My Daughter Eva

Tonight Eva asked, "Do you have any proof that I'm adopted? I don't believe it. Why do I look just like you?" Only the fact that she was somewhat serious kept me from chuckling. Those were the first of many questions she shot at me, fortunately all in good faith and leading to a healthy conversation within earshot of the three "big" kids. I want them to know that these things are okay to talk about, even when I sometimes have to admit that I don't have all the answers.

Eva is full of questions and conversation. She is the child I have to force myself to focus and listen to, because she can rattle on and on and on about miniscule details fascinating to herself (which may or may not be fascinating to others.) Once she gets something stuck in her mind, prepare to be barraged with it daily!

Lately it is her fascination with hamsters. In a moment of rashness I promised she could have one after we returned from furlough. Since then I have heard what hamsters like to eat; how they like to play; where they like to sleep; I've been asked to find pictures on the internet; look at hamster houses in the supermarket; and most of all I have been reminded over and over and over of all the money I owe my daughter for her "7's" (A+'s) this year, which will finance the great hamster heist of 2013. (And yes, I've had the days and weeks and months and YEARS counted down for me until then.)


But I tell you, this girl makes me laugh. She is nothing but creative and it oozes out of her every pore. Take the hamster fascination. Since embarking upon it she has made an entire hamster house - two stories, including carpets, food, artwork on the walls, and inmates - all in her spare time by coloring, cutting and pasting to her heart's content. And it's cute! It really is. I printed off a couple dozen hamsters for her and promptly she colored each one uniquely and gave it a name. She can rattle the whole list off to you at a moment's notice.

When she's not designing hamster mansions, Eva is often off in her room dreaming up other things. For instance, tonight she sat in bed with a drawing pad and black crayon and wrote her own lyrics to the tune of "Come, Now is the Time to Worship." She entitled it "Lord" because as she told me quite seriously, "It uses the word 'Lord' a lot. And follow. And 'me'!" I loved her lyrics for their sweet spirit of trust and faith.

A few nights ago, Eva and I had one of our most amusing conversations to date. It was bedtime, and Daddy had ordered lights out. Eva was bummed because she wanted me to read her a story, but I told her no because Daddy had said so. "Mom!" she retorted. "You're a grown up, too. You can 'manda' (give orders) too!" We'd had this discussion before and I reminded her that Daddy is the final boss in this house because that's how God ordered the family. "Well, that's why I'm NEVER getting married!" she exclaimed. I was quick to assure her that even if she didn't get married, she would still have a boss wherever she worked. She replied, "I won't work! I'll just live in my little house!" Of course I tried to explain that if she had a "little house" then the bank would be her boss, because she'd have to pay them for it. "Then I'll just live in my field!" she decided. And no amount of fact was going to stir her from that fancy. :)

Eva, you are a sweet daughter who keeps us laughing and feeling loved!