Minutiae

In the mornings, when Evelyn is first "released" from her bedroom into the rest of the house, she goes bellowing down the hall into the living room. We call it her war cry.

Last Sunday afternoon, exhausted from an early start and a long day at yet another 1st birthday party, John and I collapsed into a brief sleep on the rug in Evelyn's room while she played by herself, walking back and forth around and between us. I woke up to find the drawers opened and emptied, the floor covered with blankets, crib sheets, washcloths, and bibs. Evelyn looked very pleased.

On a recent night, I did the bedtime routine solo. John, who usually dresses her after the bath, had to work late. Freshly bathed and dressed, she looked at me with wide eyes and said "Pa" in the soft whispery way that she says his name. (It used to be "Bop!" - yes, with the exclamation point.)

Sometimes when Evelyn's just walking around, I start pretending to chase her, chanting, "I'm gonna get you... I'm gonna get you..." She gets really excited, starts to giggle, picks up speed, and then suddenly flops down onto the floor, belly and face down, like she's totally given up. If she's holding anything in her hands, she'll chuck them like she's getting rid of all excess weight.

When we're out grocery shopping, Evelyn sits in the cart and tries her best to win over the other shoppers. She watches unsuspecting passersby and when they get near enough, she turns on the Evelyn charm. Basically, she opens her mouth as wide as possible in a look of uncontained excitement and reaches out a hand, sometimes waving. It's always disappointing, for both of us, when people walk right by without noticing. Conversely, when people stop to try to get her attention, she just stares at them blankly. I guess she likes the thrill of the chase.

When Evelyn wakes up in the morning, John goes into her room first to change her diaper while I drag myself out of bed and brush my teeth. When I enter her room, I usually find the two of them watching the door expectantly. Evelyn gets very excited and calls me "Ball." Funny, she only calls me this in the mornings.

But I really can't fault her because the way she says it is too cute: