Rachel gives fruit to Mommy

One of the best gifts I've bought Rachel was a package of play wooden fruit with a wooden knife. The fruit comes in halves that are held together with Velcro. There's also a wooden knife to cut the fruit.

When I suggested she bring a toy to dinner (she ate only a jar of apples and blueberries ans some trail mix before deciding she was finished with dinner), she lifted the tray of fruit from the coffee table in the living room and brought it to the kitchen. I was impressed and told her so -- it was heavy!

Then she proceeded to give me pieces of fruit. "They're hot," she said. "Blow on them."

So I did and declared that the strawberry and orange and banana and pear were the best I have ever tasted. She got such pleasure out of that. Then she offered me some of her trail mix and we had a nice discussion about what our favorite nuts are (hers are peanuts; mine are almonds).

She immediately helped me clear the table after dinner and then I told her to put the fruit back in the tray before we started on Mommy books and bath and songs and bed.

"Not a TRAY, Mommy!" she admonished. "It's a TABLE!"

And then she marched into the living room to put it back.