Mama's Memories for M

Sunday, March 5, 2017

My Funny, Sweet Valentine

M ~

Shoowee! Of all the Februaries that I have experienced, this has been one of the warmest. (Boo, climate change!) However, we took advantage of the nicer weather with our first bike ride of 2017 and had a great time.

We also have been getting a little better about making time to sit down for family dinners on Sundays this month. You (and we all) love them! It's such a simple way to reset our week and I wish we would have gotten serious about starting them sooner. After one in particular, you asked if we could "get our giggles out" before bedtime and wanted to just all get really silly together. It was so cute. (And we did!) I just love our one on one (or three on three?) family time together!

Suzy is still plugging away at healing up after her knee surgery. The recovery is going painfully slow (no pun intended), but we're getting there. The snuggle time from you definitely helps.

Valentine's Day was a bit toned down this year. So many distractions that I have been dealing with personally have really bogged me down. However, given that it's a special day to celebrate how much we love our loved ones, I did leave a surprise of cards for you and Daddy on Valentine's morning. For you, I also left a tiny Beanie baby with a March birthday (because every time we see them you always try to find one with your birth date and March 12th was the best I could find). You loved the surprises and even made a special Valentine for me that night. I loved it (and you!) too!

Here is a picture of you with your special Beanie baby and one side of your Valentine box that you made for the school Valentine exchange. You came home with a lot of sweet notes and yummy treats. I'm glad it was a good day for you.

You also crafted some special cookies that night too. This is a picture of them before the oven because after the oven, they blew up into crazy blobs. But here, you can see a bit of the detail with a heart on the left and then a self portrait on the right. Not too bad!

Another one of my favorite surprises this month was the picture below. I found it on my phone and evidently it was something you had Snapchatted Courtney's girlfriend Vanessa the night before. Definitely made me smile. My little gangsta!

The following two pictures also make me smile and can probably be categorized as part of our newly established activity of "getting the giggles out"...what do you think?

Scotch tape pig noses!

With all of the attention we have been giving to Suzy and her bum leg, GG has also been keeping us busy trying to cause trouble to take some of our attention back for himself. Exhibit A below...climbing our screen and getting stuck. Little stinker!

What did I tell you about it being a warm February? Kind of crazy to think that we had our screen door open this time of year, huh? You and Anabelle actually even tried to wash my car at one point. Crazy kids! You also were discussing possibly starting a money making scheme, a combination car wash and lemonade stand. I definitely see this business entreprise in our future, however I joked that you might only be able to charge half price for the car wash because you two can typically only reach about half of anyone's car. Ha. #shortkidproblems

How do we celebrate Fridays at our house? Well...one Friday we celebrated with DQ chili dogs and a vast amount of gigantic onion rings! Yummy!!

When it did happen to cool off for a quick second during February, I made you and Ana some hot cocoa during a sleepover. And of course, we always have the classiest mugs at our house. Right?

I do have to say, you have been really sweet and helpful since Suzy had her surgery. It's been a huge adjustment for us all this month and you have been very cautious and mindful of making sure she is gated off so she can't get into our bedroom to jump on the bed, that the gate above the stairs is locked too, as well as giving plenty of snuggles and helping me after school in taking care of the animals when we get home. You even have become a bit of a narc with Daddy and telling me every time Daddy will let Suzy go up the stairs without carrying her or when he let her outside without being on a leash. Basically, you are my eyes and ears when I am not home. Daddy may not always be a fan, but I certainly appreciate your help in looking out for Suzy. To be fair, Daddy has done an awesome job of caring for Suzy too. We are a team, after all.

Suzy's face says, "I just got busted sneaking up on the couch"

busted again, in spite of our attempts at keeping her off
with crazy chairs everywhere

"sharing" your dinner with Abby ~ now *you're* busted!

And the following are some snippets as seen on Facebook. Some "memories" of years past and some Mali-isms that I just love to capture.

a silly morning text from you

And finally, with your birthday so close, your birth family is on our minds even more so this time of year. It was interesting timing to realize that 3rd grade is evidently the year where you will begin to learn about inherited vs acquired traits, which can be complicated for an adopted child. On the 28th, you and I chatted at bedtime and you shared a little about this experience for you. I won't go into any details about what specifically that you shared with me since that was a private conversation. All I will share about that conversation is what I will share here...I want to make it known, remind and reassure you that all feelings are valid, every story is different, and most importantly, your story is yours so you can share as much or as little as you want. Or none at all. I also told you how glad I am that you felt comfortable enough to share something so personal with me, reassured you that Daddy and I are here for you, and that we always will be. I don't know how much you took in what I said or exactly how you interpreted it, but I hope that at least my open heart and listening ear helped a little. I hope.

I love, love, love you, Mali.

Love,
Mama

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Mixed Beginnings to the New Year

M ~

Happy 2017, Mali! So far, it's been an interesting first month of the new year. Daddy did what many people do at the start of a new year...he adopted a new fitness regimen and joined a boxing club. The workouts are really tough and he even brought you along a few times (which you loved)! You hung in there for the entire hour long workout and loved the attention that the staff gave you. Summer, in particular, was your favorite employee that took a liking to you as well!

getting your wrists wrapped by Summer

Early in the month it was bitter cold and we got a little dusting of snow again. Unfortunately it was barely enough to cover the ground. You didn't care though. You were so excited about using your new snowboard (from Christmas) that you insisted on hitting the slopes anyway. Us poor Ohio kids will take whatever snow we can get!

that is the smile of a happy, grateful kid

Since it was so crazy cold, (even Suzy got a little chill in spite of her fur coat), so she borrowed your old puffy vest. Cute, right?!

The next day she borrowed my sweatshirt. In spite of the awkward fit, it's obvious she enjoyed her walk on the trail.

When we came home from the walk, Daddy was outside taking down the Christmas lights. In his basketball shorts and my boots! What the heck?!

He said he liked how my fuzzy warm boots also accentuated his calves. Goofball.

Aside from the silliness at home, as you know, our country has a new president. Without going into too much detail, our family is not particularly fond of this president at the moment. We, as well as millions upon millions of other Americans, feel the same way. We are all nervous about how this administration is going to handle the affairs of this country, which of our civil rights are in jeopardy, and just how much our national security will be compromised over the next four years. Those, along with many, many other concerns that continue to come to light with each passing day. Since November, to say that this country has awoken would be an understatement. As far as I see it, for myself, I can't sit back and do nothing. So, Lao Lao and I (and many others) have joined what is being termed "The Resistance". Let me explain.

In November, a grandmother in Hawaii began a Facebook group to collectively react to the results of the election. That group, along with the Pantsuit Nation group that had already existed long before the election, joined forces and an idea was born to have a Women's March. It grew like wildfire and before we knew it, there were thousands of people wanting to march together on Washington and many other sister marches were also being organized throughout the country and even the world.

Mid-January was our first local march, a sister march in Columbus for the larger Women's March on Washington a week later. You really wanted to go, but seeing as how I am new to activism and marches, I thought it might be best for you to sit out the first few I attend so that I can get a feel for safety levels (little did I know how amazingly safe these women's marches would be).

Anyway, Lao Lao and I attended the march on our own. Here are some photos from that very, very cold day.

we all pinned these signs on our clothes,
along with the signs we carried

the banner at the very beginning of the march

there were hundreds, perhaps over a thousand at this march

this woman had buttons from marches
spanning 40+ years

these women could not go to DC next week so the two
on the ends sent their signs with Lao Lao and the other
woman so their message could reach DC

it was inspiring to see the vast age range of marchers

The next week was spent preparing for our trip to DC to participate in the main Women's March. Straight from the website, this link explains the meaning behind the Women's March on Washington.

One of the many unifying details of the day were pink "pussy hats". Many of the women had been knitting and creating these hats as a back-handed slam/symbol against tRump's phrase "grab them by the pussy" that came to light during the campaign. We were basically reclaiming the word (in a more playful way), using it from a place of power as women, and also sending a big message to tRump that his disgusting behavior will not be tolerated. Regardless of that, our pink pussy hats became a symbol of unity and power and were everywhere in the days leading up to and the day of the big march. I even made my own, and of course you wanted one too.

Even though I would only be gone in DC for a day, you made sure to make a self-portrait and a sweet note for me to take so that I "wouldn't forget you". So sweet.

"Plz be careful I hope you have a good time"
(green for good luck)

With my beautiful artwork in tow and very early on the 22nd, Lao Lao, Kristy, and I started our journey to DC. The first picture was taken by a local reporter who actually made us part of the daily news cycle. I even got a message a couple hours later that a friend had seen me on the morning news. When we finally boarded the plane, it was nearly full of pink hats just like mine. It was phenomenal and inspiring, and more than just a little hint at the impact this day would have. In fact, this march turned out to be huge, not only in our nation, but worldwide!

As soon as we got into the subway in DC, the protesters' energy was palpable. Even the subway trains were so packed with marchers that we couldn't pick up any more people for the last few stops and once there, the underground tunnels were teeming with hundreds of strangers already chanting in unity and strength as we slowly made our way back up to daylight again.

not even above ground yet and the marchers are getting excited

Finally we made it to the march site. It was surreal ~ hundreds of thousands of people with signs and pussy hats as far as the eye could see.

on the National Mall

To say that it was a moving and inspiring day would be an understatement. It was phenomenal to stand with all of those people who were feeling all of the same feelings as I was and sense how much power there was (and is) in our collective voice. Evidently, that collective voice grew louder and louder throughout the day. Daddy said that all day long the news channels kept covering not only DC, but march after march in all kinds of cities, big and small, in our country as well as in other cities in countries around the globe. When it was all said and done, the Women's March on Washington had stretched itself around the world (even to Antarctica!) and had become the largest single day protest in U.S. history. Pretty awesome.

There were plenty of moments when I wished that I would have had you with me, standing there together, making history. But there were also some other harrowing moments when crowds were a little too tight for comfort and I was relieved that you'd sat this one out. It was a tough call. But...at the rate this year is starting in this country, I'm guessing there will be other opportunities for you to join me in some activism. For the time being, I brought you a souvenir ~ a double shot glass with the Democrat donkey on it. Totally appropriate gift for your 8 year old, right?!

With all of the good hub bub of the marches, we had some negative mojo come our way as well in January. Poor Suzy injured her knee one night when she was running around the yard. She came back in limping and wouldn't use her right rear leg. We had no idea what had happened.

We took her to the vet after a few days and it didn't get better. We found she had torn her PCL and needed surgery. Oy. That was tough, but what's even tougher is that she has a 13 week recovery ahead. As much cage rest as we can force on her. Minimal walking, no running, no jumping, no stairs. We basically have to carry her or lift her everywhere. And she's a heavy little spark plug! But we love her...so, here we are.

I had to climb in the cage with her initially

yikes!

Thankfully Suzy isn't the only one getting use out of her cage. When she is busy snuggling with Daddy and I and watching Netflix, you kids are enjoying your new "fort".