Valentine's Day

Drew had to work a weekend shift on Valentine's Day -- the second year in a row he's had to work the holiday. So, to prevent myself from feeling too lonely, I loaded Rachel in the car and we went to Eugene to visit Molly, Calvin, Camilla and Marigold.

We had a good time as usual. Rachel was quite well-behaved even when I had to take care of Calvin and Camilla while Molly gave Marigold her bath. At one point she sat on the couch with a bottle, watching T.V. with Calvin and Camilla, and at dinner time I had her loading up the dishwasher with knives, forks and spoons and throwing garbage into the garbage can. She kept trying to close the dishwasher, even before I was finished loading it!

I got to tell Camilla a scary story (her request) and a happy story (also her request, and in desperation I started telling the "Lord of the Rings" saga, going by the movie not the book, and got stuck after Frodo gets to the Kingdom of the Elves and the Fellowship of the Ring is formed). We were sitting in the dark in front of the cozy fire Molly had built, when Rachel came toddling over and wanted to sit in my lap. I think the combination of the darkness, the warm fire and my storytime voice lulled her to sleep, because all of a sudden I looked down and her eyes were closed! She looked so comfortable snuggled up in my arms, I could've sat there most of the night.

The next day, as I was finishing dressing myself, I brought her into the bedroom to get her dressed. As soon as she saw I had laid out the diaper mat, she obligingly lay down and I changed her diaper. Then she helped dress herself, and PICKED UP THE DIRTY DIAPER I HAD FOLDED UP AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED LOOKING FOR A GARBAGE CAN TO THROW IT IN. We finally ended up going downstairs and throwing it into the can under the kitchen sink.

Drew thinks she has inherited his method and order gene. He is right.