My Top 5 Most Satisfying Evelyn's Mama Moments

As a Mother's Day Special, I thought, what better way to celebrate,
than to think of what great moments I've had as a Mama.
This post is all about my favorite Mama moments with Evelyn,
my first born and first daughter.

I've had many, and it's a never ending list of things that make me smile as a mama, but these moments are the ones that stand out to me the most.  It did take a while to add them all up, and narrow them down, but I'm glad to share my Top 5 Most Satisfying Evelyn's Mama Moments.

When Evelyn Stood Like Daddy

When Evelyn was almost three, she suddenly started copying how Tom stood; hands on hips, weight on right leg, causing his left to stick out.   

When Evelyn started to mimic Tom's stance, she would put hands to hips, stick out her belly and, very deliberately, step out her left foot.  My husband's body is slender with a belly, so to Evelyn, it looked as if he were pushing out his belly.  She left out not a detail!

It took us a few times to realize what she was doing, my brother noticed it first, and eventually, we just needed to ask, "How does Daddy stand?" and she would immediately do her mimicking stance.

When Evelyn Says She'll Help Raven

Okay, so this covers a lot of times, but it's specific times when Evelyn tells me, "It's okay Mama, I'll help Raven know what to do."  I'm tearing just hearing her little voice in my mind.  It makes you feel wonderful when your hear your child repeat your words in their own.

When Evelyn Said She Wanted to Learn French

This is not something I've mentioned, don't want to jinx it and I didn't plan to blog about it, but I have a goal to learn Spanish and French by the time I am thirty.  My husband knows Spanish already, and my father's parents were from Mexico until they migrated.  My father was the first in his family to be born in the States.  I am the only one, now, in my family that doesn't know Spanish.  We have been listening to French songs to familiarize ourself with it, and Evelyn has a favorite already, Pappoutai by Stroame.  She asks for it all the time.  She told me that she wanted to hear it more, the "Daddy where are you song," so she could learn French and we could all learn it and talk it together.  She tries her best to sing what she can from what she can hear, and what we help her with.  It makes me feel amazing when I learn that my kid(s) want to learn more, and learn something many American children might not even think about.

When Evelyn Talked About Killing the Deer to Eat It

I am sorry to anyone that thinks killing animals is horrible, but I live in Texas and we like our guns, we like our meat, and we don't mind using the first to get the second.  I don't remember the conversation, how it started, but Evelyn was four, and she said that if she saw a deer, she would shoot it, and then we'd take off the skin, and then we could eat all the meat.  We are not a hunting family.  We don't do that regularly, in fact, I've never hunted, only target shooting.  I'm not sure if she heard it from us, or from my extended family, but I knew I was raising a Texan when she said that with such a happy voice.

When Evelyn Said Why She'd Be in Slytherin House

Harry Potter has been a part of my life for the last 15 years, and I don't see it leaving in the future.  It was the first series I ever read and is one of the few that my husband has read.  If you're a Potter nerd like me, you know what house you are in, and if you have young kids, you wonder what house they will be in.  My husband, Tom, is a Slytherin, and I am a Gryffindor.  I bought Evelyn a Gryffindor shirt from the junior section at Walmart for $3.  One day, I was trying to get her to wear it again, she had stopped, and she said she would only wear it when watching Harry Potter.  Tom said something, and I looked at Evelyn and said, "Don't worry, he's a Slytherin."  Evelyn asked what a Slytherin was.  I told her they are cunning and clever, and always find a way to do anything.  She then she said, "I would be in Slytherin because, because I'm slen-skinny.  I'm skinny so I'd be in Slytherin."  Tom looked to me, "That's as good enough reason as any."

It's been, almost a six year journey, and I am very happy to be Mama.
I look forward to more little voices calling me that!

Happy Mother's Day!

(Check out RAVEN'S MAMA MOMENTS!)

Evelyn's First Year of School

This post is a long time coming and all pictures are extra large because this is an extra special post.  It originally was going to be written as "Evelyn's First Week of School" but it just took too long to post so then it stretched from her first week to her first year of school.

This post will be the 

Highlights of Evelyn's First Year of School.

 Daddy helping Evelyn get on her new shoes.

Evelyn putting her lunch away for the first time!

The first week was nerve wreaking for me but not for Evelyn.  She didn't even look at us when we dropped her off on her first day.  Her teacher had to tell her to say bye to us.  Oh, how they grow.  

School was very fun for Evelyn, all year long.  She made many friends and became The Girl That Hugs Everybody and when she hugs them, she would also lift them up.  Evelyn is the biggest in her class so it wasn't hard for her to do it but it is not safe in anyway for her to do it.  Every time, "Do not lift just hug.  No don't lift.  Evelyn I said not to lift him!"  Every time.  The kids loved it though and would ask her for hugs all the time.  Evelyn has always been the mothering type and school hadn't changed that in her.  She became more chatty and listened less to us since she started school but she became an even bigger helper.  Evelyn loves to help every one in any way she can and I'm glad that school only encouraged that.

Evelyn's school does fun extra days and I'm sorry that I didn't really take any pictures of her dressed up.  One of the first special days she had was for Dieciseis de Septembre (September 16th); Mexican Independence Day.  We live in Texas, and maybe it's just South Texas that does this, but we recognize  Dieciseis de Septembre because it was important that Mexico gained it's independence from Spain.  This often is confused with Cinco de Mayo which is actually celebrating a victory for Mexico against French invaders which became a turing point in the war.  Mexico gaining it's independence meant that later, Texas was able to gain it's independence from them.  Stepping away from the history lesson; to celebrate, the kids all brought something from or about Mexico to class and talk about what they brought.  Tio Stevy, by this time, was back from his mission in Mexico and he had brought souvenirs so Evelyn took two things to class and talked about them.  She was very excited and her teachers said she did well.

Thanksgiving came and Evelyn and I made a turkey.  We were given a picture of turkey to disguise so that it wouldn't be eaten for Thanksgiving.

Can you guess who are turkey is impersonating?  Sheriff Callie!  We used scrapbook paper, penne noodles for the fence and went outside to find weeds.  The only thing we didn't do by hand was Sparky, whom was a print out.  We used him because "Sheriff Callie always needs Sparky!" as Evelyn declared.  

Christmas was when Evelyn's class was visited by an elf and left gifts for all the kids.  Evelyn had lots of fun at Christmas time.  We receive a gift from her for Christmas; a picture of Evelyn wrapped in green and Christmas lights.  She was a tree...so adorable!

Texas Public School Week was all about dress up!  It was fun!  One of the days was "Dress what you want to be when you grow up."  Evelyn first said, "Firewoman!" and said because that's what Daddy is.  A fireman.  So I asked her if she wanted to be an EMT or a doctor like Daddy too.  She was hesitant and didn't want to say no.  I could tell she didn't want to disappoint us by not being like Daddy.  I told her that she didn't have to be like Daddy, that she could be whatever she wants.

"Really?" she looked surprised.

"Really.  Now what do you really want to be when you grow up?"

Her eyes brightened and she shouted, "I want to be a race car driver!"

So my mother in law pieced together blue Dickies and a small men's work shirt to make a racer's jumpsuit.  I made felt patches of actual name brands.  She loved it.

Graduation was May 15th.  She did so well!  The kids sang for us.  Each class took turns on the stage while they all sang.  Evelyn's class was on stage for De Colores.  They sang four songs.  Evelyn was amazing and it surprised me how well she did, considering that she often got into trouble during graduation practice.

After we took our pictures with Evelyn, we took her home, she changed her clothes and we went to McDonald's.

50s Dance!

50's week was so fun also!  On Wednesday, we went to the school to watch the Pre-K 4 perform.  Evelyn had so much fun and did such a wonderful job.  We didn't get in the very front row but we still had a fair view.  The first class, my mom's class actually, finished first and when Evelyn's class went backstage, two people got up from the front row.  I ran, literally, to take a spot and I was able to film the whole thing from the front row!  Yay!

Ms. Benavides, Evelyn and Ms. Garza

All four of us in Evelyn's classroom after her dance.

Evelyn and Harvey Principal Ms. D. Mireles

Nurse Cox and Evelyn

Evelyn and Grandma Garcia

Evelyn, Grandma Garcia and Raven

After the 50s dance, we were able to take Evelyn home.  She changed her clothes and we went to McDonald's.

The last week of school, the last week of May, was all about fun!  Monday was Memorial day so the students didn't have school.  Tuesday was Field Day where the kids were able to play outside with water.  Parents were asked to send extra clothes and shoes and the kids were able to wear any shorts (that weren't short shorts) and also a hat.

Last day of school was a half day.

Teachers' gifts were given...

and surprises were made...

What Evelyn was coming home to.  Check out and see what the Summer Adventures Poster is all about.

Evelyn came in to take off her boots,  unbeknowest what awaited her. 

Gives Daddy her back pack for the last time this school year.

"Is all this for me?" 

"Yes it is!  Give me a smile and look at the camera!"

"Now dig in!"

And boy did she dig in!

Looks like she liked it!  We let her just eat as much as she wanted since it was the last day of school.

She ended up eating nearly half of it.  Good thing she just had lunch at school.

Later, after Grandma and Grandpa came home, teachers didn't get a half day, we went out to eat.

Then we went to McDonalds to get ice cream and let Evelyn play.

It was a great last day of the first year of school!

Evelyn's response when I asked her what she remembers about school:

"I remember about playing on the play ground.  I remember seeing my teachers around.  H* Elementary school used to be my new school.  Then we had new kids come in.  A long time ago, I remember, you were at my new school, Daddy was at my new school, Raven was at my new school and I was at my new school.  I was playing at PE this week all the time I was playing at PE, all week long and I would go to the cafeteria after PE then when we were all done eating our food at school we would put it in the trash can then when we were all done with our work we would give it to Ms. Garza so she could put the smily face.  That's all I need to remember."

I want to break this down for you, really for me to remember everything Evelyn was talking about in the future.

Evelyn put emphasis on Harvey Elementary not being her new school.  She's grown and school is not new for her anymore, and even though you can never get a first back, it is a nice feeling not being new to school.  When Evelyn talked about all of us being at school with her, she was remembering her first day of school.  I think PE was her favorite part of school first, then eating in the cafeteria with her friends.  The work she would give to Ms. Garza was their weekly homework they did every Tuesday.  Evelyn was so happy with herself when she would turn in her homework.  Getting her to focus on it was rarely smooth but she was so happy when she would finish it.  She would show it off to Daddy and which ever grandma we were living with at the time.

Evelyn did so well during her first year of school.  She had challenges, we as her parents had challenges, but she adapted very well to going to school everyday and doing homework, eating in the cafeteria, just about every part of school she did so well in.  She was great with her colors and shapes, though she didn't always give right answers to be silly, and she perfected the alphabet and cleared on her numbers!

We are so happy with our grown girl

EVELYN!