Girrrls Weekend!

..and what a fantastic one it was! It started out with me waking up on Saturday morning to find the hives were GONE! Migrated somewhere else, I guess. I am now a big believer in prescription antihistamines -- those suckers are worth what I paid for them. I took two on Friday night and my body was clean and clear the next day. Only downside (and it was a biggie): I was so groggy on Saturday that I could barely get through the day. I managed to pack us up and get Rachel to ballet class with a couple minutes to spare (I wanted to tell her 90-pound ballet teacher to, for God's sake, EAT A SANDWICH ALREADY!), only to realize I had forgotten Rachel's toothbrush and toothbrush, her pajamas, my swimsuit, and a whole bunch of other things. Result: after being absolutely charmed by watching Rachel dance (what I remember, anyway), we had to go back home, throw some more things in the trunk, and then head north. To make matters worse, Rachel loves Enya, and she fell asleep right after we got on the highway, so sleepy, antihistamine-addled Mommy had to drive north with the milky sounds of Enya in the car, trying to stay awake (I finally resort to chewing gum, which always works).

We got to the hockey stadium a little early and I was pleased to discover that the day had turned out to be warm and sunny. We met up with Amanda, Jenn and their friend, Bill, and I went off to the shopping center nearby, had a seafood dinner and plunked myself down at a coffee shop/dessert place, did some reading, and caught up with Drew when he was able to break free from a party he was attending with Jack. Then we all went home to Amanda and Jenn's, where Rachel and I shared a bed in their guest bedroom. I discovered just how restless Rachel is at night -- she even cried in her sleep at one point -- so I awoke the next morning not groggy, just tired.

Then we headed to Auntie Anne's, Uncle David's and Grandma Jean's and had a great time just sitting in the sun and talking. David did a great job keeping Rachel entertained -- he swears it's fun but, man, she can be tiring -- and Anne, Jean and I positioned our chairs so that we caught the maximum amount of sun while we sat and talked for about two hours. We nibbled on raspberry almond bread I'd made before I left -- Amanda and Jenn got some, too -- and then ate the fabulous tomatoes, bacon and other BLT fixings that Anne and David and Jean had bought at the farmer's market. Afterward we headed to the cool park that Rachel and I had explored on a previous trip. Proving that Rachel is able wind any man, not just her dad, around her finger, she persuaded David to carry her around, once on his shoulders, and toward the end of the day she wrapped her arms and legs around him and rested her head on his shoulder. It's clear she loves him very much, and not just because he lets her watch Bugs Bunny cartoons on his computer!

Then it was time to get on the road, and Rachel slept the ENTIRE time. I hadn't really planned dinner, and as we got close to Portland she woke up and said, "What are we doing for dinner?" When I said that I hadn't figured that out yet, she said, "why don't we just have snacks?" "Excellent idea!" I said, adding that they had to be nutritional. (She had already gobbled one of Grandma Jean's excellent cinnamon rolls -- thank you again, Grandma Jean!) She ended up having the terrific strawberries Anne sent us home with, plus two graham crackers, and that was enough to send her to bed. I quickly unpacked our things and went to bed after reading the Sunday NY Times for 30 minutes or so.

All in all, it was a great weekend road trip with me and my best girl -- one of many more to come!