(Let's pretend I'm writing this on) May 1st! Eva's Happy Ninth Birthday. This year was a no-party birthday, :) but a great day for Eva. She was thrilled to have a piano lesson on her birthday, and her teacher, Miss Heather, surprised her by remembering her birthday and setting the "Happy Birthday" music on the piano for her to play. Friends and family called or visited, and she had her friend Hannah over to spend the night. They were so thoughtful to Naomi and Josiah, and included them in playing outside and then, when it got dark, in their Wii play inside. Eva enjoyed her Butterscotch Cake (her request) and a visit from Grammy and Gramps. It is a joy and a blessing to watch her grow and change each year.
Nine phrases that begin to describe Eva as she is now, at age nine...
enthusiastic about all her passions...
ambitious about her future (currently planning to be president)...
inquisitive about the world around her, and the world of human interactions...
thoughtful towards others, young and old...
knowledgeable about a variety of subjects, including babies, gardening, fishing, and much more...
capable of carrying out tasks large and small...
intense in nearly all pursuits...
dramatic when demonstrating her feelings or storytelling, one of her favorite pastimes...
joyful in life's craziest moments, laughing gleefully at anything completely silly, which reassures me that she is still nine and not nineteen. :)
Josiah caught a frog the other day, and kept him in a plastic container (when not cuddling him) overnight.
Selfish love for froggie competed fiercely with concern for froggie's hunger in captivity, and after twenty-four hours and a lot of soul searching and potential home searching (the fountain was ruled out)... froggie was set free in our little entrance garden.
This looks like a peaceful scene, but if you could only hear the soundtrack- much sorrow and wailing from Josiah who kept a 45 minute vigil to see where froggie would go. After he went nowhere, but only rotated around a few times, Josiah was convinced that froggie would make the little garden his home, and was distracted by a large bag of pipe cleaners (thanks Aunt Leslie! :). He went on to create creatures that survive indefinitely under his care- an "old white cobra" and an orange and black fly-catcher. Not nearly so interesting as little froggie, but happily- maintenance free. 
