Re-cap of today

Here's how the morning began. Rachel at breakfast:

"I love ALL my family!"

"We love you TOO!" we said enthusiastically. How can you not want to hug and kiss her forever when she says that?

Later, when she kept asking question after question after question (yes, it's the stage she's in), I demanded, "Why do you ask 'why?' so much?"

"Because I'm a girl and girls say, 'why?"" she answered.

"What do boys say," I teased.

"Boys say, 'why not?'" she answered.

Oh, that explains so much more than she thinks it does....

Later on she announced that she didn't want to go with Daddy to the grocery store. He used the opportunity to buy her a play kitchen, which will be our big birthday gift to her. Before he left we both explained to her very carefully that if she wanted to stay home, she needed to play alone because Mommy had things to do in the house (like move all my winter clothes to storage and my summer clothes, including the "new" ones I hadn't worn since before Rachel was born) downstairs. I knew it would take most of the day and I was anxious to get it done.

Rachel whined a little bit after Drew left but then got down to business, coloring busily while I re-orgazined (including putting my maternity clothes in boxes for storage) and then asking if she could watch a movie (really, some Sesame Street episodes from the 1970s that Daniella had sent us -- thanks, Tia Daniella!. Normally I would have taken her outside but I needed to finish what I was doing and said, OK.

That lasted until Drew got back from grocery shopping. I headed to a bead store where they fixed some of my earrings. Before I left, Rachel said very politely, "thank you for keeping me company, Mommy," and my heart just melted because, really, I hadn't been a very good mommy -- but I knew if I didn't re-organize my clothes this afternoon it would never get done. And the clutter was driving me crazy.

When I got back Drew hung some necklace racks for me on the back of my closet door, and so now all my necklaces are nicely ordered and I can close my jewelry box. Yay! I made lamb chops and pilaf for dinner using a new recipe that we all loved; Rachel even ate some of the lamb -- and then before Drew put her to bed she said, "thank you for making lamb for dinner, Mommy." I can't get over how good I feel when my daughter shows gratitude without being prompted.

So now I hear occasional fireworks while I finish up the last of my ironing and sorting of clothes and jewelry. We're still unsure what we're going to do tomorrow, but we told Rachel we'd like to take her to see fireworks (but they're loud and make loud bangs, we said) and she seemed game. Hoping to meet up with Doug and Linda and the kids if possible, and continue to de-clutter the house in anticipation of Rachel's birthday celebration next weekend.