Milestone

Eva achieved a milestone today...she successfully tied her own shoe. Well, she got the first shoe done herself, but ran into some problems when she reached her second shoe. First she told me that I was distracting her because I was talking to mom and that was why she had problems. So, I quit talking. After that, it was because I was watching her that messed her up. So I quit watching her. Following that, it was because I was in the room with her that she couldn't tie it. So, I left the room. Then, she told me it was because my shoes were making noise in the room outside the room she was in and that's why she couldn't do it. So I went into another room. When she still couldn't get her second shoe just perfect (it was supposed to look exactly like the first shoe) I told her I was going to tie her shoe or carry her out to the car with it untied... we were late at this point. So, she let me tie her shoe, but I had to do it 3 times to make it look exactly like the shoe she tied. ...Sigh...

Dancing in her head

Eva gets hooked on a song and has to play in constantly...not an adnormal trait. But, yesterday when we were driving home, she had me keep repeating one particular song on the cd player in the car. When we got into the house, she was still singing along to it and told BaBa, "I've got people dancing in my head." (I think she was trying to say that she had a song stuck in her head... but I like her version better.)

Mommy & Eva

Granny & Eva

Goofy

Yes... that is marshmallow creme (she was supposed to eat it, not wear it).

Pretend Grilling (and instruction)

This is how Eva helped Mommy clean her bedroom

Eva & Mommy

Eva took this picture, using Mommy's camera... she had a lot of fun with it.

Eva's New Glasses

1st Parent-Teacher's Conference

David and I met with Eva's pre-school teacher tonight. It turns out that Eva doesn't say anything during song and activity time. I'm not surprised...that's her usual reaction to new things: has to watch and observe. But, she's been singing me the songs here at home, so I know she gets it. Also, Eva has to learn to write her entire name: Evangeline. She's so upset about that and is rather stubborn about only writing "Eva." Apparantly she can be stubborn about some things (that's a surprise--can you hear the sarcasm?)... oh, and she only plays with the boys. That's the outcome of her first month of preschool.

Preschool & glasses

Eva has been learning about friendship at preschool. This weekend, we were working at the sink together and she told me "We help each other, that means we're friends." I asked her what else friends do, and she told me that they sit together. She's learning something. The only other thing she says she has learned thus far from preschool is the saying "You get what you get; and you don't throw a fit."

Yesterday Eva and David had a conversation that I overheard. It went like this:
"I'm thirsty Baba."
"Would you like to share a tea with me?"
"Yes"
"You go get the tea, and I will get a glass."
"I'm already wearing my glasses."

More about pre-school

Today is Eva's second day of pre-school, so I asked her what she would be doing today. She told me "I sit down a lot and wash my hands a lot."
So I have learned more about what they did on Monday. I wish my students would was their hands more, then maybe I wouldn't get sick so often from grading papers.

Pre-School

Eva went to her first day of pre-school today... complete with her little backpack, locker and mailbox with her name and picture on it. I asked her how she felt before I dropped her off and she said her stomach felt funny. I understood because mine felt kinda funny too. I think I was more nervous than she was. She didn't cry at all when I left, but had a kind of dazed look about her.

After the bus took her back to daycare (she was very excited about riding the bus), I called and talked to her. Our conversation went like this:
"How was pre-school today?"
"Good"
"What did you do?"
"Lots of things."
"Did you like it?"
"Yes."
"Did you like your teacher?"
"No."
"Wasn't your teacher nice to you?"
"No"
"Did you like your classmates?"
"I don't know."
That was it... all I know at this point. I think I need to work on her phone skills and answering questions with additional information that "just" what is asked.

Eva, Ginger & Sea-Fu

Ginger (our 9+ year old cat) does not like other cat's kittens--I've heard that some female cats are that way whereas others will adopt any kitten as her own. When Enoch and Rudy were kittens, Ginger went out of her way to hiss at them, grump at them and be mean at every opportunity. As soon as they grew into cats, she overnight became their best friend. Strange... but I kind of wish more people were like that; no grudges and complete forgiveness.

So, now we have a new kitty (Rudy is no more). Enoch has no issues with the kitten. His motto in life is completely "live and let live." Ginger, however is back to her old tricks--hiss, growl, bat at the kitten. Sea-Fu, however, is a very friendly kitten (maybe a little mischievious) and goes out of her way to interact with Ginger. David thinks she's purposely tormenting Ginger, I think she's just a very friendly kitten who possesses no fear and can see through Ginger's bluster. What is different this time around (Ginger + kitten) is Eva. Eva knows that Sea-Fu is hers and spends inordinate amounts of time yelling at Ginger and protecting Sea-Fu in a four-year-old kind of way.

What I find amusing though, is that Eva has hit upon a master plan to resolve the situation. She has decided that we are going to give Ginger away, and we are going to give her to Roman (one of her best friends). I asked her if Roman's parents wanted Ginger, and she assured me that they did. [I don't believe her.] It's just that why she thinks that her friend will want a cat that she doesn't want is funny to me. If Ginger is really such a mean cat as Eva claims, then why would she want to give her to someone she likes? It makes me chuckle anyway.

New Things

Eva got her glasses today. Sorry the photo isn't the best, I took it with my cell phone and apparantly need to clean the lense.

Baba and Eva got fitted for glasses while I was having a 1/2 inch piece of sewing needle taken out of my ankle. It took 2 doses of novacane, 3 X-rays, a 2 inch incision, and 45 minutes of digging to get it out. I got it when I was sitting crossed leg on the carpet in Granny's room. I ran my leg down, felt something sore and located part of a bent, old rusty needle. I thought I had gotten scratched by a broken needle, until half an hour later when my ankle was swollen and I couldn't move my foot without sharp pain shooting through it. I've been teasing Granny about blaming her, but really I don't. It is just one of those things.

Eva had her appt with the audiologist this week also. The Dr told her the same thing this time as last, there is something strange about her right ear. It doesn't respond to the frequency vibration test, but she appears to hear fine through it. We are supposed to go back in March, hopefully Eva will cooperate more and they can determine if she can hear over the entire range of frequencies. She does fine with the range of common speach. The audiologist said that it is rare, but some people simply have ear drums that don't respond with no hearing loss or issues. We'll stay tuned to find out more.

The audiologist told me that my hearing is normal, however, I have trouble distinguishing the background noise sometimes.

Tonight's Conversation (Mommy & Eva)

"Eva, remember that we're going to see the ear Doctor tomorrow."
"Good, I need to see him."
"Why do you need to see the ear Doctor?"
"I have sand in my ears."
"Why do you have sand in your ears?"
"God made me that way."
"God made you with sand in your ears?"
"Yes. He like me that way."

Eva's kids

I've been cleaning up some of Eva's old clothes this summer, and when I come across something Granny made for her I put it in a different pile. Eva asked me about them and I told her that those are the clothing that I am saving for when she has children. So, now she's gotten this idea in her head about her kids and I've been hearing a lot about them.

Whenever Eva doesn't want to get rid of something, but doesn't want it anymore either, she tells me I can't get rid of it because it's "special and I'm saving it for my kids." Eva tells me that when she grows up she's going to go to my school and live with me. But the other day she informed me that her kids will not live in her house (our house now). I asked her why, to which she informed me, "I don't want to share my toys with my kids." Personally, by the time she has kids I don't think that's going to be an issue, but apparantly it is now. A couple of days ago she told me that she isn't going to send her kids to Challenger (the elementary school in town), and yesterday she told me that she would take her kids to the eye doctor but that they wouldn't like it. I do believe Eva is telling me exactly how she feels through her kids.

So, she did go see the Eye Dr. yesterday. She did amazing with everything. It helped that I was examined first so she could see exactly what was going to happen to her. She does have an astigmatism (she sees 20/60) and has to wear glasses. Eva is very excited about wearing glasses because she wants to look like mommy, Baba and Granny. I'll post a picture of her wearing them as soon as I get one.

Eva & Sea Fu

I realize I inundated the blog with pictures, but I am now current up until yesterday. The little black and white kitten you see here is Sea Fu, who replaced the gray and white one who died. She is Eva's kitten, and she is actually pretty tolerant of Eva. She lets her pack her around, watches her, plays with her, follows her around and sleeps with her sometimes. They are cute together.

End of Trip

Jeff, Kevin, Kori, Kenny, Richie & Rachel
Kevin, Kenny, Kori, Jeff, Richie & Rachel

Carolyn & Dad (Homer)

Eva is loving on Rachel

And definitely showing off...