Conversations with Rachel, Part 2

This is from Angela; it took place while I was at the fundraiser.

Angela: Daddy's coming home soon!
Rachel: 5 weeks! And then he's never leaving again forever and ever!

(Angela took several videos of Rachel singing "Clementine" and doing other cute things. She said that when Rachel was at the dinner table she asked, "where's Mommy?" and was very upset that I was gone. But when I woke her up on Sunday she said, "I had fun with Angela! We took some videos!" so I think everything went well).

Also, Angela reported, when they walked upstairs Rachel suddenly said, "I'm so cute!"
(Well, yes, sweetie!)
And when Angela tried to hold her while they were walking, Rachel demanded, "why are you holding me?"
"Because I don't want you to fall!" Angela said.
"Oh, I've got it!" Rachel reassured her.

***

Sunday morning, Rachel wanted zucchini bread so I put some in the toaster oven. After a while, she said this:
"The bread is very lonely! You put it in the oven for a very very very long time, so you gotta hurry up and take it out because it's very lonely!"

***

Also Sunday morning, I told Rachel I was tired.
"Do I look tired?" I asked.
"Your hair looks tired," she replied. (Oh, how right she was!)

***

Today I was still tired and sick and cranky, and when she said, "STOP!" in the middle of a song I was singing, I threw down the songbook with an angry motion and ignored her (we were driving home). She started cyring, I hissed "Shhh!", she continued to cry and then fell asleep for the drive, during which time I talked to Drew.

When we pulled into the garage she woke up in a sweet mood.

"You hurt my feelings before," she said gently.
"Why?" I asked.
"You finished 'This Land is Your Land,' she said. "That's not OK, Mommy. Girls don't scream at each other."
I, of course, apologized.

***

Rachel talked to Drew for a bit tonight. After they hung up she remarked, "I love Daddy's big voice!"
"Daddy loves your little voice!" I replied.
"I love YOUR voice!" she said.
"And I love YOUR voice!" I said back.

***

Rachel started crying when she spilled some milk from her sippy cup tonight; I think she was afraid I'd yell at her. Instead I just got a sponge and wiped it up, making reassuring noises the whole time.

"Thank you," she said, sniffling. "Thank you for getting a sponge."