Last Sunday we attended our Kilauea ward for the first time. It seems like a wonderful ward - of course, the Honomu branch was so incredibly welcoming and reached out to each one of us that it would be hard to beat, but the Kilauea ward is very warm and inclusive as well. We are excited to participate and serve there! Eden and Lucy were absolute pumpkins, due to all the moving around and unpredictable scheduling, but thankfully Nate was on standby for work, so it was two on two. During one of the talks, Eden was wriggling around to look at the family behind us. She began to quietly sing, "Where are you, tall man? Oh, where are you?" My eyes were on her, but I was trying to listen to the speaker, so my attention really wasn't. Besides, she always has to fumble a little bit with her fingers before she can get one of them to stand up alone.
Not this time! Right on cue, she held up her hand and perfectly flipped off the family behind us! I grabbed her hand and we all dissolved into (mostly) silent, shaking giggles. Eden just looked at me, puzzled, innocent, and utterly hilarious.
The week before that, when I went to pick her up from nursery, the Primary president couldn't say enough good things about her. She was amazed at her verbal ability ("I can't believe I was standing there having a full conversation with a two year old!!") and the way she paid attention and interacted in Primary. I almost fell over, though, when she said, "Her name is Belle, right?" Apparently Eden does just fine introducing herself when we are not around!!
(Actually, since we moved out here, Eden has taken to introducing herself as a character from her favorite movies or stories. I probably mentioned it before, but it got pretty extreme during all our moving around. She had so many new people asking her name every day that she got very good! Its very rarely her own real name! Although its funny, it can be a little odd/embarrassing, and I have struggled to know how to handle it. Do I just let it go? Correct her? Laugh? Pay no attention? She's not doing it for my sake or play a trick or make a joke, she's sincerely introducing herself! For a few days when it got really extreme, I found myself laughing and saying something like, "She wishes!" or "Now tell them your real name," but I felt bad about those responses - I don't want to be rude to my own daughter! Its still funny, and still happens, but now I mostly just smile and only explain if necessary.)
(Edited to add:)
Saturday night, we packed up our dinner, and Nate took us all to a little school playground for an evening picnic. There was a lovely little hill overlooking the play area, and as it was almost dark, only one other couple there with a little boy about Eden's size. They were sitting on the hill, watching him play down below, when we got there, and we sat a little way off to eat our food. As soon as Eden saw the playground, she begged to go play first, and eat later. We let her go, and admired the confidence and agility with which she navigated the equipment. She even climbed up that twirly ladder thing and after a few tries, successfully stepped over to the main play platform! Her interaction with the little boy seemed minimal, but friendly. A few minutes later, another mom and young boy, probably 5 or so, showed up. Eden immediately wanted to make friends, and although we couldn't hear very well, we watched her join in a game of chase with great glee. First the bigger boy, then Eden, then the little boy, went racing around the slides and stairs. When they came around the other side, however, the order was reversed, and the little boy was running as fast as he could go! He headed off the padded area, making a beeline for his parents, and as they got a little closer, we heard him screaming, "WAAAAA! Waaaa! Moooommmmmyyy!!!! WAAAA!!" and saw Eden leaping after him, roaring like a beast, with fingers hooked into claws!!! I couldn't believe my eyes!! We tried to reprimand a little, but we were all laughing in disbelief (the little boy's parents included.) They sent him back down to play, and a few minutes later it happened again! It was time for them to go, and Eden came panting up to eat some dinner. We were talking about what had happened, and she kept asking, "But why? Why was the little boy running away from me?" We hadn't been close enough to hear what started it, so we could only explain so much, when suddenly she said, "Maybe because I bit him."
"Really??!!"
"No, not really.... We were just playing..."
But later, as we got in the van and she mentioned it again, I asked if she really did, and she said yes. Oh, dear. I hope not!!!
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