Monday of last week was Evie's first day at the Jewish Community Center, where she's learning how to swim this summer. They do instructional swim in the morning and free swim in the afternoon. She and Desmond are in the same group, so of course we thought that would go well. They are getting long well and helping each other out. Desmond's mom said, "dropping Desmond at camp for the first day- there's happy commotion all around but Desi is looking a bit frozen in his tracks - I can tell he's unsure of what to do - just a I'm about to lean over and whisper to him- Evie comes and takes his little hand and leads him to the front of the group and sits down with him- I swear I almost cried! Birthday girl is angel! "
We think so too.
I picked her up early that day because she had her check up, at which she sadly had to get her finger pricked to draw blood, and also two shots. She was not happy about it, but stuck it out and recovered from the slights well. Although I think this is where some trouble began as Evie's system dealt with the vaccinations. You'll see what I mean in a bit.
Tuesday, June 6 was, of course, Evie's 5th birthday. Seth and I woke her up with our tradition of singing happy birthday to her as we walked into her room. She opened the presents she'd received from Annalisa, Aunt Jill and Grammy. She got several books that she's so excited to read, and Grammy gave her a big girl bike!
Then we had breakfast with Tia (I can't believe I forgot to take a picture!!!) and Tia gave her the locket I had bought Tia and given to her for her 8th birthday. I bought it in Austria, setting of our beloved Sound of Music, because as kids that was our primary pretend play activity. I would be Liesl and Tia was Gretl, and we would act out the movie and eventually morphed into a series of elaborate plots wherein each of the von Trapp children had significant others and we would put on variety shows using Disney songs. But I digress. I thought the locket was perfect because it had Edelweiss on it. The chain is too small for Tia so she saved it to give to Evie. Needless to say, I cried.
Birthday girl getting donuts for breakfast
Evie went to the JCC with Oreos and yogurt-covered raisins to share for snack (her idea). Grannadaddy picked her up and we had dinner. I made spaghetti and meatballs, spinach with egg (one of Evie's favorite sides), bread, salad, and a homemade Boston cream pie. Evie had never had Boston cream pie before and I thought she would love it. She was so worn out from swimming, though, and from some stomach problems that she didn't eat much of anything. She loved having us sing happy birthday to her, but she complained on the way home from Granna and Grannadaddy's house that her stomach didn't feel good.
Wednesday, she wasn't excited about going to the JCC, and I wasn't really sure why. She ate an okay breakfast, but not great. We played with Siouxsie for a bit and I dropped her off. When Seth and I came to pick her up, we asked her how her day was and she started sobbing. She said she didn't want to tell us why she was upset, and no coaxing would work. I started to get extremely worried that something terrible had happened and explained to her that we really needed to know because we have to know that she is safe there. She still didn't want to tell us. Seth wisely suggested that we take her out for ice cream and she agreed that she would feel like telling us after that. They went in and ordered while I called the JCC, but I got no answer. Fortunately, the ice cream did the trick and Evie told us that during instructional swim, she was in "the deep" (I have no idea how deep, but I'm certain she was not in the deep end of the pool - though she probably was deep enough that she couldn't touch) and she felt like she was sinking so she grabbed on to her instructor. That was it... I asked her if her teacher said anything that made her feel like she was in trouble, thinking maybe the teacher had yelled at her or something, but no. So I think it's a case of being scared of sinking (completely legit!) and being disappointed that she couldn't do something (a feeling I am familiar with too). We told her we could get her some goggles if that would help her be less afraid, so she could see underwater, and that we would talk to her teachers and ask if they could ease her in a little more. But I also gave her a pep talk to remind her that she has to try her best too, and that she's strong and physically capable of a lot and that if she put her mind to it, I thought she could do it. I feel like it's a hard line to walk... I don't want to let her just quit something, but I also don't want her to be in a situation that terrifies her either.
To take her mind off of it, we took her new bike out for a ride and she loved it. She needed some help getting the hang of switching the leg she was putting weight on, and not pushing backwards to try to go backwards (which is what the trikes at her school do), but she was soon pedaling away down the sidewalk. We came across some limbs being cut down and they were blocking the entire sidewalk, so Seth lifted the bike with Evie on it over the branches. She loved flying on her bike.
Thursday when I dropped her off, I walked in with her and talked to her teachers about easing her in a little bit more. They said they'd pass the info along to the lifeguards, and when we went to get Evie she said she'd had a good day and was all smiles. Much more like herself. We went to eat dinner, but she fell asleep, stretched out on one side of the booth. She didn't want to eat anything and said her stomach was hurting again, so she went to bed when we got home.
In the morning, she was complaining about her stomach hurting still. I was trying to decide if this was a case of not wanting to go because she was nervous about swimming, or hunger, or legitimate upset stomach, when Evie started to throw up some water. So she stayed home on Friday. I worked a little bit and then found some activities for her to do outside. She played with Siouxsie some. She seemed to be feeling better later in the day and she took a nap. It was a busy week with a new summer camp to get used to, lots of swimming and sun, a birthday and some shots, so maybe having Friday to relax was a good thing.
Saturday we had her birthday party at the gymnastics studio that is home to the company that comes to her regular school and teaches gymnastics twice a week. Evie had a good group of friends and cousins, and we had let her choose a PJ Masks theme (which is a Disney show about 3 children who fight crime at night). I think most of the kids had a good time - Evie certainly did.
At one point Evie got upset because she wanted a red lei and they had all been taken (I don't know why I didn't keep one set aside for her), but my kid has amazing friends. When Evie started to cry, both Sasha and Jackson pulled off their red leis and offered them to Evie. Evie had her face buried in her hands and couldn't see this, so sweet Jackson stood up and walked over to Evie, put the lei around her neck and picked up a blue one for herself. I was so impressed at that.
Part of the group - some were late - ready to get the party started!
Evie and I decided to do a fruit bar where we had red fruits on the red Owlette section, blue on the blue Catboy section, and green on the green Gecko section, and then nutella, whipped cream, and yogurt dips.
I forgot to get a shot of the cupcakes before we started, but we had both vanilla and chocolate cakes, with blue swirl, green swirl, and red swirl icing
From left to right, the kids whose faces you can see: Evie, Will, Sasha (classmate), Jojo (church friend), Ivy (daughter of family friends), Gigi (church friend), Addie
Alma (former classmate), Jackson (classmate), Katherine (classmate), Desmond (future husband), and Bridger (classmate)
This was the moment I call "The Disappointment of the Red Lei", and you can see Sasha taking her lei off, and Jackson already standing up to walk over and give her lei to Evie.
Parachute fun
Singing "Happy Birthday"
We headed from the gymnastics party to Granna and Grannadaddy's house, where Kathy, Grandma Jeanne, and (later) Rickie, plus my cousin Daniel and his girls, and my cousin Andrew came to celebrate with us. Seth had to work, but I got some pizzas and salad and the cake and we had a great time (this girl had THREE birthday cakes!).
Left to right: Nyla, Naomi, Evie, Addie, Will
Sunday, we had Evie's baptism. A little history on this: the Presbyterian Church, of which I am a member, believes in and practices infant baptism. While I'd thought about having Evie baptized as an infant, Seth wasn't comfortable with this because Seventh Day Adventists, the church he was raised in for some of his life, doesn't agree with infant baptism. I agreed when Evie was born that we could wait until she was older. At first, I thought that would be when Evie was old enough to make her own confession of faith, but the more I thought about how she is being brought up in the church, how I am now an Elder in the church, and how I wanted to be sure that my dad would be the one to baptize her, I felt a longing to have her baptized now. After several discussions, Seth agreed. I was glad that her baptism could coincide with her 5th birthday and Trinity Sunday. Funnily enough, it means that her birthday and baptism day both have the same additive property where the month + date = year (6/6/12, and 6/11/17).
The service was very moving for me, and Evie was so sweet and precious, as usual.
Evie is wearing a new dress, shoes that she also wore as a flower girl, and my grandmother's (Grandma Jeanne's) baby bracelet
With cousins
Evie and Grandma Jeanne
Kathy, Evie, and Grandma
Sweet moment with Uncle Ryan
Three generations
I love how you can see the detail of her dress here
With Grannadaddy and the baptismal font
We had to have a silly moment
Picture taken in Grannadaddy's study. It is my hope to recreate this shot with Evie's wedding dress one day.
That marked the end of Evie's big week of being the center of attention. Sunday afternoon we went back to Granna and Grannadaddy's where the cousins played together (Ryan left to go back to Destin and Addie and Will are staying with my parents until Friday), and I got to kick of my birthday celebration by watching the Tony's, something I look forward to all year.
Yesterday, Evie went to the JCC for a half day and reported that instructional swim was great! She had been a little unsure and hesitant about going, wanting instead to play with her cousins or just go in the afternoon for free swim, but after some reassurance, she was okay and by the time I picked her up, she was happy like her usual self. We went to my parents' house and picked up the kids and Grannadaddy and the 5 of us set out to the Children's Museum where they spent a few hours on the playground/splash park/sandpit combo and then another hour and a half in the museum until it closed. It was a great success and I was glad that the three kids were able to ride all together in my car because it was fun playing and chatting with them. I feel like I don't get enough time to spend with my niece and nephew and we enjoyed telling silly stories and playing "who stole the cookie from the cookie jar".
Addie and Evie testing out the splash park equipment
Enjoying snowcones as we escaped a potential thunderstorm
The girls are fixing the car
Today is my birthday and Evie greeted me this morning saying, "Happy birthday, birthday... Mama!" You could tell she was going to say girl, but changed it to Mama to be more specific, and it was the sweetest birthday greeting. I love this little girl to pieces.
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