A Happy Life

Maliana ~

Just when I think our lives are slowing down a bit, here comes another busy and fun-filled week. For starters, we celebrated 2 more birthdays, Daddy's and E's!

For Daddy, we surprised him with cinnamon rolls (his favorite) with candles in them, a "Happy Birthday" song with dancing in the kitchen, hiding and jumping out at him (before he was even awake ~ sorry, Daddy), and a life-size drawing of you to wish him "Happy Birthday!" in lieu of a card. He loved it and it felt ah-mazing to begin another day together. I love our little family.

putting the candles in the cinnamon rolls

so, "in a flash" is a current favorite phrase of yours.
after Daddy polished off one of the cinnamon rolls, you said,
"Daddy! You ate that in a flash!" Ha ha.

with your self portrait whose shirt says,
"Happy Birthday Love Dad"

E's birthday celebration was spent at the zoo with you and 2 more of her buddies. It was perfect weather with just a slight chill in the fresh air and lots of beautiful fall colors on the trees. As you can tell by the pictures below, you girls had a great time exploring the zoo!

dead fish for the sting rays ~ yum!

of course, the obligatory photo booth

prairie dogs and a prairie dog hunter, ha.

A slightly more bittersweet celebration also occurred when we attended Senior Night at Lalie's volleyball game. It was her final home game of her high school volleyball career before tournaments begin. It was pretty emotional for their entire family. Heck, I even got choked up a few times too. It was very sweet to see Mark and Jenny so moved and proud of their little girl. I definitely have a deeper understanding when I see parents rejoicing in their children's successes now that I'm a mom myself. Way to go, Natalia!

lots of emotions

saying that you adore Lalie is an understatement

And speaking of being blown away by your kids, you surprised and impressed Daddy and me once again this week. On one particular day on the way home from daycare, you were very frank with me about what is happening with the kids at school, both good and bad. One thing in particular was on the tip of your tongue that afternoon. It revolved around an incident involving the usual run-ins with girls who aren't being the nicest and are beginning to exclude others, just because they can. Uggh. I can't believe it's happening already, but then again, I can't say that I'm surprised as I recall my own school days. As you relayed the story with me, I was very thankful that you are so open and willing to share with me. I also felt thankful that you described other kids at school, friends of yours who are willing to stand up for you and each other. As Daddy and I discussed what you had shared with me later that night over coffee, we both agreed that you are so much wiser than the both of us put together at your age. We are amazed that you can stay so kind and open-minded in the face of some pretty crappy treatment from others. You are like a duck in water with your ability to let things roll off your back. You have a beautiful insistence on seeking out the good in others, rather than writing them off. You are so much more advanced than I could have imagined or hoped for in this department. I told Daddy that I really want his help so that I don't ruin this part of your nature, since I tend to struggle in this area of my own life. He promised he'd help me. And I promise to keep working on myself. In the meantime, I find myself wondering, "How can I be so sure that Mali is not the reincarnation of Buddha? I wonder how I go about finding that out....hmmm".

Also, here are some more fun Mali-isms and/or quirky little details that I loved from this week...
Enjoy!

you told me, "If you are in my family, you have to wear a sticker!"
(so, check out my new belt buckle that I wore all day)

You told me that you really love "basket hounds" (aka basset hounds) and asked if we can get one and name it Clifford (after Clifford the Big Red Dog).

And one day, as you watched a show with a character telling a little girl that she couldn't be a scientist simply because she was a girl, you paused it and looked at me with an incredulous and disgusted look and said, "That's not right! Girls can be anything they want!" ...I LOVE that you can already call B.S. on that $h!t at only 6 years old. You go, girl!

Finally, we wrapped up Sunday of this weekend by sleeping in until almost 10am! Yes, my little late-night SNL buddy (you!) was very well-rested when you sleepily wandered into the living room to climb under a soft blanket and snuggle with me on the couch. We lay there for a while, looking out as the dappled morning sunlight came through the still green leaves of our sweet gum tree outside the front window. I love lazy morning snuggle time. So peaceful.

Later we headed down on a mini road trip to Logan with Lao Lao and Uncle Flint to see Uncle Forge's new apartment and check out where he goes to college. He gave us a tour of the glass blowing studio and even showed us how he blows glass in the "hot shop". It was really cool to get to see this art form up close and personal. Uncle Forge is a pretty talented guy! He even let you pick some colors and made you a paperweight as we watched. You were very surprised and amazed that this was actually where he goes to school! I guess in your 6 years, you are only familiar with a very limited idea of what school looks like...this opened your eyes to something new. Neat stuff.

checking out some of his projects

watching Uncle Forge from a safe distance

blowing the glass

a little assistance from Uncle Flint

putting the colors that you picked out on the glass

heating up the colors onto the glass

twisting it to make the design inside
your future paperweight

rounding it out

checking out the almost finished product

getting ready to set it up to cool

always teasing you. always.

at Uncle Forge's new place

giving Iroh bunny ears

After such a fantastic week and weekend, you were in an even more fantastical mood. You seem to light up when you get solid sleep and spend quality time with those you love. Actually, I think you're on to something. Sounds like at least the beginning of an almost perfect recipe for a good life. Getting plenty of rest + Quality time with loved ones =  A happy life. I know there's more that goes into that equation, but this week highlighted at least those two ingredients for me. I'll have to remember that.

Love you, Squirt.

Love,
Mama

Birthday, Pizza, and Pumpkins

Maliana ~

A good start to our week was right in my rearview mirror on Monday. On the way home from school we chatted about your day just like we usually do. However I was taken aback as we got to one topic and I watched your face completely light up; your grin spreading from ear to ear; and your lips curve up in a mischievous yet completely innocent exuberance. You had just asked me if I knew why you were so excited, revealing to me that it was because you had hip hop class that night. It made me smile just like you were in that backseat at that moment to hear you say that. I am so incredibly happy that we've finally found an activity that makes your eyes sparkle and gets you excited like this. Love, love, love it!

And while you may get excited about shaking it in your hip hop class, I was not entirely excited about my big "thing" this week. Yep. That's right. My birthday. The big ol' 39. It could have had a lot to do with the cold snap in our weather this week though...I can get pretty cranky when I'm cold. On the actual day, I was happy to go in to work later, getting a run in before you woke up, making you breakfast and getting birthday hugs and kisses before leaving for my day. You also couldn't wait to give me my special birthday card ("Mom, it plays music and lights up!"). And you and Daddy even got me some beautifully thoughtful necklace charms that you and I can wear together. I love, love, love them.

While the birthday itself just felt like any other day, I loved the sweet gestures and effort you both put into celebrating my day.

By the time I got home that night, all I wanted to do was put on my slippers and jammies, curl up with a pizza, and snuggle with you guys before bed. I guess birthdays are a wee bit different at 39 vs 9. But...I suppose all birthdays are good occasions for celebration of some sort, even if it's pizza, jammies, and slippers with the ones you love. Getting to specially recognize and be grateful for another trip around the sun is never bad.

And of course, my birthday wouldn't be complete without mentioning my special birthday bouquet from Lao Lao that was waiting for me when I arrived home. It's an annual tradition that is near and dear to my heart and something that I look forward to each year.

here they are...story below for why they are
such a significant symbol

On the day my mom went into the hospital to give birth, we had not yet had our first frost. The rose bush in our front yard was still in bloom. On the day she arrived home with me, we'd had our first frost of the year. All of the roses were dead except for a single beautiful red rose. Now, every year on my birthday, Mom sends a bouquet of wildflowers with a single red rose. It's her special tradition that I look forward to each year.

Here's a link to another place where I mentioned this story on my blog before you even came home...and how I link part of your beginnings with us to rainbows. The entry is called Roses and Rainbows.

And just in case anything happens to the on-line blog link above...here is the part of the entry that describes the connection:

"Well, the same exact day (February 11th) that we got our first approval, the pre-approval, from the Chinese government…the first time we could take one deep sigh of relief…was the same day here in Columbus that a double rainbow graced our skies. It was so beautiful and such a big deal that even some of the news on the radio was mentioning it as they talked about the traffic on my drive home from work. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get home and get the camera out quick enough to capture it, however I was talking to my mom last weekend and saw that she had a picture of it in her phone, so I asked that she send it to me to include in this blog. 

I’m so glad to have this photo and be able to pass this story on to Mali. I know that my single red rose story has meant a lot to me, has made me feel special over the years…and I hope we can use rainbows as one way to symbolize our love for Mali over the years as well. I have always loved and felt a strong connection to nature…seeing its beauty everywhere. I hope to pass this appreciation on to Mali and I also hope that whenever she is lucky enough to see a rainbow in the sky…she’ll be reminded of how special she is and how much she is loved."

Along with the good stuff this week, we also had a difficult and equally touching conversation with you as well. During our usual after school conversation one day, you told me there was something in particular that had happened that you were afraid to tell me. You thought I would be mad at you. Alarm bells went off in my head, immediately thinking that it was another bully-type situation. Well, after a little cajoling, you finally shared a story where you and a classmate (the same one that has been a pain in your rear lately) got in trouble because she had tried to take your chair that day and it ended in a tug of war over it, with the chair toppling over in a loud bang which got the teacher's attention. Evidently, the teacher called you over to her and you both got in trouble. When you shared this part, you began crying huge elephant tears with your face scrunched up in emotional pain. It broke my heart. I wanted to stop the car right then and there and give you a big hug. I did reach backwards and stroke your leg, asking what was making your heart hurt so much, discovering that it was because you felt like you had disappointed your teacher and that made you very, very upset. And that broke my heart all over again.

At that point, I shared a similar story from my own life, trying to connect with you. We're more alike than you realize, kiddo. Then, we talked about how everyone makes mistakes, how our mistakes have nothing to do with the kind of people we are deep down inside, how that teacher feels the same about you now as she did before all of this happened, how mistakes are just tools we use to learn how to make better choices next time, and how no matter what you do or what kind of mistakes you make at school or anywhere else in your life, I will love you no matter what and that those mistakes have nothing to do with who you are in your heart. I told you that I was so glad that you told me this, even if it was painful for you. I told you that I hope you can always tell me things, even (and especially) the hard stuff.

Remember what I said about how we're more alike than you realize? Well, your daddy and I both used to feel this way when we were kids, and even as adults we sometimes still do...so we can relate. Believe me, we can relate. While this was a difficult thing for you to go through, I am so glad to see that your interactions with others really do mean a lot to you. You are a sensitive soul and sometimes sensitive souls get hurt, but I wouldn't want it any other way. That being said, you may get hurt more often than the average person, but you also will have the ability to love deeper than the average person too. And love? That's why we're all here.

This episode also led into another conversation about how this same (pain in the rear) kid was saying some mean things to you again too. They were claiming that they have more friends than you, undoubtedly just trying to upset you and make themselves feel better. Not a nice conversation to be a part of, I'm sure. *sigh* However, this little tidbit led to a discussion between you and me on how it's not about how many friends any of us have but actually what kind of friends we have. It's about the quality of our friends. I shared with you that for myself, as I have gotten older, my "friend pool" has dwindled, however the depth of my friendships has grown quite a lot. You were puzzled at first when I told you this, but then I think you got it. I think it's one of those things that you truly come to understand only with age and experience (and quite frankly, not wanting to put up with any more crap!) I sure hope some of my mommy blabbering is sinking in, even if you can't see it clearly yet. Unfortunately you will undoubtedly encounter more than one "friend" who doesn't necessarily have your best interests at heart, (we all do), but hopefully you will learn to discern these "friends" from the true friends who understand and love you no matter what. Add that wish to my many other wishes for your life. Like all of the others, I hope it comes true.

But...anyway...back to the lighter side of our week. On Friday, we attempted a new strategy for our family. Seeing as how we are all guilty of relying too much on technology for entertainment, escape, relaxation, and information overload too much of the time...we tried to make our Friday this week a "Phone Free Friday". (I would have thrown I-Pad in the name too but it wasn't as phonetically fun to say). *smile* Basically, we put our phones away and I went and got some movies and a bunch of supplies for our first ever home-made pizza face contest! Lao Lao came down and enjoyed the evening with us too. You ended up taking the competition pretty seriously and all of us got to show off our creativity. You were so funny and I think they turned out really good! Don't you?

After that, we piled downstairs on the air mattress bed in front of the couch and snuggled up to watch Madagascar together. I love it when you are totally in the moment and laugh out loud at something you see. It's just so cute!

Saturday morning began with you and Daddy heading to breakfast with Memaw and Papaw, then you both swung home and picked me up so that we could go to Orchard and Co. to meet our Fu friends for the monthly play group. It was really cold and windy, with even a wintry mix of hail at one point (crazy Ohio weather ~ it was 80 degrees just a few days ago!), but it was still a lot of fun and great to see our friends, as usual.

we had no idea why there was a bumble bee at
the pumpkin patch but he was giving
away free pumpkins so hey, we
just went with it.

you LOVED these pedal cars!

barrel train rides

even tried out the zip line!

with a little help

Daddy loved the big jumping pillow about
as much as all of you kids

and you loved sliding back down it (with
Lainey attempting to help you back up)

We came home to warm our weary bones up and then you headed off with Lao Lao to see the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie that night. Seeing as how you are always wanting to leave the theatre mid-movie, usually at even the suggestion of any "bad guys" or tension in the plot, we decided you should bring your favorite soft owl blanket with you and you ended up using it to cover your head during the scary parts. Well, with an additional bit of convincing from Lao Lao at some of the most intense scenes, you actually ended up staying through a whole movie for once! So glad we may have finally figured out the trick for you.

Finally, Sunday was for sleeping in, swim lessons, and taking care of things around the house. You did end up spending a good chunk of Sunday afternoon and evening with our neighbors (Mike and your buddy, Sophia) which freed up more time for Daddy and me to get a ton done at home without any distractions. It really felt nice to take a day for ourselves, just hanging around the 'hood. We're blessed to lead busy and fun lives shared with many wonderful people, but sometimes it's also a blessing to slow things down and just "be" for a while. We probably need to do that more often. This Sunday was a calm, cool, and breezy autumn day that was perfect for doing just that.

Love,
Mama

Personality and Charisma

Maliana ~

As I think back on this week, I realize how much of it was filled with your personality and charisma. You seem to have an endless supply!

To start with, you had an amazing time at hip hop class, bouncing out into the waiting room to me and then producing this video once arriving home...Shake it off, shake it off!! Whoa oh!

Click here for cutest lip sync ever!

I’m so glad that you are having so much fun in your new dance class and I love to see you blossom even further. As you can tell by the video above, the following status on Facebook couldn’t be more true:

I guess we've entered an age where Mali makes me sit in the car at our destination until "her jam" is over.

We also got to put your telescope together this week and you are so stoked to use it. We’re all looking forward to a super clear night to bust it out and explore the heavens above. Daddy showed you the basics of how to get it in focus, how to work all of the knobs, and most importantly how to be really careful with it so it doesn't get broken.

Along with your telescope excitement, it was also school picture day this week! The following conversation had me rolling on the floor and wishing I could have snuck a video camera in the room with you:

Mali: “I’m so excited for picture day tomorrow!”
Me: “Oh yeah? What's your favorite part about school picture day?"
Mali: I get to do my own hair and do some of my moves!”

Ha ha!

The morning of picture day, I stayed and helped you get ready for school. We did your hair and you were thrilled to use nearly every hair product we had in the bathroom. In spite of that, it looked pretty good. Having breakfast with you at the table made me wish that we could do this every morning. Beginning my mornings with you really brightens my whole day.

thumbs up but under protest since the
morning air was so cold ~ brrr

That night, you went to a DeSales soccer game with Daddy and were so unbelievably stoked to get to help out with the ball boys. As you can see, you took the job very seriously and chitter chattered about it once you got home.

patiently waiting for some action

And, as if the night couldn’t get any more fun, you went next door and got to visit with Lalie and two of her friends. They let you hang out with them in her room and even included you in some of their “official teenage business”. By the time you came home, you were on cloud 9.

your arms and legs are like velcro...I think
you're part spider monkey

The weekend brought more fun as you attended Mia’s birthday party at Graeter’s on Saturday.

Mia with her mom and dad, and baby Ming Li

Mia's little brother, Freddy

making your own sundaes

watching the magic trick with dry ice

touching the bubbles

Then I swept you and Daddy away on a surprise family adventure to Young’s Dairy Farm that afternoon. It was more crowded than any of us expected since there was some kind of fall fest going on, but we made the most of it anyway.

surprise secret trip!

feeding the goats

painting pumpkins

pumpkin bowling

yummy homemade ice cream!

leading the way in the corn maze

feeling a little lost

wisely climbing up the staircase to see if you
could see which way we needed to go
to get out of that maze

batter up!

first time in the cage - you got a piece of
two of the balls!

When we got home, we were all pooped out from the day. I went to lay down and take a quick nap but you followed me in and insisted on watching the I-Pad while snuggled up next to me. I could say that it would have been nice to have the bed all to myself for once, but I know that someday I’ll miss these days when you actually want to be around me and snuggle. I’ll choose to be grateful instead. You are such a sweetheart of a kid. When I finally woke up, we still lounged around in bed just taking care of random things (for me, it was bills ~ blech!) while relaxing and watching TV. You stayed up and watched Saturday Night Live with me that night and it was the first show of the season so you were excited about it. I actually used to love that show when I was little too…like mother/like daughter, I suppose.

Since we both stayed up pretty late on Saturday (actually it was until 1am on Sunday!), you were so exhausted that I was able to slide out of bed in the morning without waking you up. Most mornings you pop right up the moment my feet hit the floor. I swear you have some type of “sixth sense mommy radar” that lets you know the precise moment I leave your side in the morning and some sort of “mommy tractor beam” that pulls you to my side no matter where I am in the house. But…I digress…

That morning I was actually able to sneak out for a run, walk the dogs, and even start a cup of coffee before your little frame ambled down the hallway to appear in the kitchen doorway, wrapped from head to toe in your soft owl blanket and topped off with a crazy case of bed head. As I turned to see you appear, I heard “Good morning, Mom” in your sleepy little raspy voice. Turning around to see you like that and hearing your sweet voice softens my heart. I love mornings like that.

The rest of the day went well. You carbed up on two(!) bowls of oatmeal before we headed off to your swimming lesson. I love watching you learning something new and every so often, you sneak peeks at me to make sure that I am watching your every move. The first thing you asked when you got out of the water was, “Mom, did you see me swimming by myself?” Yep, honey. I did.

We went out to grab a quick bite to eat before I took you over to your friend, Kassidy’s house for a play-date. We had a great conversation at lunch and then you had a terrific time at your friend’s house. It’s so nice to see you branching out in your friendships and good for me to meet some more really nice parents.

While the overwhelming portion of our week was great, there was a teeny tiny downside too. Here's how I shared it with Facebook:

~ That damn #toothfairy missed our house two nights in a row. Mali wasn't about to let her slip up a third night. And evidently, she really hopes that the tooth fairy comes to her "hose".

#mommyfail 

your bedtime note reads:
Dear Tooth Fairy,
How old are you? I hope you
come to my hose...
(drawings of tooth fairy on the left and
you sleeping in bed on the right)

While the Tooth Fairy had been a bit of a slacker, she did end up leaving you two gold coins (instead of the normal one coin) to help make up for her oversight. All’s well that ends well, right?

And I bet that Tooth Fairy won’t forget any more of your teeth…it sure could get expensive if she does!

Love,
Mama

See you next week, from our new pet saber tooth tiger!

Rawwwr!!
(you are so proud of your mask made
in first grade art class!)