Sticker-y

Evelyn is so big now; she did her own hair! I thought it was very beautiful! And there was something about doing it herself that made her brave enough to stand it when I had to pull all the stickers out again. That is quite miraculous because she can't even stand me to brush her hair.

Little Moments that Make Being a Mom the Best Job in the World:

1-Evelyn carrying her imaginary pink kitten around in the palm of her hand. (She brought it to Los Hermanos and introduced it to the waiters and fed it some Peachy Rico drink.) When asked what her kitty's name was, she replied, "Jane Michael Adams," then changed it to "Shhhhmmmm."

2-The way she calls everyone "Sweetheart."

3-Sunday when she ran up to a complete stranger in a different ward and lit up his day by shaking his hand and giving him a hug like he was her best friend.

4-She calls tap dancing "Clickity-clacking," and wants to learn to dance like Fred Astaire, but not any girl tap dancers, because they're "naked!"

5-When I ask her to help me clean up the house and she tells me she won't help me because: "There are no damsels in distress in this family." Rats. I gotta watch what I tell her.

6-When she is throwing a tantrum in bed, screaming that she wants Mama to give her another snuggle-hug! I tell her I'm not coming in there because I already gave her a snuggle-hug, and besides, I don't reward tantrums. So she tells me, "Mommy, I want you to give me a spank and then a snuggle-hug!" That girl knows what she wants! So I gave her what she wanted and she went to sleep with no further protests!

7-I love how she sings "Count your Blessings" fortissimo in church--going red in the face and leaving everyone around her in giggles.

8-Her parting words at bed-time are: "Now Sweetheart, you be nice with Daddy, or I'll have to come put you on a time-out!"

9-Her evil laugh that she's practiced since she was 18 months old. (It's pretty scary now...)

10-When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, she replies earnestly, "A Turkey Farmer." What?!?!

11-Her original Valentines: "Dear Daddy, Fear Not! I will go to Grandma's if you want me to." (Right before Michael's surgery.) and "Welcome! Welcome to Presents, darling! I will love you if Maxwell does!"

It feels just like I'm bowling for the first time!

The other week, Michael decided to do something a little different with Evelyn and I and took us bowling! I haven't been bowling in soooo long! Evelyn was so excited! She couldn't hardly pick up her 8 lb ball by herself, but there was something so thrilling about being able to throw something that heavy at things and knock them down and...have your parents CHEER you on! But she was young enough to not understand the game at all, so after a few turns, she started taking everything as a matter of course.

For instance, this was her reaction when she got her strike!

She got one strike and a couple of spares! Pretty impressive for someone who's throwing the ball at around 2 mph! (I might have actually won her if my pride allowed me to use the bumpers too. Granted, I could hardly lift my 8 lb ball either...)

And at the end of the game, when she beat us by 20-30 points, this was her victory dance:

The coolest thing I ever saw while bowling was when Michael was trying to show off when we were first married. He chucked the ball as hard as he could with a twist, but he threw it right into the gutter. Just as he was about to turn away in disgust, the twist popped the ball back out of the gutter and he ended up getting a strike!