Fun-Filled Weekend & First Children's Sermon

We just got back from a fun-packed weekend in the country. We visited Peter's parents in rural-ish Michigan, and we managed to fit in a whole lot of fun for our city girl: horseback riding, swimming in a backyard pool, playing with two new friends her age, playing with a dog and cat, sitting on a real live motorcycle and then watching it drive away, picking fresh veggies and berries from the garden, playing in the brook, exploring a kiddie tree house, going to a family fair that included cotton candy/a bouncey castle/face painting/ice cream, and lots of just everyday normal fun stuff too. :) Thanks Nama and Napa - our toddler (and we adults) had a great time!

At the end of our weekend we went to church, where Eva was excited to go to the nursery and then promptly met another girl maybe a year or two older then her to play with. Partway through the service, Eva, the other little girl, and three school-aged kids all came out to join the congregation for the children's sermon. The kids sat dutifully in a row up on the front carpeted step while Pastor John began his illustration. Eva was right in the middle of the five kids, watching him intently, and quietly - at first.

Now I should mention that this was Eva's first children's sermon, because at our church (and the others we've visited thus far), the toddlers don't participate in the kiddo message, just the older kids already in the service take part and then head to children's church or something. So just remember, she was by far the youngest kid up there, and would normally be watching aquarium frogs or coloring in the confines of a nicely staffed nursery. Just saying.

So, anyway, Pastor John pulled out a pair of binoculars from a bag and asked one of the taller boys up on the step to try looking through them. He asked, "Can you see anything?" and the boy said "No, it's dark." Then Pastor John took the binoculars to each kid, giving him/her a turn to peer through the lenses and asked, "Can you see anything?" Eva was not exactly patient, but got her turn to look, and then put her hands out at her side when quizzically saying, "I can't see?" The rest of the room was softly chuckling here a bit, I think because she was so expressive in her disappointment, and also pretty loud. I was thinking to myself, aww, she is cute, look at her waiting for her turn...

Then, one of the older kids figured out that the pastor had not taken the small plastic covers off of the binocular lenses, and that was why none of them could see. So Pastor John held the binoculars up again to the eyes of the older kid - who then said, "Yeah, I can see now!" Then Eva, who was next to the older kid, kind of elbowed the kid and said directly to the pastor,"I want to see, MY TURN!" (Even louder.) So the room chuckled a little again, and the pastor obliged, holding the binoculars down to her short little frame in front of her eyes, at which point she exclaimed: "I CAN SEE!!! I CAN SEEEE!! I CAN SEEEEEEEE!!!" This was accompanied by ecstatic running on the stage, grabbing other kids arms, and then running off the stage to hug grandma sitting in the front row. Insert wild congregatinal laughter, surprise and a big grin from the pastor looking in our direction, and tears streaming down my face as I giggled.

Pastor John continued his faithful message about needing to see in order to understand God and the Gospel, and made some comment about how this was an eventful children's sermon, and at least it wasn't about healing the blind man... insert small congregational chuckle again. Eva calmed down enough to pray along with the other kids and the pastor as the children's time ended, and then bounded down the stairs when they were dismissed, chasing the other little girl saying "Let's go play, friends!" - again, pretty loudly. Now I was thinking, wow, she kind of stole the show there, just by being herself. :) My little girl.

While the whole church service was a very thoughtful and well-planned out time to gather and praise and connect with Peter's home church body, I will mostly remember Eva's unbridled exuberance and wonder at being able to see. And - the welcoming church family and pastor that loved her reaction to the discovery of sight as much as I did. (Apparently, Eva also made it into Pastor John's top five children's sermon experiences too; Peter and I had a bit of a conversation after the service, including having him ask which one of our DNA influence had run around on that stage that morning.)

Not a bad close to our weekend, not bad at all. :) Pictures to come...

Quoteable

At dinner the other night, we sat down and folded our hands to pray. Eva said she wanted to pray; well, actually she said, "Not you, and not you, and not you, I pray," while pointing toward each of us, which is her way of saying that she'll pray.

Anyway, she prayed in her characteristic way of praying, which lately is both very fast and very loud. She usually says, "Dear God, thank you for food, Amen." But it sounds like a speed-talker saying, "Dear-God-thankoo-food-A-MEN!"

After her prayer, I said, "Honey, can you try praying again a little slower so that we can hear you?"

To which she obediently repeated - "Ahhhh - mehhhhh - n."

Thanks babe - but I meant the whole prayer. :) Oh well.

Fave Games of Late

So Eva's got quite the imagination, as you may know. Two of her favorite games lately reflect this - and they crack me up, so I want to remember them here. :)

The first game is a copying game of sorts - she usually starts by positioning her hands in some funny shape, or holding them like she is praying, and then turns to me or Peter and says, "Do this, do this!" After we mimic her, she changes her expression, moves her hands around, and then says, "ok, ok, ok, now do THIS!" It usually involves clapping, looking out windows in the car, holding onto ears/knees/cheeks, and other various motions she can come up with and make us follow. She inevitably is struck with glee at some point during the game and laughs her head off that we are following her - which, really, is a valid point. We DO look pretty silly. :)

The second game is an outgrowth of normal pretend play with her dolls/toys/utensils/anything she decides to pretend with. (At breakfast the small and large *fork* were a mommy and a baby.) The dolls/forks/whatever almost always want to go to sleep, they get tired, they snore, and then the wake up! Which always seems magical to Eva! Then, the pretend characters usually want to "go off somewhere," are often "busy," or are going to find "friends to play together with." It's a whole intricate plot line, seriously. The frequently with which Eva starts these relational, creative and funny little games astounds me though; she does them probably 50 times a day, by herself and with others, at home and at church/nursery/friend's houses, and never seems to tire of them. I think she is replaying interactions and feelings she is living in her own little way, and its fascinating for me to see how her mind and heart applies that growing wisdom to, say, her fork.

Also, a recent favorite to animate with these storylines - our "matching" freckles. Both Eva and I have a freckle on the top of our left hand and she never tires of having them talk to each other, kiss each other, play with each other, and "go off to sleep" together. :) Just glancing at that little freckle on my hand now makes me smile.

If the rash persists....

We made a visit to our pediatrician's office this morning to double check a growing rash on Eva's right leg. She got several normal-looking bug bites after our last week up in WI - a trip that was (of course),full of fun time in the woods, on country roads/trails, in the lake, etc. etc. Then the last few days, two of her bites started to look - funny. A red rash was spreading around each bite site, and then there was white area inside the red rash area. After 2 days of the red area growing, the whole rash/bite area faded; but it definitely still resembled a bulls-eye - the tell-tale worry marker for potential Lyme disease infection.

Cue momma and girl trekking to the doctor's office this morning, where we promptly received a two-week antibiotic prescription, a sticker for her great behavior, and the attention of several nurses who had never seen lyme disease before and wanted to see what the doctor on call called a "textbook case." Fun morning stop on the way to Eva's friend's house!

Eva is feeling fine, btw; she likes how the amoxicillin tastes and is already showing people her cool bug bite. I told her that usually bug bites don't hurt at all, but sometimes we might need medicine for them. Then she replied, "Ok, I get all better; I go to Leah's house now and play?" :) Obviously she is no worse for the wear.

Here is a (blurry) look at the tell-tale bulls-eye bite; today the doctor said there is no way to know for sure if it IS Lyme disease, but since it's a textbook case-looking rash, he wants to treat it so that in two weeks if it is anything serious, it will be out of her system. We never did see an actual tick or it's head or anything. But I am glad that whatever it was, it will not have the chance to continue to bother Eva. Whew! I am one thankful momma.