Eva turned fourteen today. She’s in the eighth grade and started in a new school this fall after the family move from Hamilton to Holland. She’s adjusted well to her new surroundings and made the eighth-grade volleyball team. Ruth and I have been attending her matches. She does well and likes to play.
She’s made several new friends. I’ve met a couple of the girls but only heard rumors about the boys. She took a fancy to a young lad in Hamilton back in the second or third grade. His name was Noel, but I referred to him as “Mole”. We’ve both had a bit of fun with that. I expect there will be several new Noels down the line. She’ll be learning about breaking hearts, and getting her’s broken, all too soon.
The big news in her life is she has her own cell phone now. I’m sure there are guidelines with the new phone, but I haven’t asked. The greatest thing for me is now we can text. We exchange a few around the volleyball matches that Ruth and I miss. It’s a nice quick way to stay in touch. She never brags about her success. In fact, I sometimes wish she would. She’s too humble regarding her skill set. Learning how to accept praise is sometimes a difficult task.
She’s been wearing braces for a while and sometimes is self-conscious about her smile. She’s taller than she’d like to be. She doesn’t realize how beautiful she is, and she’s just getting started.
She doesn’t say it aloud, but I think her brother, Brady, is her best friend. They have their share of fights like most brothers and sisters, but it’s clear they love each other and look out for one another. I think they’ve learned that from watching how their mom and dad value their siblings. Being close in age helps tie the bond.
She’s thinking about getting a part-time job. Now that she’s fourteen, she’s eligible for a work-permit. Her work hours will be limited. Working a few hours on the weekend would be perfect. There are countless opportunities for people willing to work, and getting started at a young age should be advantageous down the road. She likes to help, so something in the service industry would be perfect. Anyone who hires her would have a wonderful employee. Plus, she’s beautiful. With her gene pool, I wouldn’t have expected anything less.