Today Evie is 9 years and 9 months old, aka 9 and three-quarters. We have been joking since her half birthday that since she's not having a traditional birthday party this year because of our travel plans, that she should have a 9 and three-quarters party and we would do a Harry Potter theme. If you're not familiar with this reference, it's appropriate because Harry has to find the train station platform of 9 and three-quarters which is just one of many weird conventions in the wizarding world to which he is introduced. I think if you say "nine and three-quarters" to any millennial and younger, they'll think immediately of Harry Potter.
Well we decided not to do a big birthday thing, but instead to watch the first Harry Potter movie together. Lately Evie has been convinced that the aroma she is smelling when I cook rice is actually popcorn, so I bought us some popcorn to have during the movie, and I set up a blanket fort for her to hang out in to watch the movie.
It's finally turned into spring here in the last two days, and we have been enjoying being outside again. Evie joined Seth and me on the deck to have coffee (she had chocolate milk) and muffins and bacon for breakfast. We spent some time this afternoon outside watching her jump on the trampoline and swing in the dogwood tree. It is amazing how much the change in weather can lift one's mood.
Beau thinks he would like chocolate milk
This week I had a lot of meetings in the morning time when I would normally be taking Evie to school. I usually take her 3 days a week, but this week, I only took her once. She was so disappointed each evening when she would ask if I was taking her, and I was honestly surprised that it made that much difference to her which parent took her. This may have more to do with the fact that Seth requires her to get dressed before doing anything else, whereas I allow her to play a game and have breakfast first and she gets dressed last, just before we leave.
Evie spent the night with Granna and Grannadaddy on Friday. Granna picked her up from school and Seth and I stopped by to drop off some clothes for her on our way to our dinner date. She loves getting to spend the night with them.
Today while we were at lunch at Kathy and Rickie's house, Evie was scratched by their cat Luna. Luna has never scratched anyone before, and Evie wasn't doing anything to provoke her - just petting her as usual - but Luna seems to have some eye irritation today and I think that was causing her discomfort so she wasn't her usual self. Evie was shocked and pulled her hand back, and then sat in my lap and cried silently. We were all sitting at the table right next to where Luna was sitting in the window sill, so I think part of why Evie was so upset was because she was embarrassed, even though I was the only one who saw it happen. After a while, Evie got up and went into one of the bedrooms. I knew she was upset not only because of the scratch but because of the embarrassment, so I let her have a few minutes and then I went to check on her. She was sobbing and trying to wash her scratch. She said the scratch hurt a lot, so I put some Neosporin on it. She then said it wasn't just that, she was upset because Luna had never scratched anyone before and she, Evie, is the biggest animal lover - why would Luna just scratch her all of a sudden? So I tried to explain the nature of cats to her, which is very different from dogs, but she could not be consoled. She said she didn't want to show anyone her face, and she wanted to just leave the house. I tried my best to remind her that everyone there loves her and would know she hadn't done anything to deserve a scratch and that they'd all be concerned about her, but Evie couldn't be convinced to overcome her embarrassment. Ironically, she had just finally gotten comfortable around the other cat, Helios, who bit her about three years ago. She has been leaving the room or climbing on her chair the moment Heli comes in the room. Today was truly the first day she didn't do that when he came in. And then just an hour later, Luna scratched her. She told me on the way home that that was part of her hurt too; that she had always trusted Luna and Luna broke her trust. I told her, that's just the way of cats. That didn't comfort her much. Hopefully she won't let this scar her, literally or figuratively, for too long.
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