Mommy's sick

..it's as if my body senses that Drew will be home soon (Tuesday, if he encounters no significant obstacles) and has decided that this is a perfect time for it to collapse on me. My voice is nearly gone, my muscles feel achy and I'm generally exhausted. And freezing, probably because the nice weather we had the other day is now turning cool and rainy.

I tried to tell this to Rachel today and she immediately told me she was getting a cold, too. Then she did the most extraordinary thing -- I was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping tea and trying to force myself to eat some breakfast when she said, "I'm going to get your medicine, Mommy!' "MmmMmmm," I mumbled in reply, and in a minute she was back HOLDING A BUNCH OF DAYQUIL CAPSULES IN HER LITTLE HANDS. I have no idea how she knew where to find them and the fact that she remembered what color they were.

I was speechless and almost started to cry.

"THANK YOU, Rachel!" I said. "That was so nice of you. Mommy is very grateful."

***

Rachel impressed me this morning by getting her socks and shoes on all by herself.
"Geez, Rachel, do you even need me to take care of you anymore?" I said sadly.
"NO," she replied firmly.
"Well, I'm going to need you to take care of me when I'm old," I said.
She looked at me.
"Sylvie taked care of you when you were little," she said patiently.
"Um, yes, that's true," I said, astonished.
"Sylvie can take care of you when you're old," she finished.
"I don't think so, sweetie," I said.
Then she paused.
"D will take care of you!" she concluded. ("D" is her current name for Daddy).

***

We have a little car with a mommy in it and a baby in a car seat that Linda gave us and that Rachel still likes to play with occasionally. Today she played with it in the kitchen and took the baby out of the car.

"The baby's name is SYLVIE!" she exclaimed.

Mom...I think Sylvie will be your great-granddaughter's name!