April 4, 2004

Things changed for Evan in 2004, when Mama stopped working to be at home. A busy weekly schedule soon emerged: tots class at the YMCA on Tuesday morning, play group at church on Wednesday morning, Thursday Evan went to play at a friend's house while Mama went to yoga class, and another play group most Fridays. Monday continued to be our "day off" - Mama and Evan day, when we went to the DuPage Children's Museum, the mall, or just running errands. At home, Evan loved to watch videos - Baby Einstein videos, Maisy, or trucks - and to play with his new train table.

Evan loved to play outside when it wasn't too cold, and enjoyed playing in the snow. He loved sledding down the small hill in the nearby park, and being pulled on the sled along the sidewalks on the way there and back. (He referred to this as "Walk Boat".) One day when he was outside playing with trucks in the snow in the back yard, Daddy made him hot cocoa to help him warm up, and an obsession was born. By the end of the month, Evan was drinking hot cocoa at bedtime every night, and hot instant breakfast for breakfast every morning. The first words out of his mouth as he wakes up each morning are, "hot cocoa, mama."

He continued to love his daily bath, too, as well as playing with water of any sort - in the sink, with his play kitchen, or giving his doll a bath. Early in the year, Evan and Daddy began a swimming class together at the local YMCA, which Even refers to either as "Y" or "BIG bath!" The "big bath" became the highlight of Evan's week for a while, and we signed up for the follow-on class right away.

Evan's speech really took off this winter, maybe because of having Mama home talking to him all the time. :) Early words were bus, beep-beep, bath, choo choo, bye bye, thank you, and please, which he always says along with the sign language motion he learned from the speech therapist last fall. Daddy's best birthday present was when Evan said "Happy Birthday" to him on the phone. (Daddy was in San Francisco on a business trip.) Other first sentences were "Mama got up" and "I broke it."

President's Day weekend in February was a very busy weekend. Evan went to a birthday party for his good friend Edwin. It was his first birthday party (except for the ones given for him last summer). The party had a truck theme, since trucks are a passion Evan and Edwin share. Evan wasn't too sure about the games, but the cake and party favors were great!

While we were at the party, Aunt Katie and Uncle Skyler arrived, and during his nap, Nana and Papa arrived. We all went out that evening to celebrate Daddy's birthday. On Sunday, everyone but Mama went to the Chicago Botanical Gardens (unquestionably one of our favorite Chicago recreational places) and enjoyed the warm greenhouses. (Mama had left for a three-day retreat.)

In March, Grandma and Grandpa Schultz came to visit. They took Evan to the DuPage Children's Museum, which had become Evan's favorite place over the winter. (He even received his own membership for Christmas!) The next weekend, the whole Priestley clan (Nana's family) came to Chicago to celebrate multiple family birthdays. We went out to supper, then had a big birthday cake at our house afterwards. Evan was fascinated by the candles, and loved the balloons, but thought he should be getting presents, too. (Nana let him help open some of hers, but the gifts didn't seem very exciting. No trucks at all!)

The following weekend, we went to Austin to visit our good friends Emily and David and to attend another good friend's wedding in Fort Worth. Evan loved Emily and David's dachsunds, Clover and Leo, and he was delighted to play outside in the much-warmer-than-Chicago weather. He especially enjoyed using his trucks to move pebbles from their backyard onto their deck, leaving little rock piles all over.

We visited the Texas State History Museum, where Evan was terrified by a life-size sculpture of a mounted Conquistador. (He refused to go anywhere near it the whole time we were there, but for days afterward told us that he wanted to go back to "Museum--Nay".) He really enjoyed the IMAX theater presentation of Coral Reef Adventure. (Lots of water! Could Evan be any happier? Memorable quote: "BIG veeeoh!" translation: "big video.") Later in the week, we had a great day at a park in downtown Austin by the river, riding a train and feeding ducks and playing in the playground and generally loving the sunshine!

Greg and Lisa's wedding (Greg was Daddy's best man in Mama and Daddy's wedding) wasn't so much to Evan's liking, but (much to Mama and Daddy's relief) he fell asleep halfway through the ceremony beneath Daddy's jacket. A highlight of the trip, however, was when the pianist began playing Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring for the processional and Evan hollered out, "Bach, mama! Baby Bach!"

Despite Evan's attempts at solo vocal performances, Mama and Daddy loved the service, and especially enjoyed seeing Greg and meeting Lisa!

At the end of March and into April, Aunt Jodi and cousin Silas came to visit. We took Silas to the Children's Museum and went to the Brookfield Zoo on an early spring day. Evan introduced Silas to Sesame Street videos and playing with trucks. It was fun to have someone younger around for a while.