We have a chicken in our attic!

That's according to Rachel, who informed me of that this morning while I was singing "Farmer in the Dell." I had run out of words and she reminded me about the chicken laying the eggs. So I sang the whole phrase.

"I have a chicken upstairs," she said.
"Really, Rachel?" I answered. "What's it's name?
"Just chicken."
"What color is it?"
She didn't answer. Then: "You can play with my chicken upstairs."
Pause.
"You can play with my toys upstairs, too."

A colleague at work, who has what she describes as a "gentle" 18-month-boy, was not at all surprised to hear about this sweet side of Rachel. She thinks that girls are more nurturing than boys. She may be right!

***

As I was cuddling her in the rocker this morning she looked at me and said, "Rachel DeSilver! I like that name!"
"Well I'm glad, sweetie, because I like it too!" I replied.

***

Last night I took my contact lenses off and put my glasses on while I was getting Rachel ready for her bath. (This was after she pooped in the potty for real this time, rather than me rushing her to the potty while, um, she was in the middle of the act of pooping).
"You look beeoootiful in your sunglasses!" she said. I couldn't help but laugh. "Thank you, Rachel, you made my day!" I said.
This morning after I'd dressed her in black corduroys, a pink turtleneck and her preppy little L.L.Bean sweater ($4 at a resale shop in Salem), I couldn't help taking her picture.
"I look beeootiful!" she said proudly. Yes, she did!

***

She cleared almost all the dishes from the table tonight, even after complaining her dinner plate was "too heavy" for her to carry. "I think you can carry it, sweetie," I said, and a moment later she picked it up -- and made it all the way to the counter! OK, a couple of spoons fell off, but still, it was the effort that counted!

She also informed me earlier tonight that "I love to cuddle with Mommy!" which of course made my day. Then in the glider she suddenly said, "Big Kiss!" and so of course I had to smoosh her face with kisses. Then it was "Big Hug!" and I had to hug her very tight. Then I asked the same of her. Her hugs are definitely getting bigger and more long-lasting. Oh, if I could just spend an hour at night with her in the glider, cuddling, instead of racing into the kitchen and cleaning up and calling Drew and baking cookies for a Hanukkah celebration tomorrow and getting Rachel's lunch together and calling the handyman who was supposed to come over this week to look at some stuff around the house but couldn't make it because he was sick -- if I could truly push all that aside and snuggle with my daughter, I'd be one happy woman.

***

"You can go in the living room," she informed me last night as we were finishing up dinner. "You can play with my truck. You can make the animals go." (She has a farm truck that makes noise when you press the farmer's head). Oh, yeah, now I get where the whole fascination with farms comes from!