That's what Drew said tonight after Rachel announced, as we were pulling away from Baskin Robbins (it was an after-Shabbat dinner treat because the weather was so nice and warm today), "And away they went!"
***
Rachel is getting more comfortable with loud noises. Rather, she attempts to prove to us that she's comfortable with loud noises by coming into my bathroom occasionally when she hears I'm using the hair dryer. She stands right next to me, not making a sound, as I dry my hair, with her little solemn eyes looking at me. I know she's doing to it prove she's OK with the noise, since she told me so a couple of weeks ago. Now all she needs to do is be OK with the vacuum cleaner and we can return to our previously scheduled life...
***
"I don't like myself," Rachel announced tonight as we were driving to Baskin Robbins.
"Why don't you like yourself, sweetie?" I asked.
"Because I'm a bad person," she said.
"You're not a bad person!" I said, astonished.
"I do bad things," she replied.
"Rachel, just because you do bad things doesn't mean you're a bad person," I said. "It just means that you do bad things!"
"Yeah," she agreed. "When you take the mask off bad people, they turn into good people!"
Um, OK.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
On the way to work today
Here's what Rachel said while we were driving downtown and noticed several bikers who weren't wearing helmets:
"Why should we always wear helmets, Rachel?" I asked.
"If you don't wear your helmet, your brains will break!" she said. "All your energy will fall out and you can't climb!"
***
Every time we're near preschool we see a building that is almost completely constructed, and I always remark that I wonder what it will be.
"They're still working on that building up ahead!" Rachel said today.
"Yeah," I said. "I wonder what it's going to be."
"Maybe it's going to be for a customer!" she said.
Well, yes.
"Why should we always wear helmets, Rachel?" I asked.
"If you don't wear your helmet, your brains will break!" she said. "All your energy will fall out and you can't climb!"
***
Every time we're near preschool we see a building that is almost completely constructed, and I always remark that I wonder what it will be.
"They're still working on that building up ahead!" Rachel said today.
"Yeah," I said. "I wonder what it's going to be."
"Maybe it's going to be for a customer!" she said.
Well, yes.
Best Rosh Hashana EVER
Remember that commercial in the 1980s, the one for Enjoli perfume that started, "I can bring home the bacon/fry it up in a pan..."? I felt a little like that tonight.
Because of the way our schedules worked this week, Drew is in Seattle today instead of home. Which means, like last year, I'm alone with Rachel on the holiday. Last year I put her in the synagogue's child care while I went to evening services. I have no idea how I fed us dinner. I do remember taking her to the children's service the next day, and I think we ended up spending the day at a park.
Here's how tonight went: I picked Rachel up from preschool, persuaded her that instead of going to the park, I'd make her favorite dinner (lemon chicken with noodles), and we'd go to the playground (2 blocks from our house) instead. So, I dashed into the house, put together the marinade for the chicken (with Rachel's generous help -- "I want to help you!" she exclaimed, so I put her to work peeling garlic and helping me squeeze lemon; she is almost at the point where I can set her to do some simple tasks without supervision), put the chicken in the oven, stripped off my power clothes(sheer stockings, short skirt, high heels, etc. for a bunch of meetings I had today), pulled on jeans, a T-shirt and fleece, then grabbed Rachel and we RAN to the playground. We managed to squeeze in about 20 minutes there before it got really too dark to see. Rachel went up the slide backwards, slid down backwards, and then we played airplane, where Mommy was the air traffic controller and Rachel slid the plane (i.e, her body) down the slide.
When we got home the air was filled with the smell of dinner. Normally I would never leave the house with the oven on, but there was nothing I could do that would get Rachel to bed at a decent hour AND allow her to play outside AND get a nice Rosh Hashana meal on the table. She was really hungry when we got home, but I placated her with some challah and she was really quite patient until the chicken was ready. We lit the candles, and Rachel announced, "I'm going to say ALL the amens!" Not only did she do that, but she started reciting the blessings along with me!
We had a nice dinner, and so I rewarded her with a chocolate-chip cookie for dessert (I had promised to get some dessert from Willamette; she had expected brownies and started kicking up a fuss when I picked her up from school until I told her that she'd get a timeout if she continued). We read one book, and she asked me very sweetly, "Can you sing me a lullabye?" So I sang a couple of songs while we were in the glider, including two Shabbat songs. "Can you cuddle with me in bed?" she pleaded, and when I obliged she did the loveliest thing -- she put one arm across my shoulder and took my hand in her other hand and held it close to her chest. We lay there for 20 minutes, with me rubbing her back and running my fingers through her air, and me not able to bear to get up, until I finally whispered, "I love you," and moved to get up. She started whimpering a bit until I said I had to go and clean up the kitchen. "Shana tova!" I said, and then left the room.
Because of the way our schedules worked this week, Drew is in Seattle today instead of home. Which means, like last year, I'm alone with Rachel on the holiday. Last year I put her in the synagogue's child care while I went to evening services. I have no idea how I fed us dinner. I do remember taking her to the children's service the next day, and I think we ended up spending the day at a park.
Here's how tonight went: I picked Rachel up from preschool, persuaded her that instead of going to the park, I'd make her favorite dinner (lemon chicken with noodles), and we'd go to the playground (2 blocks from our house) instead. So, I dashed into the house, put together the marinade for the chicken (with Rachel's generous help -- "I want to help you!" she exclaimed, so I put her to work peeling garlic and helping me squeeze lemon; she is almost at the point where I can set her to do some simple tasks without supervision), put the chicken in the oven, stripped off my power clothes(sheer stockings, short skirt, high heels, etc. for a bunch of meetings I had today), pulled on jeans, a T-shirt and fleece, then grabbed Rachel and we RAN to the playground. We managed to squeeze in about 20 minutes there before it got really too dark to see. Rachel went up the slide backwards, slid down backwards, and then we played airplane, where Mommy was the air traffic controller and Rachel slid the plane (i.e, her body) down the slide.
When we got home the air was filled with the smell of dinner. Normally I would never leave the house with the oven on, but there was nothing I could do that would get Rachel to bed at a decent hour AND allow her to play outside AND get a nice Rosh Hashana meal on the table. She was really hungry when we got home, but I placated her with some challah and she was really quite patient until the chicken was ready. We lit the candles, and Rachel announced, "I'm going to say ALL the amens!" Not only did she do that, but she started reciting the blessings along with me!
We had a nice dinner, and so I rewarded her with a chocolate-chip cookie for dessert (I had promised to get some dessert from Willamette; she had expected brownies and started kicking up a fuss when I picked her up from school until I told her that she'd get a timeout if she continued). We read one book, and she asked me very sweetly, "Can you sing me a lullabye?" So I sang a couple of songs while we were in the glider, including two Shabbat songs. "Can you cuddle with me in bed?" she pleaded, and when I obliged she did the loveliest thing -- she put one arm across my shoulder and took my hand in her other hand and held it close to her chest. We lay there for 20 minutes, with me rubbing her back and running my fingers through her air, and me not able to bear to get up, until I finally whispered, "I love you," and moved to get up. She started whimpering a bit until I said I had to go and clean up the kitchen. "Shana tova!" I said, and then left the room.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
The call that every parent dreads
Got a call today at 3:20, just as I was frantically trying to herd proofs of the magazine over to the designers, from Rachel's preschool. She had a 100 degree fever, they said, and had spent much of the day listlessly sitting around. The most concerning thing was that the kid who usually naps no longer than 45 minutes slept for 2 1/2 HOURS. Plus, she didn't eat any lunch (par for the course, apparently).
I left as soon as I could (actually, at 5:08, way too late to make it on time -- and yet somehow I got to Portland in less than an hour). When I got to school, Rachel didn't say anything but indicated she wanted me to pick her up. I did, and she held on to me for the entire time we walked across the street to my car, settled in the back seat, and just sat, with me cuddling her against my chest. I kept murmuring comforting words, asking if she was OK, etc., but she didn't answer. Poor little thing -- her cheeks weren't red, but they were warm. She had just enough energy to say "wanna go to the park!" and ask for some granola, which of course I gave her.
She perked up quite a bit when we went to Grant Park -- she went down the big slide, insisted I push her "very fast!" on the swings, and raced across the rubber bridge on the play structure. All the while she was wearing the dress she picked out for Picture Day at school -- a lovely lace dress with pale yellow flowers and a yellow sash that once belonged to Anne, my cousin David's wife. She gave it to us a year ago and I was overwhelmed by the gesture. It's still a bit big for Rachel but she looks completely adorable in it anyway, and I'm sure she'll be able to wear it this time next year. A grandma pushing her grandkids on the swings was so taken by the dress that she remarked on it, saying it looked just like the dresses she remembered from HER childhood. Thanks again, Anne!
By the time we got home, Rachel was back to her perky self -- crying a little, but then I took her temperature and it was back down to 95 or so. I changed her into her pajamas, which delighted her -- although I was careful to say that I only did so because she was sick and this was a SPECIAL OCCASION. She ate a good dinner of rotini, string cheese and challah, and I treated her to juice because I knew the fluids would be good for her. And I gave her a chocolate cookie for dessert, but not before lecturing her about the importance of eating the school lunch, even though she complained she didn't like the macaroni. I told her she was the only kid in America who DOESN'T like macaroni, but she wasn't impressed. I also tried to tell her that the reason she got sick was because she wasn't eating enough. And she replied that not eating had nothing to do with it.
***
Random Rachel sayings tonight:
Rachel: I want you to come to college with me.
Me: Why?
Rachel: Because I don't want you to be all alone!
More talk about college and what will happen when she leaves:
Rachel: Will you cry?
Me: Probably.
Rachel: I'm worried you'll cry!
Discussing Halloween costumes:
Rachel: Evan is going to be BATMAN! Sawyer will be a elephant. A baby elephant! Lila Bean is going to be...kitty cat!
Apropos of absolutely nothing at all:
Rachel: Wouldn't it be funny if people didn't have an eye and a face? Because then they couldn't see! Even if they went backwards, then they'd bonk into the door!
Apropos of absolutely nothing at all, Part II:
Rachel: One day in school I saw a ladybug and I tried to pet him, and it stopped to pet us and it scurried away. You know what color it was? Blue! Instead of red, it was blue!
Monday, September 26, 2011
She's growing up too fast, Part 1
Oh, the things Rachel has done for herself the last few days:
--Yesterday, perhaps tired of waiting for Drew and I to get our act together after breakfast, Rachel went into her room and GOT HERSELF DRESSED ALL BY HERSELF!!! And the outfit matched! Mostly! Except for the purple striped socks that didn't quite go with the flowered hippie pants and pink shirt! But who cares! We knew it was no fluke when she did the same thing this morning!
--I came home late tonight to the lovely sounds of Beausoleil on the CD player and Rachel helping Drew make duck soup from a frozen carcass we'd saved in the freezer after a meal of duck last New Year's Eve. She was helping him cut up the soft dough for the dumplings (which were an epic failure when they turned out a gloppy mess. That is the last time Drew uses the recipe for dumplings from The New Basics cookbook. Blech!). Rachel has gotten to the point where Drew can have her shred lettuce and drop dumplings into soup without direct supervision. My friend Amy says that kids can cook a full meal by the time they're nine. Only six more years to go! Better yet -- Rachel ASKED for duck soup and then ATE IT!! That opens up a whole bunch of meal possibilities on rainy nights like tonight.
--Tonight as I was shoving a bowl into one of our overcrowded cupboards, Rachel suddenly got up from the table, came right over to me with a very serious expression, then leaned down and kissed me on the lips. I was stunned and managed to say, "Thank you, Rachel!" before she got up and matter-of-factly went back to the dinner table.
--After dinner she slid off her chair and, at Drew's urging, began cleaning up the mess in the living room.
Just in case she sounds too grown-up...Rachel informed us tonight that for Halloween she wants to be a fairy. "Tessa's going to be a mouse," she said. Rachel also told us that we needed to get her "a special fairy shirt and a special fairy skirt," so I will be combing catalogues and shopping consignment stories to find a suitable costume.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Last gasp of summer
Today is probably the last nice day we'll see for a while; the weather forecast calls for it to crap out the next few days, with rain and highs only reaching the mid-60s or so. So today was really our last chance to get anything wonderful done outside. Yes, I have piles of work awaiting me (including catching up on bills and proofing the latest issue of the magazine). But perfect sunny days don't come around too often in these parts, so I was determined to take advantage of every last minute, knowing that Drew will take Rachel for a haircut (Picture Day is next week), grocery shopping and "the liberry!" in Rachel's world -- tomorrow so I can get down to work.
Anyway...this morning I woke up around 7 and couldn't go back to sleep, so at 7:30 I left for a glorious morning bike ride down the Eastbank Esplanade and part of the Springwater Corridor (a bike/pedestrian path that winds through Portland's industrial zone, but there are really pretty views of the Willamette). It was a foggy, muggy morning but the little hint of coolness make it perfect for a ride. Loved hearing the dragon boat captains exhort their teammates to pull! Work harder!" They barked their orders through the air as I rode down the trail, and I could hear them clearly. The path, by the way, was filled with runners. Portland may be Bike City, but there were more runners than bikers out this morning.
(Rachel, by the way, woke up as I was leaving, somehow figured out that Drew was still sleeping, then went into the living room, put on her paper crown and opened a book of hers about a dancing hippo). She was sitting on couch so calmly and quietly when I ran back into the house for something I forgot; I was very impressed. She later told Drew she didn't want on the door this morning because "I didn't want to make a lot of noise like Little Critter -- a character from a children's book we have -- and wake you up." We were stunned and delighted by her thoughtfulness and ability to express it!)
Later this morning we went to Oaks Park, a fabulous old-fashioned amusement park, with rides for kids Rachel's age, a rollerskating rink and and an Oktoberfest celebration. We met Amy, Greg, Jake and Tony there, as well as Amy's mom friend Nicole and her two kids, Avery (4) and Cameron (around 8, Tony's age). Drew went to the farmer's market and met up with us later. At first Rachel wanted to go on the carousel and Ferris Wheel with me, and on the carousel she wanted a stationary carriage. But soon enough she was impressing me by her desire to ride the kiddie toys ALONE (and riding them over and over again as the day wore on; luckily I broke down and bought an all-you-can-ride wristband so I was fine with her wanting to do everything multiple times). She loved the train ride, and on the big slide with wool mats, she insisted on doing it ALONE after Drew got here. When I called him at one point (I had gone off the with the grownups to get something to eat while Rachel and Drew spent the time together), Drew said sadly, "I've been DITCHED!" Meaning that Rachel also told him she wanted to ride the TRAIN alone (and, ironically, found herself sitting behind her friend Noah, who was at Oaks Park for a birthday party).
Amy, Gregh and the kids peeled off about an hour after Nicole, so that just left Mommy, Daddy and Rachel. Rachel rode some more rides and then we all decided it was time to go (I was still very tired from my 2-hour-long bike ride), so when Rachel fell asleep in the car, I was tempted to, as well. We ended up at a movie rental place; I hope I have enough energy to watch "Indochine."
We ate dinner at a place Drew has wanted to try called "Pine State Biscuits" and it's about food cooked mostly to...sandwich it between biscuits. Rachel got a side of fried chicken, which shs said is better than Mommy's (sigh). Then it was off to Baskin Robbins for an ice cream treat because Rachel ate such a good dinner, then home at 10 p.m. Another night where I wonder if our parenting skills are up to par, but Rachel enjoyed the heck out of the day, so hopefully whatever we're doing contnues to inspire and nurture her.
Rachel's Other Life, Part 2
It's the end of a very frustrating week, and to top it off I got stuck in traffic on the way home. "I've GOT to go bike-riding when I get home, even if I end up riding in the dark," I barked at Drew on the phone. Luckily I got home just as the sun was setting, hopped into my biking clothes, and took a nice, long ride through the city. Portland is beautiful on a warm night, with the lights all twinkly, the couples eating dinner outside and fellow bikers passing me on their tricked-out vehicles. It was too hot to make lamb and pilaf, so we arranged for me to meet Drew and Rachel at the Belmont Food Carts, and we'd go to Ben & Jerry's. When I got to the food carts, though, I saw that Rachel had already eaten dinner and part of a passionfruit sorbet, so I grabbed a falafel sandwich and sat down next to Drew.
"Sit next to ME, Mommy!" Rachel exclaimed, and throughout dinner she kept leaning her body against my arm.
She also informed us that at her other house she has a pig named Jacob, a dog named...Jacob, and a kitty named Belfort. (I don't know where she got 'Belfort,' but I think it's absolutely brilliant. I'm also optimistic that she may be losing her fear of animals).
"Some kids have an imaginary friend, Rachel has an imaginary life," Drew observed the other day.
***
One not-so-great thing that happened tonight was when Drew got a fudgsicle from one of the food carts (they're homemade and stunningly delicious), he made clear it was for all of us. He finished my falafel sandwich while I started on the dessert, and then Rachel asked to hold the fudgsicle. Then when I asked for more bites and Drew chimed in, she didn't want to give it up. She started fussing and crying.
We threatened to take her home if she she continued, and she really did make an effort to control herself -- to the point that when part of the fudgsicle fell to the ground, she said cheerfully, "that's OK!" Drew told her firmly that she couldn't be a greedy little girl and that she had to share her dessert with Mommy and Daddy, just like we share food and provide other things for her. "I need a cuddle," she said, looking at me, and I took her in my arms. Then she reached out to Drew and I whispered, "say you're sorry!"
"Sorry, Daddy," she said tearfully.
"Will you ty to do better next time, OK?" he said gently. "Yes," she hiccuped, and all was well.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Breakthrough!
Rachel did two big things today:
--At the park she petted a DOG. It was a small dog, yes, but she petted it willingly after Drew did. Then she noticed a lady walking another dog and asked Drew what kind it was. When he said he didn't know and suggested she ask the lady what kind of dog she had, she marched right up to the woman and asked. Then she ran back to Drew and said, "it's a Yorkie!" We're just glad she actually petted an animal.
--Tonight Drew and I were having a long conversation during dinner and he told Rachel to let him finish his thought (and his biscuit) before they did Daddy books. She sang to herself for a minute and then, totally unbidden, wriggled off her chair, went to the linen closet, got the dustpan and dustmop and SWEPT THE CRUMBS OF HER BISCUIT FROM THE FLOOR INTO THE DUSTPAN WITHOUT ANY PROMPTING WHATSOEVER FROM US!!! We are beyond proud and told her. Result: She got an extra story tonight.
She also did a terrific job of finishing dinner -- she loves Drew's meatballs, and spaghetti with sauce, and ate almost all of her homemade biscuit, so we told her she was definitely entitled to vanilla ice cream. Which she happily ate!
More cute Rachel sayings
You can take the girl out of New Joisey, but you can't take Joisey out of the girl: This weekend Rachel said to Drew as he was sitting in the glider, "DON'T take a nap! Capeesh??" He laughed like crazy. Man, she is fun to be around most of the time.
***
Rachel was talking about her babies and Peya (who is a girl, but is also Rachel's husband). I told her when she had real babies that Mommy would help take care of them.
"I can't take care of them all day!" Rachel said, on the edge of exasperation. "I have to WORK!"
***
Rachel said last night, as we were driving over the Hawthorne Bridge, that she had been over the bridge with Drew when they passed a guy pushing his car off to the side, probably because something was wrong with it. Apparently he got help from police.
"Policemens is very brave for pushing the car to the side of the bridge," Rachel said. "A gendarme is like a policeman. And you say to the bad man, 'don't get my daughter!' and the bad man would say, 'I'll get your daughter!' And you'd say, 'no!'"
You bet I would, sister.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Rachel's social schedule
...is a very busy one this weekend. (Yesterday I was afflicted with some sort of stomach bug so I took off from work and could barely eat anything. Today I was in fine shape, but I had to cancel my morning bike ride because of the rain. DARN!)
This morning Rachel woke up early and had to pee. She actually began going into the bathroom but was wearing pajamas that snap together, so Drew had to get out of bed and help her. When she said she wanted breakfast, he gave her a bowl of oatmeal (dry) and went back to sleep. When I woke up around 8, I decided to let Drew sleep because he really needed it. I walked out of our bedroom and...what did I see? Rachel, in her glider, "reading" The Very Hungry Caterpillar!
I asked her if she wanted to help Mommy make cupcakes for a playdate with Lila and for dinner on Sunday -- we are having my friend Deni over because her husband is in Africa and she could use the company, plus she loves being around Rachel -- and when she heard I was going to make yellow cupcakes with the same frosting I used for Drew's birthday cake, she jumped up and down and threw herself on the couch out of pure joy. She then proceeded to watch me mix up the batter, which included white wine (??), and she got to pour the flour and take a crack at cracking an egg ("you can do it, Mommy," she said after trying once).
Then Drew woke up and made breakfast while we waited for the cupcakes to bake and a steady rain beat outside the windows. Afterward, he went upstairs with Rachel to play "baseball" with the inflatable bowling pin we have that Rachel uses for a bat and I could hear their laughter and roughhousing as I cleaned up breakfast and made the frosting. Rachel was dying to put on some star-shaped sprinkles on the cupcakes, which I promised her she could do.
We made a little assembly line out of it -- I frosted and she very carefully put lots of stars on the cupcakes. It was so much fun!! I can't wait until the holidays when we make lots of cookies to take to people (I wonder if I can find Hanukkah-themed cookie cutters?)
Then I headed out for a manicure and pedicure while Drew & Rachel played some more. She ate a good lunch of string cheese, ham and other things ("I finished all my jelly sandwich, Mommy!") she exclaimed when I got back. Then it was into the car and on to Lila's house. Lila's parents graciously consented to keeping Rachel for three hours while Drew & I went to a back-to-school party that my boss, Peter, held at his house in West Linn. The party was so nice; it was great to mingle with folks in a more casual setting. The food was terrific and I liked being able to talk to so many people at once; I usually spend my time in the office writing or sending e-mail.
When we went to pick up Rachel the most adorable sight greeted us; she and Lila had played DRESS-UP and Rachel had on a ballet costume and Lila had on a Snow White costume. Steve and Suzanne had put them in Lila's little red wago and taken them to the library; Steve also shot some sweet video of them dancing to princess music. I promise I will send it out as soon as Steve and Suzanne make it available.
THEN we took Rachel to a pajama party at school where she got to eat dinner, have popcorn and watch a movie; she had looked forward to this all day. Drew just put her to bed a little while ago. Altogether, an action-packed day!
***
Cute Rachel sayings:
While she was quite cheerfully watching me frost cupcakes:
"It's hard being little."
"Why is it hard, sweetie?" I asked.
"Because big people tell you what to do," she answered.
***
After I told her that I'd love to take a bath with her sometime and we could play with her rubber duckies together:
"You can play with my duckies as long as you want!"
This morning Rachel woke up early and had to pee. She actually began going into the bathroom but was wearing pajamas that snap together, so Drew had to get out of bed and help her. When she said she wanted breakfast, he gave her a bowl of oatmeal (dry) and went back to sleep. When I woke up around 8, I decided to let Drew sleep because he really needed it. I walked out of our bedroom and...what did I see? Rachel, in her glider, "reading" The Very Hungry Caterpillar!
I asked her if she wanted to help Mommy make cupcakes for a playdate with Lila and for dinner on Sunday -- we are having my friend Deni over because her husband is in Africa and she could use the company, plus she loves being around Rachel -- and when she heard I was going to make yellow cupcakes with the same frosting I used for Drew's birthday cake, she jumped up and down and threw herself on the couch out of pure joy. She then proceeded to watch me mix up the batter, which included white wine (??), and she got to pour the flour and take a crack at cracking an egg ("you can do it, Mommy," she said after trying once).
Then Drew woke up and made breakfast while we waited for the cupcakes to bake and a steady rain beat outside the windows. Afterward, he went upstairs with Rachel to play "baseball" with the inflatable bowling pin we have that Rachel uses for a bat and I could hear their laughter and roughhousing as I cleaned up breakfast and made the frosting. Rachel was dying to put on some star-shaped sprinkles on the cupcakes, which I promised her she could do.
We made a little assembly line out of it -- I frosted and she very carefully put lots of stars on the cupcakes. It was so much fun!! I can't wait until the holidays when we make lots of cookies to take to people (I wonder if I can find Hanukkah-themed cookie cutters?)
Then I headed out for a manicure and pedicure while Drew & Rachel played some more. She ate a good lunch of string cheese, ham and other things ("I finished all my jelly sandwich, Mommy!") she exclaimed when I got back. Then it was into the car and on to Lila's house. Lila's parents graciously consented to keeping Rachel for three hours while Drew & I went to a back-to-school party that my boss, Peter, held at his house in West Linn. The party was so nice; it was great to mingle with folks in a more casual setting. The food was terrific and I liked being able to talk to so many people at once; I usually spend my time in the office writing or sending e-mail.
When we went to pick up Rachel the most adorable sight greeted us; she and Lila had played DRESS-UP and Rachel had on a ballet costume and Lila had on a Snow White costume. Steve and Suzanne had put them in Lila's little red wago and taken them to the library; Steve also shot some sweet video of them dancing to princess music. I promise I will send it out as soon as Steve and Suzanne make it available.
THEN we took Rachel to a pajama party at school where she got to eat dinner, have popcorn and watch a movie; she had looked forward to this all day. Drew just put her to bed a little while ago. Altogether, an action-packed day!
***
Cute Rachel sayings:
While she was quite cheerfully watching me frost cupcakes:
"It's hard being little."
"Why is it hard, sweetie?" I asked.
"Because big people tell you what to do," she answered.
***
After I told her that I'd love to take a bath with her sometime and we could play with her rubber duckies together:
"You can play with my duckies as long as you want!"
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
New friend at preschool
"LOOK, Mommy!' Rachel yelled when I came home tonight. She started to hand me a piece of paper.
"She's getting a new friend at school," Drew clarified. Turns out the piece of paper introduced a bunny the kids will be getting for their classroom, called Bun-Bun.
"She's SOO CUUTE!" Rachel exclaimed. I love the idea of her learning how to take care of animals. We can't have a dog or cat because of Drew's allergies, but I would like Rachel to get, say, a guinea pig someday. I think it would be lovely for her to have something small and cuddly to watch over.
***
Tonight Drew told me that Rachel continues to progress on the monkey bars -- she can now hang from them by the back of her knees. She needs just the littlest bit of help hooking her knees around them.
"You know what, Mom?" Rachel said at dinner. "My babies can hang by the monkey bars all by themselves. They can hook their feet up!"
"They're very strong babies," she concluded.
"She's getting a new friend at school," Drew clarified. Turns out the piece of paper introduced a bunny the kids will be getting for their classroom, called Bun-Bun.
"She's SOO CUUTE!" Rachel exclaimed. I love the idea of her learning how to take care of animals. We can't have a dog or cat because of Drew's allergies, but I would like Rachel to get, say, a guinea pig someday. I think it would be lovely for her to have something small and cuddly to watch over.
***
Tonight Drew told me that Rachel continues to progress on the monkey bars -- she can now hang from them by the back of her knees. She needs just the littlest bit of help hooking her knees around them.
"You know what, Mom?" Rachel said at dinner. "My babies can hang by the monkey bars all by themselves. They can hook their feet up!"
"They're very strong babies," she concluded.
Timeout
Rachel's baby dolls are in an extended timeout. That's because she woke up at 5:30 a.m., sobbing and trying to open her door. "I want BREAKFAST!" she said as I hurried in.
"What happened, sweetie?" I asked, cuddling her in the glider.
"I had a bad dream," she sniffled.
"What was it about?" I asked.
"The babies were yelling at me," she said.
"They did that before, didn't they?" I asked. "Let's take them out of your bed so they won't bother you. The baby dolls shouldn't be yelling at you."
"Mommy has bad dreams too, sometimes," I added.
"What about?" Rachel asked.
I mumbled something about work. Really, I've been having intense dreams the last two weeks that I'm back at the Oregonian working on a deadline story but I have to hide from the executive editor. Or I meet former Oregonian reporters at a park somewhere and we wind up talking about the paper. Or some of my friends leave the paper to go into academia.
I've also had dreams about editing a magazine.
So I took the baby dolls out of Rachel's bed and stashed them on top of the bookcase outside her bedroom, tucked her back into bed and left the room. I, of course, didn't get back to sleep for an hour, and then overslept. By the time I staggered out of bed this morning it was 8:15. Which means I didn't get into work until two hours after that. Not a good idea.
I was especially perturbed by Rachel's nightmare because she had tucked the dolls in so sweetly before she left for school on Tuesday. She put them on her pillow and covered them with one of her blankets. And now they're YELLING at her?? YELLING at my DAUGHTER? How dare they??
I think this timeout may possibly be permanent.
"What happened, sweetie?" I asked, cuddling her in the glider.
"I had a bad dream," she sniffled.
"What was it about?" I asked.
"The babies were yelling at me," she said.
"They did that before, didn't they?" I asked. "Let's take them out of your bed so they won't bother you. The baby dolls shouldn't be yelling at you."
"Mommy has bad dreams too, sometimes," I added.
"What about?" Rachel asked.
I mumbled something about work. Really, I've been having intense dreams the last two weeks that I'm back at the Oregonian working on a deadline story but I have to hide from the executive editor. Or I meet former Oregonian reporters at a park somewhere and we wind up talking about the paper. Or some of my friends leave the paper to go into academia.
I've also had dreams about editing a magazine.
So I took the baby dolls out of Rachel's bed and stashed them on top of the bookcase outside her bedroom, tucked her back into bed and left the room. I, of course, didn't get back to sleep for an hour, and then overslept. By the time I staggered out of bed this morning it was 8:15. Which means I didn't get into work until two hours after that. Not a good idea.
I was especially perturbed by Rachel's nightmare because she had tucked the dolls in so sweetly before she left for school on Tuesday. She put them on her pillow and covered them with one of her blankets. And now they're YELLING at her?? YELLING at my DAUGHTER? How dare they??
I think this timeout may possibly be permanent.
Monday, September 12, 2011
We have a jock! Maybe.
Drew has been telling me stories of Rachel's baseball prowess. They went out back yesterday afternoon and had a very intense game of BASEBALL, with Drew throwing toy balls that Linda and Doug gave us more than a year ago, and Rachel actually hitting them with a "bat," -- really a blowup of a bowling pin.
I found that hard to believe, but tonight Rachel requested baseball again, so as soon as we got home I changed clothes and we went outside. She missed the first half-dozen times and started crying. "I can't play baseball!" she said, and so I took her into my lap and explained that she had to be patient with herself, that learning things takes time and that you have to do things over and over and over again before you get good at them. And that eventually she'll get so good at baseball that she'd be playing baseball in a big stadium someday and the crowd would be cheering (and I mimicked the sound of a loud stadium) and that Mommy and Daddy would be sitting in the front row and WE'D be cheering, too, and she started perking up a bit.
So we tried some more, with me suggesting that she wait until I tell her to swing. AND SHE HIT THE BALL! SEVERAL TIMES! Once straight to my feet! Every time she hit the ball I said, "Way to go!" and ordered her to jump up and down with excitement, which she was happy to do.
Then she suggested that "when you and Daddy are a little bit older, you can play baseball and we can be on a team."
"What should our name be?" I said. "Team Rachel!"
"No," she said. "Team Home Run!"
Man, I like this kid.
I found that hard to believe, but tonight Rachel requested baseball again, so as soon as we got home I changed clothes and we went outside. She missed the first half-dozen times and started crying. "I can't play baseball!" she said, and so I took her into my lap and explained that she had to be patient with herself, that learning things takes time and that you have to do things over and over and over again before you get good at them. And that eventually she'll get so good at baseball that she'd be playing baseball in a big stadium someday and the crowd would be cheering (and I mimicked the sound of a loud stadium) and that Mommy and Daddy would be sitting in the front row and WE'D be cheering, too, and she started perking up a bit.
So we tried some more, with me suggesting that she wait until I tell her to swing. AND SHE HIT THE BALL! SEVERAL TIMES! Once straight to my feet! Every time she hit the ball I said, "Way to go!" and ordered her to jump up and down with excitement, which she was happy to do.
Then she suggested that "when you and Daddy are a little bit older, you can play baseball and we can be on a team."
"What should our name be?" I said. "Team Rachel!"
"No," she said. "Team Home Run!"
Man, I like this kid.
Mothering nirvana, Part 2
I've been telling Rachel than when she gets a real bed, that I could curl up in bed and read with her, and wouldn't that be fun?
Tonight, spontaneously, we did it. "Cuddle with me in bed," she said.
"Um, I don't have time," I said.
"You have time," she said, looking at me and smiling.
This time in her life will never come again, right? So I said, "how about we cuddle in bed and I tell you a story?"
"Yeah!" she said.
So I curled up next to her, ran my fingers through her hair and stroked her back while telling her a story I made up (using real characters) about a climb up the Tetons that didn't go so well. By the time I was done, she was asleep! Her slow, even breathing didn't let up when I whispered, "I love you Rachel," tiptoed out and closed the door behind me. Oh, I'm so glad we're in this stage because I plan to curl up every night with her if she'll let me.
Tonight, spontaneously, we did it. "Cuddle with me in bed," she said.
"Um, I don't have time," I said.
"You have time," she said, looking at me and smiling.
This time in her life will never come again, right? So I said, "how about we cuddle in bed and I tell you a story?"
"Yeah!" she said.
So I curled up next to her, ran my fingers through her hair and stroked her back while telling her a story I made up (using real characters) about a climb up the Tetons that didn't go so well. By the time I was done, she was asleep! Her slow, even breathing didn't let up when I whispered, "I love you Rachel," tiptoed out and closed the door behind me. Oh, I'm so glad we're in this stage because I plan to curl up every night with her if she'll let me.
Mothering nirvana
Rachel was cuddling in my lap tonight after I read her portions of "Lock-out Time," from the Illustrated Guide to Children's Literature by Bertha and Louis Untermeyer, THE BEST CHILDREN'S LIT BOOK IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. THANK YOU MOM FOR INTRODUCING US TO IT AND THEN BUYING COPIES FOR YOUR KIDS!!!
After I finished the story Rachel said, apropos of nothing, "You're my best friend."
I feel as if my entire life has been leading up to this moment.
***
Earlier tonight Rachel cleaned up not only the stuff I told her to clean up -- her toy fruit that she uses to make me fruit soup every night -- but she also put away her princess jewelry without being asked. "Look, Mommy, I cleaned up the carpet!' she said delightedly. "I'm so PROUD of you, Rachel!" I exclaimed.
"I want a sticker!" she said, her usual refrain for when she's done something good.
We walked into the kitchen to the drawer where I keep the guinea pig stickers. I got one package of stickers out and struggled to open it.
"Use a knife, Mommy," Rachel said.
I managed to get it open with scissors.
"Yay, Mama!" Rachel said admiringly. "You're tough!"
***
"I'm going to miss summer," Rachel said sadly tonight.
"I will, too, sweetie," I said. "Because it feels like we've only had summer about three weeks."
"Yay, but now I get to go skiing and skating!" she said. Yes, she's definitely a glass half-full kinda gal.
After I finished the story Rachel said, apropos of nothing, "You're my best friend."
I feel as if my entire life has been leading up to this moment.
***
Earlier tonight Rachel cleaned up not only the stuff I told her to clean up -- her toy fruit that she uses to make me fruit soup every night -- but she also put away her princess jewelry without being asked. "Look, Mommy, I cleaned up the carpet!' she said delightedly. "I'm so PROUD of you, Rachel!" I exclaimed.
"I want a sticker!" she said, her usual refrain for when she's done something good.
We walked into the kitchen to the drawer where I keep the guinea pig stickers. I got one package of stickers out and struggled to open it.
"Use a knife, Mommy," Rachel said.
I managed to get it open with scissors.
"Yay, Mama!" Rachel said admiringly. "You're tough!"
***
"I'm going to miss summer," Rachel said sadly tonight.
"I will, too, sweetie," I said. "Because it feels like we've only had summer about three weeks."
"Yay, but now I get to go skiing and skating!" she said. Yes, she's definitely a glass half-full kinda gal.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Drew's role as substitute Dad
My friend Sarah and her son, 4-year-old Noah, are frequent guests of ours. Sarah is going through a divorce and a rough financial patch. She used to be my editor at the Oregonian and was one of the first people to reach out to me after I left, so she has been a good friend to me, especially because she was always up for a playdate while Drew was gone. So I try to reciprocate.
Tonight they came over for dinner and I made a chocolate cake for Drew's birthday (using the recipe for his mom's frosting, which I wasn't able to get until Drew and I had been married a few years. I believe Alice was testing me to see if I had staying power). Anyway, it was something like 93 degrees outside (but probably 106 inside; I took a shower before they came and as soon as I sat down to dinner I began sweating again). We all had a great time, and towards the end Drew, Rachel and Noah went upstairs and played a very complicated game that involved good vs. evil, with Rachel at one point coming downstairs and talking about being killed. Sarah has told me that Noah's dad isn't very physical with him, and he apparently loves coming to visit because Drew really gets down on his level and plays. ("Is Rachel's dad going to be there?" Sarah told us he asked on the way over). He hasn't caught on to Drew's name yet; he hollers, "Rachel's dad!' when he wants his attention. (Drew told him he could refer to him as Mr. DeSilver or Sir, but that didn't take, either).
Anyway, they all had a blast, Drew was totally exhausted and soaked with sweat when he came back downstairs and I tried to give him a break by doing all the cleanup. We both have just enough energy to get ready for bed and then collapse.
Cute Rachel sayings today:
"I'm not scared of the mixer, particularly when I'm in the living room," Rachel said. To prove her point, she came in from the living room and stood next to me as I mixed the frosting ingredients together. I was very impressed!
***
Shout out to Tia Daniella: Rachel picked out "Little Duckie's Day," for me to read after nap. "This is a really great book!" she said, and then she proceeded to read from it by memory. The last line is "When I grow up, I want to be just like Mommy."
"When I grow up, I want to be just like Mommy, too!" Rachel said, and I hugged her.
Tonight they came over for dinner and I made a chocolate cake for Drew's birthday (using the recipe for his mom's frosting, which I wasn't able to get until Drew and I had been married a few years. I believe Alice was testing me to see if I had staying power). Anyway, it was something like 93 degrees outside (but probably 106 inside; I took a shower before they came and as soon as I sat down to dinner I began sweating again). We all had a great time, and towards the end Drew, Rachel and Noah went upstairs and played a very complicated game that involved good vs. evil, with Rachel at one point coming downstairs and talking about being killed. Sarah has told me that Noah's dad isn't very physical with him, and he apparently loves coming to visit because Drew really gets down on his level and plays. ("Is Rachel's dad going to be there?" Sarah told us he asked on the way over). He hasn't caught on to Drew's name yet; he hollers, "Rachel's dad!' when he wants his attention. (Drew told him he could refer to him as Mr. DeSilver or Sir, but that didn't take, either).
Anyway, they all had a blast, Drew was totally exhausted and soaked with sweat when he came back downstairs and I tried to give him a break by doing all the cleanup. We both have just enough energy to get ready for bed and then collapse.
Cute Rachel sayings today:
"I'm not scared of the mixer, particularly when I'm in the living room," Rachel said. To prove her point, she came in from the living room and stood next to me as I mixed the frosting ingredients together. I was very impressed!
***
Shout out to Tia Daniella: Rachel picked out "Little Duckie's Day," for me to read after nap. "This is a really great book!" she said, and then she proceeded to read from it by memory. The last line is "When I grow up, I want to be just like Mommy."
"When I grow up, I want to be just like Mommy, too!" Rachel said, and I hugged her.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Fun with Rachel
A sampling from this morning:
"Happy birthday, Mommy pterodactyl!" Rachel said after singing me a very sweet happy birthday. (Equally sweet was cousin Valerie's version, which I have saved to eternity on my Droid. Thank you, Valerie!!)
***
At breakfast, Rachel started talking to her imaginary family.
"Babies, it's your birthday," she said. "So you have to blow out all 10 candles!"
***
You're super duper, guys!" she said at breakfast. Then, a little while later: "I like songs about peace. Do we have any songs about peace?" (I sang her "Let there be peace on Earth," and she seemed to like it. Unfortunately I don't know the words to, "Give peace a chance," which we could all use right about now).
***
"My babies like lettuce, cucumbers, tomato and salad dressing," Rachel announced after she had Drew had returned from the farmer's market (I spent the time running errands on my bike, including hauling a dress to the UPS Store to mail to Rachel in Africa).
"Then why don't YOU like them?" I asked.
"I don't like them so much," Rachel said. "They're yucky." (She was referring, of course to salad).
"Happy birthday, Mommy pterodactyl!" Rachel said after singing me a very sweet happy birthday. (Equally sweet was cousin Valerie's version, which I have saved to eternity on my Droid. Thank you, Valerie!!)
***
At breakfast, Rachel started talking to her imaginary family.
"Babies, it's your birthday," she said. "So you have to blow out all 10 candles!"
***
You're super duper, guys!" she said at breakfast. Then, a little while later: "I like songs about peace. Do we have any songs about peace?" (I sang her "Let there be peace on Earth," and she seemed to like it. Unfortunately I don't know the words to, "Give peace a chance," which we could all use right about now).
***
"My babies like lettuce, cucumbers, tomato and salad dressing," Rachel announced after she had Drew had returned from the farmer's market (I spent the time running errands on my bike, including hauling a dress to the UPS Store to mail to Rachel in Africa).
"Then why don't YOU like them?" I asked.
"I don't like them so much," Rachel said. "They're yucky." (She was referring, of course to salad).
Friday, September 9, 2011
Last Shabbat on the Plaza
..until next summer. Sigh! It was the perfect warm evening; it didn't even feel too hot although the temperature was something like 93 degrees. And I got there just as the service was ending. Rats...it was all due to a nightmare commute home that was a parking lot for NO GOOD REASON. So I didn't feel so guilty driving part of the way on the shoulder of the road, even though I could have been ticketed.
Anyway, shortly after the service was over, Rachel -- totally unbidden -- ran over to the rabbi, who was surrounded by a group of grownups, and waited patiently until one of the grownups noticed her and stepped aside. Then she looked up at the rabbi and said, "I want to give you a Shabbat Shalom hug," and he bent down and she hugged him. Then she raced back to the picnic blanket where I was watching, debating whether or not to accompany her to the rabbi but then deciding to just watch the interaction from afar (she told me what she said). It was the most adorable thing EVER. "I think you have a little fan!" Drew told Rabbi Cahana when she stopped to say hello just before he left. I predicted that she'll be his favorite Hebrew school student.
She also played with a little boy named Nelson, who is 5 and whose parents are part of our Chavurah. Nelson and Rachel ended up climbing on Drew and horsing around together, and Nelson definitely didn't want to leave when his parents, Robin and Lee, told him it was time to go. "How old is Rachel?" Lee asked, and when I told him she had just turned 3 he answered, "she seems older."
Then we headed to Jamison Park, site of the fountain and the ice cream shop where Linda, Devin, Rachel and I had such a good time earlier this week. Drew was impressed with the fountain's changing patterns of water, and Rachel had her usual great time splashing around, and at one point lying on the bricks as the water receded and getting her hair all wet! (Drew changed her out of her dress into her bathing suit before she went in the fountain). Someone had brought a whole bunch of beach balls for the kids to play with, and Rachel started kicking a bunch of them, impressing us with her kickball skills. (I told Drew she may be ready for soccer, and I'm going to work on him to enroll her in a clinic this fall. She also informed him today that she wants to learn how to ski. Yes, Drew, we have a little jock on our hands). Then Rachel decided to throw her towel over her head and pretend she was a ghost, and made Drew and I do the same thing, and we made her scream in delight when we pretended to scare her.
We headed to the ice cream shop afterward, where Rachel spent most of the time helping herself to Drew's chocolate milkshake and my chocolate/vanilla cookie ice cream -- both delicious -- and taking a few licks of her mandarin orange sorbet (it was quite good, actually). And, as usual, she went off and made friends by going outside the store, plopping down in a chair and making like she was talking to the other people outside who had done the same thing. We stayed until 9:30, and I really wouldn't have minded if we had left even later and gotten Rachel to bed at 11. Tomorrow's a weekend, she can sleep late, and we had the best Shabbat ever.
Anyway, shortly after the service was over, Rachel -- totally unbidden -- ran over to the rabbi, who was surrounded by a group of grownups, and waited patiently until one of the grownups noticed her and stepped aside. Then she looked up at the rabbi and said, "I want to give you a Shabbat Shalom hug," and he bent down and she hugged him. Then she raced back to the picnic blanket where I was watching, debating whether or not to accompany her to the rabbi but then deciding to just watch the interaction from afar (she told me what she said). It was the most adorable thing EVER. "I think you have a little fan!" Drew told Rabbi Cahana when she stopped to say hello just before he left. I predicted that she'll be his favorite Hebrew school student.
She also played with a little boy named Nelson, who is 5 and whose parents are part of our Chavurah. Nelson and Rachel ended up climbing on Drew and horsing around together, and Nelson definitely didn't want to leave when his parents, Robin and Lee, told him it was time to go. "How old is Rachel?" Lee asked, and when I told him she had just turned 3 he answered, "she seems older."
Then we headed to Jamison Park, site of the fountain and the ice cream shop where Linda, Devin, Rachel and I had such a good time earlier this week. Drew was impressed with the fountain's changing patterns of water, and Rachel had her usual great time splashing around, and at one point lying on the bricks as the water receded and getting her hair all wet! (Drew changed her out of her dress into her bathing suit before she went in the fountain). Someone had brought a whole bunch of beach balls for the kids to play with, and Rachel started kicking a bunch of them, impressing us with her kickball skills. (I told Drew she may be ready for soccer, and I'm going to work on him to enroll her in a clinic this fall. She also informed him today that she wants to learn how to ski. Yes, Drew, we have a little jock on our hands). Then Rachel decided to throw her towel over her head and pretend she was a ghost, and made Drew and I do the same thing, and we made her scream in delight when we pretended to scare her.
We headed to the ice cream shop afterward, where Rachel spent most of the time helping herself to Drew's chocolate milkshake and my chocolate/vanilla cookie ice cream -- both delicious -- and taking a few licks of her mandarin orange sorbet (it was quite good, actually). And, as usual, she went off and made friends by going outside the store, plopping down in a chair and making like she was talking to the other people outside who had done the same thing. We stayed until 9:30, and I really wouldn't have minded if we had left even later and gotten Rachel to bed at 11. Tomorrow's a weekend, she can sleep late, and we had the best Shabbat ever.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
A night to remember
It truly was.
After work I met Linda, an architect, and her daughter Devin, who is in preschool with Rachel and is a few weeks younger (and they're great friends). We headed over to Jamison Park, right in the Pearl District, which has the big advantage of having two cool eateries across the street: Hot Lips Pizza and Cool Moon ice cream. The plan was to have pizza for dinner, ice cream for dessert, and then have the girls play in the fountain for a while until it was time to go home.
We had the most excellent -- and I mean EXCELLENT -- time. Rachel ate half a cheese pizza; I ate two slices, one vegan and another cheese, and then the girls pretended to feed ducks with small rocks they found in the dirt next to the trees at the pizza place. Then they pretended to put us both in timeouts because we were being bad, and then they pretended they were being attacked by alligators and Rachel kept running up to me, throwing her arms around my waist and pressing her cheek into my back. She then very nicely asked to go to the bathroom. (I am quickly finding out that Portland restaurants have an abundance of clean toilets, thank God). We quickly changed the girls into their bathing suits, tossed their dresses on top and then off we went.
Then it was on to the ice cream place, where Linda treated us all -- and I had the most incredible chocolate sorbet of my LIFE, with sprinkles on top. Rachel's strawberry ice cream was terrific, too, even if she only ate a few bites. At that point it was around 7:30, and we told the girls to play in the fountain while we sat and watched them and talked about Linda's job, my job, our desire to take indulgent vacations, our musings on how fortunate we are to have the lives that we do, etc. The girls had a blast in the fountain; it's a non-traditional fountain that fills up, to the point of being a wading pool that Rachel could sit in and get soaked, and then disappeares -- only to refill. They ran into a friend of theirs from St. James named Astrid, who is leaving preschool for kindergarten starting Friday. (Yes, Portland is a really small town). Dusk slowly turned to darkness and we both hated to leave; we thought it would be wonderful to stay out all night in the heat and just watch the kids play under the streetlights.
A man suddenly appeared before us, twin babies in tow. "Your kids are ADORABLE," he gushed. "I keep looking at them and thinking that soon my girls will be that age, too. I'm told it goes fast." We reassured him that it does, and I suddenly flashed back to that stage in Rachel's life, when she was a baby and I was overwhelmed and wishing ardently that she'd grow up enough so we could have conversations and I wouldn't be a wreck from worry and lack of sleep and inability to breast-feed. Translation: I never thought I'd get to this stage, and I tried to communicate some of that to this guy and his wife. I think I succeeded, a little.
On the way home Rachel said, "I want to stay all night in the fountain."
"That would be great, if we could," I said. "I'd love to put a tent right near the fountain and camp."
"I want my OWN tent!" Rachel said. Yes, sweetie, next summer we'll buy you one.
I can't wait to go back to Jamison Park. This was really a night to remember.
After work I met Linda, an architect, and her daughter Devin, who is in preschool with Rachel and is a few weeks younger (and they're great friends). We headed over to Jamison Park, right in the Pearl District, which has the big advantage of having two cool eateries across the street: Hot Lips Pizza and Cool Moon ice cream. The plan was to have pizza for dinner, ice cream for dessert, and then have the girls play in the fountain for a while until it was time to go home.
We had the most excellent -- and I mean EXCELLENT -- time. Rachel ate half a cheese pizza; I ate two slices, one vegan and another cheese, and then the girls pretended to feed ducks with small rocks they found in the dirt next to the trees at the pizza place. Then they pretended to put us both in timeouts because we were being bad, and then they pretended they were being attacked by alligators and Rachel kept running up to me, throwing her arms around my waist and pressing her cheek into my back. She then very nicely asked to go to the bathroom. (I am quickly finding out that Portland restaurants have an abundance of clean toilets, thank God). We quickly changed the girls into their bathing suits, tossed their dresses on top and then off we went.
Then it was on to the ice cream place, where Linda treated us all -- and I had the most incredible chocolate sorbet of my LIFE, with sprinkles on top. Rachel's strawberry ice cream was terrific, too, even if she only ate a few bites. At that point it was around 7:30, and we told the girls to play in the fountain while we sat and watched them and talked about Linda's job, my job, our desire to take indulgent vacations, our musings on how fortunate we are to have the lives that we do, etc. The girls had a blast in the fountain; it's a non-traditional fountain that fills up, to the point of being a wading pool that Rachel could sit in and get soaked, and then disappeares -- only to refill. They ran into a friend of theirs from St. James named Astrid, who is leaving preschool for kindergarten starting Friday. (Yes, Portland is a really small town). Dusk slowly turned to darkness and we both hated to leave; we thought it would be wonderful to stay out all night in the heat and just watch the kids play under the streetlights.
A man suddenly appeared before us, twin babies in tow. "Your kids are ADORABLE," he gushed. "I keep looking at them and thinking that soon my girls will be that age, too. I'm told it goes fast." We reassured him that it does, and I suddenly flashed back to that stage in Rachel's life, when she was a baby and I was overwhelmed and wishing ardently that she'd grow up enough so we could have conversations and I wouldn't be a wreck from worry and lack of sleep and inability to breast-feed. Translation: I never thought I'd get to this stage, and I tried to communicate some of that to this guy and his wife. I think I succeeded, a little.
On the way home Rachel said, "I want to stay all night in the fountain."
"That would be great, if we could," I said. "I'd love to put a tent right near the fountain and camp."
"I want my OWN tent!" Rachel said. Yes, sweetie, next summer we'll buy you one.
I can't wait to go back to Jamison Park. This was really a night to remember.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
The sweeter side of Rachel
This morning I reminded her that today is Drew's birthday. She sang "Happy birthday" to him after he woke her up, and then she said cheerfully, "Get ready for your birthday kiss!" and planted a nice one on his lips. He was very touched.
***
As we were coming home from preschool, I asked Rachel what she wanted for dinner.
"I want the chicken at the picnic," she said. "Thank you for making the chicken and the berry tart. I mean, the chicken and the chocolate chip cake!"
***
"Hey Mommy, you know what?" Rachel asked. "My babies climbed a tree all by theyselves without me holding on to their butts!"
***
As we were coming home from preschool, I asked Rachel what she wanted for dinner.
"I want the chicken at the picnic," she said. "Thank you for making the chicken and the berry tart. I mean, the chicken and the chocolate chip cake!"
***
"Hey Mommy, you know what?" Rachel asked. "My babies climbed a tree all by theyselves without me holding on to their butts!"
Bad things
"Let's talk about bad things," Rachel said at dinner tonight. This follows something she said the other day, about what she'd do if a stranger rang the doorbell.
"I wouldn't answer," she said. "Then I'd call 9-1-1."
Tonight she said: "Bad people kill you. Good people take you away."
"What would you do if someone tried to hurt Lila?" I asked.
"Don't hurt my best friend!" Rachel yelled.
"What if someone tried to hurt Mommy or Daddy?" I said.
"I'd KILL him," Rachel said. "I'd break up the man with an axe."
"What if someone tried to hurt cousin Valerie?" I asked.
"I'd kill them with a zucchini!" she answered.
"That would have to be a pretty big zucchini," I observed.
So much for vanquishing the demons in her life. I have no idea where all these thoughts came from, but at least she's confident enough to think she could kill anyone who harmed those she loves. I, of course, told her that I would never let ANYONE hurt her.
"They'd have to get me first," I promised.
"I wouldn't answer," she said. "Then I'd call 9-1-1."
Tonight she said: "Bad people kill you. Good people take you away."
"What would you do if someone tried to hurt Lila?" I asked.
"Don't hurt my best friend!" Rachel yelled.
"What if someone tried to hurt Mommy or Daddy?" I said.
"I'd KILL him," Rachel said. "I'd break up the man with an axe."
"What if someone tried to hurt cousin Valerie?" I asked.
"I'd kill them with a zucchini!" she answered.
"That would have to be a pretty big zucchini," I observed.
So much for vanquishing the demons in her life. I have no idea where all these thoughts came from, but at least she's confident enough to think she could kill anyone who harmed those she loves. I, of course, told her that I would never let ANYONE hurt her.
"They'd have to get me first," I promised.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Rachel-isms for this weekend
There were a lot of them, but unfortunately I don't carry a pencil and paper around as much as I should. Here's what I remember:
Yesterday morning, when Rachel joined us in bed, she said, "You is (pointing to me), you is (pointing to Drew), I is."
Just as I was about to correct her, she amended, "I am, you are, you are! (pointing to Drew).
Drew and I looked at each other, astonished and said aloud, "Well, it looks like Rachel can conjugate verbs!"
***
She also said yesterday: "I love Mommy and I love Daddy, and I love myself!"
"That's great, Rachel!" I said. "You SHOULD love yourself!"
***
For my birthday next week, Drew had planned to buy me a cool map of Africa at a consignment store we discovered last Saturday. But when he and Rachel went there this weekend they discovered someone had bought it. He was highly annoyed.
Tonight, out of the blue, Rachel said, "We tried to buy the picture but it was gone. Is that OK with you?"
Yesterday morning, when Rachel joined us in bed, she said, "You is (pointing to me), you is (pointing to Drew), I is."
Just as I was about to correct her, she amended, "I am, you are, you are! (pointing to Drew).
Drew and I looked at each other, astonished and said aloud, "Well, it looks like Rachel can conjugate verbs!"
***
She also said yesterday: "I love Mommy and I love Daddy, and I love myself!"
"That's great, Rachel!" I said. "You SHOULD love yourself!"
***
For my birthday next week, Drew had planned to buy me a cool map of Africa at a consignment store we discovered last Saturday. But when he and Rachel went there this weekend they discovered someone had bought it. He was highly annoyed.
Tonight, out of the blue, Rachel said, "We tried to buy the picture but it was gone. Is that OK with you?"
Labor Day
Today was another fantastic day. Spent two hours this morning frying up chicken in the cast-iron skillet that my co-author, Dan, gave me years ago for just this purpose. It took two hours and was very messy (but great fun while listening to Dixieland jazz on the radio), but I was rewarded when the folks we met for a picnic -- Suzanne, Steve, their daughter Lila and baby sister Eva -- oohed and ahhed over our contribution to the meal (chicken and chocolate chip cake). Eva mostly lay on the picnic blanket, cooing and smiling -- she's only 7 months old -- and Lila and Rachel, after some initial shyness, went straight to the play structure. The had a blast, bouncing up and down on the rubber bridge, trying to climb up the child slide (and not quite making it), swinging on the tire swing when some bigger girls swung them (Rachel actually fell through the tire and got scared, so she was reluctant to try it again). Suzanne and I chatted for a while while the men took turns watching the girls play, then they took them to the fountain where both got completely wet. At one point they were both lying down on a towel and Drew wrapped them up together like a burrito, which they thought was hilarious.
After they left around 2, we decided to stay; the weather was so perfect under the shade of the trees (it was quite hot in the sun), that I fell asleep on the blanket while Drew played with Rachel. Then he accompanied Rachel while she biked home and I took the car with all the picnic stuff.
Yes, you read rigtht: Rachel BIKED home. Unbeknownst to me, she has become quite the biker! She skipped the tricycle stage altogether and went straight for the two-wheeler with training wheels, which she now pedals expertly (and quite fast, as Drew found out while trying to keep up. This is on the bike that Constance found on the street one day while she and Rachel were taking a walk and she snapped it up). Rachel can bike all the way from our house on NE 24th to the park on NE 33rd. She still needs a little help with stopping and turning (tonight she repeated Drew's adomintion to "stop at the curb and look" before continuing on) but we can definitely see the day (perhaps next year?) where the training wheels will come off and we'll all be able to BIKE together! Yay! Drew notes that this is even more remarkable considering that he didn't figure out how to bike until he was at least 5.
While Rachel napped I cleaned up the chicken and Drew went grocery shopping. When he got back I hopped on my bike and took a nice, long ride through the Pearl District, along the Eastbank Esplanade and back home. It took me longer than I thought it would -- 90 minutes -- but it was oh, so worth it. Really need to get out more on my bike before the weather turns nasty, which I hope won't happen until late November.
Then we grilled steak, which Rachel ate a lot of, and headed out for a surprise dessert -- ice cream at Baskin Robbins. Rachel and Drew ordered chocolate; I had s'more-flavored ice cream with chocolate chips, and as we were finishing up, Rachel exclaimed, "Happy holiday weekend!" It truly was.
After they left around 2, we decided to stay; the weather was so perfect under the shade of the trees (it was quite hot in the sun), that I fell asleep on the blanket while Drew played with Rachel. Then he accompanied Rachel while she biked home and I took the car with all the picnic stuff.
Yes, you read rigtht: Rachel BIKED home. Unbeknownst to me, she has become quite the biker! She skipped the tricycle stage altogether and went straight for the two-wheeler with training wheels, which she now pedals expertly (and quite fast, as Drew found out while trying to keep up. This is on the bike that Constance found on the street one day while she and Rachel were taking a walk and she snapped it up). Rachel can bike all the way from our house on NE 24th to the park on NE 33rd. She still needs a little help with stopping and turning (tonight she repeated Drew's adomintion to "stop at the curb and look" before continuing on) but we can definitely see the day (perhaps next year?) where the training wheels will come off and we'll all be able to BIKE together! Yay! Drew notes that this is even more remarkable considering that he didn't figure out how to bike until he was at least 5.
While Rachel napped I cleaned up the chicken and Drew went grocery shopping. When he got back I hopped on my bike and took a nice, long ride through the Pearl District, along the Eastbank Esplanade and back home. It took me longer than I thought it would -- 90 minutes -- but it was oh, so worth it. Really need to get out more on my bike before the weather turns nasty, which I hope won't happen until late November.
Then we grilled steak, which Rachel ate a lot of, and headed out for a surprise dessert -- ice cream at Baskin Robbins. Rachel and Drew ordered chocolate; I had s'more-flavored ice cream with chocolate chips, and as we were finishing up, Rachel exclaimed, "Happy holiday weekend!" It truly was.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Rachel goes to the beach!
Today was our big beach adventure and except for the insane traffic both ways (2 1/2 hours going; 2 hours coming back, leaving at 9:15 at night! SHEESH), we had a wonderful time. To give you an idea of how great it was, Drew turned to me at one point and said, "this is the best Labor Day EVER."
So, we got to Cannon Beach around 2:30 (Rachel napped in the car, clad in her princess bracelet, earrings, necklace and ring; her crown slipped below her forehead and she looked so sweet asleep), snagged a free parking space (this is what it means to have two Parking Goddesses in the car) and immediately hightailed it to the sand only to find...Haystack Rock completely obscured by fog! In fact, the fog was so heavy that we could barely see 20 feet in front of us. But the water had formed into some tide pools, which meant it was actually walkable (and swimmable, although the air temperature was only 69) and Rachel LOVED wading and splashing in the water. She took both our hands, and we walked quite a way through the water and at one point slipped and fell backwards -- but instead of freaking out and crying, she just laughed. She and I raced to the sandbar and back a couple of times; she huddled in her towel and cuddled against me in the sun, then insisted on going out into the water again. Good thing we let her wear only her bathing suit; it got plenty of use!
We brought a cooler with some snacks, and had plums, string cheese and granola before Rachel decided we needed to play games in the sand. She and Drew buried my feet in the sand; she and I chased Drew, then Drew and I chased Rachel, and Rachel and Drew chased me; then we played ring-around-the-rosy; then we collapsed on our hands and knees; then Rachel and Drew pretended to go off to dinner, leaving me with my hands buried in the sand, and then Rachel decided to be a merciful king and free my hands. And so it went until around 6, when we figured we should leave, change into slightly warmer clothes (good thing I had thrown in a sweater for Rachel; in 88-degree Portland, Drew had looked at me and said I was insane; by dinnertime at the beach he was asking to borrow my fleece) and hunt for dinner.
On the way back we ran into a guy who asked if I had gone to Northwestern (I was wearing my purple and white sweatshirt and would like to note that NU is the only college I care about that actually won a football game yesterday) and then told us his wife's brother was a professor at the medical school there. We had a nice chat and just as we were saying goodbye, he looked at Rachel and commented, "adorable daughter. We noticed that you guys were playing with her, pretending to be elephants. We thought, 'they're good parents.'" We thanked them profusely.
The place we really wanted to go for dinner had a 2-hour wait, so we settled for a simple place where Rachel had part of a quesadilla, Drew had spaghetti and I had Dungeness crab legs (which are overabundant in Oregon right now. Unfortunately they still don't taste as good to me as lobster). For dessert we went to an ice cream place we like; Rachel expanded her ice cream culinary horizons by ordering mint chocolate chip (and finishing it all) and Drew and split a cone of Tillamook slide chocolate ice cream. Then it was into the car for the long, long, loong drive home.
Drew spent much of the day spinning stories for Rachel. "Tell me a STORY!" is her constant refrain these days. On the way home it was Rumplestilskin and "Jason and the Golden Fleece" (thank you, Mom, for introducing the wonderful world of Greek mythology to me) before she fell asleep in the back seat; Drew just now put her to bed without waking her up too much (it was 11:15 by the time we got home). Except for the traffic it was a fabulous day and we have vowed that next January we will make reservations for a cottage or hotel room or SOMETHING so we can get away for at least an overnight trip.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Big Girl Bed!!
Yes, the time has come. One of the reasons I kept Rachel at the State Fair so long on Friday was so that Drew could disassemble the crib, a task he thought would take hours and hours but ended up being easier than he expected. We didn't tell Rachel about the bed until she got home, and -- voila! -- there it was. She seemed happy to see it but didn't jump up and down; she has told us for a while now that she wants a bed.
It's a toddler-sized bed, white, that exactly fits the mattress we had for her crib. Our friend Amy gave it to us months ago and we've just been waiting for the right time to introduce Rachel to it.
I had dreaded this day because it means that she's now able to climb out of it in the mornings and wreak all kinds of havoc around the house (starting by barging into our bedroom and waking us up when we need to sleep) but so far she has slept in and woken up at her usual time (8:30 or so on weekends, which is fine by us!). She still yelled out for us this morning, but instead of saying, "Daddy! I need to get up!" It was "Daddy! The sun is out! Time to get up!" It's like having a demanding little alarm clock, which is probably not a completely bad thing -- it gets us out of our bed and doing things on weekends instead of sleeping until 10:30, staggering around the house and then maybe getting our butts in gear by, oh, 2:30 or so. That was our old life, which is completely unrecognizable to me now.
It's a toddler-sized bed, white, that exactly fits the mattress we had for her crib. Our friend Amy gave it to us months ago and we've just been waiting for the right time to introduce Rachel to it.
I had dreaded this day because it means that she's now able to climb out of it in the mornings and wreak all kinds of havoc around the house (starting by barging into our bedroom and waking us up when we need to sleep) but so far she has slept in and woken up at her usual time (8:30 or so on weekends, which is fine by us!). She still yelled out for us this morning, but instead of saying, "Daddy! I need to get up!" It was "Daddy! The sun is out! Time to get up!" It's like having a demanding little alarm clock, which is probably not a completely bad thing -- it gets us out of our bed and doing things on weekends instead of sleeping until 10:30, staggering around the house and then maybe getting our butts in gear by, oh, 2:30 or so. That was our old life, which is completely unrecognizable to me now.
Thursday night
So, I realized I forgot to talk about Thursday night (Rachel and I went to the State Fair on Friday because her school was closed, Drew needed to finish up a story and I was able to take the day off, so I did). I raced to finish up everything I needed to do, so I didn't end up leaving work until after 6 (I had hoped to leave by 4:30 to get some food for dinner, since I had planned to meet Drew and Rachel at Waterfront Park for an outdoor concert by the Oregon Symphony). Luckily the traffic wasn't too terrible, I found free parking downtown and the concert started late, so I got there close to the beginning. Drew told me Rachel kept asking where I was, and when I got there she ran to me with such a look of pure joy on her face, it was overwhelming. We sat on the blanket, surrounded by thousands of other people, listening to the symphony (the same symphony that recently played to rave reviews at Carnegie Hall) and just took in the atmosphere.
The music was great; it included Gershwin songs danced by the Oregon Ballet Theatre (we were too far away to see much); and during "The 1812 Overture," Rachel got up and DANCED. She really needs to be in a dance class this winter, and I'm going to find one at the community center near our house. (She also informed me today that she wants to learn how to play soccer and tennis and "all the different balls" and that "I can throw better and catch than anyone at school." Heaven help us, I think we may have a budding jock on our hands).
It was a terrific start to the Labor Day weekend, especially the fireworks afterward, which I thought would terrify Rachel but she absolutely loved them -- this from the little girl who Drew left the 4th of July Waterfront Park celebration early with because she was scared of the fireworks -- although she said she only liked watching fireworks at "musical shows" (Drew's reference to the Labor Day concert). I will always remember the intent look on Rachel's face as she sat on Drew's shoulders and looked around her, drinking in the music and the the people. Her profile looks a little like mine. She looked so grown-up, so serious, she took my breath away. I hope I never forget what she was like at this age.
Midway into a delightful Labor Day weekend
..and we are really having a ball. Rachel and I joined another mom friend of mine, Olivia, and her almost-4-year-old, Elliott, on a jaunt to the Oregon State Fair. We got there later than I had planned -- around 12:30 or so -- and a law professor friend of mine, Susan, spent a few hours with us as well. All I had were bad memories of last year's fair, when Rachel didn't want to go near the animals or the pony ride and Drew and I got into a huge fight and didn't talk to each other for three hours. I was mad that he was going back to Columbia and that I wouldn't see him for 11 weeks, and terrified at the idea of being a single mom with no backup until Thanksgiving.
What a difference a year makes. Drew is back, his sojourn to Columbia in the rear-view mirror and I have almost forgotten what it was like being a solo parent. Rachel and Elliott both wanted to see the "baby animals!" and so we took them to see the chickens, the bunnies (absolutely adorable), and the big livestock -- cows and horses. Then we took in part of a musical show, got some corn dogs (me; Rachel took one bite of Elliott's and decided she didn't like it), took the kids for bathroom breaks and then let them climb all over a display of orange and black tractors -- real ones. Rachel couldn't get enough of them.
Our last stop was the kiddie rides; thankfully Rachel had fallen asleep by then, clutching a little puppy purse I'd bought her. Elliott went on two rides and then became difficult, so Olivia took him home. Then Rachel woke up and decided she wanted to go on the chairlift. We had so much fun! She looked around and said, "We're up high!" and "this is so cool!" Then we got down, took a last swing through the same livestock area she'd seen earlier that day (only this time we noticed the guinea pigs and the baby chicks, which Rachel pronounced "so cuute!") and then got in the car for the drive back. I had to make a stop at Target on the way up, so by the time we got home it was 10 and by the time she got to bed...I don't even want to think about it. But she kept telling me she had a good time. And she was so affectionate! At one point I leaned down into her stroller to ask her how she was doing and she suddenly started kissing me again and again. And at Target, I leaned down and she planted a big one on my lips and wouldn't let go. "Now, THAT'S love!" the lady behind me at the counter said, and I couldn't have been happier.
Today Rachel and Drew went to the farmer's market while I cleaned up the house and got ready for our guests: a professor, Sukh Singh, at the law school; his wife Deep and their baby, Apar (who is not really a baby; she was toddling in that sweet way toddlers have when they're just figuring out how to walk). They bought a gift for Rachel -- some lovely shirts and a dress. I finally found a gazpacho recipe I really liked, and so I served gazpacho, a tomato and cheese tart, salad and berry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Everyone loved the food and it was so sweet watching Rachel try to engage Apar in playing. At one point Rachel thought Apar wouldn't give her her ball back, so Drew had to explain that she needed to share. Then a short time later she said, "Apar can use my ball but I hope she'll give it back." Drew assured her that would happen, and when I served dessert Rachel looked at me with a smile and said, "thank you for making dessert, Mommy!" They stayed until just before Drew finished reading books to Rachel, and I tackled the cleaning by myself until he put her to bed. We're almost finished washing and polishing the silver, and so I'll head to bed soon. Tomorrow: The coast!
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