She has the most thought provoking, google inducing questions. Some even google can't answer. Like, if we always tell her "it's GOOD to make mistakes, and we learn through our mistakes, well then how did Jesus ever learn anything, because he didn't make any mistakes?" She literally asked this a week ago. Any great answers, because, "Well... mistakes aren't the *only* way we learn." didn't really satiate her curiosity.
Tonight when I was putting her to bed I said, "Okay 6 years old, I will tell you six things I love about you." And I rattled off six things and went to give her a kiss goodnight before going to bed myself. And she said, "Wait, how old are you? Okay I'm going to tell you 35 things I love about you!" And while this may have been delaying bedtime tactic, it was a darn good one. And that list was the most amazing thing I've ever heard. Not a single thing was about her. Like cooking dinner for her, or anything that involved her at all. It was things like, "You always try so hard! Even when you fail at your resolutions, do you give up? NO! You just keep trying. That's so good, Mom." I mean, she went hard. "You have a job that you love. And you wake up SO early because you care about people. And you care about us and you care about kids in China. You just really care about people. You always have this smile on your face when your kids are happy. You make sure we always have great birthdays and make us feel so important and special. When someone gets hurt you don't yell at them for doing something wrong, you just make sure they're okay. You have so much faith and you teach us about the Gospel and your spirit just fills my spirit up, like this (moving her hand up higher and higher)." She went on and on and I wish so much I could have recorded it because I can't remember quite everything. Though never giving up was repeated a few times.
She is so caring and one of my favorite things about Eliza is how quick she is to apologize and recognize when she did something wrong. I had an experience when she was a toddler throwing a huge tantrum and I was about to discipline this behavior when the Spirit spoke so clearly to me. "Don't break her spirit. Don't break her. She has a special spirit, she feels things strongly, don't break her spirit." Believe it or not, I had been given the advice before, with my first child, that I had to "break her spirit" and if I didn't I would have trouble her the rest of her life. You show them who's boss when they're toddlers and you won't have to show them again when they're teenagers. Maybe this is true. But it just felt awful to me, and I am so glad I listened to that prompting and have always kept it in mind. Whenever she would throw fits or get upset, I would usually respond with empathy and naming her feelings and helping her work through it. Not that I was 100% perfect at this, but I am so grateful to see the fruits of my efforts in this regard. When Eliza makes a mistake she's the first to admit, apologize, try to make it right, and move on. I pray she keeps this gift forever!
Right before her first birthday, my brother died, and Eliza stayed in NJ with me, while Aaron flew the other kids home. She was such a light to everyone during that time. She happily went to whoever wanted to hold her. She would try her hardest to toddle between two grieving adults, bringing them joy and smiles during the darkest time. I know it could have been any toddling, cute 11 month old that would have distracted us then, but I really believe there is something special about Eliza. Especially as a baby, everyone just LOVED her. And now, anyone who takes the time to get to know her and see past her sass, also fall in love.
She is also so empathetic and caring. When someone is hurt she will be the first trying to cheer them up.
She is still obsessed with her "night night" and she does this thing where she rubs her face with her blanket and kind of sucks on her lip. I'm not even sure what she's doing, she calls it "mmmm-ing" and she can't quit it. Even though it's rubbed the enamel completely off her teeth (thank goodness they're baby teeth and hopefully when they fall out she won't be able to "mmm" anymore and break the habit before her adult teeth grow in!).
Yesterday we were playing basketball and I told her that I think it's too high for any 5 year old to be able to make a basket, but she wanted to try anyway. I told her, "Okay, but it's really all in the legs." "I know, Mom! I know. Alll...in... the legs..." She crouched down then jumped up and shot, and it went right in! Then she did it again! 2 in a row. She was beaming. "Maybe I could be on a basketball team, afterall!"
I need to go to bed, but really I could write a novel about this girl and the funny things she says and the wonderful things she does.
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