Vacation??!? HA!!! I took today off so Drew and I could move bookcases around to finally give Rachel her own space -- she has been sharing her bedroom with two bookcases of our works of fiction. Last weekend in a fit of frustration tied to cleaning her room, I quickly measured the bookcase in the living room and concluded that we could haul it upstairs and move the bookcases in Rachel's room into the living room. That will give us room to eventually move a desk and/or bookcase/and or her own chair into Rachel's room.
Today was moving day, and I held my breath while we were moving the living room bookcase upstairs but -- IT WORKED!! Once we got that done, we took all the books and shelving out of the bookcases in Rachel's room and hauled those bookcases into the living room -- and in the process we purged about three boxes' worth of books. I thought the process would take two hours; it ended up taking most of the day. Poor Rachel had to amuse herself while her parents were out of commission: at one point we really were forced to let her watch something like three movies in a row -- sacrilege, to my way of thinking, on a perfectly beautiful day -- but there was no alternative. Finally at around 4:30 Drew went to get a haircut and pick up some things for dinner because I was determined to make a nice Shabbat dinner after all our hard work, and Rachel and I went to the mall to buy Drew's birthday gift, pick up some sunglasses for me and re-frame some pictures whose frames were broken.
We finally ended up sitting down to a nice dinner of panko-crusted lamb chops, rice pilaf (Rachel calls it "pea-leaf" which sounds much nicer and more fairylike), salad -- and a beer for Drew and hard cider for me. Yessir, we deserved it!
Oh, and I made gingerbread after dinner because my little girl asked me to. And Mom and Dad? I never understood what complete and major hassle it must have been to paint 8K before we moved in. With two kids in tow? One of whom got sick and curled up in the pantry? And you guys on your knees painting baseboards? Ugh. I like to think I felt a little of what you felt today.
***
"Know what Elijah looks like?" Rachel asked at breakfast.
"Elijah who?" I asked. Drew motioned to me that she meant Elijah at Passover.
"He wears a black shirt and green pants. He's white and he has brown hair," Rachel replied. "That's what Elijah looks like."
***
"It feels like I'm not even 4!" Rachel said today. "It feels like I'm going to be a baby FOREVER."
***
Rachel took out her baby doll and baby carriage this morning, the first time in a long time she has played with either one. At one point she handed the doll to me and said, seriously: "Can you take care of her for me? I want to go to a movie with my husband. You can take her for a walk. She loves walks!"
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Oregon Symphony night
I started feeling crummy yesterday -- it's a cold or allergies, can't tell, but Drew thinks it's allergies -- and so I skipped chorus (after Benadryl knocked me out cold) and worked, or tried to, from home today. But I was determined to take Rachel to the Oregon Symphony's annual concert at Waterfront Park. They play a bunch of things, including the 1812 Overture with live cannons, and then there's a fireworks display over the Willamette River.
What a difference two years makes! The last time we took Rachel she was so scared of the fireworks that she and Drew left last year before they even started. This year, she could hardly wait.
She ended up spending most of the evening cuddled on my lap or doing gymnastics in Drew's lap. We got food there and some ice cream, most of which I finished because Rachel couldn't -- and I read the latest issue of The New Yorker between numbers. I still feel a little weak and out of it, and will probably go to bed early tonight, but it was still worth dragging myself to the waterfront. It was crowded and we couldn't see much (including the Oregon Ballet Theater's pas de deux of the Black Swan number from Swan Lake), but we all had a good time.
The best part was when Rachel, in the middle of the fireworks display, turned around and kissed Drew, then me, and said, "Thank you for taking me to this." Such a polite, grateful, grown-up girl! It's hard for us to believe she's only 4 sometimes....
***
On the way home Rachel asked us to touch a plastic cactus that it appears she got at school.
Then she said, "DON'T touch this cactus! It's prickly and a witch put a spell on it. If you touch it, you'll turn into a gorilla."
"But what if I WANT to be a gorilla?" Drew said.
"You'll turn into a MAD gorilla," she explained. "And then you'll die."
Then Rachel elaborated on the cactus, telling us about a place called "Unicactusland." And right next to it is a place called Flowerville. "All the houses are covered with flowers. And there are carpet daisies, and buttercups in the refrigerators, and bluebells for doorbells," she said. "The houses are covered in magnificent flowers."
"Magnificent flowers, huh?" I said as we pulled into the garage. "Rachel, I love your imagination!"
And her vocabulary. Truly, I do.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
More sayings from Rachel
Yesterday while we were driving to school, Rachel said, "Know what the best way to make a baby is? The best way to make a baby is to take a little bit of the mommy and a little bit of the daddy and put them together in the mommy's tummy and grow a baby."
Pause.
"That's how you guys did it, right?"
It got a lot of reaction on Facebook. Two of my favorites:
From Ruth: She's 4? You are in so much trouble...
From my friend Steve Bilow: I am SO proud of her! Yes, she's 4 but it's takes critical thinking skills beyond those 4 years to see what she sees. So.... while you're telling her to eat her peas don't forget to be proud of your great parenting and it's ability to empower her to think. Remember that when she's in med school at 11. :-)
***
Tonight before dinner, Rachel joined us in the kitchen to hang out and do paper dolls. All of a sudden she began singing a version of "The Wheels on the Bus," substituting her own words:
The Daddies on the bus say "too much cookies!" (3x)
All around the town
The Mommies on the bus say "I wanna make cupcakes!" (3x)
All around the town
The babies on the bus say "I wanna go home!" (3x)
All around the town
The Rachels on the bus eat chocolate chip cookies (3x)
Yum, Yum, Yum!
***
Tonight turned into a sing-along. Rachel wanted Drew to sing America the Beautiful and then she said, "Sing it again, Daddy. You do the melody and I'll do the harmony!"
Later she said she wanted to be in the same chorus as Mommy when she grows up, and I told her that in a few years she could join the Portland Girlchoir (it's an audition chorus and the youngest kids are in kindergarten, but oh what an opportunity!). I told her she could come to my chorus's shows, and I could come to her shows.
"And I can be in the Daddy chorus!" Drew said teasingly (he doesn't have, ahem, a singer's voice).
"What's the Daddy chorus?" I said.
Rachel answered, "It's where all the daddies get together for the big show and it's possible to get daddies to sing in a chorus like ladies do."
Pause.
"That's how you guys did it, right?"
It got a lot of reaction on Facebook. Two of my favorites:
From Ruth: She's 4? You are in so much trouble...
From my friend Steve Bilow: I am SO proud of her! Yes, she's 4 but it's takes critical thinking skills beyond those 4 years to see what she sees. So.... while you're telling her to eat her peas don't forget to be proud of your great parenting and it's ability to empower her to think. Remember that when she's in med school at 11. :-)
***
Tonight before dinner, Rachel joined us in the kitchen to hang out and do paper dolls. All of a sudden she began singing a version of "The Wheels on the Bus," substituting her own words:
The Daddies on the bus say "too much cookies!" (3x)
All around the town
The Mommies on the bus say "I wanna make cupcakes!" (3x)
All around the town
The babies on the bus say "I wanna go home!" (3x)
All around the town
The Rachels on the bus eat chocolate chip cookies (3x)
Yum, Yum, Yum!
***
Tonight turned into a sing-along. Rachel wanted Drew to sing America the Beautiful and then she said, "Sing it again, Daddy. You do the melody and I'll do the harmony!"
Later she said she wanted to be in the same chorus as Mommy when she grows up, and I told her that in a few years she could join the Portland Girlchoir (it's an audition chorus and the youngest kids are in kindergarten, but oh what an opportunity!). I told her she could come to my chorus's shows, and I could come to her shows.
"And I can be in the Daddy chorus!" Drew said teasingly (he doesn't have, ahem, a singer's voice).
"What's the Daddy chorus?" I said.
Rachel answered, "It's where all the daddies get together for the big show and it's possible to get daddies to sing in a chorus like ladies do."
No Boys Allowed Night
Last night while Drew was working the rest of his weekend shift in Seattle, I arranged a post-school playdate with one of Rachel's closest friends, Devin ("best friends!" Devin shrieked when she hugged Rachel as I arrived at school) and Devin's mom, Linda. We went to Hot Lips Pizza (where I was overjoyed to discover they had hard pear cider on tap....how have I missed this???), then played in the Jamison Park fountain, then hit Cool Moon Ice Cream across the street for chocolate sorbet (me) and ice cream (Linda and the girls).
Linda and I taught the girls to say "Girl Power!!" at dinner. So when we were talking about what a great time we were having, we all said, "NO. BOYS. ALLOWED!" followed by "Girl Power!" I'm sure that strangers on the street thought we were strange, but who cares?? It's Portland!
Linda and I had a nice conversation about everything under the sun over dinner. Rachel and Devin played on the patio of Hot Lips and made friends with a beautiful, slightly older girl named Magana -- and Rachel, ever-resourceful, asked for Magana's phone number, which Magana wrote on a slip of paper that Rachel carefully brought over to me. I took Devin and Rachel to the bathroom, we walked to the fountain, and THEN Rachel decided she needed to go to the bathroom again. Luckily a farsighted city commissioner here, Randy Leonard, persuaded the city years ago to build public loos, and there was one at the edge of the fountain. At first Rachel had said she could hold it in, but then she followed that with, "Now would be a really good time for you to take me to the bathroom," and I recognized the panic in her voice. We made it just in time.
While we were in the bathroom she said, "I'm thinking about the sports I'm going to do when I'm older."
"What sports?" I said. "You know that we'll come to all your games, right?"
"And you'll come to ALL my games," she repeated. Then she counted the sports she wanted to play on her fingers: "Soccer. Football. Baseball. Water Polo. Volleyball."
Guess she'll be a very busy girl when she gets bigger!
Linda and I taught the girls to say "Girl Power!!" at dinner. So when we were talking about what a great time we were having, we all said, "NO. BOYS. ALLOWED!" followed by "Girl Power!" I'm sure that strangers on the street thought we were strange, but who cares?? It's Portland!
Linda and I had a nice conversation about everything under the sun over dinner. Rachel and Devin played on the patio of Hot Lips and made friends with a beautiful, slightly older girl named Magana -- and Rachel, ever-resourceful, asked for Magana's phone number, which Magana wrote on a slip of paper that Rachel carefully brought over to me. I took Devin and Rachel to the bathroom, we walked to the fountain, and THEN Rachel decided she needed to go to the bathroom again. Luckily a farsighted city commissioner here, Randy Leonard, persuaded the city years ago to build public loos, and there was one at the edge of the fountain. At first Rachel had said she could hold it in, but then she followed that with, "Now would be a really good time for you to take me to the bathroom," and I recognized the panic in her voice. We made it just in time.
While we were in the bathroom she said, "I'm thinking about the sports I'm going to do when I'm older."
"What sports?" I said. "You know that we'll come to all your games, right?"
"And you'll come to ALL my games," she repeated. Then she counted the sports she wanted to play on her fingers: "Soccer. Football. Baseball. Water Polo. Volleyball."
Guess she'll be a very busy girl when she gets bigger!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Sunday morning with Rachel
First of all, she looks absolutely adorable in her Trek in the Park t-shirt, which comes down to her ankles and she insists on wearing as a nightshirt. Thank God she decided against wearing it belted, as a dress, today (Drew's suggestion). I think wearing it as nightshirt is as far as she needs to go.
This morning over breakfast Rachel insisted on telling me a dream she had last night, a dream she described as really scary:
"My dream was about a little girl who was walking through the forest and she was going to her house and it looked like our house and then a goblin peeked his head out of the roof. Actually I dreamed of Trek in the Park, and guess what the scariest part was? The aliens. The aliens was the scariest part of the dream and it was really scary. But then I thought of the furry things and then at the end I burst out laguhing and I even fell over on my picnic blanket."
(The furry things were balls of fur hurled onto the stage to foreshadow the last and final season of Trek in the Park next year. The episode they're doing is called, "The Trouble with Tribbles.")
***
"Daddy's smart," Rachel said today. "He's like Egbert, in the Caroline story. He lives in the university. Like you do, only a different university."
***
Rachel busied herself playing with a Leapfrog learning machine that teaches kids how to write letters (a gift from Tia Daniella, Jojo and Valerie) while I read the Sunday NY Times.
"You have a lot of time to read the newspaper, 'cause I'm busy learning how to write!" she said.
This morning over breakfast Rachel insisted on telling me a dream she had last night, a dream she described as really scary:
"My dream was about a little girl who was walking through the forest and she was going to her house and it looked like our house and then a goblin peeked his head out of the roof. Actually I dreamed of Trek in the Park, and guess what the scariest part was? The aliens. The aliens was the scariest part of the dream and it was really scary. But then I thought of the furry things and then at the end I burst out laguhing and I even fell over on my picnic blanket."
(The furry things were balls of fur hurled onto the stage to foreshadow the last and final season of Trek in the Park next year. The episode they're doing is called, "The Trouble with Tribbles.")
***
"Daddy's smart," Rachel said today. "He's like Egbert, in the Caroline story. He lives in the university. Like you do, only a different university."
***
Rachel busied herself playing with a Leapfrog learning machine that teaches kids how to write letters (a gift from Tia Daniella, Jojo and Valerie) while I read the Sunday NY Times.
"You have a lot of time to read the newspaper, 'cause I'm busy learning how to write!" she said.
Social Sunday
So, what do Rachel and I do when Drew's in Seattle working a weekend shift?? Par-TAY!
We went to a chavurah potluck at Lake Grove Swim Park in Lake Oswego, a lovely place with a play structure (Rachel promptly showed me she can do everything on it), a tiny wading pool and the lake itself. It was too chilly for me to go into the lake, so we sat by the wading pool with Rachel wading in while I tried to read sections of the NY Times. When we got back to the picnic table where our chavurah had established itself, the homemade lemon blueberry bread I'd made was gone -- even the kids liked it! -- and everyone was packing up. We had a block party to attend at 4, so we made a quick stop for ingredients on the way home. Rachel complained that her neck hurt, and so we both agreed she should lie down for a while and "rest" while I made cupcakes for the block party.
Well, Rachel's "lie down" lasted approximately 20 minutes, but she was certainly cheerful when she got up. She said her neck didn't hurt anymore. "That was a great suggestion, Mommy!" she said, hugging me. Then she asked me if she could help make the cupcakes, and boy is she really, truly a help in the kitchen! All I had to do was measure out the ingredients; she dumped them in the bowl and even broke up the chunks of flour and sugar. She likes to hold the mixer while I guide her using it; hard to believe that 3 years ago the sound of the mixer absolutely terrified her. We had a nice talk with Mom and Dad -- it's so nice that I can leave her on the phone to have real, honest-to-goodness conversations with her grandparents on both sides -- and then we walked to the block party, which was three blocks away.
We were a little late and much of the food was gone, but Rachel -- before I could stop her -- managed to eat our friend Anna's chocolate chip cookies before I could get any decent food in her. The night's haul for Rachel: a couple pieces of fruit and a bag of chips. Sigh. Rachel managed to talk one of the parents into blowing up a balloon and shaping it into a sword, whereupon she immediately began whacking me with it. Another little girl, who had her face painted to be a cheetah, decided to growl at me and both she and Rachel ended up chasing me around the block until they could "tie" me to a tree. The little girl, by the way, was very cute if very loquacious -- she explained her parents are divorced, so she spends one week at her mom's house on the block and the next week at her dad's house on Shaver Street, but she goes to Alameda Elementary and she loves her teachers there -- and then she and Rachel ended up chasing me again, much to Rachel's delight.
Then Rachel hooked up with a girl named Bridgette, whose mom, Max, was in my mommy and me class right after I gave birth. Bridgette, therefore, is about Rachel's age and Max told me that she was really disappointed that block party would only include older kids on the block, most of whom tend to leave her out of things. That probably explains why Bridgette very generously let Rachel try out her two-wheeler bike -- she even let Rachel use her helmet -- and I rode Rachel up and down the street a few times before she said, "This is really fun! When Daddy gets back can you tell him to take off my training wheels?" (I'd been feeling remiss about not making her use her tricycle more often this summer and frustrated that she can't ride yet because I want to bike all over the neighborhood with her -- maybe we'll be able to do that by next summer! Whee!!!).
Then Rachel said to Bridgette, "I hear there's a treehouse around here." "We have a treehouse in our backyard!" Bridgette said. "Want to see it?" So....two little girls ended up playing in the backyard while I visited with folks out front. When I went to see what they were up to, they asked me to play hide and seek, which I did, and then I got to watch Rachel do incredibly impressive gymnastics on Bridgette's swingset (Rachel can now hang by the back of her knees without hands. Yes, my heart stopped).
When it was time to leave Rachel really sobbed; she was upstairs playing in Bridgette's room and didn't want to go -- but I promised we'd connect with Max and Bridgette and have a playdate soon. As I told Max, it will be great for Rachel to have a little friend at Alameda and to be able to WALK TO HER HOUSE and TO SCHOOL with her someday!!
We went to a chavurah potluck at Lake Grove Swim Park in Lake Oswego, a lovely place with a play structure (Rachel promptly showed me she can do everything on it), a tiny wading pool and the lake itself. It was too chilly for me to go into the lake, so we sat by the wading pool with Rachel wading in while I tried to read sections of the NY Times. When we got back to the picnic table where our chavurah had established itself, the homemade lemon blueberry bread I'd made was gone -- even the kids liked it! -- and everyone was packing up. We had a block party to attend at 4, so we made a quick stop for ingredients on the way home. Rachel complained that her neck hurt, and so we both agreed she should lie down for a while and "rest" while I made cupcakes for the block party.
Well, Rachel's "lie down" lasted approximately 20 minutes, but she was certainly cheerful when she got up. She said her neck didn't hurt anymore. "That was a great suggestion, Mommy!" she said, hugging me. Then she asked me if she could help make the cupcakes, and boy is she really, truly a help in the kitchen! All I had to do was measure out the ingredients; she dumped them in the bowl and even broke up the chunks of flour and sugar. She likes to hold the mixer while I guide her using it; hard to believe that 3 years ago the sound of the mixer absolutely terrified her. We had a nice talk with Mom and Dad -- it's so nice that I can leave her on the phone to have real, honest-to-goodness conversations with her grandparents on both sides -- and then we walked to the block party, which was three blocks away.
We were a little late and much of the food was gone, but Rachel -- before I could stop her -- managed to eat our friend Anna's chocolate chip cookies before I could get any decent food in her. The night's haul for Rachel: a couple pieces of fruit and a bag of chips. Sigh. Rachel managed to talk one of the parents into blowing up a balloon and shaping it into a sword, whereupon she immediately began whacking me with it. Another little girl, who had her face painted to be a cheetah, decided to growl at me and both she and Rachel ended up chasing me around the block until they could "tie" me to a tree. The little girl, by the way, was very cute if very loquacious -- she explained her parents are divorced, so she spends one week at her mom's house on the block and the next week at her dad's house on Shaver Street, but she goes to Alameda Elementary and she loves her teachers there -- and then she and Rachel ended up chasing me again, much to Rachel's delight.
Then Rachel hooked up with a girl named Bridgette, whose mom, Max, was in my mommy and me class right after I gave birth. Bridgette, therefore, is about Rachel's age and Max told me that she was really disappointed that block party would only include older kids on the block, most of whom tend to leave her out of things. That probably explains why Bridgette very generously let Rachel try out her two-wheeler bike -- she even let Rachel use her helmet -- and I rode Rachel up and down the street a few times before she said, "This is really fun! When Daddy gets back can you tell him to take off my training wheels?" (I'd been feeling remiss about not making her use her tricycle more often this summer and frustrated that she can't ride yet because I want to bike all over the neighborhood with her -- maybe we'll be able to do that by next summer! Whee!!!).
Then Rachel said to Bridgette, "I hear there's a treehouse around here." "We have a treehouse in our backyard!" Bridgette said. "Want to see it?" So....two little girls ended up playing in the backyard while I visited with folks out front. When I went to see what they were up to, they asked me to play hide and seek, which I did, and then I got to watch Rachel do incredibly impressive gymnastics on Bridgette's swingset (Rachel can now hang by the back of her knees without hands. Yes, my heart stopped).
When it was time to leave Rachel really sobbed; she was upstairs playing in Bridgette's room and didn't want to go -- but I promised we'd connect with Max and Bridgette and have a playdate soon. As I told Max, it will be great for Rachel to have a little friend at Alameda and to be able to WALK TO HER HOUSE and TO SCHOOL with her someday!!
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Rachel scolds Daddy
This morning Drew and I were half asleep when all of a sudden we heard Rachel speak quite severely. We thought she was in her room, and she kept saying something like, "Daddy. You..." and we couldn't hear the rest.
Turns out she was in the kitchen giving Drew a stern talking-to because she thought her haircut appointment was at 9:30 instead of 11 and she was remonstrating him for not getting her there on time. When I explained to her that her appointment was at 11, not 9:30, she said, "you'll find this very funny" and proceed to tell me that she had said, "DADDY. You need to get up. If you don't take me to my haircut appointment you will be a very bad Daddy."
Needless to say, they made it to the appointment and she now has short, cute bangs.
***
"Let's pretend we're at camp," Rachel said before "Trek in the Park" started tonight. "You are the camp directors (meaning me and Drew), and I'm one of the kids. We're pretending we're going on a nature hike and it's dark and you can see the moon. So, you guys are the camp directors."
Moments later she added, "I can see owls! I can see a wishing star!"
I think she'll be ready for sleep-away camp sooner than we'll want her to go!
***
"That was the best show EVER!" she said at the end of "Trek in the Park." "That was a good idea, guys!"
***
Rachel was crowing about having a whole day of just Mommy and Rachel with NO BOYS allowed. That would be tomorrow, when Drew finishes his last blasted weekend shift for the whole year (we hope) and Monday. On Monday after school I've arranged to meet up with a friend of Rachel's from preschool, Devin, and Devin's mommy, Linda, and we'll go get pizza, then play in the Jamison Park fountain, and get Cool Moon ice cream from the ice cream shop across the street.
Drew looked slightly chagrined that he wouldn't be joining us and reminded us grumpily that he has to work tomorrow (so he can't come to the latest chavurah gathering, which is going on at a swim park in Lake Oswego) and Monday.
"Sometimes girls have to do things with no boys around," Rachel explained patiently. "This is one of those times."
"When do I get to have fun?" Drew asked.
"Twice a day," Rachel answered. No idea where she came up with THAT answer....
Turns out she was in the kitchen giving Drew a stern talking-to because she thought her haircut appointment was at 9:30 instead of 11 and she was remonstrating him for not getting her there on time. When I explained to her that her appointment was at 11, not 9:30, she said, "you'll find this very funny" and proceed to tell me that she had said, "DADDY. You need to get up. If you don't take me to my haircut appointment you will be a very bad Daddy."
Needless to say, they made it to the appointment and she now has short, cute bangs.
***
"Let's pretend we're at camp," Rachel said before "Trek in the Park" started tonight. "You are the camp directors (meaning me and Drew), and I'm one of the kids. We're pretending we're going on a nature hike and it's dark and you can see the moon. So, you guys are the camp directors."
Moments later she added, "I can see owls! I can see a wishing star!"
I think she'll be ready for sleep-away camp sooner than we'll want her to go!
***
"That was the best show EVER!" she said at the end of "Trek in the Park." "That was a good idea, guys!"
***
Rachel was crowing about having a whole day of just Mommy and Rachel with NO BOYS allowed. That would be tomorrow, when Drew finishes his last blasted weekend shift for the whole year (we hope) and Monday. On Monday after school I've arranged to meet up with a friend of Rachel's from preschool, Devin, and Devin's mommy, Linda, and we'll go get pizza, then play in the Jamison Park fountain, and get Cool Moon ice cream from the ice cream shop across the street.
Drew looked slightly chagrined that he wouldn't be joining us and reminded us grumpily that he has to work tomorrow (so he can't come to the latest chavurah gathering, which is going on at a swim park in Lake Oswego) and Monday.
"Sometimes girls have to do things with no boys around," Rachel explained patiently. "This is one of those times."
"When do I get to have fun?" Drew asked.
"Twice a day," Rachel answered. No idea where she came up with THAT answer....
Trek in the Park
Back in 2008, I wrote about a group of actors preparing to put on a live show of an episode of Star Trek called "Amok Time." The actors, part of a company called "Atomic Arts," had come up with a wonderfully original idea of re-creating episodes from the original "Star Trek" series in a Portland Park, for free. They'd choose one episode a year.
Well, my story got picked up nationally and "Trek in the Park" is now in its fourth season. This is the closing weekend of the 2012 season and they did the episode, "Journey to Babel" aka the first episode where viewers meet Spock's parents. The show has grown so popular that the actors moved it from a small park, Woodlawn Park, to the larger Cathedral Park under the majestic St. Johns Bridge (the most beautiful bridge in Portland, really). Drew has been dying to go, me less so, and tonight seemed the best night since he's working in Seattle tomorrow and Monday.
Well, we ended up having a terrific time. The actors were hard to hear at times because of the rumble of traffic on the St. Johns Bridge, but it was a lovely day, quite warm, and Drew brought a bag of water and snacks, I contributed the picnic blanket (I was running errands this afternoon so we ended up meeting at the park) and he got there in time to get a decent place on the grass. (Remember that the evening was free). Rachel was quite well-behaved and cheered lustily at the end and clapped hard at all the right places. After the show, a sister act called the Double Clicks came on to play for a while, and they were GREAT. At the end of the act I told Drew that although there are many things about Portland that frustrate me, seeing a group of actors perform Star Trek episodes followed by a girl group isn't one of them. "That's what happens when you live in a city with underemployed young people," he said, right on point.
No doubt contributing to my good mood was the fact that with Rachel's help, I cleaned out all the crap that has been accumulating in her closet, on her table, near her bookshelves, etc. We got rid of an entire box of old toys, books, Play-Doh, etc. It all went straight to Goodwill and Rachel now has a clean, orderly room that is likely to stay that way for a while because her toy bins in her closet are almost completely empty. Yay! I cannot relate how depressing it was to walk into that room every day, see the clutter, and totally despair of it ever getting cleaned up. This morning while Drew slept I marched into Rachel's room because I just couldn't take it anymore (she was already up), after Drew mentioned last night that he couldn't find the mesh bag that fits into her laundry hamper. Rachel was quite accommodating and I was surprised at her willingness to toss stuff, but her room is now, at last, clean. Until the holidays, of course...
Well, my story got picked up nationally and "Trek in the Park" is now in its fourth season. This is the closing weekend of the 2012 season and they did the episode, "Journey to Babel" aka the first episode where viewers meet Spock's parents. The show has grown so popular that the actors moved it from a small park, Woodlawn Park, to the larger Cathedral Park under the majestic St. Johns Bridge (the most beautiful bridge in Portland, really). Drew has been dying to go, me less so, and tonight seemed the best night since he's working in Seattle tomorrow and Monday.
Well, we ended up having a terrific time. The actors were hard to hear at times because of the rumble of traffic on the St. Johns Bridge, but it was a lovely day, quite warm, and Drew brought a bag of water and snacks, I contributed the picnic blanket (I was running errands this afternoon so we ended up meeting at the park) and he got there in time to get a decent place on the grass. (Remember that the evening was free). Rachel was quite well-behaved and cheered lustily at the end and clapped hard at all the right places. After the show, a sister act called the Double Clicks came on to play for a while, and they were GREAT. At the end of the act I told Drew that although there are many things about Portland that frustrate me, seeing a group of actors perform Star Trek episodes followed by a girl group isn't one of them. "That's what happens when you live in a city with underemployed young people," he said, right on point.
No doubt contributing to my good mood was the fact that with Rachel's help, I cleaned out all the crap that has been accumulating in her closet, on her table, near her bookshelves, etc. We got rid of an entire box of old toys, books, Play-Doh, etc. It all went straight to Goodwill and Rachel now has a clean, orderly room that is likely to stay that way for a while because her toy bins in her closet are almost completely empty. Yay! I cannot relate how depressing it was to walk into that room every day, see the clutter, and totally despair of it ever getting cleaned up. This morning while Drew slept I marched into Rachel's room because I just couldn't take it anymore (she was already up), after Drew mentioned last night that he couldn't find the mesh bag that fits into her laundry hamper. Rachel was quite accommodating and I was surprised at her willingness to toss stuff, but her room is now, at last, clean. Until the holidays, of course...
Friday, August 24, 2012
The things Rachel says....
"I'm a special princess who's never going to grow up to be a queen," Rachel announced last night. "And YOU guys are not ever going to die!"
***
Rachel seems to be under the impression that when she has kids of her own, we can help take care of them only if we change his/her/their "poopy diapers."
"What are YOU doing to do?" I asked her yesterday at dinner.
"Think of all the other things!' Rachel said. "I'll have to cook for them, and put them to bed, and they might cry, and they might hit me, and they might go 'blugghhh', but YOU'RE gonna have to change all the poopy diapers!"
***
Further along the lines of child care and helping Rachel take care of her babies, I said, "Are we going to live with you? Because you might want us to live next door."
She nodded, as if to indicate we would all live in one place.
"You'll have to get a really big house," I told her.
Her reply: "I'm OK with that."
***
Rachel seems to be under the impression that when she has kids of her own, we can help take care of them only if we change his/her/their "poopy diapers."
"What are YOU doing to do?" I asked her yesterday at dinner.
"Think of all the other things!' Rachel said. "I'll have to cook for them, and put them to bed, and they might cry, and they might hit me, and they might go 'blugghhh', but YOU'RE gonna have to change all the poopy diapers!"
***
Further along the lines of child care and helping Rachel take care of her babies, I said, "Are we going to live with you? Because you might want us to live next door."
She nodded, as if to indicate we would all live in one place.
"You'll have to get a really big house," I told her.
Her reply: "I'm OK with that."
Portland is a very small town, Part 589
We took Rachel to Shabbat on the Plaza tonight, the last of the year. It was a special celebration because Pierce, the synagogue's facilities maintenance manager, is retiring after...wait for it...40 years of working for Congregation Beth Israel. In honor of his retirement, the synagogue held a barbecue of hot dogs, fruit, potato salad and cookies.
While I was standing in line for the food, I noticed the guy in front of me was assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Silver, who had given a lecture yesterday (Thursday) at Willamette on the Dreyfus case. I attended it and was mesmerized -- I finally have a much clearer understanding of what the case was about, its significance, etc. I re-introduced myself and we got into a discussion, on line, about the case and its application to modern legal issues. Ron was with a friend of his, an engineer, who happens to be one of the main spokesmen for the Somali community in Portland; I told him I was a board member of the Oregon Area Jewish Committee, got his card, and am now thinking it would be great to have him speak at one of the OAJC's "lunch and lecture" events (which I can never attend because I'm in Salem during the day, but oh well). I reminded Ron that I'm changing Willamette Lawyer to be much more focused on policy issues, and he warmed my heart when he said, "yeah, one of my law clerks was telling me about that." So the word is, indeed, getting out!
We also ran into our friends Melissa and Steve Peterman; Melissa is a board member of the Oregon Ballet Theater and accompanies me to the ballet; we recently stayed at their house in Hood River a couple of weekends back. Their kids, Natalie and Jeremy, are just old enough to stay by themselves at home -- which means they can babysit Rachel while all four of us go out to dinner sometime, yay! -- and we talked about getting together after Labor Day. It really was a lovely evening.
And to cap it off, I curled up on Rachel's bed while she snuggled in Drew's lap and we both listened to him read "Rikki Tikki Tavi." It was a welcome break from all the damn fairy stories she makes us read, and a reminder that a really well-written children's story still has staying power -- even after 100+ years.
While I was standing in line for the food, I noticed the guy in front of me was assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Silver, who had given a lecture yesterday (Thursday) at Willamette on the Dreyfus case. I attended it and was mesmerized -- I finally have a much clearer understanding of what the case was about, its significance, etc. I re-introduced myself and we got into a discussion, on line, about the case and its application to modern legal issues. Ron was with a friend of his, an engineer, who happens to be one of the main spokesmen for the Somali community in Portland; I told him I was a board member of the Oregon Area Jewish Committee, got his card, and am now thinking it would be great to have him speak at one of the OAJC's "lunch and lecture" events (which I can never attend because I'm in Salem during the day, but oh well). I reminded Ron that I'm changing Willamette Lawyer to be much more focused on policy issues, and he warmed my heart when he said, "yeah, one of my law clerks was telling me about that." So the word is, indeed, getting out!
We also ran into our friends Melissa and Steve Peterman; Melissa is a board member of the Oregon Ballet Theater and accompanies me to the ballet; we recently stayed at their house in Hood River a couple of weekends back. Their kids, Natalie and Jeremy, are just old enough to stay by themselves at home -- which means they can babysit Rachel while all four of us go out to dinner sometime, yay! -- and we talked about getting together after Labor Day. It really was a lovely evening.
And to cap it off, I curled up on Rachel's bed while she snuggled in Drew's lap and we both listened to him read "Rikki Tikki Tavi." It was a welcome break from all the damn fairy stories she makes us read, and a reminder that a really well-written children's story still has staying power -- even after 100+ years.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Is this really my kid?
Out of the blue tonight, Rachel announced, "I not gonna have chocolate. I'm getting bored of it."
When I wondered aloud on Facebook whether she's really part of the family, a friend of mine said, "She's yours -- your rebel spirit if not your taste." Thank you, Joan!
***
"I love Seattle!" Rachel said at dinner. "I love visiting Auntie Anne, Uncle David and Grandma Jean because they have a hot tub that we can bathe in!'
Anne, David and Jean -- I am sure she loves visiting you for more reasons than that!
***
I reminded Rachel tonight that Friday is Shabbat on the Plaza, the last of those for the summer (sniff!). Rachel announced she was going to bring Sophie Jewish, the Jewish-themed doll she takes to bed every night (Tia Daniella, Jojo and Valerie's birthday gift, thank you again!) to services.
"I'll introduce her to the rabbi," Rachel said. "And we'll have a joyful service while you sit around doing boring talking."
When I wondered aloud on Facebook whether she's really part of the family, a friend of mine said, "She's yours -- your rebel spirit if not your taste." Thank you, Joan!
***
"I love Seattle!" Rachel said at dinner. "I love visiting Auntie Anne, Uncle David and Grandma Jean because they have a hot tub that we can bathe in!'
Anne, David and Jean -- I am sure she loves visiting you for more reasons than that!
***
I reminded Rachel tonight that Friday is Shabbat on the Plaza, the last of those for the summer (sniff!). Rachel announced she was going to bring Sophie Jewish, the Jewish-themed doll she takes to bed every night (Tia Daniella, Jojo and Valerie's birthday gift, thank you again!) to services.
"I'll introduce her to the rabbi," Rachel said. "And we'll have a joyful service while you sit around doing boring talking."
Chores
Piggybacking on Rachel's desire to help all the time with everything, I announced last week that she would have a new chore to do every Tuesday night -- empty all the wastebaskets in the house for garbage pickup, which comes early enough Wednesday morning so that we get all the recycling carts and bins to the curb on Tuesday night.
I reminded her of this last night, and tonight she remembered. We stayed way too late at Sunnyside Park (more on that later) so dinner and dessert were late, and I really should have gotten her to bed earlier but...I was determined to follow through on my resolution to give her an organized way to be helpful around the house. (Bed-making and room-cleaning are also a frustration of mine, but we need to get her a big-girl bed and better storage options before we tackle that particular monster).
She really was quite cheerful about it; she went straight to the section under the sink where we keep the garbage bags; we walked to her bedroom and our bathroom and our bedroom, and I demonstrated how to lift the full garbage bags out of the cans and replace them with new bags. Then she took them to the big garbage can in the kitchen, pushed them down, and I lifted the kitchen bag and tied it. THEN she offered to carry it to the garbage can in the garage, and she insisted on helping me take the cans and the bins to the curb -- even though it was dark and scary. (I had her carry a broken lingerie drying rack that we needed to get rid of).
As she gets older we will give her more and more responsibility. My goal is to have her cook a simple dinner once a week by the time she's 9 (she can graduate to more complicated food when she's in high school), which will include grocery shopping and budgeting with Daddy. We don't have a lot of money to pay for extracurricular activities, so I am determined to teach her critical life skills before she heads off to college -- as well as impart the idea that she is part of a team, and as such is expected to contribute sweat equity to make this house and all of our lives function smoothly. She's going to have to learn that in school and the workplace soon enough!
And, hopefully, the more we expect her to do at an earlier age, the more she will meet those expectations -- especially during the impossible teen years when we will expect her to mow the lawn, weed, vacuum, clean the bathroom every week, etc.
***
Rachel agreed with me tonight that it was too chilly to go to the pool but that she wanted to head to Sunnyside Park in Southeast Portland, one of her favorite parks. "I hope I meet a friend there," she said.
This is Rachel, right? OF COURSE she made a friend -- 7-year-old Phoenix, a boy I at first mistook for a girl because he/she had long hair. He was quite gracious correcting me and invited Rachel to play "stuffed animal tag," which involved throwing a soft gray Uglydoll at the other person to hit them. It doesn't matter, apparently, if you get it dirty -- it can be washed. They played the game for about a half hour, and at one point I joined in, holding my own pretty well. "Wanna meet my little sister?" Phoenix asked Rachel at one point, and he put his arm around her (which was breathtakingly cute and wistful all at once) and led her to his cute, 11-month old, red-haired sister, Zia. "She has hair like Tia Daniella did at that age!" Rachel observed.
At one point Phoenix wanted to get a drink of water and Rachel yelled, "I"m going to the water fountain!" and then dashed off with him. For some reason that made me a little sad -- she took off without thinking, just the start of many, many trips she'll take without me as she explores the wider world. What happened to the little baby I gave birth to 4 years ago??
I reminded her of this last night, and tonight she remembered. We stayed way too late at Sunnyside Park (more on that later) so dinner and dessert were late, and I really should have gotten her to bed earlier but...I was determined to follow through on my resolution to give her an organized way to be helpful around the house. (Bed-making and room-cleaning are also a frustration of mine, but we need to get her a big-girl bed and better storage options before we tackle that particular monster).
She really was quite cheerful about it; she went straight to the section under the sink where we keep the garbage bags; we walked to her bedroom and our bathroom and our bedroom, and I demonstrated how to lift the full garbage bags out of the cans and replace them with new bags. Then she took them to the big garbage can in the kitchen, pushed them down, and I lifted the kitchen bag and tied it. THEN she offered to carry it to the garbage can in the garage, and she insisted on helping me take the cans and the bins to the curb -- even though it was dark and scary. (I had her carry a broken lingerie drying rack that we needed to get rid of).
As she gets older we will give her more and more responsibility. My goal is to have her cook a simple dinner once a week by the time she's 9 (she can graduate to more complicated food when she's in high school), which will include grocery shopping and budgeting with Daddy. We don't have a lot of money to pay for extracurricular activities, so I am determined to teach her critical life skills before she heads off to college -- as well as impart the idea that she is part of a team, and as such is expected to contribute sweat equity to make this house and all of our lives function smoothly. She's going to have to learn that in school and the workplace soon enough!
And, hopefully, the more we expect her to do at an earlier age, the more she will meet those expectations -- especially during the impossible teen years when we will expect her to mow the lawn, weed, vacuum, clean the bathroom every week, etc.
***
Rachel agreed with me tonight that it was too chilly to go to the pool but that she wanted to head to Sunnyside Park in Southeast Portland, one of her favorite parks. "I hope I meet a friend there," she said.
This is Rachel, right? OF COURSE she made a friend -- 7-year-old Phoenix, a boy I at first mistook for a girl because he/she had long hair. He was quite gracious correcting me and invited Rachel to play "stuffed animal tag," which involved throwing a soft gray Uglydoll at the other person to hit them. It doesn't matter, apparently, if you get it dirty -- it can be washed. They played the game for about a half hour, and at one point I joined in, holding my own pretty well. "Wanna meet my little sister?" Phoenix asked Rachel at one point, and he put his arm around her (which was breathtakingly cute and wistful all at once) and led her to his cute, 11-month old, red-haired sister, Zia. "She has hair like Tia Daniella did at that age!" Rachel observed.
At one point Phoenix wanted to get a drink of water and Rachel yelled, "I"m going to the water fountain!" and then dashed off with him. For some reason that made me a little sad -- she took off without thinking, just the start of many, many trips she'll take without me as she explores the wider world. What happened to the little baby I gave birth to 4 years ago??
Monday, August 20, 2012
Cheerful kid
Rachel is so cheerful getting up in the morning, it's hard to believe she'll be an impossible tween and an unbearable teenager, cranky at not being able to sleep as long as she wants, etc. Here is what she said when I walked into the kitchen today, wearing a dress and jewelry from Africa:
"Mommy! You look like a queen! All you need is a crown and a wand!"
***
"I'm gonna make a chocolate chip banana grape blueberry bread on Sunday," Rachel announced at breakfast. Guess who gets the first bite?"
***
"Did you ever ready the Baba Yaga stories when you were little?" she asked while we were eating dinner.
"Um, no," I answered.
"She has a house made of bones and chicken feet so she can move around, and chicken bones for a fence," she said. "And she eats humans! And Asilia has to do all the cleaning. And her stepmother and stepsisters don't like her. At ALL."
Mom, I don't remember you reading this book to me.
***
"I love Daddy very much, but I just like being with you," Rachel said over dinner. In the pool later tonight, she said, "All I want is YOU!" and wrapped her arms around me in a big hug.
***
We were cuddling in bed tonight after I sang her some songs (and she, as usual, had a hilarious time substituting her own words for the real ones), when I was suddenly moved to stroke her cheek and say, "You'll make a great mommy someday."
"You already ARE a great mommy," she replied.
Suddenly teary-eyed, I said, "Thank you, Rachel. You made my night!"
"You made MY night!" she said.
This is why I spend half of my life all weepy.
"Mommy! You look like a queen! All you need is a crown and a wand!"
***
"I'm gonna make a chocolate chip banana grape blueberry bread on Sunday," Rachel announced at breakfast. Guess who gets the first bite?"
***
"Did you ever ready the Baba Yaga stories when you were little?" she asked while we were eating dinner.
"Um, no," I answered.
"She has a house made of bones and chicken feet so she can move around, and chicken bones for a fence," she said. "And she eats humans! And Asilia has to do all the cleaning. And her stepmother and stepsisters don't like her. At ALL."
Mom, I don't remember you reading this book to me.
***
"I love Daddy very much, but I just like being with you," Rachel said over dinner. In the pool later tonight, she said, "All I want is YOU!" and wrapped her arms around me in a big hug.
***
We were cuddling in bed tonight after I sang her some songs (and she, as usual, had a hilarious time substituting her own words for the real ones), when I was suddenly moved to stroke her cheek and say, "You'll make a great mommy someday."
"You already ARE a great mommy," she replied.
Suddenly teary-eyed, I said, "Thank you, Rachel. You made my night!"
"You made MY night!" she said.
This is why I spend half of my life all weepy.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
She's getting too smart for us, Part 2
Drew and Rachel went grocery shopping and to the Children's Museum while I finished up some work at home. We had a fantastic dinner -- what Drew calls a steak-a-palooza -- grilled yak, buffalo and beefsteak, sweet corn (AT LAST!!), salad and popovers. As usual, Rachel thanked me for making my "special steak sauce" (butter, anchovies, salt, lemon juice, paprika and minced garlic, yum!) and said the steak wouldn't have been as good without the sauce. I love my little girl!
(While Drew and Rachel were in the Fred Meyer, he took her to the play area where they have an attendant watch the kids so the parents can go shopping. When Drew came back the attendant gushed over Rachel. "She's so sweet and polite!" she said. "She said 'please' and 'thank you' for everything! "Well, we insist on that at home," Drew said. It's nice when our work gets noticed...)
I cleaned up and made my lunch for the week while Drew took Rachel to the playground near our house. They've upgraded it considerably; there was a new slide, more interactive stuff and a map of the United States stenciled inside one of the slides. Also there were horns on the outside that you could yell into. "Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Rachel," she and I yelled into one. A few feet down was another horn, and Drew yelled, "and she had a companion named Snowflake the Unicorn." "And a knight came by and rescued her," Rachel yelled. "And she lived happily ever after!" we all yelled at the end. Then Drew swung Rachel up on his shoulders and I suddenly had visions of Dad doing the same thing to Daniella and I when we were little. (I think men are genetically predisposed to do this; I don't have the upper body strength or the back muscles!).
On the way home she patted my head and said she was taller than me and I again repeated that I WILL NOT BE THE SHORTEST PERSON IN THIS HOUSE. "Why is it OK if YOU don't want it for me to get tall even though Daddy's taller than you?" Rachel asked.
Drew and I howled with laughter. She got me again!
(While Drew and Rachel were in the Fred Meyer, he took her to the play area where they have an attendant watch the kids so the parents can go shopping. When Drew came back the attendant gushed over Rachel. "She's so sweet and polite!" she said. "She said 'please' and 'thank you' for everything! "Well, we insist on that at home," Drew said. It's nice when our work gets noticed...)
I cleaned up and made my lunch for the week while Drew took Rachel to the playground near our house. They've upgraded it considerably; there was a new slide, more interactive stuff and a map of the United States stenciled inside one of the slides. Also there were horns on the outside that you could yell into. "Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Rachel," she and I yelled into one. A few feet down was another horn, and Drew yelled, "and she had a companion named Snowflake the Unicorn." "And a knight came by and rescued her," Rachel yelled. "And she lived happily ever after!" we all yelled at the end. Then Drew swung Rachel up on his shoulders and I suddenly had visions of Dad doing the same thing to Daniella and I when we were little. (I think men are genetically predisposed to do this; I don't have the upper body strength or the back muscles!).
On the way home she patted my head and said she was taller than me and I again repeated that I WILL NOT BE THE SHORTEST PERSON IN THIS HOUSE. "Why is it OK if YOU don't want it for me to get tall even though Daddy's taller than you?" Rachel asked.
Drew and I howled with laughter. She got me again!
Sunday morning with a fairy
Rachel graciously let us sleep late this morning. Result: When we got up at 9, Rachel had already gotten herself dressed, put on her fairy wings and was playing quietly by herself.
At one point she went upstairs and told Drew that she was making her own book.
"I'm doing some make up capital letters," she said. "If you don't recognize them, don't freak out."
Um...ok, sweetie!
***
In the middle of breakfast, Rachel suddenly got up from her chair and came around the table to give me a hug.
"Oh, sweetie!!" I exclaimed, hugging her back. "How did we end up with such a wonderful little girl?"
She smiled, like she usually does, and I answered, like I usually do, "I always ask you that and you never answer. You just smile!"
Then she said:
"Because I was a wonderful little baby and I grew up into a wonderful little girl!"
Truer words were never spoken, kid.
At one point she went upstairs and told Drew that she was making her own book.
"I'm doing some make up capital letters," she said. "If you don't recognize them, don't freak out."
Um...ok, sweetie!
***
In the middle of breakfast, Rachel suddenly got up from her chair and came around the table to give me a hug.
"Oh, sweetie!!" I exclaimed, hugging her back. "How did we end up with such a wonderful little girl?"
She smiled, like she usually does, and I answered, like I usually do, "I always ask you that and you never answer. You just smile!"
Then she said:
"Because I was a wonderful little baby and I grew up into a wonderful little girl!"
Truer words were never spoken, kid.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Everyone loves a parade...
especially Rachel, who had a great time today at Multnomah Days, an annual event celebrating Multnomah Village, a small neighborhood in Southwest Portland where our friend Amy lives. Amy and her son Jake, Rachel and I all went to the parade in the morning, then Rachel and I wandered over to the Kids Zone (she got a unicorn painted on her face for free, did a back somersault on the rungs of a ladder on the play structure, and stood in line to go down a bouncy slide. She wanted to do the rock-climbing wall, too, but you have to be at least 45 pounds).
The parade folks threw candy at the kids and Rachel scooped up quite a bit. I made her wait until she'd had a bagel for lunch to dig into it. She was also very helpful when I tried on some clothes -- she watched over my camera and purse and made small talk with the vendor, who pronounced her "very smart," -- I can't wait until she's old enough for us to go clothes shopping together -- and then we stopped by a tent advertising music lessons, were some kids of different ages were playing violins. Rachel said she wanted to try, and she actually played pretty well! No sawing the bow; she dragged it across the strings in an almost musical way (maybe now Drew will listen to me about giving her violin lessons?). It was thrilling to watch her; she looked so serious and focused!!
Then we went to Amy's house where Rachel played with a bunch of Jake's friends. At one point she picked up a pretend weapon and said she wanted to kill me. (She also asked the balloon man at the Multnomah Days parade to make her a sword so she could whack monsters. Don't tell ME about gender stereotypes; I don't believe them).
Amy and I were able to catch up a little before Rachel began demanding my attention. She asked to play Amy's electric piano; Amy graciously assented (get the feeling that my kid is going to be musical?) and I pulled her around in Amy's sons' wagon until it was time to go home.
We picked up Drew for the chavurah potluck, to which I brought a chocolate chip cake (demolished within minutes) and had a nice time hanging out in Lee and Robin's big backyard. Rachel ate some dinner, went off and played with the other kids, came back to us, went off and played by herself. I'm continually surprised at how un-needy she is, especially compared to some of the bigger kids we were with tonight. (At one point she said, "I'm going to run and play." Then she changed her mind and said, "I'm going to get my exercise." And she did!)
The parade folks threw candy at the kids and Rachel scooped up quite a bit. I made her wait until she'd had a bagel for lunch to dig into it. She was also very helpful when I tried on some clothes -- she watched over my camera and purse and made small talk with the vendor, who pronounced her "very smart," -- I can't wait until she's old enough for us to go clothes shopping together -- and then we stopped by a tent advertising music lessons, were some kids of different ages were playing violins. Rachel said she wanted to try, and she actually played pretty well! No sawing the bow; she dragged it across the strings in an almost musical way (maybe now Drew will listen to me about giving her violin lessons?). It was thrilling to watch her; she looked so serious and focused!!
Then we went to Amy's house where Rachel played with a bunch of Jake's friends. At one point she picked up a pretend weapon and said she wanted to kill me. (She also asked the balloon man at the Multnomah Days parade to make her a sword so she could whack monsters. Don't tell ME about gender stereotypes; I don't believe them).
Amy and I were able to catch up a little before Rachel began demanding my attention. She asked to play Amy's electric piano; Amy graciously assented (get the feeling that my kid is going to be musical?) and I pulled her around in Amy's sons' wagon until it was time to go home.
We picked up Drew for the chavurah potluck, to which I brought a chocolate chip cake (demolished within minutes) and had a nice time hanging out in Lee and Robin's big backyard. Rachel ate some dinner, went off and played with the other kids, came back to us, went off and played by herself. I'm continually surprised at how un-needy she is, especially compared to some of the bigger kids we were with tonight. (At one point she said, "I'm going to run and play." Then she changed her mind and said, "I'm going to get my exercise." And she did!)
Shabbat picnic
The Jewish Federation of Portland did a lovely thing tonight. They arranged a picnic Shabbat at Laurelhurst Park, the same place we had Rachel's birthday celebration (as you can tell, it's a very popular spot). We made reservations, and the federation arranged for the Klezmonauts (a klezmer group; I LOVE klezmer music!) to play, a local comedienne to do standup (she was only medium funny) and every family got a loaf of challah and Ben & Jerry's ice cream cups for dessert.
A rabbi from a local synagogue, not ours, gave a blessing and we proceeded to eat as lightly as possible in the 100+ heat. Everyone brought their own food, and Drew and I had salads and gazpacho. We ran into friends of ours who live three blocks away and had just returned from a Nieman fellowship at Harvard. They invited us to join them and we moved our picnic blanket next to theirs. We had a great time catching up (they both remarked how big Rachel has gotten and how much she looks like me these days) and Ruthie, their almost-6-year-old girl, took Rachel running and rolling down the grassy hill, and then they danced in the grass to the music. Drew and I quizzed Anna and Judy about the private school where they've enrolled their kids.
Afterward we drove home and I raced off to a nightclub where a former colleague of mine from the Oregonian, Nikole, had arranged to meet folks. She lives in Brooklyn now and was in town for a visit. We had fun catching up; then I stopped at Fred Meyer to pick up ingredients for a chocolate chip cake (our chavurah is meeting tomorrow night and I offered to bring dessert), came home, put the cake in the oven, and am waiting for it to finish baking before I toddle off to bed. It has been a long, long week. I'm tired and desperately need a day off, but there is no relief on the horizon until after Labor Day.
Tomorrow Rachel and I are meeting my friend Amy and her friend Jake for Multnomah Days, a parade and fair in Multnomah Village in southwest Portland. (Drew is staying home to continue the massive de-cluttering of the basement and to get some workout time). We'll head to the chavurah at 5, then may rent a movie tomorrow night. Sunday I'll do some work at home while Drew and Rachel head to the zoo. Then it's back to work on Monday.
I need a vacation.
***
Rachel said this the other day as she and I were driving home: "Daddy and I can be 'Blueberry Eyes.' And you can be 'Nut Eyes!'"
Monday, August 13, 2012
Delightful Rachel
Rachel and I were in great moods tonight; me because I got good sleep last night and Rachel because...well, she's Rachel. A sample of what she had to say:
We got a book in the mail tonight from the Portland Jewish Library. She immediately appropriated it, took her mini stuffed otter from its hiding place in her car seat, and announced, "I'm going to go straight to my room to read this book to Otter. Every time he has to wait, he gets a cliffhanger."
***
Describing how she said goodbye to Drew this morning before he left for Seattle, she said Teacher Tracy gave her something (I forget what) "because I had a good dropoff" when Drew deposited her at St. James.
"I gave him a kiss on the cheek. And he looked so handsome. He looked like a wedding person. With his tie and his shirt and his pants. He looked just like a groom!"
***
As I was picking her up, Rachel looked at me and said, "A lot of ladies have your shoes." (I was wearing Keens, the ribbed shoes that are good for river walking and they're my go-to summer shoes). "You look AWESOME!"
Then she made me put on my sunglasses.
"You look like a rock star!" she exclaimed. Man, this kid is great for my ego.
***
"Guess what?" Rachel said at dinner. "I DREAMED of kindergarteners. They were walking down a secret staircase in the Big Room. I was so amazed, I woke up in the middle of the night. I gasped. I went there and saw so many amazing things that I brought back a whole bag of treasures. I gave them to Erin and she was so amazed. Then I brought it home to show you guys and then in my dream, a voice said, 'and they lived happily ever after.'"
We got a book in the mail tonight from the Portland Jewish Library. She immediately appropriated it, took her mini stuffed otter from its hiding place in her car seat, and announced, "I'm going to go straight to my room to read this book to Otter. Every time he has to wait, he gets a cliffhanger."
***
Describing how she said goodbye to Drew this morning before he left for Seattle, she said Teacher Tracy gave her something (I forget what) "because I had a good dropoff" when Drew deposited her at St. James.
"I gave him a kiss on the cheek. And he looked so handsome. He looked like a wedding person. With his tie and his shirt and his pants. He looked just like a groom!"
***
As I was picking her up, Rachel looked at me and said, "A lot of ladies have your shoes." (I was wearing Keens, the ribbed shoes that are good for river walking and they're my go-to summer shoes). "You look AWESOME!"
Then she made me put on my sunglasses.
"You look like a rock star!" she exclaimed. Man, this kid is great for my ego.
***
"Guess what?" Rachel said at dinner. "I DREAMED of kindergarteners. They were walking down a secret staircase in the Big Room. I was so amazed, I woke up in the middle of the night. I gasped. I went there and saw so many amazing things that I brought back a whole bag of treasures. I gave them to Erin and she was so amazed. Then I brought it home to show you guys and then in my dream, a voice said, 'and they lived happily ever after.'"
Breakthrough....or not?
Tonight we went to Grant Park pool after dinner. The pool was cold rather than refreshing; I think it works best when we're there and it's 90+ degrees outside (which it will get to by mid-week, the forecast says). We both got in and were swimming around (actually, Rachel was floating) when I told her she needed to put her face in the water.
Back and forth we went. Last Saturday was the last week of swim lessons, and Rachel won't be able to progress past pre-penguin because she won't put her face or head in. She complains that water gets up her nose, that she needs goggles like the other kids, etc. The one time I just dunked her in in two weeks ago, she got very upset and so I've avoided doing that again.
But tonight I was really tempted. I know there are kids her age who can dive for pennies on the pool floor and I'm frustrated at her progress in swim lessons (it doesn't help that Portland Parks & Rec has several weeks between classes, so she gets out of the habit of going in the water). I kept telling her that if she wants to be a big girl and swim like the big kids and get goggles, she MUST put her face in the water. I told her to pinch her nose. I OFFERED to pinch her nose for her. She refused. I just sat next to her and she could tell I was disappointed. Then I tried to dunk her head in and she shrieked, "NO! I want to do it myself!" This took 15 minutes, with me getting colder and colder in the water and warning her that we'd have to go home soon.
Finally she started putting her little face in by degrees....and then she suddenly put her face in all at once. "LOOK, MOMMY!" she said, coming up. I hugged her hard, exclaimed, "I'm so PROUD of you!" and she looked dubious until I said, "Did you die?"
She shook her head.
"Did your arm fall off?"
She started laughing.
"Did your leg fall off?"
She laughed harder.
Then we relaxed for the next 10 minutes until we got out of the pool. On the way home she said, "I put my face in the water ALL BY MYSELF!" and when we were a block away from home we ran into some folks coming back from a private pool. When I announced that Rachel had put her face in the water for the first time, the mom bent down and said, "CONGRATULATIONS!" and Rachel looked so pleased; she said "thank you!" very nicely.
"That was FUN!" she said on the way home. I asked her if she wanted to wait before telling Daddy and she said no, I could tell him. So, everyone, now you know.
Back and forth we went. Last Saturday was the last week of swim lessons, and Rachel won't be able to progress past pre-penguin because she won't put her face or head in. She complains that water gets up her nose, that she needs goggles like the other kids, etc. The one time I just dunked her in in two weeks ago, she got very upset and so I've avoided doing that again.
But tonight I was really tempted. I know there are kids her age who can dive for pennies on the pool floor and I'm frustrated at her progress in swim lessons (it doesn't help that Portland Parks & Rec has several weeks between classes, so she gets out of the habit of going in the water). I kept telling her that if she wants to be a big girl and swim like the big kids and get goggles, she MUST put her face in the water. I told her to pinch her nose. I OFFERED to pinch her nose for her. She refused. I just sat next to her and she could tell I was disappointed. Then I tried to dunk her head in and she shrieked, "NO! I want to do it myself!" This took 15 minutes, with me getting colder and colder in the water and warning her that we'd have to go home soon.
Finally she started putting her little face in by degrees....and then she suddenly put her face in all at once. "LOOK, MOMMY!" she said, coming up. I hugged her hard, exclaimed, "I'm so PROUD of you!" and she looked dubious until I said, "Did you die?"
She shook her head.
"Did your arm fall off?"
She started laughing.
"Did your leg fall off?"
She laughed harder.
Then we relaxed for the next 10 minutes until we got out of the pool. On the way home she said, "I put my face in the water ALL BY MYSELF!" and when we were a block away from home we ran into some folks coming back from a private pool. When I announced that Rachel had put her face in the water for the first time, the mom bent down and said, "CONGRATULATIONS!" and Rachel looked so pleased; she said "thank you!" very nicely.
"That was FUN!" she said on the way home. I asked her if she wanted to wait before telling Daddy and she said no, I could tell him. So, everyone, now you know.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Symphony in the Park, Part II
Tonight we met our friends Steve, Suzanne, Lila Anne (who is one of Rachel's best friends) and Lila's sister, Eva, who is barely past 1 and very restless, for the Oregon Symphony's last summer concert in Portland parks. They were playing at Grant Park, which would have been great for us to walk over to, except that I had to attend a party in Lake Oswego for the incoming Northwestern University freshmen. (Also went because I needed to talk to a judge who is writing a column for the fall issue of the magazine -- he's an NU grad, a very nice guy, and we ended up having an interesting conversation about things going on in the Washington judicial system. So it ended up being a work/pleasure kind of afternoon).
Anyway....I got back in time for us to catch the symphony as it was rehearsing. I opened the containers of food -- fried chicken (took me two hours to make this morning, but boy was the result worth it), a berry tart with white chocolate drizzled on top (well, the chocolate ended up seizing, so I called it "chunks of white chocolate"), freshly made popovers and salad/drinks from Steve and Suzanne.
Rachel and Lila Anne screeched and hugged each other as soon as they saw each other and Lila gave Rachel a picture she had drawn for her. They spent most of the concert trying to climb a tree with a bunch of other kids, or dancing in front of the symphony players. At one point they were holding hands and twirling around, and they were so cute I could barely stand it.
Earlier today Rachel said she didn't want to eat the berry tart, saying she liked to have berries in the winter (I quickly pointed out that berry season is in the summer, to which she replied, "Ohhh.").But when I started serving everyone else, she quickly changed her mind. And she was so generous with her compliments! "This is AMAZING, Mommy!" she said. A couple of other compliments followed, and as Suzanne, Steve, Lila and Eva were getting ready to leave, she bent down, put her arms around my leg, cuddled into my lap and said, "Thank you for making the berry tart, Mommy."
This is why I knock myself out cooking. I love making my little girl happy when she eats.
Anyway....I got back in time for us to catch the symphony as it was rehearsing. I opened the containers of food -- fried chicken (took me two hours to make this morning, but boy was the result worth it), a berry tart with white chocolate drizzled on top (well, the chocolate ended up seizing, so I called it "chunks of white chocolate"), freshly made popovers and salad/drinks from Steve and Suzanne.
Rachel and Lila Anne screeched and hugged each other as soon as they saw each other and Lila gave Rachel a picture she had drawn for her. They spent most of the concert trying to climb a tree with a bunch of other kids, or dancing in front of the symphony players. At one point they were holding hands and twirling around, and they were so cute I could barely stand it.
Earlier today Rachel said she didn't want to eat the berry tart, saying she liked to have berries in the winter (I quickly pointed out that berry season is in the summer, to which she replied, "Ohhh.").But when I started serving everyone else, she quickly changed her mind. And she was so generous with her compliments! "This is AMAZING, Mommy!" she said. A couple of other compliments followed, and as Suzanne, Steve, Lila and Eva were getting ready to leave, she bent down, put her arms around my leg, cuddled into my lap and said, "Thank you for making the berry tart, Mommy."
This is why I knock myself out cooking. I love making my little girl happy when she eats.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Party on, Rachel!
Two parties tonight: One was the birthday party of Rachel's friend, Tasanee, at Pump it Up, an inflatable slide/bouncy house playplace in the suburbs; the second was at her preschool where once a month, the kids dress in their jammies, bring dinner and the teachers offer snack and a movie.
We had a very good time at Tasanee's party -- I went with Rachel while Drew tackled his own decluttering project in the basement. I got into a long conversation with a woman who lives in our neighborhood and is sending her daughter to the same elementary school that Rachel will attend. Bottom line: Alameda is crowded, like other elementary schools in Portland, but because of its wealthy demographic and committed parents, it's one of the best schools out there. Technology in every classroom, an extra playground -- "it's like going to a private school without having to pay," she said. We'll see -- I don't like the idea of Rachel being in a class with 29 other kids, and I HATE the fact that Portland has one of the shortest school years in the country -- but as this woman said, in this world people have to learn how to fight for resources.
Then we took surface streets (huge accident on one of the main highways) to preschool, dropped Rachel off and then went to see the last installment of the Batman movie, which blew my mind. I picked up sushi for a late dinner and Drew went to get Rachel. After he got her to bed he told me this story:
He was joking with the kids at pickup and said, "Kids for sale! Which one should I buy?"
"Who's the cheapest?" Rachel answered.
"That's not the only thing, it's who's the most wonderful," Drew answered. "And that would be you!"
And Teacher Vanessa chimed in: "And not only that, she's the most polite!"
"Really??" Drew said.
"Yes," Teacher Vanessa said. "Every time we did something tonight, it was 'please' and 'thank you.' It was a refreshing change!"
Drew explained that manners are very important to us and that we're constantly on Rachel to be polite. Evidently, it's sticking!
***
This morning Rachel and I were cuddling in bed while Drew took a shower. She pretended that the rustling curtains at our window were a sign of ghosts, and she was afraid one would take her away.
"Why would a ghost take YOU?" I asked.
"Because I'm cute and wonderful and delicious!" she answered.
Yes, Rachel, you sure are.
We had a very good time at Tasanee's party -- I went with Rachel while Drew tackled his own decluttering project in the basement. I got into a long conversation with a woman who lives in our neighborhood and is sending her daughter to the same elementary school that Rachel will attend. Bottom line: Alameda is crowded, like other elementary schools in Portland, but because of its wealthy demographic and committed parents, it's one of the best schools out there. Technology in every classroom, an extra playground -- "it's like going to a private school without having to pay," she said. We'll see -- I don't like the idea of Rachel being in a class with 29 other kids, and I HATE the fact that Portland has one of the shortest school years in the country -- but as this woman said, in this world people have to learn how to fight for resources.
Then we took surface streets (huge accident on one of the main highways) to preschool, dropped Rachel off and then went to see the last installment of the Batman movie, which blew my mind. I picked up sushi for a late dinner and Drew went to get Rachel. After he got her to bed he told me this story:
He was joking with the kids at pickup and said, "Kids for sale! Which one should I buy?"
"Who's the cheapest?" Rachel answered.
"That's not the only thing, it's who's the most wonderful," Drew answered. "And that would be you!"
And Teacher Vanessa chimed in: "And not only that, she's the most polite!"
"Really??" Drew said.
"Yes," Teacher Vanessa said. "Every time we did something tonight, it was 'please' and 'thank you.' It was a refreshing change!"
Drew explained that manners are very important to us and that we're constantly on Rachel to be polite. Evidently, it's sticking!
***
This morning Rachel and I were cuddling in bed while Drew took a shower. She pretended that the rustling curtains at our window were a sign of ghosts, and she was afraid one would take her away.
"Why would a ghost take YOU?" I asked.
"Because I'm cute and wonderful and delicious!" she answered.
Yes, Rachel, you sure are.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Summer Shabbat!
Ah, Shabbat on the Plaza! We had a wonderful time tonight, sitting outside and listening to Rabbi Cahana and the new assistant rabbi, Rabbi Joseph, do the service. The weather was absolutely perfect; I feasted on leftover lemon garlic chicken from a neighborhood association party Rachel and I attended earlier this week, and we ran into two families we know a) from the NU Alumni Association and b) the chavurah.
Rachel found Naomi, the 5-year-old girl we met at the last Shabbat on the Plaza, and they promptly settled down to play on Naomi's parents' blanket. At one point they pretended to take a nap under the blanket Rachel uses for preschool and had brought to the service (I got there late because I couldn't get away from Salem until 5 p.m.). The rest of the time they ran around, climbed trees, hugged each other, etc. When Naomi went home, Rachel found some other kids to play with. She has absolutely no compunction about going up to a kid or kids around her age and just jumping in to their activities. Drew said something very wise tonight: "She may be an only child, but she'll never be alone." I really hope he's right and that her friendliness and openness toward others will never change.
Rabbi Cahana calls Rachel his "Shabbat Shalom" girl because every time she sees him she wraps her arms around his legs and gives him a big hug. He said it's not Shabbat until Rachel says Shabbat Shalom to him. I can't wait until she starts Hebrew school; I'm hoping she'll be his star pupil!
***
Cute Rachel sayings tonight:
On hearing that Drew hadn't brought dessert to the service. I tried to say that watermelon would serve as dessert.
"Watermelon isn't dessert!!" Rachel wailed. "It's a snack-type thingy!"
Couldn't really argue with her there.
As Drew and Rachel were getting ready to go home (I'd come in a separate car, straight from work), Rachel said, "Let's have a Shabbat family hug!" Drew picked her up in his arms and we all hugged each other. "Shabbat Shalom!" Rachel chirped. At those moments it really seems as if we ended up with the perfect child.
Rachel found Naomi, the 5-year-old girl we met at the last Shabbat on the Plaza, and they promptly settled down to play on Naomi's parents' blanket. At one point they pretended to take a nap under the blanket Rachel uses for preschool and had brought to the service (I got there late because I couldn't get away from Salem until 5 p.m.). The rest of the time they ran around, climbed trees, hugged each other, etc. When Naomi went home, Rachel found some other kids to play with. She has absolutely no compunction about going up to a kid or kids around her age and just jumping in to their activities. Drew said something very wise tonight: "She may be an only child, but she'll never be alone." I really hope he's right and that her friendliness and openness toward others will never change.
Rabbi Cahana calls Rachel his "Shabbat Shalom" girl because every time she sees him she wraps her arms around his legs and gives him a big hug. He said it's not Shabbat until Rachel says Shabbat Shalom to him. I can't wait until she starts Hebrew school; I'm hoping she'll be his star pupil!
***
Cute Rachel sayings tonight:
On hearing that Drew hadn't brought dessert to the service. I tried to say that watermelon would serve as dessert.
"Watermelon isn't dessert!!" Rachel wailed. "It's a snack-type thingy!"
Couldn't really argue with her there.
As Drew and Rachel were getting ready to go home (I'd come in a separate car, straight from work), Rachel said, "Let's have a Shabbat family hug!" Drew picked her up in his arms and we all hugged each other. "Shabbat Shalom!" Rachel chirped. At those moments it really seems as if we ended up with the perfect child.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Summer in the city
..is hot. And I mean, HOT. Yes, I know all you readers are laughing at the idea that I consider 87 degrees to be hot, but remember that we don't have air conditioning, and so, being in our hot little house has caused our tempers to fray. And yes, I know it's absurd that I am writing this while baking chocolate chip banana bread AND running the dishwasher AND the dryer. As for the bread...what can one say when Rachel comes into the bathroom the other day and opens with: "chocolate sprinkles and whipped cream and a cherry on top, PLEEASE Mommy can you make chocolate chip banana bread?" How could I possibly say no?
To deal with the heat I was determined to take Rachel to Grant Park pool tonight, and believe it or not, I managed it and even got her to bed by 9:30. AND stopped at Macy's right after school to pay a bill and pick up some popourri. When we got home at 6:30, I heated up some baked chicken, boiled some shells, threw together carrots for Rachel and salad for me, and we ate a fast dinner. By 7:40 we were done, the kitchen was clean and we were walking to the pool. (It would have saved us a lot of time and gotten us home earlier if I had driven, but the park is so close and I couldn't bear to waste all that energy and effort by driving). I think it was a good decision: On the way we ran into some neighbors who were all gathered around a playset; the kids ranged in age from slightly older than Rachel to two babies. They invited (actually, Rachel invited herself) to play on the playset and when we left she said, "that was so NICE!" just like a grownup would have said it, and it took my breath away).
We ran into a former colleague of mine from the Oregonian, out riding bikes with his 6-year-old son (see "Portland is a small town, Part 432") and then we raced into the pool. It was extremely crowded, which limited out mobility somewhat but we still had a good time. Rachel pulled me around with a Styrofoam noodle she found, and I dunked her underwater, which she asked me to do but didn't like so much because water got up her nose. She's convinced she'd feel more comfortable doing that if she had goggles but I keep telling her she can swim without them. But who am I to say?
On the way home we shared a strawberry ice cream bar -- "this is my FAVORITE FLAVOR!" Rachel announced -- but it got very dark and Rachel was scared -- she kept asking what I'd do if ghosts or monsters broke into the house -- and I was hurrying her along so fast that she almost fell a couple of times. "This is WAY past my bedtime," she observed, which was kind of true -- at least, it was way past the time that we should put her to bed. "I wish I was in my bed," she said at one point, and when we finally got home in the dark she said, "I want to put on my pajamas first," before brushing her teeth, which she usually doesn't do. I told her we didn't have time to read a story but we cuddled in bed while she sang me "Roll on Columbia." And now I am waiting for the banana bread to finish up before I can head to bed. I've been sleeping very badly the last few nights, I'm hoping for a more restful sleep tonight.
***
Sweet Rachel sayings tonight:
"My name is Sunbeam the Unicorn and you're Twilight Cookie!" she announced at dinner. Followed a few minutes later with, "I LOVE eating dinner with you!" That made my night.
The phone rang as we were getting ready to leave -- it's usually a telemarker around that time of night, a constant irritation -- and so Rachel said:
"One time the phone rang and Daddy thought it was you, and I thought it was a telemarketer, and Daddy was wrong and I was right. I do NOT like telemarketers!'
Neither do I, kid. Push polls are even worse, and I'm bracing myself for the onslaught after Labor Day.
To deal with the heat I was determined to take Rachel to Grant Park pool tonight, and believe it or not, I managed it and even got her to bed by 9:30. AND stopped at Macy's right after school to pay a bill and pick up some popourri. When we got home at 6:30, I heated up some baked chicken, boiled some shells, threw together carrots for Rachel and salad for me, and we ate a fast dinner. By 7:40 we were done, the kitchen was clean and we were walking to the pool. (It would have saved us a lot of time and gotten us home earlier if I had driven, but the park is so close and I couldn't bear to waste all that energy and effort by driving). I think it was a good decision: On the way we ran into some neighbors who were all gathered around a playset; the kids ranged in age from slightly older than Rachel to two babies. They invited (actually, Rachel invited herself) to play on the playset and when we left she said, "that was so NICE!" just like a grownup would have said it, and it took my breath away).
We ran into a former colleague of mine from the Oregonian, out riding bikes with his 6-year-old son (see "Portland is a small town, Part 432") and then we raced into the pool. It was extremely crowded, which limited out mobility somewhat but we still had a good time. Rachel pulled me around with a Styrofoam noodle she found, and I dunked her underwater, which she asked me to do but didn't like so much because water got up her nose. She's convinced she'd feel more comfortable doing that if she had goggles but I keep telling her she can swim without them. But who am I to say?
On the way home we shared a strawberry ice cream bar -- "this is my FAVORITE FLAVOR!" Rachel announced -- but it got very dark and Rachel was scared -- she kept asking what I'd do if ghosts or monsters broke into the house -- and I was hurrying her along so fast that she almost fell a couple of times. "This is WAY past my bedtime," she observed, which was kind of true -- at least, it was way past the time that we should put her to bed. "I wish I was in my bed," she said at one point, and when we finally got home in the dark she said, "I want to put on my pajamas first," before brushing her teeth, which she usually doesn't do. I told her we didn't have time to read a story but we cuddled in bed while she sang me "Roll on Columbia." And now I am waiting for the banana bread to finish up before I can head to bed. I've been sleeping very badly the last few nights, I'm hoping for a more restful sleep tonight.
***
Sweet Rachel sayings tonight:
"My name is Sunbeam the Unicorn and you're Twilight Cookie!" she announced at dinner. Followed a few minutes later with, "I LOVE eating dinner with you!" That made my night.
The phone rang as we were getting ready to leave -- it's usually a telemarker around that time of night, a constant irritation -- and so Rachel said:
"One time the phone rang and Daddy thought it was you, and I thought it was a telemarketer, and Daddy was wrong and I was right. I do NOT like telemarketers!'
Neither do I, kid. Push polls are even worse, and I'm bracing myself for the onslaught after Labor Day.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
cute Rachel sayings the last few days
Drew remarked today that people really seem to respond to Rachel, usually by giving her things. Today at the farmer's market one woman gave her a cookie; another one gave her a flower; another something with honey. He was in the grocery store with her recently and a guy behind them remarked to Drew: "You have an adorable companion."
YES.
***
The other night while I was away, Drew said Rachel asked him, "Will you always be my Daddy?"
"Yes, sweetie!" he replied.
"When you're in heaven you can look down and see me and my kids," she responded.
Neither of us have any idea where that came from. Preschool is secular and neither of us have talked about heaven or hell, so...who knows?
***
Tonight Drew tried to joke with Rachel that when he and Mommy go to sleep, they take their heads off and put them next to their beds.
"Then how can you get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night without eyes?" she said immediately. "Because your eyes are on your head!"
We both burst out laughing and acknowledged that she, at 4, is getting to be too smart for us!
***
Rachel can now sing a song about colors in Spanish to the tune of Frere Jacques: Red is rojo, red is rojo, blue is azul, blue is azul...etc. Glad she's learning at least a little bit of another language.
***
In keeping with the many fairy books we're reading to her, Rachel has decided that Mommy is the Barbershop Fairy. That's what she told the dry cleaning lady when Drew picked up the cleaning today. "Where's Mom?" the woman asked. Drew told her I was at a chorus rehearsal, she asked what kind of music, and Rachel answered, "Barbershop! She's a barbershop fairy!"
That's probably why I had a good rehearsal today. Tiring, but good.
YES.
***
The other night while I was away, Drew said Rachel asked him, "Will you always be my Daddy?"
"Yes, sweetie!" he replied.
"When you're in heaven you can look down and see me and my kids," she responded.
Neither of us have any idea where that came from. Preschool is secular and neither of us have talked about heaven or hell, so...who knows?
***
Tonight Drew tried to joke with Rachel that when he and Mommy go to sleep, they take their heads off and put them next to their beds.
"Then how can you get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night without eyes?" she said immediately. "Because your eyes are on your head!"
We both burst out laughing and acknowledged that she, at 4, is getting to be too smart for us!
***
Rachel can now sing a song about colors in Spanish to the tune of Frere Jacques: Red is rojo, red is rojo, blue is azul, blue is azul...etc. Glad she's learning at least a little bit of another language.
***
In keeping with the many fairy books we're reading to her, Rachel has decided that Mommy is the Barbershop Fairy. That's what she told the dry cleaning lady when Drew picked up the cleaning today. "Where's Mom?" the woman asked. Drew told her I was at a chorus rehearsal, she asked what kind of music, and Rachel answered, "Barbershop! She's a barbershop fairy!"
That's probably why I had a good rehearsal today. Tiring, but good.
Rachel is very naughty
Last night was one of the more bummer aspects of parenting. I had had an exhausting week, it was hot, I was sort of sick with a cold but I didn't stay home...and all we wanted to do was to eat pizza for Shabbat and then go out for ice cream.
We did indeed eat pizza at 8, then at 8:30 Rachel decided she really wanted to change into the fairy costume that Auntie Amanda and Auntie Jenn had gotten her. (She has already decided to wear her fairy wings to dinner, which was OK by us). We shooed her away because we needed to finish our salads and talk a bit, and so she went into her room to try to get dressed herself.
She couldn't, of course (she can't yet manage the buttons on the back of her dress) and so she came into the kitchen for help. Drew explained that he didn't want to change her into another outfit, she started whining and pouting (an intensely annoying habit we are strenuously trying to break her of) and then he strode angrily into the kitchen and announced, "I don't think we'll be going out for ice cream tonight."
Rachel started crying loudly, and when Drew picked her up she yelled, "NO!!" in a voice I've never heard before. (She immediately followed it with, "I won't ever do that again!!") He said, "OK, you're going to bed RIGHT NOW," and then he undressed her, took her into the bathroom and put her to bed -- no books, no story, no cuddling -- and ll the while she was sobbing her heart out. "Do you still love me??" she cried at one point, and Drew answered firmly, "I'm not very happy with you right now," and she cried even harder. She was still crying when he put her to bed.
Later he apologized to me that Shabbat had to end that way. He was right to punish her but I still winced inside. I guess we won't escape the yucky part of parenting -- the whining, the disciplining, the having an unhappy person in our house (whether it lasts for minutes or years) -- but it sure isn't fun when it happens. The main thing that concerns Drew is that he doesn't want Rachel to tell us how things are going to be in our house; SHE is the child and and WE are the parents. We don't ever want her to think that if she cries and whines and pouts long enough, she'll get her way.
(All was fine today. She apologized to Drew while they were at the farmer's market and they made a "pinky promise" -- they locked pinkies and shook on it -- that she would never do that again).
We did indeed eat pizza at 8, then at 8:30 Rachel decided she really wanted to change into the fairy costume that Auntie Amanda and Auntie Jenn had gotten her. (She has already decided to wear her fairy wings to dinner, which was OK by us). We shooed her away because we needed to finish our salads and talk a bit, and so she went into her room to try to get dressed herself.
She couldn't, of course (she can't yet manage the buttons on the back of her dress) and so she came into the kitchen for help. Drew explained that he didn't want to change her into another outfit, she started whining and pouting (an intensely annoying habit we are strenuously trying to break her of) and then he strode angrily into the kitchen and announced, "I don't think we'll be going out for ice cream tonight."
Rachel started crying loudly, and when Drew picked her up she yelled, "NO!!" in a voice I've never heard before. (She immediately followed it with, "I won't ever do that again!!") He said, "OK, you're going to bed RIGHT NOW," and then he undressed her, took her into the bathroom and put her to bed -- no books, no story, no cuddling -- and ll the while she was sobbing her heart out. "Do you still love me??" she cried at one point, and Drew answered firmly, "I'm not very happy with you right now," and she cried even harder. She was still crying when he put her to bed.
Later he apologized to me that Shabbat had to end that way. He was right to punish her but I still winced inside. I guess we won't escape the yucky part of parenting -- the whining, the disciplining, the having an unhappy person in our house (whether it lasts for minutes or years) -- but it sure isn't fun when it happens. The main thing that concerns Drew is that he doesn't want Rachel to tell us how things are going to be in our house; SHE is the child and and WE are the parents. We don't ever want her to think that if she cries and whines and pouts long enough, she'll get her way.
(All was fine today. She apologized to Drew while they were at the farmer's market and they made a "pinky promise" -- they locked pinkies and shook on it -- that she would never do that again).
Rachel gets to conduct the Oregon Symphony!
Yes, you read right. Tonight was an extraordinary evening. But first, some background:
I had an extra chorus rehearsal today -- a day that Portland smashed the old 100 degree heat record. (It was 102 at one point this afternoon). It's great to be at the level we are, where we're not working the basics over and over and over again but are working on really nit-picky things. That's the downside, of course -- the nit-picky things pile up and it gets to be a pain in the a-- to torture every note and phrase to death. But we're gunning for a top 5 finish in international competition in Denver this fall, so...every nit-picky thing counts.
I got done around 4:30, then met Rachel and Drew at the outdoor pool at Grant Park where they apparently had a ball (and Rachel made a new little friend, Rose, who had the same type of water wings Rachel has). Noting that the temperatures are expected to stay in the 80s the next few days, Drew bought a family pass for us to the pool, which is great because it will allow Rachel and I to hang out there when Drew is in Seattle -- free swim is from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weeknights, so I figure we can race home from school, eat dinner and then head to the pool from there -- it's within walking distance from our house -- and I can swim early morning laps while the Willamette pool is closed until school starts.
Then we headed for a concert in Laurelhurst Park, where we've held Rachel's birthday celebration the past two years. The Oregon Festival Symphony performs free summer concerts on weekends at all the Portland Parks (Grant Park will be next Sunday, and I've already promised Drew a summer picnic of homemade fried chicken, popovers and a berry tart -- yum!!) and we go every year. Tonight we headed to Laurelhurst with just a picnic blanket and some water; we figured we'd get dinner and ice cream afterwards.
We spent most of the evening relaxing on the blanket while Rachel amused herself by draping herself over us, finding a group of kids to play with, and eating a hot dog. After a while she kept interrupting me while I was trying to read a New Yorker story, so Drew urged her to head to the area where the symphony was playing, since he saw a bunch of little girls running back and forth there and he figured she'd want to join them.
Well, she did, and all of a sudden he said, uh...Lisa! He's handing the baton to Rachel! LOOK!!!
Indeed it was true: Conductor Lajos Balogh HANDED THE BATON TO RACHEL AND SHE CONDUCTED A FEW BARS OF MUSIC!!! It was extraordinary. She really seemed confident, like she knew what she was doing. I raced down the hill with my smartphone to get a photo but unfortunately I was too late. A mother standing nearby said her daughter was right behind Rachel, "and I got all verklempt!" watching Rachel conduct. So did I.
As soon as she was done, Rachel raced up to me. I scooped her up in my arms and said, "I'm so PROUD of you!" and later thanked the conductor for giving her the baton. Then we ran into my friend Miriam, who said she thought she recognized Rachel but then dismissed that idea because "all 4-year-old girls look the same!' (She has a grown daughter). She was so surprised to see Rachel conduct, but was very impressed.
Turns out Miriam is sort of dating one of the violinist in the symphony, who is the son of a fellow board member of the Oregon Are Jewish Committee, who happened to be there tonight and we had a nice chat. Yes, Portland is one big small town.
Then we went to an unexpectedly good burger place near our house for dinner and to Baskin Robbins for dessert, and met a couple there who asked about Drew's t-shirt from Minnesota. Turns out the guy grew up in Hopkins, MN, right outside the Twin Cities and we got into a long conversation about Minnesota. I talked to the mom about Jesuit High (she's thinking of sending her daughter there) and how impressed that I, as an interviewer for the Northwestern University Alumni Association, have always been by Jesuit grads. We would have talked longer but it was time to get Rachel home for bed. And did I say that I had Oreo cookie chocolate ice cream with chocolate sprinkles, which was DELISH!
Can't top many days like this one.
I had an extra chorus rehearsal today -- a day that Portland smashed the old 100 degree heat record. (It was 102 at one point this afternoon). It's great to be at the level we are, where we're not working the basics over and over and over again but are working on really nit-picky things. That's the downside, of course -- the nit-picky things pile up and it gets to be a pain in the a-- to torture every note and phrase to death. But we're gunning for a top 5 finish in international competition in Denver this fall, so...every nit-picky thing counts.
I got done around 4:30, then met Rachel and Drew at the outdoor pool at Grant Park where they apparently had a ball (and Rachel made a new little friend, Rose, who had the same type of water wings Rachel has). Noting that the temperatures are expected to stay in the 80s the next few days, Drew bought a family pass for us to the pool, which is great because it will allow Rachel and I to hang out there when Drew is in Seattle -- free swim is from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weeknights, so I figure we can race home from school, eat dinner and then head to the pool from there -- it's within walking distance from our house -- and I can swim early morning laps while the Willamette pool is closed until school starts.
Then we headed for a concert in Laurelhurst Park, where we've held Rachel's birthday celebration the past two years. The Oregon Festival Symphony performs free summer concerts on weekends at all the Portland Parks (Grant Park will be next Sunday, and I've already promised Drew a summer picnic of homemade fried chicken, popovers and a berry tart -- yum!!) and we go every year. Tonight we headed to Laurelhurst with just a picnic blanket and some water; we figured we'd get dinner and ice cream afterwards.
We spent most of the evening relaxing on the blanket while Rachel amused herself by draping herself over us, finding a group of kids to play with, and eating a hot dog. After a while she kept interrupting me while I was trying to read a New Yorker story, so Drew urged her to head to the area where the symphony was playing, since he saw a bunch of little girls running back and forth there and he figured she'd want to join them.
Well, she did, and all of a sudden he said, uh...Lisa! He's handing the baton to Rachel! LOOK!!!
Indeed it was true: Conductor Lajos Balogh HANDED THE BATON TO RACHEL AND SHE CONDUCTED A FEW BARS OF MUSIC!!! It was extraordinary. She really seemed confident, like she knew what she was doing. I raced down the hill with my smartphone to get a photo but unfortunately I was too late. A mother standing nearby said her daughter was right behind Rachel, "and I got all verklempt!" watching Rachel conduct. So did I.
As soon as she was done, Rachel raced up to me. I scooped her up in my arms and said, "I'm so PROUD of you!" and later thanked the conductor for giving her the baton. Then we ran into my friend Miriam, who said she thought she recognized Rachel but then dismissed that idea because "all 4-year-old girls look the same!' (She has a grown daughter). She was so surprised to see Rachel conduct, but was very impressed.
Turns out Miriam is sort of dating one of the violinist in the symphony, who is the son of a fellow board member of the Oregon Are Jewish Committee, who happened to be there tonight and we had a nice chat. Yes, Portland is one big small town.
Then we went to an unexpectedly good burger place near our house for dinner and to Baskin Robbins for dessert, and met a couple there who asked about Drew's t-shirt from Minnesota. Turns out the guy grew up in Hopkins, MN, right outside the Twin Cities and we got into a long conversation about Minnesota. I talked to the mom about Jesuit High (she's thinking of sending her daughter there) and how impressed that I, as an interviewer for the Northwestern University Alumni Association, have always been by Jesuit grads. We would have talked longer but it was time to get Rachel home for bed. And did I say that I had Oreo cookie chocolate ice cream with chocolate sprinkles, which was DELISH!
Can't top many days like this one.
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