E for Evan

Evan is very proud to be himself. He is also very proud of his first initial. So much so, that anywhere we go, anytime he spots the letter E, he is sure to point it out. "Look, Daddy! That sign has a E on it!" (Yes, it does!) "That's a E for Evan!" (Well, E is used for other words and names, too. It's not just for Evan.) "Yes it is! E is for Evan!" In fact, anywhere there is an E, just know that it is for Evan and don't bother trying to argue with him. This all started when we began marking juice boxes, kids meal leftovers, etc., with N for Nathan and E for Evan. Now, if there's an E on any item, he thinks it's his! Just this morning, he wanted to wear a red shirt for "paint the town red" day at his school (Local University homecoming this weekend - colors are red, white and black). He pulled out Nathan's red polo shirt and put it on. (Evan, that shirt is too big for you - that's Nathan's shirt.) "No, it's my shirt - it has two E's on it." I checked the tag... sure enough, the label read, "GEORGE". I told him it was George's shirt, but he just crossed his arms and said, "NO. E is for Evan!" I did manage to change shirts on him, because the one he had on didn't match his pants. That's another blog altogether!

Give-Away Car

While riding with me in the car, Nathan asked about a family friend he saw driving a different car. I informed him that they still had their first car, but they really needed a second one and one of their friends gave them the car he saw. He really thought that was nice, and suggested we make one of our vehicles a "give-away car" to someone in need. Just as I was swelling a little with pride that he had suggested such generosity, he spoke up, "That way, we could get a new car!" I replied, "You think we need a new car?" "Yes," he said, "I'm thinking we can get a convertible!" How generous of him!

All About Faces

Some of you may be aware, but after several miscarriages, Laura was nervous going into the first ultrasound while pregnant with Nathan. She prayed, "God, will I ever get to see this baby's face?" as she went to the appointment. During the ultrasound, the technician commented that it was rare to see a baby's face at that stage of pregnancy but Nathan had turned his face toward the ultrasound! Laura felt it was an answer to her prayer and that we would indeed see this child born!
Since birth, Nathan has been interested in faces. I remember his asking at a very young age about a sitter who was coming to watch him, "What kind of face does she have?" He still asks about new people (teachers, sitters, doctors, etc.) before meeting them. AND, he will tell us if someone has a nice face or not. As sibling battles erupt, he often tells Evan, "I don't like your face, Evan!" We discourage him strongly about such personal verbal attacks.

Perhaps because of Nathan's face obsession, Evan often comments on faces, too. One recent evening, Nathan had missed his nap and was having an emotional meltdown. He lashed out at me verbally as he informed me that he was NOT taking a bath, he didn't want me to TOUCH him, he didn't LIKE me, and he didn't like my FACE! Recognizing his fatigue and emotional instability, I scooped him up, informed him of his foolish behavior and choice of words, issued the due consequences for his actions, bathed him and put him to bed. After this little ordeal, I sat down on the sofa with Evan, who climbed into my lap, hugged me tight, then looked into my eyes and said with all the heartfelt sincerity in the world, "Daddy, I love your face!"

The Faces of Evan

A couple of years ago (yes, this blog's been around...), I posted some of Nathan's facial expressions (view here) for our entertaiment. Now, Evan is at that age and enjoys making faces himself. Here are some of Evan's "face shots" from the last few months...

dog squeezing face

gardener face

buckethead

human water pistol (just ask Nathan)

bathtub thug pose

I-didn't-do-it face

Maybe-Nathan-did-it face

ok-I-did-it-but-I-know-you-still-love-me face

The "Nahawk"

You've all heard of the "mohawk" - when a guy (or girl, I guess) shaves the sides of his head, so that their is basically a "racing stripe" of hair down the center of his head. Nathan's seen that on a couple of friends and family members at various points in his young life. Though they're usually short-lived, most little boys have done this at some point in time - or at least thought about it. Well, Nathan has had some crazy bathtub hair from time to time, and I'll often soap up his hair and stick it up like a mohawk just for fun. One recent evening, Laura was bathing the boys when Nathan grabbed just a few strands of soapy locks and pulled them straight up into the air. "Look mommy! It's a Nahawk!" Below is a dry-hair version...