Drew, completely without my knowledge, has taught Rachel to play a very simple version of rummy. How did this happen? First they're having tea parties (like they're doing as I write this; Rachel just handed me chocolate-chip bread and chocolate-chip tea) and then, when my back is turned, they're playing with simple princess cards that end up as serious gambling.
"I was sorely tempted to teach her how to play poker but there just seems to be something wrong about that," Drew said. "It would be great if she were the only kid in preschool who knows how to play poker!" Then he imitated her girlish lilt, "That's an inside straight!"
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Rachel & Valerie
Rachel is already planning to bring the pony movie with her to cousin Valerie's. She can't wait to share it.
"Valerie will definitely like all the funny parts," she said. "She might laugh so hard that she falls on the couch!"
"If they HAVE a couch," she said thoughtfully.
We assure her that Tia Daniella and Jojo do, in fact, have one.
"Valerie will definitely like all the funny parts," she said. "She might laugh so hard that she falls on the couch!"
"If they HAVE a couch," she said thoughtfully.
We assure her that Tia Daniella and Jojo do, in fact, have one.
Why I was late to work yesterday morning
We were rushing around in the leave-for-work-and-school haze, when Rachel went into the dining room and sat herself next to the heater. It's her favorite place in the house.
She looked really, really glum. So, I bent down and gently asked, "Sweetie, what's the matter?'
"I want a Mommy cuddle!" she whimpered. So, I drew her into my lap, wrapped my arms around her and held her oh, so tight. I vowed to always remember the moment.
Catching up after a long time away
Yes, life has continued at its usual hectic place in the Drew/Lisa/Rachel manse. I was gone until this past Tuesday at a conference. Highlights from when I was away:
--Rachel became a TV star! Here's the account from Drew, as well as a link:
--Rachel became a TV star! Here's the account from Drew, as well as a link:
So,
Rachel did make it into the KATU story -- just a few snippets, but she
still comes across as adorable and articulate. See for yourself!
What
happened? Well, I’d heard on OPB that a tree had fallen on a woman at
that intersection, so I knew I'd have to take a different way to school
to pick up Rachel. (The radio didn't mention that the tree had fallen
*onto* the church; otherwise I might have been more concerned.) I parked
around the corner and walked into the front entrance to pick up Rachel,
who was waiting there with Erin, Bree and a couple other kids. As I was
talking with Erin and Rachel about what happened, I noticed there were a
couple of camera crews (from KATO and, I think, KGW) inside the church
filming the damage. One of the camera guys came up and said they were
looking for people to talk to. I said "You mean her?", meaning Rachel.
He said "If it'd be OK." I bent down and asked Rachel if she wanted to
talk to the TV man about the tree falling, and she said "uh-huh". So he
pointed the camera at her, and I stood behind him (facing Rachel) and
told her he was just going to ask her some questions and she should tell
him what happened just like she'd been telling me. And she wa great!
Very clear, well-spoken and to the point (no Rachelesque rambling, thank
goodness). One bit I wish they'd used: The camera guy asked her if she
was scared, and she said "No, we were just surprised." He asked me how
to spell her name, I told him, and then we went downstairs to read Dora
books before going to the Central Library.
See, we get to have some excitement here too, even though we're not at a fancy-pants conference! :)
--She can now WRITE HER NAME! (she's a little wobbly on the L and E, but still...) she wrote a very nice thank-you to Aunt Barbara for the lovely jewelry (dictated in full to Drew) and signed her name. Plus she included a drawing of grass, which she said was flowers. Anyway, I was very impressed.
--Her "Purple Class" made their homemade volcano explode ("I didn't get to do any of that stuff until I was in 6th grade!!" Drew exclaimed in envy) and they planted seeds in cups for the summer. The school just got a community garden plot and all the kids are very excited about being able to grow their own food!
--Cute sayings from Rachel this week:
1. The morning after I got back, Rachel said Daddy was going to make baked chicken and shells. "But that's MY dish!" I exclaimed. "Whose version do you think you'll like better?" (Moms are so unfair!)
"I think Daddy's will be gooder," Rachel said with a mischievous smile.
2. While I was getting ready in the bathroom that same day, Rachel said (as I was blow-drying my hair), "how long will it take you to do your hair?"
Me: "About two minutes."
Rachel: "Two shakes of a lamb's tail, you mean!"
A friend of mine thanked me for posting that on Facebook. "I needed a Rachel fix this a.m.!" she said.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Morning chatter
I had to wake Rachel up this morning because I have staff meetings at the law school every two weeks at 10, and I don't like being late for them. I must say, TLG snaps out of her sleepiness rather quickly. Today she talked all about her friend Tessa while eating the last of the banana bread.
"Tessa has her closet upstairs, and I have my closet downstairs. That's weird."
Then Rachel talked about how happy she was that Tessa had given her one of her plastic brown ponies but that she was worried Tessa might ask for it back during their next playdate. She wasn't reassured when I told her that when people give each other things, they don't usually ask for them back. (She hasn't gotten to the "no backsies" stage, I guess). Then I suggested that maybe she would want to give Tessa one of HER toys when Tessa comes here to play next time.
"Hmm," Rachel said. "I could give Tessa my...one of my dollies. My paper dolls. Maybe I could put the clothes on that I found on the doll and I could write, 'I love you' on it!"
Is there any doubt my daughter is the sweetest little girl in the universe??
***
On the way to school Rachel suddenly announced that she wants to be a "veternarian."
"Really?" I asked, astonished.
"Yeah," she said.
"What kind of animals do you want to take care of?" I said.
"Pets," she said. "I want to be a veternarian. Or I can just be a Mommy."
"Just be a Mommy?" I answered, indignant. Then my poor daughter got a 2-minute lecture that veterinarians can be mommies, too, just like mommies can be magazine editors. "Just be a Mommy" really bothered me, as if being a stay-at-home mom isn't the most difficult job in the world. And it's essentially voluntter work. No way is my kid going to be a working mom who looks down her nose at stay-at-home moms. The energy it takes to stay at home with a kid for hours is unfathomable to me.
"Tessa has her closet upstairs, and I have my closet downstairs. That's weird."
Then Rachel talked about how happy she was that Tessa had given her one of her plastic brown ponies but that she was worried Tessa might ask for it back during their next playdate. She wasn't reassured when I told her that when people give each other things, they don't usually ask for them back. (She hasn't gotten to the "no backsies" stage, I guess). Then I suggested that maybe she would want to give Tessa one of HER toys when Tessa comes here to play next time.
"Hmm," Rachel said. "I could give Tessa my...one of my dollies. My paper dolls. Maybe I could put the clothes on that I found on the doll and I could write, 'I love you' on it!"
Is there any doubt my daughter is the sweetest little girl in the universe??
***
On the way to school Rachel suddenly announced that she wants to be a "veternarian."
"Really?" I asked, astonished.
"Yeah," she said.
"What kind of animals do you want to take care of?" I said.
"Pets," she said. "I want to be a veternarian. Or I can just be a Mommy."
"Just be a Mommy?" I answered, indignant. Then my poor daughter got a 2-minute lecture that veterinarians can be mommies, too, just like mommies can be magazine editors. "Just be a Mommy" really bothered me, as if being a stay-at-home mom isn't the most difficult job in the world. And it's essentially voluntter work. No way is my kid going to be a working mom who looks down her nose at stay-at-home moms. The energy it takes to stay at home with a kid for hours is unfathomable to me.
Mommy/Rachel adventure
We had a great day today -- a relaxing morning in which TLG let me sleep until 8:30, I didn't get out of bed until 9:30 (after Rachel quite rightly pleaded for me to give her banana bread for breakfast) and then we lingered until it was time to leave for the chavurah at 1 p.m. Turns out the chavurah was meeting at a house within walking distance of us, but between the rain and the SNOW and the HAIL (the latter of which came later), I decided we'd be lazy and take the car.
I arrived with cinnamon streusel bread that I had totally messed up taking out of the pan because it was too small for the size of the batter. Rather than apologize, I just transferred it in chunks and watched the entire thing get devoured by the guests (who promptly complimented me) and Rachel was so encouraging, saying "I'm proud of you, Mommy," for making it. She didn't feel like interacting with the other kids, so we ended building a castle in Unicornia. It was an elaborate affair with towers, tunnels for the ponies, etc. This kid may end up being an architect when she grows up; she is so much more creative than I am.
We were scheduled to meet Sarah and Noah for dinner, but Noah has been running the same fever as Rachel and Sarah did not want to get me or Rachel sick before I left for Atlanta. Rachel cried when she heard this, but I got her to perk up immediately when I told her we'd go to the soaking pool at the Kennedy School nearby. When she woke up from a very late nap she sighed, "I dreamed we were going to the soaking pool!" and then it was hurry up and race over there before it closed at 8. We had a lot of fun "swimming" back and forth, with Rachel's arms and legs wrapped tightly around my arms and legs, and she announced at one point that "this is the pool in Unicornia, and Wysteria comes here every night to clean the pool!"
Rachel wanted to go to the restaurant where there's a playplace (Laurelwood Brewpub), but I gently explained we didn't have time and we'd have to eat the restaurant attached to the pool (which, frankly, is pretty awful but I could have sworn they had cheese quesadillas). When she wouldn't stop sniffling I said, "If you don't stop whining, we can go home RIGHT NOW," and then told her she could order cheese quesadillas. She was very grown up and said, "If I can order cheese quesadillas, that would make me feel better!" "That's the right attitude," I agreed, and we got to the restaurant only to find...no cheese quesadillas. But once again, Rachel rallied when she found out she could get cheese pizza. I was amazed at how big it was, and even more amazed that she finished most of it. That's my girl!
We had a lovely time at dinner, just talking, with Rachel drawing my favorite flowers (you should see her renderings of red tulips and green daisies) and occasionally leaning over to cuddle against my chest or kiss me on the lips and tell me she loves me. Then it was home, Mommy Books ("I LOVE cuddling next to you!" she told me as she settled in for another round of "Pinkalicious"), and then it was time for bed.
I hope she remembers someday how Mommy tried to fill our days alone with fun, even if I don't play with her as dedicatedly (is that a word?) as Drew.
I arrived with cinnamon streusel bread that I had totally messed up taking out of the pan because it was too small for the size of the batter. Rather than apologize, I just transferred it in chunks and watched the entire thing get devoured by the guests (who promptly complimented me) and Rachel was so encouraging, saying "I'm proud of you, Mommy," for making it. She didn't feel like interacting with the other kids, so we ended building a castle in Unicornia. It was an elaborate affair with towers, tunnels for the ponies, etc. This kid may end up being an architect when she grows up; she is so much more creative than I am.
We were scheduled to meet Sarah and Noah for dinner, but Noah has been running the same fever as Rachel and Sarah did not want to get me or Rachel sick before I left for Atlanta. Rachel cried when she heard this, but I got her to perk up immediately when I told her we'd go to the soaking pool at the Kennedy School nearby. When she woke up from a very late nap she sighed, "I dreamed we were going to the soaking pool!" and then it was hurry up and race over there before it closed at 8. We had a lot of fun "swimming" back and forth, with Rachel's arms and legs wrapped tightly around my arms and legs, and she announced at one point that "this is the pool in Unicornia, and Wysteria comes here every night to clean the pool!"
Rachel wanted to go to the restaurant where there's a playplace (Laurelwood Brewpub), but I gently explained we didn't have time and we'd have to eat the restaurant attached to the pool (which, frankly, is pretty awful but I could have sworn they had cheese quesadillas). When she wouldn't stop sniffling I said, "If you don't stop whining, we can go home RIGHT NOW," and then told her she could order cheese quesadillas. She was very grown up and said, "If I can order cheese quesadillas, that would make me feel better!" "That's the right attitude," I agreed, and we got to the restaurant only to find...no cheese quesadillas. But once again, Rachel rallied when she found out she could get cheese pizza. I was amazed at how big it was, and even more amazed that she finished most of it. That's my girl!
We had a lovely time at dinner, just talking, with Rachel drawing my favorite flowers (you should see her renderings of red tulips and green daisies) and occasionally leaning over to cuddle against my chest or kiss me on the lips and tell me she loves me. Then it was home, Mommy Books ("I LOVE cuddling next to you!" she told me as she settled in for another round of "Pinkalicious"), and then it was time for bed.
I hope she remembers someday how Mommy tried to fill our days alone with fun, even if I don't play with her as dedicatedly (is that a word?) as Drew.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Wild, wild week
Well, hell, it's been a busy week. It's not every week that the editorial page editor at your former place of employment dies of a heart attack while running errands...and then it turns out that he really died in the bed of the community college student he was buying books and paying tuition for in exchange for sex...and then it turns out that the reason everyone thinks he died while running errands is that an editor at the paper lied about the circumstances of the editorial page editor's death because he was a friend of hers and the lie got into the newspaper and the newspaper was forced to print a new story and the editor was fired.
Really, you can't make this shit up. Moving right along...
--We are coming home for Passover! If anyone reading this blog is around in NYC from April 6-10, we would LOVE to see you. Yes, it's another trip that will seem like one gigantic playdate because we'll be shuttling TLG around from house to house and friend to friend and family to family, but...that's what vacations are about, right? Seriously, we're there for so long so we can spend quality time with the people we love.
--Today on the way to a pajama party at preschool (read: Parents Night Out), it was sunny outside and Drew and I had both put on our sunglasses. Rachel said, "When you both wear your sunglasses, you look like very silly bunny rabbits."
We cracked up, of course.
***
I haven't been home much the last couple of days. Tuesday night I had class, Wednesday night was the chorus party for the send-off to regional competition (which I'm not going to because I'm heading to an editors' conference in Atlanta, where it is WARM -- yay!) and Thursday my friend Amy asked me to accompany her to a poetry reading and then something to eat afterwards. Amy is still an editor at the newspaper and we spent two solid hours dissecting why the Oregonian seems collectively to be losing its mind. We came up with no good answers but it sure felt good to vent.
Last night I got home quite late -- 8:30 -- to the wonderful smell of...duck! Drew had decided to surprise me and use his day off to make duck and wild rice. It was fabulous, even more so than usual because it has been rainy and cold for 5 days and I am sick unto DEATH of this weather and, please, I don't want to hear how great the weather is in New York and Chicago or whatever. Yeah, we don't have to cope with snow here but otherwise winter sucks. Just...SUCKS.
We had a great, great dinner and conversation. I miss not eating with my family, but sometimes things like classes and chorus and business trips interfere. I hope Rachel forgives her mommy for missing out on quality time, but a busy mommy is a happy mommy (if occasionally stressed out).
Really, you can't make this shit up. Moving right along...
--We are coming home for Passover! If anyone reading this blog is around in NYC from April 6-10, we would LOVE to see you. Yes, it's another trip that will seem like one gigantic playdate because we'll be shuttling TLG around from house to house and friend to friend and family to family, but...that's what vacations are about, right? Seriously, we're there for so long so we can spend quality time with the people we love.
--Today on the way to a pajama party at preschool (read: Parents Night Out), it was sunny outside and Drew and I had both put on our sunglasses. Rachel said, "When you both wear your sunglasses, you look like very silly bunny rabbits."
We cracked up, of course.
***
I haven't been home much the last couple of days. Tuesday night I had class, Wednesday night was the chorus party for the send-off to regional competition (which I'm not going to because I'm heading to an editors' conference in Atlanta, where it is WARM -- yay!) and Thursday my friend Amy asked me to accompany her to a poetry reading and then something to eat afterwards. Amy is still an editor at the newspaper and we spent two solid hours dissecting why the Oregonian seems collectively to be losing its mind. We came up with no good answers but it sure felt good to vent.
Last night I got home quite late -- 8:30 -- to the wonderful smell of...duck! Drew had decided to surprise me and use his day off to make duck and wild rice. It was fabulous, even more so than usual because it has been rainy and cold for 5 days and I am sick unto DEATH of this weather and, please, I don't want to hear how great the weather is in New York and Chicago or whatever. Yeah, we don't have to cope with snow here but otherwise winter sucks. Just...SUCKS.
We had a great, great dinner and conversation. I miss not eating with my family, but sometimes things like classes and chorus and business trips interfere. I hope Rachel forgives her mommy for missing out on quality time, but a busy mommy is a happy mommy (if occasionally stressed out).
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Great kid, bad Mommy
So, this was Drew's 2nd week of the $#!@ weekend shift. Bless his heart, he departed at 6 a.m. on very little sleep, and the time change led me to sleep until 8:15 (yay!) and Rachel even later (around 8:30). We had a 9:30 a.m. playdate at Tessa's house and got there at 10. (Good thing Tessa's mommy and daddy, Helen and Patrick, live so close!). Helen graciously told me to go and run errands if I needed to, but I scoffed at that idea and said part of the great thing about playdates is to have grownup conversation. Which we all did for about three hours. It was great, especially the part about not having to constantly supervise the girls; they only needed a little attention now and then. I can't emphasize enough how meaningful it is that I'm able to have grownup time while my daughter hangs out with members of her Preschool Posse. I can already see her and Tessa giggling and trying on makeup and doing each others' hair while Helen and I chat downstairs over tea. Or, more likely -- I'll just drop Rachel off and run those errands!
We got done at 1:30, I made a bread delivery for a client (two more loaves over two months and I will have finished my bread obligation, which is part of a charity auction at Temple Beth Israel at which I donated 6 loaves of bread for 6 months) and, darn it, Rachel fell asleep in the car. Which meant that when we got home around 3 I was desperate for her to take a nap while I finished my biz school homework (and maybe catch some shut-eye myself) but instead she wanted to play hide-and-go seek. We did one round before I was hungry for a snack. Rachel ate some goldfish while I made myself some cheese, bread and dates, and when we were done she decided she wanted to go upstairs and paint. So I cleaned up the kitchen, emptied the dish drainer and hunted for some sheets to lay on the white carpet. Good thing I did because Rachel dripped some watercolor paint on the sheet by accident (all of our paints are supposedly soluble, but at least two have left permanent stains in the carpet. Which is why I refuse to re-carpet the attic until Rachel's out of the house!).
I offered to bring my computer upstairs (I was determined to get a start on my homework) and Rachel asked to watch the pony movie after whining that she didn't have anything to do (and I expressed my irritation over such a remark because, as I told her, she has a zillion toys and there is a TON of stuff to do, just not with Mommy) and...I was Bad Mommy....I let her watch the pony movie AND Hello Kitty for almost two hours while I frantically tried to finish up my homework (and, after a while, I just dozed off because I was so tired). I gave up at 5:30, made some whipped cream and we raced over to my friend Miriam's house. She and three of her friends were there, so it was a real Girl's Night Out. As usual Rachel was fabulously well-behaved; she tried some fizzy apple drink and liked it (it was Martinelli's, I believe) and luckily I had brought along some quesadillas she had eaten at dinner last night, so she had something to eat while the rest of us dined on salmon, salad and and some African dish that my friend Deni had concoted. Really fantastic meal). AND...the best thing of all!...the gluten-free cake I'd made last night and convinced I had completely messed up was FABULOUS. Oh, my, it was delicious; everyone asked me for the recipe, Rachel loved it, there's some left for Drew and I concluded that, after mastering yeast and a bain marie in one year, I am a total culinary rock star.
Except when I park my kid in front of the TV when I need to get work done. Then I'm a really Bad Mommy and should be spanked.
We got done at 1:30, I made a bread delivery for a client (two more loaves over two months and I will have finished my bread obligation, which is part of a charity auction at Temple Beth Israel at which I donated 6 loaves of bread for 6 months) and, darn it, Rachel fell asleep in the car. Which meant that when we got home around 3 I was desperate for her to take a nap while I finished my biz school homework (and maybe catch some shut-eye myself) but instead she wanted to play hide-and-go seek. We did one round before I was hungry for a snack. Rachel ate some goldfish while I made myself some cheese, bread and dates, and when we were done she decided she wanted to go upstairs and paint. So I cleaned up the kitchen, emptied the dish drainer and hunted for some sheets to lay on the white carpet. Good thing I did because Rachel dripped some watercolor paint on the sheet by accident (all of our paints are supposedly soluble, but at least two have left permanent stains in the carpet. Which is why I refuse to re-carpet the attic until Rachel's out of the house!).
I offered to bring my computer upstairs (I was determined to get a start on my homework) and Rachel asked to watch the pony movie after whining that she didn't have anything to do (and I expressed my irritation over such a remark because, as I told her, she has a zillion toys and there is a TON of stuff to do, just not with Mommy) and...I was Bad Mommy....I let her watch the pony movie AND Hello Kitty for almost two hours while I frantically tried to finish up my homework (and, after a while, I just dozed off because I was so tired). I gave up at 5:30, made some whipped cream and we raced over to my friend Miriam's house. She and three of her friends were there, so it was a real Girl's Night Out. As usual Rachel was fabulously well-behaved; she tried some fizzy apple drink and liked it (it was Martinelli's, I believe) and luckily I had brought along some quesadillas she had eaten at dinner last night, so she had something to eat while the rest of us dined on salmon, salad and and some African dish that my friend Deni had concoted. Really fantastic meal). AND...the best thing of all!...the gluten-free cake I'd made last night and convinced I had completely messed up was FABULOUS. Oh, my, it was delicious; everyone asked me for the recipe, Rachel loved it, there's some left for Drew and I concluded that, after mastering yeast and a bain marie in one year, I am a total culinary rock star.
Except when I park my kid in front of the TV when I need to get work done. Then I'm a really Bad Mommy and should be spanked.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Smell my lips!
That's what all of Rachel's friends said this past Thursday when Drew went to pick up Rachel after preschool. Tessa, Rachel's closest friend at St. James, ordered Drew, "Smell my lips!"
"What?!?" Drew asked.
"It's lemon balm," she replied.
"Oh, it smells very pretty," Drew replied, even though he couldn't smell anything.
Amanda, a cute little blonde girl, said, "smell my lips!"
Then Rachel said, "Smell MY lips!"
And Drew said, "You have the nicest lips of all!" (Because he's Dad, and he knows what his little girl wants to hear!)
***
Drew has apparently joked with Rachel that on her birthday, one of the gifts he'll give her is underwear. He is joking, of course; we're going to give her the coolest presents imaginable. Within reason, of course.
They repeated that joke at breakfast this morning, and then Rachel piped up, "What about if you gave me talking underwear with little arms and legs, and it could walk up my body?" And then she and I cracked up.
"THAT would be a pretty cool birthday present!" Drew replied.
***
I was leaving for work on Friday when Rachel asked for chocolate chip banana bread. I said, "Hmm, I guess I know what MOMMY'S going to make next!"
"Admit it," Drew said. "You've always wanted a kid who loved your cooking.
Then Rachel piped up in a soft yet imperious voice:
"The princess likes the queen's cooking."
"What?!?" Drew asked.
"It's lemon balm," she replied.
"Oh, it smells very pretty," Drew replied, even though he couldn't smell anything.
Amanda, a cute little blonde girl, said, "smell my lips!"
Then Rachel said, "Smell MY lips!"
And Drew said, "You have the nicest lips of all!" (Because he's Dad, and he knows what his little girl wants to hear!)
***
Drew has apparently joked with Rachel that on her birthday, one of the gifts he'll give her is underwear. He is joking, of course; we're going to give her the coolest presents imaginable. Within reason, of course.
They repeated that joke at breakfast this morning, and then Rachel piped up, "What about if you gave me talking underwear with little arms and legs, and it could walk up my body?" And then she and I cracked up.
"THAT would be a pretty cool birthday present!" Drew replied.
***
I was leaving for work on Friday when Rachel asked for chocolate chip banana bread. I said, "Hmm, I guess I know what MOMMY'S going to make next!"
"Admit it," Drew said. "You've always wanted a kid who loved your cooking.
Then Rachel piped up in a soft yet imperious voice:
"The princess likes the queen's cooking."
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Why Rachel wants to grow up
Tonight I reiterated to Rachel that she can't possibly grow up because then she'll never be able fit in my lap.
"Yes I will," she insisted.
"No you won't," I answered. "You may end up being as tall as Daddy!"
"You could cuddle with pony," she said (her pink stuffed pony with white mane and tail).
"It wouldn't be the same," I answered.
"Yes it would," she said, sounding sad and offended.
Then she said:
"I wanna get bigger so I can learn stuff at Hebrew school!"
No, I am not making this up. One of our ancestors was a rabbi in Europe. Perhaps his spirit has somehow made it to Rachel's body??
"Yes I will," she insisted.
"No you won't," I answered. "You may end up being as tall as Daddy!"
"You could cuddle with pony," she said (her pink stuffed pony with white mane and tail).
"It wouldn't be the same," I answered.
"Yes it would," she said, sounding sad and offended.
Then she said:
"I wanna get bigger so I can learn stuff at Hebrew school!"
No, I am not making this up. One of our ancestors was a rabbi in Europe. Perhaps his spirit has somehow made it to Rachel's body??
Poor Rachel
On Monday and Tuesday, preschool called to say that Rachel had a very high temperature and we had to come pick her up early. On Monday I did; yesterday Drew did. When we both picked her up, she was her normal cheerful self and later ate like a horse.
Today was the first day that she was OK. I got home unexpectedly early from chorus -- since I'm not going to regional competition, our director didn't want me on the risers so rather than sit and listen all night, I got up and left -- and joined Rachel and Drew for spaghetti. Rachel insisted that Mommy read her books and Daddy brush her teeth and put her to bed. She's been crying a lot lately over little things and seems unexpectedly clingy; I'll bet she senses the tension in the house over Drew's new weekend shift schedule (even thought we've tried to present it to Rachel as a cool Mommy and Rachel opportunity; not for nothing am I learning how to market bad news). Tonight, for instance, she started sobbing after she unintentionally pushed the "start over" button on the DVD player rather than the "pause" button, and when I went upstairs to find out what was the matter she cried, "I'm worried you'll be mad at me 'cause I've done a bad thing!" I had to reassure her that mad was temporary but love was forever. Then at dinner she started crying for some other reason and we gently scolded her that she shouldn't cry when there really wasn't a reason to, and that big girls don't cry, and then she said, "Will you move me to another house?" and I said, "Of COURSE not! Where do you GET such ideas?? We'll NEVER move you to another house, not unless we all go TOGETHER."
That seemed to calm her down. Temporarily.
***
This morning she was upset that she didn't beat me in the daily contest of who-gets-dressed-first. "It's not a race, Rachel," I said gently. But she wouldn't calm down, and she was crying again when I was getting ready to leave. She couldn't put her Pull-Up into the diaper genie. "I was trying to help you OUT!" she sobbed, and I took her on my lap.
"What's the matter, sweetie?" I asked, cuddling her.
"I want YOU to drive me to school because it's funner!" she said. And then she really let go: "I want ALL of us to drive to school TOGETHER!" She wouldn't stop crying when I tried to explain that we couldn't do it because I had to go down to Salem. Actually, I told her, it was a pretty good idea -- we could theoretically do it but we'd have to get her in to school much earlier than all of us get up.
She told me Monday night that she likes it best when we're all together. This brings out two emotions: 1) Relief that Drew went to Columbia last year instead of this year and 2) This constant changing of schedules and Drew's absence two days a week is really wearing us down. I can't even imagine anymore what it would be like to all live under the same roof for weeks at a time, since the last time we did that was during Drew's three-month paternity leave.
***
When I was reading books to Rachel tonight I told her I have to make a gluten-free dessert for an all-women dinner party we're going to on Sunday night at my friend Miriam's house.
"Chocolate pound cake!" she exclaimed. I shook my head and told her the dessert couldn't use flour and, besides, I didn't like how the pound cake had turned out.
"Why?" she asked.
"Honestly, Rachel, I thought it was too dry," I said. "And it didn't taste chocolatey enough."
"It's CHOCOLATE!" she said. "Come ON!"
I cracked up. Which, of course, made her laugh right along with me.
Today was the first day that she was OK. I got home unexpectedly early from chorus -- since I'm not going to regional competition, our director didn't want me on the risers so rather than sit and listen all night, I got up and left -- and joined Rachel and Drew for spaghetti. Rachel insisted that Mommy read her books and Daddy brush her teeth and put her to bed. She's been crying a lot lately over little things and seems unexpectedly clingy; I'll bet she senses the tension in the house over Drew's new weekend shift schedule (even thought we've tried to present it to Rachel as a cool Mommy and Rachel opportunity; not for nothing am I learning how to market bad news). Tonight, for instance, she started sobbing after she unintentionally pushed the "start over" button on the DVD player rather than the "pause" button, and when I went upstairs to find out what was the matter she cried, "I'm worried you'll be mad at me 'cause I've done a bad thing!" I had to reassure her that mad was temporary but love was forever. Then at dinner she started crying for some other reason and we gently scolded her that she shouldn't cry when there really wasn't a reason to, and that big girls don't cry, and then she said, "Will you move me to another house?" and I said, "Of COURSE not! Where do you GET such ideas?? We'll NEVER move you to another house, not unless we all go TOGETHER."
That seemed to calm her down. Temporarily.
***
This morning she was upset that she didn't beat me in the daily contest of who-gets-dressed-first. "It's not a race, Rachel," I said gently. But she wouldn't calm down, and she was crying again when I was getting ready to leave. She couldn't put her Pull-Up into the diaper genie. "I was trying to help you OUT!" she sobbed, and I took her on my lap.
"What's the matter, sweetie?" I asked, cuddling her.
"I want YOU to drive me to school because it's funner!" she said. And then she really let go: "I want ALL of us to drive to school TOGETHER!" She wouldn't stop crying when I tried to explain that we couldn't do it because I had to go down to Salem. Actually, I told her, it was a pretty good idea -- we could theoretically do it but we'd have to get her in to school much earlier than all of us get up.
She told me Monday night that she likes it best when we're all together. This brings out two emotions: 1) Relief that Drew went to Columbia last year instead of this year and 2) This constant changing of schedules and Drew's absence two days a week is really wearing us down. I can't even imagine anymore what it would be like to all live under the same roof for weeks at a time, since the last time we did that was during Drew's three-month paternity leave.
***
When I was reading books to Rachel tonight I told her I have to make a gluten-free dessert for an all-women dinner party we're going to on Sunday night at my friend Miriam's house.
"Chocolate pound cake!" she exclaimed. I shook my head and told her the dessert couldn't use flour and, besides, I didn't like how the pound cake had turned out.
"Why?" she asked.
"Honestly, Rachel, I thought it was too dry," I said. "And it didn't taste chocolatey enough."
"It's CHOCOLATE!" she said. "Come ON!"
I cracked up. Which, of course, made her laugh right along with me.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Final Daddy-less day
Just in time for Drew's return after a five-day absence, Rachel ran a fever of 102 degrees and I had to pick her up early from preschool. I am also getting a scratchy throat and I'm tired and cranky. Tired of us all passing the same cold around and around and around. We are the Twitter family of cold production; we keep following each other in circles. I ended up cuddling with Rachel on the couch tonight while she watched her pony movie and I proofed pages for the upcoming issue of the magazine I edit. At one point, Rachel noticed my photo next to the Editor's Note and said, "that's YOU!" "THAT'S YOU!" and she cheered me up considerably. I made up for the 90 minutes of work I missed and by the time the movie was over Rachel's fever had gone down (she felt as hot as a water bottle when I picked her up, poor thing).
On the way to school we talked about what life will be like when Rachel grows up. She has decided that when she has her babies, she will live in a house next door to Mommy "and we can both be mommies together!" Until then, we will practice. I will pretend that my bedroom is my house and her bedroom across the hall is her house, and we'll run over to each others' houses when we run out of sugar or diapers.
***
We talked tonight at dinner about how, if I lived next door, I could come and take care of Rachel if she were sick and childless. And if she had babies, I'd take care of her AND the kids if she were sick. And if the babies were sick...we'd take care of them together. "You can take care of one baby and I can take care of one baby!" she exclaimed. (Notice the lack of a male figure; I hope this is just an oversight).
"What would you do if I was sick?" I asked Rachel.
"I'd bring you matzo balls and medicine cookies," Rachel said. "And I'd make you watch the pony movie. I'd bring the TV downstairs."
***
I always tell Rachel how lucky I feel that I got her as a daughter and that I get to be her Mommy.
"If you didn't have me, a daughter would still be nice," she insisted.
"But she wouldn't be YOU!" I answered.
"But she'd still be NICE!" Rachel insisted. I pretended to agree but, really, she's wrong.
***
Rachel had one of the last slices of chocolate silk pie tonight, and we were talking about all the chocolate-based desserts Mommy knows how to make.
"All the chocolates I like are yummy," she said. "Wanna write that down?"
Um, that would be yes.
***
"I love Mommy and Daddy more than anybody else," she announced as we were finishing dinner. "I'm gonna tell Daddy that. He'll be so happy to hear, he'll fall down!"
On the way to school we talked about what life will be like when Rachel grows up. She has decided that when she has her babies, she will live in a house next door to Mommy "and we can both be mommies together!" Until then, we will practice. I will pretend that my bedroom is my house and her bedroom across the hall is her house, and we'll run over to each others' houses when we run out of sugar or diapers.
***
We talked tonight at dinner about how, if I lived next door, I could come and take care of Rachel if she were sick and childless. And if she had babies, I'd take care of her AND the kids if she were sick. And if the babies were sick...we'd take care of them together. "You can take care of one baby and I can take care of one baby!" she exclaimed. (Notice the lack of a male figure; I hope this is just an oversight).
"What would you do if I was sick?" I asked Rachel.
"I'd bring you matzo balls and medicine cookies," Rachel said. "And I'd make you watch the pony movie. I'd bring the TV downstairs."
***
I always tell Rachel how lucky I feel that I got her as a daughter and that I get to be her Mommy.
"If you didn't have me, a daughter would still be nice," she insisted.
"But she wouldn't be YOU!" I answered.
"But she'd still be NICE!" Rachel insisted. I pretended to agree but, really, she's wrong.
***
Rachel had one of the last slices of chocolate silk pie tonight, and we were talking about all the chocolate-based desserts Mommy knows how to make.
"All the chocolates I like are yummy," she said. "Wanna write that down?"
Um, that would be yes.
***
"I love Mommy and Daddy more than anybody else," she announced as we were finishing dinner. "I'm gonna tell Daddy that. He'll be so happy to hear, he'll fall down!"
Carnival!
The fun continued yesterday at the Purim carnival at synagogue. Me being the idiot slacker Jewish mommy that I am, I totally spaced on the fact that there was, you know, an actual RELIGIOUS SERVICE before the carnival explaining what Purim actually MEANT. Because no, dear readers, I cannot for the life of me remember the train of the story of Esther and Haman and Ahasuerus beyond the fact that the king loved Esther who was Jewish, and she saved her People from the evil Haman, and so we all eat three-cornered prune pastries a month before Passover to celebrate the freedom of the Jews. I am sure that God is shaking his/her head at my incredibly lame knowledge of Jewish history. Serves me right if Rachel decides she wants to be a rabbi and then, halfway through rabbinical school, stops talking to her Mom because I'm not religious enough.
OK, let's carry on.
So the carnival was kind of fun, even if it felt like it was more of a Mommy event because I kept running into people from our Chavurah. We have been meeting for, what, over a year now and none of us can remember each others' names when we see each other at random events. I joked with one woman who called me Robin (Robin? I look like a Robin?) that we all need to wear name tags ALL THE TIME. (And no, I did not remember her name. Color me embarrassed).
Rachel played a game or two and was rewarded with cheap plastic stuff that I threw away when she was in bed last night (yes, I will de-clutter this house as if my life depends on it). She also got a pony painted on her face that looked incredibly cute until she smooshed it during a crying fit after her nap. It was a beautiful sunny day and after the carnival we played in the park for a while until I rushed her to the grocery store and ran into not one -- not two -- but THREE current/former Oregonian reporters. And a little girl from Rachel's dance class. Who knew what Fred Meyer was such a hip happenin' place to be on a sunny Sunday afternoon?? Don't these people have LIVES?
Then my friend Sarah brought her 5-year-old son Noah and Sarah's boyfriend Michael over for dinner. Totally unremarkable meal except that the deep chocolate pound cake I made was a disaster -- dry and almost flavorless. Ripped the recipe right out of my cookbook after everyone left.
OK, let's carry on.
So the carnival was kind of fun, even if it felt like it was more of a Mommy event because I kept running into people from our Chavurah. We have been meeting for, what, over a year now and none of us can remember each others' names when we see each other at random events. I joked with one woman who called me Robin (Robin? I look like a Robin?) that we all need to wear name tags ALL THE TIME. (And no, I did not remember her name. Color me embarrassed).
Rachel played a game or two and was rewarded with cheap plastic stuff that I threw away when she was in bed last night (yes, I will de-clutter this house as if my life depends on it). She also got a pony painted on her face that looked incredibly cute until she smooshed it during a crying fit after her nap. It was a beautiful sunny day and after the carnival we played in the park for a while until I rushed her to the grocery store and ran into not one -- not two -- but THREE current/former Oregonian reporters. And a little girl from Rachel's dance class. Who knew what Fred Meyer was such a hip happenin' place to be on a sunny Sunday afternoon?? Don't these people have LIVES?
Then my friend Sarah brought her 5-year-old son Noah and Sarah's boyfriend Michael over for dinner. Totally unremarkable meal except that the deep chocolate pound cake I made was a disaster -- dry and almost flavorless. Ripped the recipe right out of my cookbook after everyone left.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Saturday dinnertime chatter
Rachel was chattering on about our day and asking questions about Giselle, and I suddenly asked her, "Will you remember all this?" Because I don't remember a damn thing before, oh, 1st grade.
"Yes," Rachel said. "Tell me stories about when I was a kid and I'll tell my babies."
***
"I'll probably need all the things you have when I grow up," Rachel said a little later.
"Like what?" I asked.
"Like blush, and makeup, and cream..." Rachel said. "And lipstick, and makeup, and powder, and lots of barrettes and lots of ponytails when I have long hair and braids...I love braids!"
***
"How old are you?" Rachel asked.
"How old do you think I am?" I answered.
"I would only guess," she said. "55!"
"NO!" I said, horrified.
"75!" she said.
"NO!"
"85!" she said. "When I grow up, I'm going to name you 'raspberry' and I'm going to name Daddy 'blueberry.'"
Before I could say anything, she said, "Are you 79? Are you 75? How about 65? How about 6580?"
***
"I think I wanna name my babies Unicorn and Horsie and Butterfly and Pony," Rachel said. "If I have seven babies. I may not have any babies."
Oh, yes you will, kid. I want grandchildren!
"Yes," Rachel said. "Tell me stories about when I was a kid and I'll tell my babies."
***
"I'll probably need all the things you have when I grow up," Rachel said a little later.
"Like what?" I asked.
"Like blush, and makeup, and cream..." Rachel said. "And lipstick, and makeup, and powder, and lots of barrettes and lots of ponytails when I have long hair and braids...I love braids!"
***
"How old are you?" Rachel asked.
"How old do you think I am?" I answered.
"I would only guess," she said. "55!"
"NO!" I said, horrified.
"75!" she said.
"NO!"
"85!" she said. "When I grow up, I'm going to name you 'raspberry' and I'm going to name Daddy 'blueberry.'"
Before I could say anything, she said, "Are you 79? Are you 75? How about 65? How about 6580?"
***
"I think I wanna name my babies Unicorn and Horsie and Butterfly and Pony," Rachel said. "If I have seven babies. I may not have any babies."
Oh, yes you will, kid. I want grandchildren!
Saturday with Mommy and Rachel
Well, it was pretty much a fabulous day (given the fact that Drew was gone, and won't be back until late Monday night). Rachel let me sleep (not as long as I wanted, but it was probably good that she got me up because we had to get to dance class). We managed to eat breakfast AND get to dance class on time, then swim class, and then we headed downtown to the Keller Auditorium for Giselle. It helped that the weather was lovely -- cloudy, yes, but in the 50s and it felt quite warm. For some reason the winter market wasn't there, so we ended up going to a dive-y student bar/restaurant at the edge of the Portland State campus, where Rachel had pizza and I had chicken wings.
Then we managed to find parking on the street (yay!) and got to the ballet in plenty of time to pick up our tickets at Will Call (Drew had scored a great deal for us -- 2 tickets for $40, with pretty decent seats) and settle into our seats. I actually have never seen Giselle and didn't know the plot, and as I told it to Rachel I was put off at how depressing it is. This was a family matinee -- just Act 2, an hour long -- and Rachel is so light that she couldn't even hold the seat down with her weight. So I put her on my lap and she could really see what was going on. The woman next to us unfortunately chose to bring her cranky baby and finally she, the baby and her daughter left about 3/4 of the way through the performance.
I kept whispering plot points in Rachel's ear about how the Prince was mean to Giselle, and she died of a broken heart, but she forgave him, and how he lived in the end but her never forgot her. In the middle of the ballet, she turned around in my lap and planted a gentle kiss on my lips. At the end she said, "that was GREAT!" and when we got gas and were returning home she said, "Know what the favorite part of my day was?" "What?" I answered. "The BALLET!" she said, and my heart swelled. I always thought I wanted boys, but having a little girl means I get to indulge in my love of ballet and recreate all the wonderful memories I have of Mom taking us to see the great ballets of ABT -- Swan Lake, Rodeo, The Nutracker -- and the chocolate layer cake at the Footlights Cafe, and learning how important it is to have beauty and elegance in one's life. And now I get to pass that on to my little girl. The thought of that overwhelms me. Thanks, Mom.
***
Over dinner I read Rachel the whole story of Giselle from the program. Rachel had a lot of questions, and she evidently picked up on the fact that there's a lot of death in the story. So when we were cuddling in bed and I had finished singing her some chorus songs, she asked, "What does dead mean?
"It means you're gone forever and you don't exist anymore," I answered.
"What does 'exist' mean?" she asked.
"Geez, Rachel, I had hoped it would be a while before you asked these questions," I answered. "Dead means you never come back. Like Grandma Alice, Daddy's mommy, who never got to meet you. Which is a shame, because I'm sure she would have loved you." And I started tearing up. "But even though they're gone, you know, they live on in our memories."
"But I didn't meet her," Rachel said sadly.
"I know," I answered. "But Daddy knew her, and I knew her, and so we remember her."
"What color hair did she have?" Rachel asked.
"Dark, dark brown," I said. "Like Daddy's hair!"
"Daddy's hair is GRAY," Rachel said, so earnestly that all I could do was crack up.
So Alice, wherever you are...please know that even though you and Rachel never met, she'll know who you are and how special you were to the ones who loved you.
***
Then we managed to find parking on the street (yay!) and got to the ballet in plenty of time to pick up our tickets at Will Call (Drew had scored a great deal for us -- 2 tickets for $40, with pretty decent seats) and settle into our seats. I actually have never seen Giselle and didn't know the plot, and as I told it to Rachel I was put off at how depressing it is. This was a family matinee -- just Act 2, an hour long -- and Rachel is so light that she couldn't even hold the seat down with her weight. So I put her on my lap and she could really see what was going on. The woman next to us unfortunately chose to bring her cranky baby and finally she, the baby and her daughter left about 3/4 of the way through the performance.
I kept whispering plot points in Rachel's ear about how the Prince was mean to Giselle, and she died of a broken heart, but she forgave him, and how he lived in the end but her never forgot her. In the middle of the ballet, she turned around in my lap and planted a gentle kiss on my lips. At the end she said, "that was GREAT!" and when we got gas and were returning home she said, "Know what the favorite part of my day was?" "What?" I answered. "The BALLET!" she said, and my heart swelled. I always thought I wanted boys, but having a little girl means I get to indulge in my love of ballet and recreate all the wonderful memories I have of Mom taking us to see the great ballets of ABT -- Swan Lake, Rodeo, The Nutracker -- and the chocolate layer cake at the Footlights Cafe, and learning how important it is to have beauty and elegance in one's life. And now I get to pass that on to my little girl. The thought of that overwhelms me. Thanks, Mom.
***
Over dinner I read Rachel the whole story of Giselle from the program. Rachel had a lot of questions, and she evidently picked up on the fact that there's a lot of death in the story. So when we were cuddling in bed and I had finished singing her some chorus songs, she asked, "What does dead mean?
"It means you're gone forever and you don't exist anymore," I answered.
"What does 'exist' mean?" she asked.
"Geez, Rachel, I had hoped it would be a while before you asked these questions," I answered. "Dead means you never come back. Like Grandma Alice, Daddy's mommy, who never got to meet you. Which is a shame, because I'm sure she would have loved you." And I started tearing up. "But even though they're gone, you know, they live on in our memories."
"But I didn't meet her," Rachel said sadly.
"I know," I answered. "But Daddy knew her, and I knew her, and so we remember her."
"What color hair did she have?" Rachel asked.
"Dark, dark brown," I said. "Like Daddy's hair!"
"Daddy's hair is GRAY," Rachel said, so earnestly that all I could do was crack up.
So Alice, wherever you are...please know that even though you and Rachel never met, she'll know who you are and how special you were to the ones who loved you.
***
Friday, March 2, 2012
Make your own adventure
This is the first weekend of Drew's $#!@ Sunday-Thursday shift at the Seattle Times. I urged him to stay up there from Thursday-Monday because he is a) sick with a bad cold and I didn't want him infecting us, b) sick with a bad cold so he needs to be somewhere so he can rest, away from Rachel's exuberance and my preoccupation with all the other things I need to get done in my life and c) sick with a bad cold so he couldn't enjoy all of the outings I've planned for The Little Girl and me.
Tomorrow morning I'll take her to dance class and swim class, then to the winter market (if it's nice) to buy lunch, or home (if it's crummy outside) to eat, and then...a wonderful treat, I hope...we're going to a special, one-hour family matinee of Giselle put on by the Oregon Ballet Theatre! Yay! I can't WAIT for her to experience real live dancing. Then home for nap and out to a restaurant for dinner; maybe Kenny & Zuke's -- our favorite deli outside of New York -- and then Sunday we'll go to the Purim carnival at synagogue, grocery shopping, and dinner here with my friend Sarah, her 5-year-old son Noah, and Sarah's boyfriend Michael. Trying to make the best of these long weekends, and we're off to a very good start.
Tomorrow morning I'll take her to dance class and swim class, then to the winter market (if it's nice) to buy lunch, or home (if it's crummy outside) to eat, and then...a wonderful treat, I hope...we're going to a special, one-hour family matinee of Giselle put on by the Oregon Ballet Theatre! Yay! I can't WAIT for her to experience real live dancing. Then home for nap and out to a restaurant for dinner; maybe Kenny & Zuke's -- our favorite deli outside of New York -- and then Sunday we'll go to the Purim carnival at synagogue, grocery shopping, and dinner here with my friend Sarah, her 5-year-old son Noah, and Sarah's boyfriend Michael. Trying to make the best of these long weekends, and we're off to a very good start.
Best date ever!
Took Rachel to a fancy dinner and live auction tonight. Drew's in Seattle until late Monday night and tonight's event is the biggest law-school related event of the year, and we need to save money on babysitting so...as soon as I found out one of the professors was bringing his 2-year-old son, Amos, I decided to drag Rachel along. (It also enabled me to justify working from home today, which is always helpful when I'm solo parenting).
I was a little stressed at whether this would work. Rachel is well-behaved in public but 2+ hours at a boring adult event is a little much for a 3 1/2 year old. So I filled a backpack with colored pencils from Grandma and Grandpa, a bunch of coloring books, a few toys, some princess cards, a complete change of underwear and stockings (in case she peed on her dress by accident), her doll Elizabeth and stuffed pony, Sophie, and a bunch of assorted snacks.
And...how much of it ended up getting used?? NOTHING. Only Elizabeth. Translation: Rachel is a major champ and I can take her ANYWHERE!
We got to the auction around 6:15; dinner was supposed to be served at 6:30 but we didn't hit the buffet line until 7 or so. We arrived just as Amos and his dad, Paul, arrived, so we were easily able to find seats at a corner near the tent dispensing drinks (and close to the exit in case we needed to leave quickly). I parked us in two chairs and Rachel immediately asked to inspect the table full of desserts (it was a dessert auction, too, and I had quite a time trying to explain bidding and high price to Rachel, who really wanted to sample some of the yummies. So did I, in fact). Then we looked at some of the other auction items and I introduced her to a couple of professors. She was absolutely charming and lovely in a flowery dress, pink stockings and purple bead necklace.
All the women were dressed to the nines and I had fun pointed out all the wild-looking shoes they were wearing and getting Rachel's commentary. Oh, I can't wait until she's old enough to make snarky remarks about skintight dresses and badly applied makeup!
Rachel didn't eat much of the dinner, turning up her nose at the chicken until I fed pieces of it to her. Then I relented and told her I had string cheese and goldfish crackers. She ate a bunch of goldfish during the dessert auction (each table submitted a bid, and the top 20 or so tables got a chance to take home dessert. The highest bidders, $300+, got their first choices, the next highest got their choices, and so on until our lame table, which submitted a bid of $35. Two first-year law students and two low-paid administrators -- Paul had taken Amos home by that time because he was approaching meltdown -- couldn't afford a bid even close to $100). We ended up with a plateful of ginger-pear cupcakes with sour cream frosting. Rachel had hoped to get a slice of chocolate cake from Konditorei, a legendary Salem bakery and that Drew and I love, but she happily chomped through a cupcake. I tried two bites and thought they were ok, but not enough to take home.
When I told Rachel we were going home, she said, "Yay! We're going home! I love going home!" and quite cheerfully left. On the way out we passed a security guard who had seen Paul and I bringing our children inside. "You have very well-behaved children," she said firmly, and I thanked her profusely. As I did Rachel for being so well-behaved and so fun to be with tonight. "I'm glad you came," I told her. "It kept me from being too lonely."
On the way home she said, "This was the best Friday ever! I really liked the event at the university." And I had a much better time that I thought I would.
I was a little stressed at whether this would work. Rachel is well-behaved in public but 2+ hours at a boring adult event is a little much for a 3 1/2 year old. So I filled a backpack with colored pencils from Grandma and Grandpa, a bunch of coloring books, a few toys, some princess cards, a complete change of underwear and stockings (in case she peed on her dress by accident), her doll Elizabeth and stuffed pony, Sophie, and a bunch of assorted snacks.
And...how much of it ended up getting used?? NOTHING. Only Elizabeth. Translation: Rachel is a major champ and I can take her ANYWHERE!
We got to the auction around 6:15; dinner was supposed to be served at 6:30 but we didn't hit the buffet line until 7 or so. We arrived just as Amos and his dad, Paul, arrived, so we were easily able to find seats at a corner near the tent dispensing drinks (and close to the exit in case we needed to leave quickly). I parked us in two chairs and Rachel immediately asked to inspect the table full of desserts (it was a dessert auction, too, and I had quite a time trying to explain bidding and high price to Rachel, who really wanted to sample some of the yummies. So did I, in fact). Then we looked at some of the other auction items and I introduced her to a couple of professors. She was absolutely charming and lovely in a flowery dress, pink stockings and purple bead necklace.
All the women were dressed to the nines and I had fun pointed out all the wild-looking shoes they were wearing and getting Rachel's commentary. Oh, I can't wait until she's old enough to make snarky remarks about skintight dresses and badly applied makeup!
Rachel didn't eat much of the dinner, turning up her nose at the chicken until I fed pieces of it to her. Then I relented and told her I had string cheese and goldfish crackers. She ate a bunch of goldfish during the dessert auction (each table submitted a bid, and the top 20 or so tables got a chance to take home dessert. The highest bidders, $300+, got their first choices, the next highest got their choices, and so on until our lame table, which submitted a bid of $35. Two first-year law students and two low-paid administrators -- Paul had taken Amos home by that time because he was approaching meltdown -- couldn't afford a bid even close to $100). We ended up with a plateful of ginger-pear cupcakes with sour cream frosting. Rachel had hoped to get a slice of chocolate cake from Konditorei, a legendary Salem bakery and that Drew and I love, but she happily chomped through a cupcake. I tried two bites and thought they were ok, but not enough to take home.
When I told Rachel we were going home, she said, "Yay! We're going home! I love going home!" and quite cheerfully left. On the way out we passed a security guard who had seen Paul and I bringing our children inside. "You have very well-behaved children," she said firmly, and I thanked her profusely. As I did Rachel for being so well-behaved and so fun to be with tonight. "I'm glad you came," I told her. "It kept me from being too lonely."
On the way home she said, "This was the best Friday ever! I really liked the event at the university." And I had a much better time that I thought I would.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Rachel's world
"I'm Princess Baby Unicorn," Rachel announced to me this morning as she climbed into bed to cuddle while Drew took a shower. "And you're Queen Mommy, and Daddy is King Daddy. And if you want anything, you can call, 'Sophieeee!' and I'll come right to you!"
***
Rachel said she thought that Minty, a light green pony in the "My Litte Pony" series, would want to wear underwear.
"I don't think ponies like underwear," Drew said.
"I don't think the ponies like going to the bathroom very much!" she replied.
***
I told Rachel it would probably rain today (actually, it was brilliantly sunny, which brightened my mood considerably, and it was still light when I drove home. Daylight savings time is just around the corner!).
"Yay!" she replied about the rain. "I get to catch raindrops on my tongue! It's very easy. You just open your mouth!"
***
"Know how much I love chocolate?" Rachel asked tonight. "More than DADDY! As much as the whole UNIVERSE!"
***
I told Rachel at dinner that I appreciate the fact that she doesn't barge into our room in the morning but lets us sleep.
"Usually when I'm scared and I've done something wrong, I come into your room to tell you," she explained. And then my daughter, who has noticed that I reach for pen and paper whenever she says something amusing, added, "You wanna write it down?"
***
We were cuddling in bed tonight, which we haven't done in quite a while, when I asked her, "What are you going to be like when you grow up?"
Serves me right.
"I'm gonna be a pony!" Rachel said. "Someone who babysits ponies!"
OK, sweetheart.
***
Rachel said she thought that Minty, a light green pony in the "My Litte Pony" series, would want to wear underwear.
"I don't think ponies like underwear," Drew said.
"I don't think the ponies like going to the bathroom very much!" she replied.
***
I told Rachel it would probably rain today (actually, it was brilliantly sunny, which brightened my mood considerably, and it was still light when I drove home. Daylight savings time is just around the corner!).
"Yay!" she replied about the rain. "I get to catch raindrops on my tongue! It's very easy. You just open your mouth!"
***
"Know how much I love chocolate?" Rachel asked tonight. "More than DADDY! As much as the whole UNIVERSE!"
***
I told Rachel at dinner that I appreciate the fact that she doesn't barge into our room in the morning but lets us sleep.
"Usually when I'm scared and I've done something wrong, I come into your room to tell you," she explained. And then my daughter, who has noticed that I reach for pen and paper whenever she says something amusing, added, "You wanna write it down?"
***
We were cuddling in bed tonight, which we haven't done in quite a while, when I asked her, "What are you going to be like when you grow up?"
Serves me right.
"I'm gonna be a pony!" Rachel said. "Someone who babysits ponies!"
OK, sweetheart.
Two big things that happened last weekend
..and I forgot to share them because we were having such fun with Grandpa and Grandma (when they were well enough to see us:)):
On Sunday, Rachel announced she wanted to take a shower with Mommy. Are you sure? we kept asking over and over. She was sure. So, I turned on the water, she got undressed, took my hand and I helped her into the tub. All was well until I turned on the water and she shrieked, "HOT! HOT!" and started crying. I turned down the heat some, and tried to turn it into an adventure by having her wash her own hair with shampoo. She joked how it got "on my BUTT!" and I had fun drying her off, but today when I suggested she shower again with me, she regretfully said no. "The water was too hot," she explained. Hopefully when she gets a little older we can try again.
On Monday, Rachel's new, big-girl dresser got delivered. She of course tried to help Drew and the delivery guy move it into place. She is so excited to have a real piece of furniture; she and Drew decided where her shirts, pants, socks and underwear would go and she can almost reach the top of the dresser already. Her room really is starting to look like a big-girl room. Can we really have gotten this far? Is she really growing up?
On Sunday, Rachel announced she wanted to take a shower with Mommy. Are you sure? we kept asking over and over. She was sure. So, I turned on the water, she got undressed, took my hand and I helped her into the tub. All was well until I turned on the water and she shrieked, "HOT! HOT!" and started crying. I turned down the heat some, and tried to turn it into an adventure by having her wash her own hair with shampoo. She joked how it got "on my BUTT!" and I had fun drying her off, but today when I suggested she shower again with me, she regretfully said no. "The water was too hot," she explained. Hopefully when she gets a little older we can try again.
On Monday, Rachel's new, big-girl dresser got delivered. She of course tried to help Drew and the delivery guy move it into place. She is so excited to have a real piece of furniture; she and Drew decided where her shirts, pants, socks and underwear would go and she can almost reach the top of the dresser already. Her room really is starting to look like a big-girl room. Can we really have gotten this far? Is she really growing up?
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