Rachel wins over our dinner guests

We had a lovely dinner tonight for two friends of ours, Jeff and Crystal, who are expecting a baby girl in February. Jeff used to work with me at the Oregonian and we reconnected when I moved out here. They had us over for dinner in September and I've been wanting to have them back ever since.

So, tonight was the night. I spent much of the day cleaning the house (also in anticipation of Mom and Dad joining us for Thanksgiving...yay!) and preparing the dinner: roast chicken and potatoes, salad, chocolate silk pie with homemade whipped cream. We got just about everything done that I wanted before they arrived, and Drew even lit a fire -- the first one in our new house! -- to ensure that the fireplace does, indeed, work. We can't wait until Thanksgiving, when it will be COLD and we'll just keep the fire going for most of the day!

Rachel was especially sweet today; she cheerfully helped me with the pie crust (we're getting to the point where I can just give her tasks to do in the preparation of a meal and I know they'll get done), and then she did her homework. When I thanked her for doing her homework, she said cheerfully, "You're welcome! It's MY responsibility." Of course, I smiled hugely at that. Then Drew went out Hanukkah shopping -- Rachel is going to be very happy with her gifts -- and I continued cleaning and prepping while Rachel crashed out on the couch. (Friends of mine with kids in kindergarten warned me that kids are so exhausted at the end of the day because their brains are absorbing so much, that they end up sleeping really soundly). I covered her body with a blanket and just kept cleaning and cooking around her.

Jeff and Crystal came at 6:30 and at first Rachel moped around because she had thought that her friend Ivy would get back in time from running errands for them to have a playdate, but it was not to be. But she was cheerful by dinnertime, and after chatting with our guests she got down on the floor and busied herself with coloring. Turns out she was making a picture for Jeff and Crystal, which turned out to be a depiction of them with a turkey (gobble, gobble! she wrote helpfully) and I could tell they were really touched. Crystal immediately said she'd put it on their refrigerator, and I told Rachel later how proud I was that she was so well-behaved and made our guests feel so welcome. I can tell she's going to be a great hostess someday.