Eve's Compassionate Soul

Don't get me wrong.  Eve has a special knack to say the most manipulatively mean things, and she's got a temper to match it.  That being said, she is one of the most compassionate kids I know when it counts. 
Recently we were about to leave for school.  Will and I bumped into each other, and his forehead met with the corner of the wall.  Big bleeding gash.  I sat down with him, and Eve jumped quickly to our aid.  She grabbed some tissues for me, looked directly at the blood without flinching or making a big deal, and tried her best to calm him.  Right then her compassion really struck me.  It is certainly a gift God has given her.  I wouldn't be surprised if she becomes a nurse.  A really good one.
Then, this weekend, her compassion really struck me twice more.  I've been training for a half marathon.  She's been taking piano lessons.  Saturday was my race, and also a practice recital that she's been working hard for.  I hadn't really talked about it much except that we'd have to see if Grandma could take her because my race wouldn't be over in time, and the rest of the family would be at the race (the practice recital was for students only...not spectators).  Friday night she said, "Mom, I don't want to hurt your feelings.  I know you've worked really hard for this race.  But I've worked really hard for this recital, too."  I could tell she was sad she wouldn't be there to cheer me on.  My heart just absolutely swelled.
Then, Saturday evening, Mom came over to watch the kids so Buck and I could go to a concert.  A group called the Avett Brothers.  They have a song "Ain't No Man" that the kids love.  We weren't far on our way when Mom called and said Eve had fallen and we needed to come home.  Everyone from the cul-de-sac was gathered around her.  She fell off a scooter and her wrist was swollen.  Our wonderful neighbor nurse, Sandra, whispered to me she thought it was broken (and she was right...buckle fracture in her left radius).  Eve was very upset, clearly it was scary and hurt quite a bit too.  We got her calmed down and comfortable, and having nothing else we could do (nobody puts a cast on Saturday night), we decided we go ahead and go.  Completely unprompted Eve said to Buck, "I really want you guys to stay here with me, but I also really want you to be able to go to your concert."  We did go, and Eve had a fine evening with Grandma.  I love her heart.

Sweet Ellie

Sweet Ellie (which I've discovered is the cousin of "Bless her heart").  She takes things so literally, and takes everything up a notch.  When her teacher says something, it needs to be done, it needs to be done now, and it needs to be done all out, or the world might fall apart.  Having met her teacher, who seems extremely laid back, calm, and quiet, I think most of the urgency comes from sweet Ellie.  So Friday after school I come in and find Ellie with a giant bag of toilet paper rolls.  Mind you, we haven't been saving them.  "Mrs. Chinery says we need to bring in lots of toilet paper rolls Monday (Halloween).  We're going to make a spider craft and if we don't have enough for everybody, then we won't be able to do it!" (all said in one breath).  So, I asked how she found all of those toilet paper rolls...21 total.  She searched through every bathroom trash can (gross).  A little while later I went to the bathroom.  I then discovered that she had removed the roll from the inside of several full toilet paper rolls.  We've laughed about that all weekend, only not in front of Ellie.  She's still taking this assignment very seriously.