Z Weekend!

Friday was awesome. Stephen was my dream boy all day long. In the evening, we went on a mommy-son date. Lucky me.

I took him to the mall, in the date car, for dinner and a peppermint shake from Chick-fil-a. We followed dinner with a carousel ride. He chose the black horse. I sat on the horse next to his. He noticed how when I was up, he was down, and when he was up, I was down.

When we left the mall, it was very windy and cold. I scooped him up and held him tight to keep him warm. He put his head on my shoulder and I loved it. My baby guy.

Saturday was awesome too. I took the Mei and Stephen to run an errand while Mi Na napped and Steve did some work from home.

Next, we went on a chilly walk to the library so I could pick up the books I requested.


I think it's funny that we took two strollers to accommodate all three of them. Steve checked the score of the BYU game on his phone while we walked (JIMMERRRRRR!!!!)

(On a side note: Kelly L, do you remember giving me this GAP scarf for Christmas '98? Was that also the Christmas that Kelly H got me the BYU mug?)

I'm making a goal to not binge-read The Hunger Games. I haven't started it yet. I have started Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House, which I saw on a couple of my friends good reads list. I read the first seven pages and then jumped up and seriously started cleaning my house, probably not the right way, as I'm sure I will soon learn. I'm easily inspired.

This post is getting long. I need to devote an entire post to Sunday and its beautiful, glorious weather.

P.S.

We discovered these out in front on Saturday. Spring is coming!

What can I say about today?

I can say that it was not great.

I can also say there was a long list of crimes committed by a boy.

This boy?


Yes, this boy.


Hand vacuum contents all over new couch. Marker on the carpet. Purposeful splattering of yogurt on self, table, chairs, and floor. Purposeful spilling of water on basement couch. Not to mention three potty accidents, but I realize that I should not get upset at a three-year old for such things because they are, after all, just accidents.

When it comes down to it, I know it was all my fault. I was not engaged and attentive the way I usually am. I was distracted and determined to do all the laundry, put clean sheets on beds, clean the whole house, and sand railing spindles. Laundry and cleaning can't always be neglected, but spindles? Get with the program, Ie Li.

After Steve got home and we sat down at the table together, Mei Li asked me why I looked sad. I told her that I was tired. Mei Li and Stephen then proceeded to make silly faces and asked if that made me feel better. It did make me feel better. I especially loved the face where Stephen smooshed his cheeks in to make a fish face.

It reminded instantly of his huge baby cheeks. Sometimes I miss that baby. I also knew that I would miss this energetic, loud, funny, trouble-maker three-year-old someday.

Stephen and I made up by the end of the day. While Steve and Mei were on their daddy-daughter date, we snuggled and I gave him a lullaby concert. I sang him song after song after song. He requested the song "Baptism" three times. We talked about baptism after the third time singing about it and I asked him:

"Do you know who's going to baptize you, Stephen?"

Then Stephen's eyes got wide and he whispered intensely, "John" (as in John the Baptist).

I laughed and said, "no, you silly, Dad's going to baptize you. When you're eight."

"Oh." Then he laughed and smiled and sucked his fingers (some things haven't changed).

There were happy notes from today:

Stephen and Mei Li painted pictures for their art gallery.

Stephen put on a really funny dancing show for us.

While Mi Na and Stephen napped, Mei Li and I read books together and she practiced reading words herself.

We tickled and snuggled with Mi Na.

Mei went on her first daddy-daughter date with ice cream AND hot chocolate and she came home grinning and twirly. She's so big now. I couldn't help but scoop her up and hold her for a little while.


Stephen got out of his bed when they got home. So Steve read to them and it was cute.


Here's to an engaged and attentive tomorrow!

A Friday Night Date

with this handsome fellow.

We left the house around 8. He's at the stage where if he takes a nap, he's not tired until 9:30 or so. I was about to get him into the minivan, but he said he wanted to take Dad's car. I was happy to oblige. Dad's car is, after all, the date car.

On the way to McDonald's, this was our conversation:

Me: What was your favorite part of the day?
Stephen: When I went to bed.
(I was puzzled.)
Me: You mean when you took a nap?
Stephen: Yeah.
Me: You LIKE taking naps?
Stephen: Yeah.
Me: I like taking naps too!
Stephen: Yeah, me too.

When we got out of the car, Stephen said, "Mama, look!" as he pointed to the dark sky. "Stars!" I realized then that my kids don't get out to see the moon and stars very much. I thought that was sad. I looked at the stars with him and instantly found three bright stars in a row, Orion's belt. I told him about it and he said he could see it too.

We got a happy meal and ice cream. We played with his hockey toy on the table and had a grand time. I asked him again what his favorite part of the day was, and he said, "eating ice cream."

As we were leaving, Stephen said, "this was fun!" Outside, he again told me to look at the sky. "Look, the moon! It's silver!" He was right. It was spotted with gray clouds, but it shined brightly behind them. On the way home, he shouted out every time he saw the moon peek out from behind the trees, and then he wondered why the moon was following us all the way home. I used to wonder that when I was a little girl.

We played with his toy for a little while inside the house, and our date ended when I put him to bed and sang "Edelweiss" to him. For the past few nights, "Edelweiss" is the only song he'll let me sing to him because it's a "boy song." I kissed him goodnight and he happily went to sleep.

I love my Stephen. What a sweet boy he is.