Another from Eve. While laying in bed tonight, Eve asked me when I was in college. I forget exactly what we were talking about that led to that question. I told her I graduated in 1999. She said, “Wow! That was centuries ago!” I corrected her that it was just one century ago, but somehow that didn’t make me feel much better. :/ Nothing like kids to make you feel old!
Eve had a dozen things she wanted from me this afternoon, all at the same time! While I was working on the fancy manicures she wanted, she started asking me to read to her. I told her several times that we can read after I finish with the nails, but that wasn’t good enough. Suddenly she said, “Oh! I want to read a fairy book and I can!” She ran, got herself a book (a chapter book!), came back and started reading. She’s been reading it ever since. I LOVE that!
It’s getting chilly around here in the evenings!
It’s 5:30am. The kids’ bedroom door is cracked open. I peek in and see Eve, laying on her side, doggie tucked next to her head, reading light on, and a book propped open. She’s reading silently to herself and doggie. My heart melts and I once again wish for a photographic memory.
On a side note, I wonder how long she’s been awake?
Yesterday Eve was browsing through her fairy cookbook and decided to make some cookies. Her first choice, pink pinwheel cookies, didn’t work out because we didn’t have the right ingredients (much to my surprise we were out of powdered sugar!). After much deliberation she finally settled on pink sparkly heart cookies.
Eve did all of the work on these cookies. Measuring, mixing, etc.
When the cookie dough was chilling in the fridge she went down to the basement and never came back, so she finished them this morning.
She rolled out the dough and kept say “Oh, this is such hard work!”
She cut out big hearts and little hearts, then got bored of the rolling/cutting process and started just making shapes with her hands.
The directions said to brush with egg whites then sprinkle with sugar. She thought that process took too long so she asked why you can’t just go from egg white to sugar to cookie. I said “go for it!” She tried one (top left corner) and said, “Oh, they kinda get all messy when you do that.” Then she went back to the original way.
The first step of the recipe said to mix red food coloring with granulated sugar to make it pink. She decided she wanted purple, so she added red and blue food coloring. It ended up being a red/blue/purple combo.
Into the oven they go. Like I said, she did everything!
I was right near by for the “into the oven” process, but a little more involved with the “out of the oven” process so no pics of that. She helped though. She wore oven mitts and held one side of the tray. :)
Not quite what the picture showed, but all Eve.
Her favorite part! :)
Eve is the most observant person I know. She regularly amazes me with random observations she makes. Awhile ago she asked me why me and Mema always pat each other on the back when we hug. I didn’t even realize we did it, but she notices. Tonight, while putting a band-aid on the inner/back of her thigh, just above the knee, she told me that “baggie” parts of the body don’t do as well with band-aids. I said, “what?” and she started talking about how lots of women have baggy parts “right here” she said, rubbing her upper/inner thigh. Sometimes men too, she added, but mostly women. I love that she says it in a totally non-judgemental way, just as a simple fact related to her band-aid situation. Another time she was sitting on my lap and started tucking my hair behind my ears, just like I always do to her. Her observations are never judgements (not yet, anyway) just simple observations.
I had more to this thought, but I’ve lost it now. I guess I’ll summarize with, Eve is pretty awesome. :) I’ll update later if the rest comes back to me!
Oh, I remember my other example. Eve came home from school yesterday and was telling me that one of her friends had dark circles under her eyes that “were kinda baggy.” She has noticed such things on me before as well. She said her friend doesn’t usually have them (thankfully, she’s just a little girl!) but she did in school yesterday and didn’t look very well. Last night that girls mother posted on FB that her daughter was sick and throwing up. I think Eve noticed she was unwell. So perceptive!
My favorite quote from Eve ever… “Mom, do you want me to read you…?” Fill in the blank. This story. Goofus and Gallant. Calvin and Hobbes. I always say yes when she asks. I LOVE it!
Day three of teacher training, “full time” away from home, homework every night, and I haven’t even started in the classroom yet. I’m exhausted! Rushed and trying not to be cranky with the kids. Tired. Oh wait, I said that already. One more day, then into the schools we go.
I picked Eve up from dance camp yesterday and took her to run errands. She was tired and wanted to go to a playground. I was tired and wanted to go home. We did ok, but we both clearly didn’t want to be there. As we headed home Eve said to me, “Mommy, I’m glad you have a job you like doing, but I wish we could go back to how it was last year.” So sweet and so sad because we are only just beginning!
Eve decided she wanted to take pictures of her special things to make Christmas cards this year. Here’s what she came up with. She requested I print them for her tonight, so perhaps she’ll be handmaking holiday cards tomorrow. What better time than mid-July! :)
Merry Christmas from Eve and her toys.
PS. I owe you all a blog post on our awesome family weekend last weekend. I just haven’t had more than two minutes to sit down at the computer, so instead you get these quickies and phone posts. Sorry. I haven’t forgotten!