The latest Rachel-isms

Here's what The Cute One said today:

We are supposedly on the do-not-call list, but we still get annoying telemarketers calling during dinnertime. I used to jump up and answer the phone, but a couple of months ago I just stopped. When Rachel would tell me to answer it, I started saying, "I'm just going to let it go." She picked that up from me and now SHE says, "Just let it go." (Trying to communicate the importance of the dinner hour being sacred).

Tonight, while we were all eating Drew's spaghetti and meatballs at around 8 p.m., THE PHONE RANG.

"You should let that go, Dad," Rachel said in her most grown-up voice. "I think it's a telemarketer."

***

Rachel was telling us about a boy named Vicente that had pushed and hit her and her friend Devin at school today. We acted shocked and dismayed and told her he had behaved badly.

"I don't push and hit," she said. Then she thought about it for a second and said, "I like pushing buildings."

We told her that was perfectly okay.

***

Rachel also noticed a bow left over from the Hanukkah gifts I mailed to Mom, Dad, Darryl, Daniella and Duckie today.

"Will you buy me a bow at the store for my present?" she asked, a little plaintively.

Drew nodded yes.

"OK," Rachel said. "That's a good idea."

***

I was upstairs sorting through some documents for a story I'm writing when Rachel quietly crept up the stairs (though not so quietly that I couldn't hear her quiet little breaths) and yelled, "ROAR!"

When I drew her onto my lap and hugged and kissed her goodnight, she gave me a little kiss, got up, and said this just before she went back downstairs:

"When it's time for you to go to sleep and you get distracted of work, you gotta go straight to sleep," she ordered. I could only thank her for looking out for me.