Eva is brilliant at doing impersonations. Sometimes I have to do a double-take because it's as if Abe Lincoln himself just passed through my kitchen eating a banana. At only 2, she is quite perceptive and talented; traits I’m sure I passed on to her.
Here’s Eva as:
Edith Ann
Mr. T.
An Ewok
Her father
Her mother
Wait.
What?
Eva and I spent the past week at my sissy’s house in Coeur d’Alene. If you’ve never been to my sissy's house in Coeur d'Alene, you really should go. She makes delicious food, is a great conversationalist and has a pack of wonderfully wonderful children. (When they’re not being turds.) You’ll leave wishing you didn’t have to and you’ll contemplate moving in with her permanently; despite your husband’s objections. And there’s a Maverick just down the road from her house. And they have nugget ice. It’s perfect.
It was a great week. It was blazing hot outside so naturally we had to spend quality time at the lakes. Eva’s favorite part was the discovery that she was allowed to pee in the lake. I won’t name names, but I wasn't the one to teach her this. On one excursion, I asked Eva if she needed to go potty before we went swimming and she replied, “No, I go pee in the water.” I worry that this attitude will carry over to swimming lessons this Fall and I’ll be the parent of the disgusting pool-pee-er.
We also went fishing at Farragut State Park which used to be a naval training camp. My grandpa was there for boot camp back in the 40’s and I got to see his name in the book and the picture of his company. I thought that was exceptionally cool. The bonus was that everyone who was fishing caught a fish! Well…almost everyone. Sorry, Kate.
We also picked 100 pounds of peaches from a cute little orchard. I’ve never had a peach picked from the tree and it was so delicious I nearly passed out. We all strolled among the trees moaning while we ate peaches. We hadn’t intended on picking so many but I was overwhelmed by the experience and insisted we needed a hundred pounds. It’s not that many.
But it actually is.
We made peach jam, dehydrated peaches, peaches n’cream, and my sister gave some away to friends. What a deal at only a buck a pound!
Thankfully my Papa donated his Cabela’s points so we could get a dehydrator. He’s the best. The dried peaches were really tasty. Thanks, Dad!
Eva had a lot of fun playing with her cousins and referred to them as “her friends” all week.
There was trampoline jumping:
Movie watching:
And popcorn eating:
I certainly was sad that the week passed by incredibly quickly. I’ve been going to Coeur d’Alene every summer since my sister moved there. I think it’s been 8 years now and it’s the highlight of my summer. Now I’m home doing boring things like laundry, scrubbing the toilet, and smelling the dog’s gas.
Boooooo!
I think we’ve spiraled out of control with Dora the Explorer. On the one hand, it’s increased Eva’s vocabulary and has helped her to understand succession. Dora has also taught Eva how to discern the number of objects in a group without counting out loud. She now knows a handful of Spanish phrases and words. Every morning Eva bursts into my bedroom and shouts, “Buenos Dias! I found you!” I think it’s adorable. These things makes me feel like letting Eva watch Dora is actually an investment in her education and not just a waste of time. Therefore, I shouldn’t feel guilty about how much TV she has been absorbing lately.
I’m also very delighted that the promise of Dora will make Eva do anything. And I mean anything. She cleaned up her bedroom and the living room without squawking when I told her she could watch Dora. She’ll get dressed in a flash and sit quietly while I comb her hair. She’ll give me a kiss and a big hug. I’m actually a little worried about how strong of a motivator it is for Eva. Shouldn’t she want to pick up her toys just for the intrinsic satisfaction of cleaning up her own messes? Should she not crave making messes in the first place and take pride in being a tidy child?
These are very positive aftershocks of Dora. However, there are a lot of negatives lurking about also. I can’t stand Dora’s shrill voice. No matter how quiet the volume on the TV is, I feel like her voice is clawing at my brain. I recently had to carry Eva out of a public place while she was kicking and screaming. She drew even more judging eyes our direction by shouting, “Abajo! Abajo! Abajo!” It was a very weird fit. This morning Eva called me a sleepy sloth. I was offended and knew Dora was the culprit; the little jerk.
There’s a long ramp leading up to the side door at the YMCA and Eva insists on going “arriba” every time we walk by. She runs up and down, up and down, up and down while I stand there losing my desire to workout. Every stinking day. Eva also wants to run through the covered parking area that she calls the twisty tunnel. Dora has added at least 10 minutes to my commute time from the car to the YMCA entrance. It’s maddening.
Eva will also cry and have a spastic episode whenever I shut Dora off. It doesn't matter how long she’s been sitting in front of the TV drooling, she’ll freak out when I say time is up. She can never satisfy her need for Dora. I’ll turn it on for her while I do my chores and suddenly it’s afternoon and Eva is still in her pajamas. It’s a terrible crutch.
The reality is that I can never get rid of Dora now. She’s weaseled herself into our family and I have no choice but to accept my destiny. I must embrace Dora the Explorer.
It’s too bad you can’t strangle a cartoon.
A fistful of lollipops for lunch.
Hypnotized by TV.
Naked breakfast in front of Pandora.
I might be confused on the definition of competent parenting.
