely worn out. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. We are so blessed.

And finally, I can't believe it is so close to Christmas already. Time sure is flying!
Love you so much, MonkeyFish!

Love,
Mama

Making Your Kid Laugh Is More Important Than What Other People Think

Maliana ~

This week brought a few more fun Christmas traditions back to celebrate again this year. First, we had our holiday party through COFCC with many of our friends from the Fu group and your KCAP classes. Once again the Fu group hosted the shindig (third year in a row) and not only was I an elf again this year, but after much begging from you to join the ranks, I surprised you with your very own matching elf costume so that you could also help out with Santa as well. You were on cloud nine!

Being the sweet and helpful soul you are, you delighted in dressing up with me and even came up with your own job of wishing everyone a "Merry Christmas" as they exited the Santa line after their visit. It warmed my heart to watch you in your element of helping others. You can feel shy at times so when I get to see you really enjoying reaching out, it's quite the touching sight. You have such a kind spirit.

you with Mia...this picture reflects some great
pieces of each of your personalities

you made me come up to see Santa with you

two down, one to go! by next year, our whole family will
be completely transformed into elves! ha ha!

This week we also spent a couple of nights piled into the car while singing along with Christmas carols and checking out nearby holiday lights as a family. We even brought the dogs on one of our trips and it was definitely a bit more of an adventure with our furry family members along for the ride!

The Elf on the Shelf came back this week after a year long hiatus. We were excited to see Santa Claus Jr. again and had some laughs at a few of his crazy hiding places. He is also trying something different this year and brought a note with him on his first day back. Here's what it said...

You've been doing a lot of thinking about how to help the elf spread Christmas cheer per his request in the letter above. Daddy said that when you both read his letter, you seemed intrigued. I think you are taking it pretty seriously. You haven't decided on anything in particular yet as you are still pondering so I'm very interested to see what you come up with eventually.

And here's one of SC Jr's hiding places that you found particularly amusing so far. In fact, it was amusing enough to you to draw a picture of us (you and me) in our elf costumes "discovering" this hiding place. Ha.

evidently SC Jr was hungry

Daddy particularly likes our elf hats
in this picture...tee hee.

Sunday we slept in a bit and had a lazy morning at home with red and green pancakes for breakfast. We hung out and then headed to the Zoo Wildlights with Lao Lao at sunset. It was so enchanting with what seemed like even more lights than they had last year. We were having a lot of fun through the whole zoo and while you finished up your Dippin' Dots (one of your zoo staples) before leaving, we all ended up playing an impromptu game of charades to kill some time in the middle of the crowds. We were cheering and laughing so hard that I am sure we were quite the spectacle to passersby. Of course, I couldn't care less what people think as long as I can hear you laughing. And what made you laugh so hard? Well, it was hard for me to not look silly with some of your suggestions of animals that I act out...like, how in the world am I supposed to act like a monkey eating a hundred million bananas? Or, a snake with a tarantula friend? Your imagination definitely made the game interesting!

silly gooses

about as good as a selfie gets with you

And last but not least, I can't forget to share your annual Christmas pictures that we were finally able to pick up this week. Seriously? Can you be any cuter?! I just love each and every one of these!

It's officially less than two weeks until Christmas now...let's see how many more fun traditions of which we can partake! Sound good, Little Elf?

Love,
Mama
(aka Big Elf)

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Maliana ~

Oh boy, what a whirlwind week(end). The week began relatively quiet and calm with nothing much to report. You and I actually got to have two back to back nights of some great open conversations about what is going on in your life and your thoughts and feelings about it all. I love that you are chatting with me. I really, truly enjoyed getting to know you, the 6 year old you, just a little bit better and I can only hope and pray that it continues as you get older.

As for our weekend, it was packed with two sleepovers for you. First, E spent the night on Friday and in between playing, you made ninjabread cookies, candy sleighs, and impersonated hip hop stars. It was a very funny night. Where do you guys come up with the silliness??

gingerbread cookies shaped like ninjas!

candy sleighs

your first album drops next month
(ha!)

On Saturday, you attended your second sleepover immediately following a birthday party for your friend, Jocelyn. You went over to play and semi-crashed her family birthday party earlier in the afternoon, then Daddy and I came back and hung out during her birthday party for friends from school, and then you ended up staying the entire night with Jos. You still weren't ready to leave the next morning when Daddy and I came to pick you up, having had a very good time with both Jocelyn and her little brother Dylan. It's been tough not being in the same class as Jocelyn this year, so I'm really glad you finally got to spend some quality time with her and reconnect again. It's wonderful to see you happy and smiling.

you decorated her package with all kinds of drawings
and yes, this is what you think it is...a ukelele!
(wait, what did you think it was??)

you wrapped these yourself and did a fantastic job!

just before Jocelyn's cake

snuggled up and watching a movie between Jos and Dylan

After we left Jos' house, we headed to Memaw and Papaw's church for the annual Secret Santa gift program where they have juice, donuts and coffee for everyone and then let you kids loose in the church basement to pick through a bunch of donated items to wrap up as gifts for your families. It's always interesting to see the unique items that you specially pick out for us. We met Memaw, Papaw, Uncle Kevin and your cousins there and the four of you littles perused the wares and handpicked some choice items for the grown ups. It's such a simple activity but you have such fun with it over the last couple years and it's always fun to spend even just a little while with Joey, Alex, and Sammy.

as you can tell by your expression, you
weren't not sure about Santa or
having your picture taken

but it was a little more comfortable with Mom and Dad

at the wrapping table

wrapping Lao Lao's with Daddy's help

you love to make the ribbons curly!

with Memaw and Papaw

Sunday evening we decorated our Christmas tree (finally!). Lao Lao came down and you insisted we wear our matching jammies to decorate the tree together, even making Lao Lao go all the way back home and change. Ha. It's nice to have a little more Christmas lights up in the house (even though we're nowhere near finished) and to have the tree up (of course). I just love this time of year.

our Baby's First Christmas ornament
(look at how tiny you were!)

And here is just a little video of you, showing off your Christmas Spirit!

Finally, here's one more randomly fun picture from our week. It's just you and Daddy being silly..."glasses twins"!

Thanks for making us laugh every day, just by being you.

Love,
Mama