Zoo Boo

Let me start out with a few of things that I forgot to mention last week.  One is a report from Granna.  For church, I usually sing in the choir and so Granna goes to pick Evie up from Sunday School and Evie sits with Granna, Kathy, Rickie, and Grandma Jeanne for the first part of the service until children's time.  The opening of our Presbyterian worship service includes the pastor (that would be Grannadaddy in our case) saying, "Our help is in the name of the Lord," and the congregation responds, "The Maker of heaven and earth."  Then the pastor says, "The Lord be with you," and the congregation responds, "And also with you," and this concludes with the pastor saying, "Let us pray."  Granna reported that the Sunday before we went to Florida, Evie chimed in during the congregational responses and even said, "Let us pray," with Grannadaddy.  I love that she is participating in the traditions of worship.  And I don't remember if I mentioned this, but probably that same Sunday, Evie stood by herself at Children's Time, when the kids come forward and meet the pastor in a little small group.  Usually Evie has been sitting with Granna on the seats behind the other kids, but now she joins right in with the rest of them.

I also forgot to mention that the Sunday of our Florida trip, Evie said, "Beverly is my best friend."  I thought that was really sweet. 

Also on our way home, when we were about 11 hours into our 12.5 hour drive, Evie said, "Mama, I getting sleepy."  I said, "Well, then take a nap, baby."  She said sternly, "No, not yet.  I sleep in the house."  I guess she was tired of car naps by then.

I was really proud of her this week for looking at a piece of artwork we brought home from school and reading her name at the top of the paper.  She's very good with recognizing numbers, letters, her name apparently, and is starting to run her finger along the words of the pages when I read to her at night.  School's doing her so much good!

Ready to go learn

A funny thing from last week was when we had dinner at my parents' house and even though I was standing right next to the refrigerator when Evie came and opened it to help herself to a yogurt, she did not want me to be the one to open it because Granna was a better option.  I said, "Let me help you."  She said, "No.  I want Dranna to do it."  Laughing, I said, "Evie, who's your favorite person?"  Without a moment's hesitation she said, "Dranna," so matter-of-factly.  And there was no doubt in my mind that that would be her answer.  And I also have no problem with that at all.  My mom's pretty spectacular and I wouldn't change a thing about the relationship that Evie has with her.

We had a very full weekend!  Friday we had a little family movie night and let Evie pick the movie.  Then Saturday I took her to ballet and then to the Tigers/Ole Miss football game until she got too sleepy, at the end of half time.

Ready to dance

Then Saturday evening after she'd had a nap, we went to Zoo Boo at the Memphis Zoo where they have trick-or-treat stations, dancing, hay rides, a hay maze, arts and crafts, singing pumpkins, free kiddie rides, and, Evie's favorite, camel rides.  Last Christmas, Seth got to ride with Evie on a camel, and over the summer all three of us got on one, so Evie declared it Mama's turn to ride with her.  Evie was very interested in the camel that we didn't get to ride because he was tied up to a tree.  According to the camel handlers, he was in time out because he was being less than kind to his riders, and when I explained this to Evie, she didn't quite get it.  She kept asking, "Why that camel stuck?" and, "Why that camel cranky?"  This perplexed her all evening.

At the front gates with Daddy

Our Tigger in the virtual costume contest (I hope she wins!)

Riding the merry-go-round

Camel time!

Making a cat mask

Let me share another moment that got me on our Florida trip that happened when I took her to, of all places, the restroom at Chick-fil-A where we stopped to let her run around the playground.  She was just in an introspective mood, I guess, because as we were washing hands, she said, "God made me."  I said, "Yes, He sure did."  She said, "Why?"  Oh my heart.  I said, "Because He knew we needed you," and proceeded to try to regain my composure.  This little girl has changed my whole life for the better.