Eva the Troublemaker

I've been debating about whether to blog this post or not because Eva hasn't been a troublemaker for 8 years or so. Truthfully, she has been a unique sort of child in that she basically causes little to no trouble for anyone. I even remember that her Sunbeam teacher commented on Eva's willingness to listen and learn in Primary and even said that she "seemed to get irritated when other kids were a bit disruptive." At the time I couldn't hardly believe it because she wasn't like that at home! But it didn't take long for that part of her personality to take center stage. And I'm certainly grateful because I wouldn't have been able to take several years like the first 4:

1. Fussy baby. She was my fussiest baby. So much screaming. I can remember putting her in a room where I knew she would be safe and then taking a shower using all the hot water because it was the only thing that would drown out the noise. She was definitely my loudest baby! The poor thing had lots of ear infections.

2. Climbing. Eva was a climber and into everything! Nothing was safe and often she took dangerous risks. I remember one friend commenting about her climbing out of her high chair and how I shouldn't let her do it and I just kind of laughed--like I was going to stop her and also it wasn't half so dangerous as tons of other stuff she climbed! She climbed out of her crib so early that we had to brace the frame and balance the mattress on a set of boxes so it would be low enough to keep her in. She climbed her dresser one day and had to have stitches on her upper lip--the first week we were in our house and I had to ask a neighbor to take us to the ER since I didn't know where the hospital was and didn't have a vehicle of my own. I remember she was 18 months old one morning and I went outside the apartment to take our trash to the dumpster and came back to find her sitting on the refrigerator!

3. Bedtime. She never wanted to go to bed. For the first two years of her life Eva had to cry/scream herself to sleep for at least 20 minutes. She could never fall or be rocked to sleep. When I had friends over to scrapbook it was serious torture for her because she loved to be around people. She used to stick her arms out under the door (up to her elbow) and say, "Hellooooo, Hiiiii, Can I come out?" Sometimes she would even stick her legs out under the door. She has always been a people person and that has never changed. She loves to make friends and make people happy.

4. Church. She was so much trouble in church. People that have known us for the last few years would be surprised to learn that Eva used to be so difficult. I remember her playing "firecracker" with cheerios, throwing them everywhere with sound effects and when I tried to help her pick them up she would smash them into the floor with her heels. Another Eva classic was the spitting. One Sunday she decided to spit--I don't know why but it was nice hawk a lugie spitting and the people all around us were moving to the edges of their seats. I had to drag her and her big baby brother (he really was heavy) around the church to the bathrooms where I put soap in her mouth and took her back where she proceeded to continue the spitting. Vince and I will never forget our first Sunday in the ward we currently live in. She threw a pen--like a missile. And hit the wife of a member of the Bishopric squarely in the back of the head. The poor woman was sitting 3 rows in front of us. I remember taking Eva out of Sacrament Meeting one day thoroughly exasperated and an older sister saying to me, "Heavenly Father sent her to you because He knew you would be able to handle her--you'll be fine." I'll never forget it!

5. Tantrums. All my kids have had tempers to varying degrees but when Eva was about 3 years old she had the worst! She would scream and kick, hit and bite me when I would tell her to come in from outside and/or ask her to clean her room. I used to worry about her temper so much! I remember having conversations with her about how if she was angry she could go to her room and draw pictures, or hit her pillow--she liked that, the idea that it was OK to hit something!

6. Law enforcement. It's true. Eva was about 4 years old when we bought this house and one day in our first few months a police officer knocked on the door and asked for Eva. I was really surprised and couldn't stop the thought, "Oh my, if the police are coming when she's four however are we going to get through teenage years!" He had pictures of some vandalism to the neighbor's yard (their rock wall had been partially disassembled) and wanted to know if Eva knew anything about it. At that point I was relieved because I thought "No way!" Imagine my shock and horror to hear her say she did know about it because she had helped do that. (One thing great about Eva--she's always been honest!) We went over there that evening and she had to work hard to help repair the damage! Another time I was frantic because I couldn't find her anywhere! I had been looking and every neighbor was looking and we were so concerned that I was on the phone with the 911 operator when one neighbor finally found her. She was in a house--a new neighbor that I hadn't met--making friends with a new little girl and had been watching us out the girl's living room window and giggling at us looking for her!

Thankfully, the real trouble seems to have been concentrated in the first few years of her life. She's grown into a beautiful young woman that I am so proud of! I love how she cares about and takes care of others! She's so helpful in any situation she's placed in. She's responsible for her age, mature beyond her years. She helps keep me in line and I'm a better person because she's a great leader and I can't help but learn from her each day. Her untiring love of the Lord and her willingness to serve him and do the right thing are exemplary. She reads her scriptures and prays each day (I know because the other day she was concerned that she had forgotten the night before). Our Bishop seemed impressed with her when he interviewed her for her Faith in God award. He said (when she wasn't looking) "If she was a boy I'd be certain she would be a prophet one day." I really think he's exaggerating a bit but she is exceptional by anyone's standard. She's living proof of the growth we are all capable of and I look forward to seeing her grow and mature even more over the next several years!