Rachel says she likes Beginners

...apparently now she's happy in Beginners, but sometimes she still says she doesn't want to go to school, like the did this morning. When I told her she had to, she gave me a wicked look and replied, "I go to school nakee!" (that's "naked.").

"You can't, Rachel," I sensibly replied. "It's too cold."

***

When we got home tonight she started singing a song she apparently has picked up in school. I didn't recognize it and the words didn't make sense, but here it is anyway:

Slippery fish, slippery fish
Gulp, gulp, gulp
Oh no, he's not eating by!
Humungous whale, humungous whale
Gulp, gulp, gulp
Oh no, he's not eating by!
A great white shark, a great white shark (yes, she pronounced this perfectly!)
Gulp, gulp, gulp
Oh no, he's not eating by!

By all means, please enlighten me if you can!

***

Rachel was even more helpful than usual tonight. As soon as we got inside she went straight to the drawer where the placemats are and set the table. Then when I was bustling around getting everything ready, she brought in her doctor's kit and played with it. And after dinner she announced she wanted to cuddle, then asked, "are you finished? We gotta clean up!" and, on her own, started clearing the dishes. She ended with this:

"When you fall asleep, I come in here and clean up the rest." Then she took my hand, said "come with me!" and insisted that I go into her bedroom and lie down on the carpet. Then she took all the blankets and covered me up, asking which side of the blankets I preferred (bunnies or pink? When I replied I wanted the side with the bunnies, she said cheerfully, "bunnies for Mommy!"), turned on the CD player, then dragged her plastic chair over to the light switch and turned it off. Then she shut the door and left me to "sleep."

I thought she was serious until, 10 minutes later, she opened the door, said, "it's my turn!" and insisted I cover her with the blankets. I used that time to finish cleaning up the kitchen, and pretty soon she padded in and announced, "I almost feel asleep!" So we went back to the bedroom, read "The Princess and the Frog," took a bath, did the rest of the routine and then I tucked her in to her crib.

"I love you, Rachel!" I said.
"I love you too," she answered.
"Good Shabbos, Rachel!" I said.
"Good Shabbos!" she answered.

And so the evening ended, as will mine -- after baking gingerbread for Amanda and Jenn, who are driving down tomorrow and will meet us after Rachel's swim lesson. I can't wait until Rachel discovers I've made gingerbread, one of her favorite things to eat!