This past Wednesday Drew and I met with Teacher Joe, one of Rachel's preschool teachers, who wanted to discuss with us a few things about Rachel before she starts kindergarten. Nothing major, he assured us, just a few things we should work on with her before she moves up.
"Rachel is amazing," his opening words were. "She's amazing to have in class. I can use adult language when I talk to her, and she understands what I'm saying."
(Well, yes. From birth, I've never believed in baby talk and this is why she has such a rich vocabulary and it sometimes feels like I'm talking to an adult when we have conversations together).
Joe says Rachel is "definitely classroom-ready," (she wants us to give her homework) and that the one thing she needs to work on is to not get so upset when her friends want to do things that she doesn't want to do. He tells her to "make agreements" with them (Rachel and another girl, Sloane, are the only kids who understand what an agreement is, without Joe having to explain it to them) so she can play the games that they want to play first, and then hold them to the agreement to play the games she wants to next.
Drew immediately said he'd have a talk with her on the way home from school, which he did, and I said I'd incorporate that concept into a story I'll make up at bedtime, or when we're in the car on the way home from school and she says, "Mommy, can you please tell me a story?" Drew pointed out that it's so interesting how we have different approaches to teaching -- I do it through stories, he does it through patient lectures. As long as both methods stick, I guess we're doing the right thing.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Sunday afternoon/evening
We went to a kids' party today -- it was a birthday celebration in honor of Lukas, a kid in Rachel's class who is turning 5. Most everyone from St. James was there, including one of the day care staff members who just gave birth to a little girl, Harper. They almost named her Harper Lee after the author, but in the end just stuck with Harper. Their son is Vicente, a kid around Rachel's age who is pretty aggressive -- after Ben, he's one of the most aggressive hitters/biters in the class, but he doesn't seem to bother Rachel much.
Afterward, Rachel, her friend Devin and Devin's mom, Linda and I headed to the Hanna Andersson outlet store in Lake Oswego. Hanna Andersson is a line of adorable and overpriced Swedish clothes, but I found a couple of bargains (including a floaty white lacy tutu-y thing that Rachel may wear for Passover when we go to NYC in a few weeks) and Linda and I had a good talk. We are facing similar issues at work so it was interesting to see how the world of architecture is similar to the world of academia.
Then after we got home, Drew and Rachel went grocery shopping while I read the Sunday Times, and then we all headed over to our friend Sarah's for dinner. Rachel really likes Sarah's son, Noah, who is almost 6, and they had a quite the time running through the house, pummeling Drew (a role he seems to enjoy), playing with plastic swords, screeching, etc. This is what life would be like if we had two, which gives me pause; after a while the noise and roughhousing were hard to take. Could be because I was tired out from catering and from the switch to Daylight Savings Time. Also was feeling a little gloomy because of the rain and cold, although it's entirely normal for this time of year. We ended the evening at 8:15, Drew just got Rachel down after reading her books and giving her a bath, and I am almost ready to conk out.
***
"OK," Rachel announced today. "I'm gonna marry Lukas."
"Why?" I asked.
"Lukas wants to marry me," she replied, "I want to marry Noah, and Noah doesn't want to marry me, so I'm going to marry Lukas. If he agrees. When we grow up."
***
This tells you all you need to know about our daughter and her personality: This morning she knocked softly on our bedroom door after Drew had gotten up and was showering. I opened the door and Rachel started crying. "I can't go to the party because I threw up in my bed!" she cried. "I can't give my germs to all the other kids!" It turns out that she had been dry-heaving and threw up some liquid and mucus, but not much else. "Did you throw up when you were a little kid?" she asked me, and I took her in my lap and we rocked back and forth in the glider for a while.
"I woke up and my tummy hurt, and I read some books and my tummy still hurt, and I tried to take a nap and my tummy STILL hurt!" she said. "I didn't knock on your door because I didn't want to wake you up."
Afterward, Rachel, her friend Devin and Devin's mom, Linda and I headed to the Hanna Andersson outlet store in Lake Oswego. Hanna Andersson is a line of adorable and overpriced Swedish clothes, but I found a couple of bargains (including a floaty white lacy tutu-y thing that Rachel may wear for Passover when we go to NYC in a few weeks) and Linda and I had a good talk. We are facing similar issues at work so it was interesting to see how the world of architecture is similar to the world of academia.
Then after we got home, Drew and Rachel went grocery shopping while I read the Sunday Times, and then we all headed over to our friend Sarah's for dinner. Rachel really likes Sarah's son, Noah, who is almost 6, and they had a quite the time running through the house, pummeling Drew (a role he seems to enjoy), playing with plastic swords, screeching, etc. This is what life would be like if we had two, which gives me pause; after a while the noise and roughhousing were hard to take. Could be because I was tired out from catering and from the switch to Daylight Savings Time. Also was feeling a little gloomy because of the rain and cold, although it's entirely normal for this time of year. We ended the evening at 8:15, Drew just got Rachel down after reading her books and giving her a bath, and I am almost ready to conk out.
***
"OK," Rachel announced today. "I'm gonna marry Lukas."
"Why?" I asked.
"Lukas wants to marry me," she replied, "I want to marry Noah, and Noah doesn't want to marry me, so I'm going to marry Lukas. If he agrees. When we grow up."
***
This tells you all you need to know about our daughter and her personality: This morning she knocked softly on our bedroom door after Drew had gotten up and was showering. I opened the door and Rachel started crying. "I can't go to the party because I threw up in my bed!" she cried. "I can't give my germs to all the other kids!" It turns out that she had been dry-heaving and threw up some liquid and mucus, but not much else. "Did you throw up when you were a little kid?" she asked me, and I took her in my lap and we rocked back and forth in the glider for a while.
"I woke up and my tummy hurt, and I read some books and my tummy still hurt, and I tried to take a nap and my tummy STILL hurt!" she said. "I didn't knock on your door because I didn't want to wake you up."
Rachel observations
"Mommy, who's your favorite kinder?" Rachel asked at dinner the other night.
"Tessa," I answered (she's the daughter of my friend Helen, a former colleague of mine at The Oregonian). "Who's yours?" I asked.
"Edwin," she said.
"Why?" I asked.
"He has a cool backpack," she said. "And he's happy when his friends arrive."
Sounds good enough to me!
***
"I can't believe I have parents like you," Rachel said a day or so ago.
I wasn't sure what she meant -- it could be good or bad -- and asked her to elaborate.
"I can't believe you're so great!" she said.
Can I remind her of that when she's a surly teenager?
***
I did something a few days ago that I'm kind of ashamed of. I brought home two little pastries from an alumni reception I attended on Wednesday, put them in Tupperware and stashed them in the refrigerator to eat after Rachel went to bed (there is so much candy in this house, and I don't like candy, so I thought she could eat the candy and I'd eat the pastries for dessert).
She discovered the Tupperware, of course, and immediately wanted one of the pastries, a chocolate brownie (it was really small). I said we should split it and she looked sad. But I was firm.
After a minute or so I relented and said, "It's ok, Rachel, you can have it all." But it was too late, she had already given me the bigger portion.
"NO, Rachel!" I protested. You can..."
"SHARING IS CARING!" she exclaimed. "If you don't have the rest of it, I'm gonna die. Do you want me to die? Tricky one!"
Nothing like a good, honest heart to put Mommy in her place.
"Tessa," I answered (she's the daughter of my friend Helen, a former colleague of mine at The Oregonian). "Who's yours?" I asked.
"Edwin," she said.
"Why?" I asked.
"He has a cool backpack," she said. "And he's happy when his friends arrive."
Sounds good enough to me!
***
"I can't believe I have parents like you," Rachel said a day or so ago.
I wasn't sure what she meant -- it could be good or bad -- and asked her to elaborate.
"I can't believe you're so great!" she said.
Can I remind her of that when she's a surly teenager?
***
I did something a few days ago that I'm kind of ashamed of. I brought home two little pastries from an alumni reception I attended on Wednesday, put them in Tupperware and stashed them in the refrigerator to eat after Rachel went to bed (there is so much candy in this house, and I don't like candy, so I thought she could eat the candy and I'd eat the pastries for dessert).
She discovered the Tupperware, of course, and immediately wanted one of the pastries, a chocolate brownie (it was really small). I said we should split it and she looked sad. But I was firm.
After a minute or so I relented and said, "It's ok, Rachel, you can have it all." But it was too late, she had already given me the bigger portion.
"NO, Rachel!" I protested. You can..."
"SHARING IS CARING!" she exclaimed. "If you don't have the rest of it, I'm gonna die. Do you want me to die? Tricky one!"
Nothing like a good, honest heart to put Mommy in her place.
Busy week....
which is why I haven't been writing lately. Sorry about that.
Anyway....I had a catering gig last night (Saturday), so I spent most of the day preparing while Drew took Rachel to swim lessons, ballet and a playdate with her friend Lila. Drew said they were incredibly cute together, sitting at their own little table and chatting away, so that he could easily see them when they're 16, going to Grand Central Baking (a Portland institution, where they were yesterday) and just hanging out together.
When I got back from the catering gig (dinner for 8 at a gorgeous house in the West Hills: I smoked a brisket and made rosemary roasted potatoes, a salad and a chocolate flourless ganache torte), Rachel and Drew were just finishing up family movie night: "Barbie and the Prince and the Pauper," and they showed off some of Rachel's latest dance moves -- she and Drew look great together, especially when he lifts her up and into the air; she pivots her legs and feet around him in a way that makes me think she should really be paired with a 12-year-old boy who's just learning to lift ballerinas. Maybe someday.
Now we are about to head to our friend Sarah's for dinner; her son Noah is a year older than Rachel. More to come later tonight.
***
"And Mommy?" Rachel said yesterday, just as I was starting the prep for the catering gig. "Don't think people won't like your food. You should enter a baking contest. For chocolate chip cakes. You make the BEST chocolate chip cakes!"
***
Rachel said this while we were coloring yesterday morning:
"Mommy, it's not a race of coloring, and don't ever think my coloring is better."
Um, ok sweetie. I'll work on that.
Anyway....I had a catering gig last night (Saturday), so I spent most of the day preparing while Drew took Rachel to swim lessons, ballet and a playdate with her friend Lila. Drew said they were incredibly cute together, sitting at their own little table and chatting away, so that he could easily see them when they're 16, going to Grand Central Baking (a Portland institution, where they were yesterday) and just hanging out together.
When I got back from the catering gig (dinner for 8 at a gorgeous house in the West Hills: I smoked a brisket and made rosemary roasted potatoes, a salad and a chocolate flourless ganache torte), Rachel and Drew were just finishing up family movie night: "Barbie and the Prince and the Pauper," and they showed off some of Rachel's latest dance moves -- she and Drew look great together, especially when he lifts her up and into the air; she pivots her legs and feet around him in a way that makes me think she should really be paired with a 12-year-old boy who's just learning to lift ballerinas. Maybe someday.
Now we are about to head to our friend Sarah's for dinner; her son Noah is a year older than Rachel. More to come later tonight.
***
"And Mommy?" Rachel said yesterday, just as I was starting the prep for the catering gig. "Don't think people won't like your food. You should enter a baking contest. For chocolate chip cakes. You make the BEST chocolate chip cakes!"
***
Rachel said this while we were coloring yesterday morning:
"Mommy, it's not a race of coloring, and don't ever think my coloring is better."
Um, ok sweetie. I'll work on that.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Normal weekend?
What passes around here for normal, anyway...Rachel was sniffling and sneezing so much Friday night that I decreed she should skip swim lessons and ballet lessons and just go grocery shopping with Drew on Saturday while I cleaned the house for folks who were coming to dinner. Warren Binford, a professor at the law school with whom I traveled to Africa, brought her husband and 3-year-old daughter Frances, and Rachel and Frances had a BLAST. Fortunately they stayed late, even though they live in Salem and their older daughter was doing some school activity down there, and Rachel was so sad to see Frances leave; I think she half-expected they'd stay over. The grownups had a long time to chat over good South African wine, and we really didn't tend to the kids until it was about time to go home.
Today Drew had some work to do and it was 50 degrees and very sunny, so I took Rachel to the playground near our house (after discovering a donut shop that had opened up near our house; Rachel suggested we try it, and we ended up splitting a chocolate covered donut with pink sprinkles. I got a chance to explain to her what "serendipity" means after I told her we really needed to incorporate more of it into our lives. It's amazing how much fun we can have discovering something new for for, oh, $2.50).
After she got tired of the playground, we walked to Alameda Elementary -- where she will attend first grade and possibly kindergarten -- and explored the TWO play structures there. Then we got home in time to Skype with Valerie, Tia Daniella and Darryl. It gave Rachel the chance to show off her excellent new shoes (light-up purple Skechers with colored "jewels" pasted on; I told Daniella we have now reached the stage where Rachel wears cooler clothes than Mommy. Rachel insists that my high heels are prettier but I said, no way, I'd love a pair of light-up shoes. And then I got the idea for light-up black Ferragamos! Don't tell me nobody would buy them...).
***
"Daddy, do you know what you have too many of?" Rachel asked at dinner tonight.
"What, Rachel?" Drew asked.
"Books," she said. "because you have a whole bunch of books and you never ever read them," she said.
"THANK YOU!" I exclaimed. "That is an unexpected gift!" (I've been nagging Drew for years to trim back his collection because we are drowning, just drowning, in BOOKS).
"Rachel's a smart cookie," I added.
"He has too many chocolate chips with books in them!" she said.
***
"I want to set up a club for my friends," Rachel said. "I'm going to call it the Super Readers Club."
"What do you have to do to be a member?" I asked.
"I'm going to make kindergarteners my members," she said. "Because they're more good at reading that preschoolers."
***
"Mommy, thanks for making this chocolate silk pie," Rachel said at dessert (we were finishing up the pie I'd made for our guests the night before. "And Mommy? It's yummy."
***
Rachel said several amazingly smart, things after dinner tonight, so much so that I took her on my lap and told her how wise she was and what an old soul she is.
"I know what I should be in the Alphabets," she said. "Wendy the wise woodchuck!"
Today Drew had some work to do and it was 50 degrees and very sunny, so I took Rachel to the playground near our house (after discovering a donut shop that had opened up near our house; Rachel suggested we try it, and we ended up splitting a chocolate covered donut with pink sprinkles. I got a chance to explain to her what "serendipity" means after I told her we really needed to incorporate more of it into our lives. It's amazing how much fun we can have discovering something new for for, oh, $2.50).
After she got tired of the playground, we walked to Alameda Elementary -- where she will attend first grade and possibly kindergarten -- and explored the TWO play structures there. Then we got home in time to Skype with Valerie, Tia Daniella and Darryl. It gave Rachel the chance to show off her excellent new shoes (light-up purple Skechers with colored "jewels" pasted on; I told Daniella we have now reached the stage where Rachel wears cooler clothes than Mommy. Rachel insists that my high heels are prettier but I said, no way, I'd love a pair of light-up shoes. And then I got the idea for light-up black Ferragamos! Don't tell me nobody would buy them...).
***
"Daddy, do you know what you have too many of?" Rachel asked at dinner tonight.
"What, Rachel?" Drew asked.
"Books," she said. "because you have a whole bunch of books and you never ever read them," she said.
"THANK YOU!" I exclaimed. "That is an unexpected gift!" (I've been nagging Drew for years to trim back his collection because we are drowning, just drowning, in BOOKS).
"Rachel's a smart cookie," I added.
"He has too many chocolate chips with books in them!" she said.
***
"I want to set up a club for my friends," Rachel said. "I'm going to call it the Super Readers Club."
"What do you have to do to be a member?" I asked.
"I'm going to make kindergarteners my members," she said. "Because they're more good at reading that preschoolers."
***
"Mommy, thanks for making this chocolate silk pie," Rachel said at dessert (we were finishing up the pie I'd made for our guests the night before. "And Mommy? It's yummy."
***
Rachel said several amazingly smart, things after dinner tonight, so much so that I took her on my lap and told her how wise she was and what an old soul she is.
"I know what I should be in the Alphabets," she said. "Wendy the wise woodchuck!"
Friday, March 1, 2013
A Shabbat Surprise
I decided to take Rachel to synagogue with me tonight, since Drew was away, and Rachel was very excited at the idea that she might see the Rabbi. She even brought her special Jewish doll, Sophie, to show him. Unfortunately he wasn't there tonight -- home sick with a cold -- and his assistant rabbi was just not that inspiring.
What made up for it was we met our friends Melissa (the woman with whom I went to see "Swan Lake" last week) and her kids, Jeremy and Natalie. Rachel absolutely worships Natalie; she keeps asking when Natalie will be old enough to babysit her. She considers her a friend, and I don't have the heart to tell her that a 12-year-old really doesn't want to hang around a 4 1/2-year-old, however cute said 4 1/2-year-old may be.
We didn't know they'd all be there, and I immediately asked them to join us for dinner at Kenny & Zuke's after the service -- Kenny & Zuke's approximates a New York deli -- and we all had a nice time. Rachel was so excited to sit next to Natalie and talk to her that I really had to get on her case to finish her matzo ball soup (poor thing, she also has the sniffles and sneezies). Melissa and I actually had a chance to talk, while Jeremy was fairly annoying, as most 13-year-old boys are. (Rachel said he kept bothering Natalie during services, which she said was "very rude." "Isn't it interesting that a 4 1/2-year-old behaved better than he did?" I asked her in the car on the way to the restaurant. "Well, he's a boy," she answered with a world weariness that almost made me laugh).
When we came home I surprised Rachel with a chocolate cupcake I had brought back from Willamette earlier this week. She was very careful to eat over her plate and not get crumbs on the floor.
"There's only one place a cupcake belongs," Rachel said as she was finishing up. "On your plate or in your tummy!"
"You're definitely ready to be a mom," I told her.
"I can't skip kindergarten!" she answered. "I have to learn math. And besides, I'm not strong enough and I'm not tall enough. I can't be a mom."
You are already, sweetie.
What made up for it was we met our friends Melissa (the woman with whom I went to see "Swan Lake" last week) and her kids, Jeremy and Natalie. Rachel absolutely worships Natalie; she keeps asking when Natalie will be old enough to babysit her. She considers her a friend, and I don't have the heart to tell her that a 12-year-old really doesn't want to hang around a 4 1/2-year-old, however cute said 4 1/2-year-old may be.
We didn't know they'd all be there, and I immediately asked them to join us for dinner at Kenny & Zuke's after the service -- Kenny & Zuke's approximates a New York deli -- and we all had a nice time. Rachel was so excited to sit next to Natalie and talk to her that I really had to get on her case to finish her matzo ball soup (poor thing, she also has the sniffles and sneezies). Melissa and I actually had a chance to talk, while Jeremy was fairly annoying, as most 13-year-old boys are. (Rachel said he kept bothering Natalie during services, which she said was "very rude." "Isn't it interesting that a 4 1/2-year-old behaved better than he did?" I asked her in the car on the way to the restaurant. "Well, he's a boy," she answered with a world weariness that almost made me laugh).
When we came home I surprised Rachel with a chocolate cupcake I had brought back from Willamette earlier this week. She was very careful to eat over her plate and not get crumbs on the floor.
"There's only one place a cupcake belongs," Rachel said as she was finishing up. "On your plate or in your tummy!"
"You're definitely ready to be a mom," I told her.
"I can't skip kindergarten!" she answered. "I have to learn math. And besides, I'm not strong enough and I'm not tall enough. I can't be a mom."
You are already, sweetie.
Sweet and Salty
The following exchanges between Rachel and me this morning illustrate how changeable she is:
At breakfast I sat down with her briefly while she was eating her cereal. Since I'm working from home today (and I've had trouble getting sleep the last few nights), I looked kind of dragged out.
"You look like a VAMPIRE BAT!" she exclaimed.
"VAMPIRE BAT?" I grumbled. "Really." And I stomped off to the bathroom to finish blow-drying my hair.
"All right, all right!" she called from the kitchen. "You look like a queen!"
***
I was trying to put away Rachel's laundry this morning. "I can do it, Mommy," she said. "It's MY laundry, so I should put it away."
I told her we didn't have time, she needed to get dressed.
"Mommy, you do too much cleaning up in this house," she said as she took off her pajamas.
"Wanna help me?" I replied.
"Of course!" she replied. "I'd love to help you. What could I help you with?"
At breakfast I sat down with her briefly while she was eating her cereal. Since I'm working from home today (and I've had trouble getting sleep the last few nights), I looked kind of dragged out.
"You look like a VAMPIRE BAT!" she exclaimed.
"VAMPIRE BAT?" I grumbled. "Really." And I stomped off to the bathroom to finish blow-drying my hair.
"All right, all right!" she called from the kitchen. "You look like a queen!"
***
I was trying to put away Rachel's laundry this morning. "I can do it, Mommy," she said. "It's MY laundry, so I should put it away."
I told her we didn't have time, she needed to get dressed.
"Mommy, you do too much cleaning up in this house," she said as she took off her pajamas.
"Wanna help me?" I replied.
"Of course!" she replied. "I'd love to help you. What could I help you with?"
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