Spent the last day of 2014 in typical Lisa fashion: Drove to Rockville to interview someone for a magazine story. Dropped in to our favorite cupcake shop in Shirlington to get Drew, Rachel and me cupcakes for New Year's Eve. Got home in time to stick a pan of brownies in the oven for an impromptu office potluck -- all desserts. Gathered food for lunch and dinner, since I'm not anticipating the kinds of places I'd go for dinner tonight will be open. Jumped into the shower to get ready for work. Drove to the Metro station and caught a train in time to arrive at work by 3:35 p.m.
Drew took Rachel to a kids/adults Watch Night celebration in Falls Church, and he just sent me an adorable photo of her holding a caricature of herself done by an artist there. I had hoped to call her tonight, but I got caught up in editing stories and didn't get a chance. But the first thing I'll say to her tomorrow is, "Happy New Year, darling girl!" and give her a big hug and kiss. Because the best part of any year is having Rachel in it.
Now I am waiting for the work night to end; they tell us they'll be closing the paper early, which would give me about 25 more minutes to wait. Then when I get home, Drew and I will share cupcakes and, possibly, hard cider/beer/chocolate wine, and hope that 2015 is as fabulous as the best parts of 2014 were.
Happy New Year, everyone! Peace.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Sick Rachel
We've signed Rachel up for art camp this week while school is out and Drew and I have to work (Drew has off Christmas and New Year's Day, which is great, because I'm working both nights). She went Monday, but then woke up Tuesday with a bad stomachache. I had an interview in Rockville, Md., which I postponed until today, even though Drew had graciously offered to come home from work early. Since I was scheduled to work a late shift (4:30 p.m. to midnight) on Tuesday, I told Drew I would take care of Rachel and then bring her in to his office for her to stay with him for an hour or 90 minutes until they could take the Metro home.
This is how sick-kid care works in the 2010s, folks.
Anyway...I had work to do on a magazine story, so I made calls while Rachel read on the couch (and insisted on snuggling against me, which I said was okay as long as she didn't talk while I was doing interviews). Then we moved to the study, where she curled up in the papasan with Caroline, one of her American Girl dolls, and three thick fairy-tale books that I brought down from her room, while I sent e-mails and did more phone interviews. I had finished a particularly productive one when I looked over at her and found that she was fast asleep! Poor kid had really conked out; she has been nursing a cold for the last week and I think she needed the sleep. I shook her awake, made her a quick lunch and then went upstairs to shower and get ready for work. When I came down she was asleep again, and so I woke her up, took her upstairs and she got dressed while I gathered the stuff I needed for work (lunch and dinner).
I got a little lost trying to get to Drew's office (he had agreed to meet us outside) and so we ended up parking the car in a garage (it's only $5 if you get there after 4 p.m.), and we raced to Pew. I had stuffed Rachel's Girl Scout cookie form in a bag with Caroline and some books, and so I raced to work -- arriving 15 minutes late.
Later, after I got home, Drew told me that Rachel had a fine time at his office. Apparently Pew has a hot chocolate machine that has different kinds of hot chocolate, and Rachel loves visiting there for that very reason. She had hot chocolate, and animal crackers -- and then took her Girl Scout cookie form and canvassed the office, selling 20 boxes of cookies. Atta girl! Not even a stomachache (which was fine by the time they left) keeps her down.
This is how sick-kid care works in the 2010s, folks.
Anyway...I had work to do on a magazine story, so I made calls while Rachel read on the couch (and insisted on snuggling against me, which I said was okay as long as she didn't talk while I was doing interviews). Then we moved to the study, where she curled up in the papasan with Caroline, one of her American Girl dolls, and three thick fairy-tale books that I brought down from her room, while I sent e-mails and did more phone interviews. I had finished a particularly productive one when I looked over at her and found that she was fast asleep! Poor kid had really conked out; she has been nursing a cold for the last week and I think she needed the sleep. I shook her awake, made her a quick lunch and then went upstairs to shower and get ready for work. When I came down she was asleep again, and so I woke her up, took her upstairs and she got dressed while I gathered the stuff I needed for work (lunch and dinner).
I got a little lost trying to get to Drew's office (he had agreed to meet us outside) and so we ended up parking the car in a garage (it's only $5 if you get there after 4 p.m.), and we raced to Pew. I had stuffed Rachel's Girl Scout cookie form in a bag with Caroline and some books, and so I raced to work -- arriving 15 minutes late.
Later, after I got home, Drew told me that Rachel had a fine time at his office. Apparently Pew has a hot chocolate machine that has different kinds of hot chocolate, and Rachel loves visiting there for that very reason. She had hot chocolate, and animal crackers -- and then took her Girl Scout cookie form and canvassed the office, selling 20 boxes of cookies. Atta girl! Not even a stomachache (which was fine by the time they left) keeps her down.
and on Sunday, we moved furniture
Drew started the massive process of moving furniture around in Rachel's room and elsewhere to make room for her new desk, chair and bookcase. Our guest room, which our friend Auntie Rachel will return to this Sunday since she's staying with us off and on through January, now has a bookcase completely devoted to books about Africa. The shaky bookcase that used to be in Rachel's room is now in the hallway, and until we get her bookcase up, all of her books are on the floor of the guest room. In short, the upstairs is chaos.
But Drew managed to put together Rachel's chair, so that's something. And I moved her bed to another wall and her bins of toys and workbooks opposite the bed, and her American Girl doll corner is next to the bins -- it actually looks like a girl's room instead of a toddler/little kid's room. Also, the glider in which I used to rock Rachel to sleep is now down in the study under the window where our papasan chair used to be; the papasan is now under the window on the opposite side.
All this moving around of furniture and getting rid of toys and clothes (our friends Jeff and Crystal graciously took all of it off our hands to use it for their 9-month-old daughter someday) has made me wistful for the time when Rachel was much smaller and we could actually cuddle together and I could soothe her in the glider, and she had all her My Little Ponies and Barbies (I was playing with Barbies until I was 11; she got rid of all of hers last weekend with a clear-eyed determination that I found breathtaking) and...she is really not a little kid anymore. She's growing up! Too fast.
But Drew managed to put together Rachel's chair, so that's something. And I moved her bed to another wall and her bins of toys and workbooks opposite the bed, and her American Girl doll corner is next to the bins -- it actually looks like a girl's room instead of a toddler/little kid's room. Also, the glider in which I used to rock Rachel to sleep is now down in the study under the window where our papasan chair used to be; the papasan is now under the window on the opposite side.
All this moving around of furniture and getting rid of toys and clothes (our friends Jeff and Crystal graciously took all of it off our hands to use it for their 9-month-old daughter someday) has made me wistful for the time when Rachel was much smaller and we could actually cuddle together and I could soothe her in the glider, and she had all her My Little Ponies and Barbies (I was playing with Barbies until I was 11; she got rid of all of hers last weekend with a clear-eyed determination that I found breathtaking) and...she is really not a little kid anymore. She's growing up! Too fast.
IKEA!
So, on Saturday we woke up and had a fairly relaxing morning before heading to Potomac Mills, an outlet mall about 45 minutes away where I regularly buy discounted clothing. I needed some winter things, and Drew wanted to check out the IKEA to see if he and Rachel could find a desk. So, he and Rachel went to IKEA while I raced through the stores I usually go to. I actually got a bunch of stuff for very little money, which is good, because I hate shopping for clothes and try to do it twice a year at most.
It was around 5 p.m. when Drew called and asked if I was close to being finished. Rachel had been playing in IKEA's play area, but they'd been there all afternoon and it really was time for them to go. So, I agreed to check out the desk and Drew picked me up outside the mall.
So, I've never been inside an IKEA and I was dazzled. Really, it's an amazing place and now I know why so many parents shop there (although the stuff doesn't really last very long, it's well-priced for kids' stuff). We checked out a full-size model of a tiny apartment, and playing on the TV screen was "Singing in the Rain," and Rachel was instantly captivated. So was I; it was the end of the movie, and she announced that she wanted to rent it for family fun night. Sure, we said. Then we checked out the desk she and Drew had picked out -- I wanted a say -- and we all agreed the desk, the chair and a matching bookcase would be good to get, so Rachel and I waited downstairs on a couch while poor Drew spent around an hour arranging for delivery. Luckily Rachel fell asleep on my lap.
When we got home, Drew started up the movie and heated some pizza while I put my new clothes away. Rachel really loved the movie -- a good thing, since Drew and I like it, too -- and during the scene when Cyd Charisse first appears, she said, "I could rock those moves." I didn't have the heart to tell her that there is only one Cyd Charisse, and NO ONE "rocks her moves." Harrumph.
It was around 5 p.m. when Drew called and asked if I was close to being finished. Rachel had been playing in IKEA's play area, but they'd been there all afternoon and it really was time for them to go. So, I agreed to check out the desk and Drew picked me up outside the mall.
So, I've never been inside an IKEA and I was dazzled. Really, it's an amazing place and now I know why so many parents shop there (although the stuff doesn't really last very long, it's well-priced for kids' stuff). We checked out a full-size model of a tiny apartment, and playing on the TV screen was "Singing in the Rain," and Rachel was instantly captivated. So was I; it was the end of the movie, and she announced that she wanted to rent it for family fun night. Sure, we said. Then we checked out the desk she and Drew had picked out -- I wanted a say -- and we all agreed the desk, the chair and a matching bookcase would be good to get, so Rachel and I waited downstairs on a couch while poor Drew spent around an hour arranging for delivery. Luckily Rachel fell asleep on my lap.
When we got home, Drew started up the movie and heated some pizza while I put my new clothes away. Rachel really loved the movie -- a good thing, since Drew and I like it, too -- and during the scene when Cyd Charisse first appears, she said, "I could rock those moves." I didn't have the heart to tell her that there is only one Cyd Charisse, and NO ONE "rocks her moves." Harrumph.
Busy lead-up to New Year's
So, last weekend passed in a bit of a whirl, and now the year is almost over. Some highlights:
--Rachel and I spent all of last Friday, Dec. 26th, cleaning her room. And when I say cleaning, I really mean "purging." We got rid of FIVE BAGS of clothes, toys and games that she no longer uses. I didn't even have to fight with her; she actually wanted to throw away more than I wanted her to, so I held some clothes and dolls back for the day when (hopefully) she has her own children and I get to be a grandma! We started the morning kind of tired and cranky, so after breakfast we went up to her room, cuddled on her bed and fell asleep for 90 minutes. Rachel is so sweet when she falls asleep with me; she grabbed my arm, wrapped it around her chest, and then dropped off. When we woke up, the cleaning went much faster.
--The whole process took about 5 hours, and by the end of it, I was pooped -- so much so that I couldn't even think about cooking (and Rachel said she didn't want meatloaf, anyway, which was Drew's suggestion), so we decided to meet him at a place we all like -- the Silver Diner in Clarendon. I could barely eat, my brain was so tired and Rachel didn't eat much, either. When we got home, she asked that I read her a book, and when I said it had to be a short one, she chose "Little Duckie's Day" (yes, Tia Daniella, we are still reading it!). And then suddenly she burst into tears and told me about a situation that is bothering her at school -- Sidney and Simone, the other two members of "The Buddy Trio," constantly fight with each other and put Rachel in the middle, and they each tell Rachel about the other, and she hates being in the center of their squabbles. (Gee, it's amazing what your kids tell you when you least expect it.) I told her she should firmly tell them both to not put her in the center of their fights, but she says she has and it didn't work. I told her I'd work on thinking of some solutions. "If you think of something after I'm asleep, don't hesitate to wake me up and tell me," she said earnestly, which just about broke my heart. I really am thinking about some good advice to give her, but I can't think of anything beyond what I've already advised.
--Rachel and I spent all of last Friday, Dec. 26th, cleaning her room. And when I say cleaning, I really mean "purging." We got rid of FIVE BAGS of clothes, toys and games that she no longer uses. I didn't even have to fight with her; she actually wanted to throw away more than I wanted her to, so I held some clothes and dolls back for the day when (hopefully) she has her own children and I get to be a grandma! We started the morning kind of tired and cranky, so after breakfast we went up to her room, cuddled on her bed and fell asleep for 90 minutes. Rachel is so sweet when she falls asleep with me; she grabbed my arm, wrapped it around her chest, and then dropped off. When we woke up, the cleaning went much faster.
--The whole process took about 5 hours, and by the end of it, I was pooped -- so much so that I couldn't even think about cooking (and Rachel said she didn't want meatloaf, anyway, which was Drew's suggestion), so we decided to meet him at a place we all like -- the Silver Diner in Clarendon. I could barely eat, my brain was so tired and Rachel didn't eat much, either. When we got home, she asked that I read her a book, and when I said it had to be a short one, she chose "Little Duckie's Day" (yes, Tia Daniella, we are still reading it!). And then suddenly she burst into tears and told me about a situation that is bothering her at school -- Sidney and Simone, the other two members of "The Buddy Trio," constantly fight with each other and put Rachel in the middle, and they each tell Rachel about the other, and she hates being in the center of their squabbles. (Gee, it's amazing what your kids tell you when you least expect it.) I told her she should firmly tell them both to not put her in the center of their fights, but she says she has and it didn't work. I told her I'd work on thinking of some solutions. "If you think of something after I'm asleep, don't hesitate to wake me up and tell me," she said earnestly, which just about broke my heart. I really am thinking about some good advice to give her, but I can't think of anything beyond what I've already advised.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Rachel and Sidney
Rachel has a friend, Sidney, whose mom and dad recently went through a divorce. Sidney was a problem last year in that she wasn't very nice to Rachel or the other kids in kindergarten. We heard she was in the counselor's office a lot, working through some anger issues, and I told Rachel to try to be extra nice to her. The result: Sidney has glommed onto Rachel, following her around this year even when Rachel doesn't want her to, saying to Rachel, "You're my only friend." But she's still sometimes mean to her, calling her "Crutch Baby," because of the crutches, and not listening when Rachel wants her to do something.
Two weekends ago, at a mutual friend's birthday party, an adult asked Sidney to get Rachel a cup of hot chocolate. Rachel asked Sidney to put marshmallows in it, and Sidney huffed, "I'm not your maid," and then refused to get her the hot chocolate. Whereupon Rachel burst into tears, mostly of frustration, about "Sidney's not being a very good LISTENER!" and so I took Rachel into my lap and tried to soothe her.
"I'm not as mature as you think I am, Mommy," she sobbed, and so that shocked me so much that I just held her for a bit.
What made it doubly hard was that I had witnessed Sidney's mom, Nicole, trying to leave the party early go to meet a friend downtown for an event at the symphony. Sidney clung to her mom and physically attempted to keep her from leaving, crying and throwing her arms around her mom's legs, begging her not to go. It was heartbreaking, and I could just see how churned-up that kid must have felt inside. Her dad came to pick her up later, and he seemed perfectly nice, until the mom of the girl whose party it was said to me later, "Don't you think Chris [the dad] is a d--k?" At which point I talked a bit about my frustration about Sidney's behavior toward Rachel, and then Kelly, the mom of the girl whose party it was, said that her daughter, Libby, had come home crying every day about Sidney being mean to her, and she had finally talked to the school counselor about it, and the counselor had given Kelly and Libby some advice on how to deal with it, and so things were better now.
I certainly don't think Sidney's occasional meanness rises to the level of having to see the school counselor, and Rachel really needs to learn to deal with friends who won't do exactly what she wants at any given moment; it's not my job to smooth a path for her. It is my job to teach her how to cope when friends and acquaintances disappoint her, which I'm trying to do. I just hope she learns before the meanness gets really ugly in middle school and she'll need to have a tougher shell to deal with it.
Two weekends ago, at a mutual friend's birthday party, an adult asked Sidney to get Rachel a cup of hot chocolate. Rachel asked Sidney to put marshmallows in it, and Sidney huffed, "I'm not your maid," and then refused to get her the hot chocolate. Whereupon Rachel burst into tears, mostly of frustration, about "Sidney's not being a very good LISTENER!" and so I took Rachel into my lap and tried to soothe her.
"I'm not as mature as you think I am, Mommy," she sobbed, and so that shocked me so much that I just held her for a bit.
What made it doubly hard was that I had witnessed Sidney's mom, Nicole, trying to leave the party early go to meet a friend downtown for an event at the symphony. Sidney clung to her mom and physically attempted to keep her from leaving, crying and throwing her arms around her mom's legs, begging her not to go. It was heartbreaking, and I could just see how churned-up that kid must have felt inside. Her dad came to pick her up later, and he seemed perfectly nice, until the mom of the girl whose party it was said to me later, "Don't you think Chris [the dad] is a d--k?" At which point I talked a bit about my frustration about Sidney's behavior toward Rachel, and then Kelly, the mom of the girl whose party it was, said that her daughter, Libby, had come home crying every day about Sidney being mean to her, and she had finally talked to the school counselor about it, and the counselor had given Kelly and Libby some advice on how to deal with it, and so things were better now.
I certainly don't think Sidney's occasional meanness rises to the level of having to see the school counselor, and Rachel really needs to learn to deal with friends who won't do exactly what she wants at any given moment; it's not my job to smooth a path for her. It is my job to teach her how to cope when friends and acquaintances disappoint her, which I'm trying to do. I just hope she learns before the meanness gets really ugly in middle school and she'll need to have a tougher shell to deal with it.
Rachel is on crutches again...
and we are trying to figure out what's going on. We've done an MRI -- nothing there. X-rays: Nothing there. Blood tests for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Lyme Disease -- nothing.
Crutches are beginning to seem like the new normal around our house, which is definitely not okay. Otherwise, Rachel is her normal, cheerful self. She can get around quite fast and well on the crutches, but her armpits hurt when she uses them a lot and I am looking forward to the day when we can hang up the crutches for good.
Our orthopedist suggested we visit a rheumatologist, and Drew is hoping we can get an appointment next week. I do, too. I am really trying not to worry that something is wrong, but Rachel can't put her foot down or bear to have anyone touch it. The only place she feels sort of okay (as in, not in pain) is in the bathtub. So there is definitely something happening down there, we just don't know what.
We will keep you posted as things develop.
Crutches are beginning to seem like the new normal around our house, which is definitely not okay. Otherwise, Rachel is her normal, cheerful self. She can get around quite fast and well on the crutches, but her armpits hurt when she uses them a lot and I am looking forward to the day when we can hang up the crutches for good.
Our orthopedist suggested we visit a rheumatologist, and Drew is hoping we can get an appointment next week. I do, too. I am really trying not to worry that something is wrong, but Rachel can't put her foot down or bear to have anyone touch it. The only place she feels sort of okay (as in, not in pain) is in the bathtub. So there is definitely something happening down there, we just don't know what.
We will keep you posted as things develop.
Christmas Day
So, this morning we all got up a little later than I wanted us to because we had signed up to do a mitzvah project at the synagogue. What was cool was that Drew and I independently decided that this would be a good thing for our family to do while other people were celebrating Christmas, and so we both ended up choosing different things. We signed Rachel up to decorate gift bags and make potholders as gifts for homeless families, and Drew and I signed up to sort clothes. The event started at 9 a.m. and ran until 2 p.m., but they told us we didn't have to arrive exactly at 9.
When we got there at 10:45, the stuff Drew and I had signed up for was done, and so we wandered into the kitchen and were immediately put to work preparing and packaging food for homeless shelters and people living in apartments. Drew ended up washing out thousands and thousands (slight exaggeration, but not really) cans of yams for recycling, and I volunteered to use an electric carving knife to slice five turkey breasts into individual portions. By the end of it, my hands were tingling and I burned part of my palm because the motor of the knife carver got so hot. I attracted a lot of attention from women and men who walked by and complimented my prowess with the carving knife (??) and Ben, the caterer in charge, said I should be given a free membership for my efforts. He and I got into a conversation about catering, and he wound up telling the food organizer that "you, me and Lisa are going to run the kitchen next year" after he and I had discussed the inefficiencies we'd found and what we would have done differently. The idea of helping to run the food mitzvah is really intriguing, and I have almost a year to think about it -- they start ramping up in September. So, if I can get all my freelance work for the year wrapped up by next November, it might actually be possible.
Then we went back home, I picked up my cake and my work stuff and drove into the District. Rachel was going to try to have a playdate with Ivy, and then she and Drew were going to see a movie of her choosing at an actual movie theater. Mitzvah and a movie -- I believe we have the start of a Christmas Day tradition.
When we got there at 10:45, the stuff Drew and I had signed up for was done, and so we wandered into the kitchen and were immediately put to work preparing and packaging food for homeless shelters and people living in apartments. Drew ended up washing out thousands and thousands (slight exaggeration, but not really) cans of yams for recycling, and I volunteered to use an electric carving knife to slice five turkey breasts into individual portions. By the end of it, my hands were tingling and I burned part of my palm because the motor of the knife carver got so hot. I attracted a lot of attention from women and men who walked by and complimented my prowess with the carving knife (??) and Ben, the caterer in charge, said I should be given a free membership for my efforts. He and I got into a conversation about catering, and he wound up telling the food organizer that "you, me and Lisa are going to run the kitchen next year" after he and I had discussed the inefficiencies we'd found and what we would have done differently. The idea of helping to run the food mitzvah is really intriguing, and I have almost a year to think about it -- they start ramping up in September. So, if I can get all my freelance work for the year wrapped up by next November, it might actually be possible.
Then we went back home, I picked up my cake and my work stuff and drove into the District. Rachel was going to try to have a playdate with Ivy, and then she and Drew were going to see a movie of her choosing at an actual movie theater. Mitzvah and a movie -- I believe we have the start of a Christmas Day tradition.
Christmas Eve
Considering that we don't celebrate Christmas, it was a really magical holiday. Rachel Jones left for the airport at 7 a.m.; Drew very kindly drove her and then crawled back into bed and slept until 10 or so. Rachel spend the time buried in some delightful books she received for Hanukkah from Aunties Jenn and Amanda about a Jewish family on the Lower East Side during the early 1900s called "All-of-a-Kind Family." I am so glad she has discovered them; they were my favorites as a child, and even Drew remembers reading them! Probably why he has a Jewish soul...
After we all woke up and had breakfast, Rachel and I boxed up the cookies I had baked and began delivering them to our neighbors. It was rainy but warm, and we had a lovely time leaving the cookies in various doorways. We finished up at her friend Ivy's house. Ivy's dad, Billy, is a Foreign Service Officer stationed in Afghanistan, home until Friday, and he was so happy to see us and the container of cookies. Jenny, his wife, made us tea, and we sat around and listened to him talk non-stop about the situation in Kabul which is, in short, a complete mess. "It's raw, it's crazy, it will never be fixed," he said, and his constant talking (and the fact that he is starting to have nightmares at night) made me glad that he will be back after 7 months because he clearly needs to get out of there. The family's next assignment is in Copenhagen; Afghanistan is the last hardship assignment he'll get for at least 8 years, by which time his kids will basically be out of school and he won't have to be separated from them when they're young.
We stayed long enough for me to worry about getting to work on time, but Drew and Rachel ended up driving me in to make it by 3:30. When I got home I baked a pistachio/chocolate cake with chocolate glaze fir our Christmas potluck at work the next day, and then I fell into bed around 1:40 a.m. Drew, who was sorting through all his old newspapers before I pitch them Jan. 1st, came to bed even later. It's a theme: Holidays are exhausting.
After we all woke up and had breakfast, Rachel and I boxed up the cookies I had baked and began delivering them to our neighbors. It was rainy but warm, and we had a lovely time leaving the cookies in various doorways. We finished up at her friend Ivy's house. Ivy's dad, Billy, is a Foreign Service Officer stationed in Afghanistan, home until Friday, and he was so happy to see us and the container of cookies. Jenny, his wife, made us tea, and we sat around and listened to him talk non-stop about the situation in Kabul which is, in short, a complete mess. "It's raw, it's crazy, it will never be fixed," he said, and his constant talking (and the fact that he is starting to have nightmares at night) made me glad that he will be back after 7 months because he clearly needs to get out of there. The family's next assignment is in Copenhagen; Afghanistan is the last hardship assignment he'll get for at least 8 years, by which time his kids will basically be out of school and he won't have to be separated from them when they're young.
We stayed long enough for me to worry about getting to work on time, but Drew and Rachel ended up driving me in to make it by 3:30. When I got home I baked a pistachio/chocolate cake with chocolate glaze fir our Christmas potluck at work the next day, and then I fell into bed around 1:40 a.m. Drew, who was sorting through all his old newspapers before I pitch them Jan. 1st, came to bed even later. It's a theme: Holidays are exhausting.
A whirlwind of a holiday
Auntie Rachel's here! (well, in and out for the month of December and January, anyway). Rachel Jones arrived from Africa late Monday, when I was at work, and she and her Mini-Me (aka, our Rachel) were both asleep when I got home. Drew took a photo of both of them, with our Rachel in a new leopard-print jacket Auntie Rachel bought her -- along with dresses and cloth and jewelry. (Hanukkah's 8 nights! she said when I protested. One gift for each night! I could only sigh and shake my head).
Anyway, on Tuesday, our Rachel went to a "Polar Express" party at her school, in which she got to wear her pajamas -- yay! -- and Drew went to work. Rachel and proceeded to run a bunch of errands. She bought a lovely pair of African-made chopsticks for a friend of hers in North Carolina, got a gorgeous coat at a consignment shop near our house that I really must browse through sometime, and then I picked up a winter coat that had gotten a new zipper at the tailor's and dropped off our Rachel's Daisy Scouts tunic for them to sew on petals and patches; then Rachel and I discovered a fabulous Vietnamese restaurant that served excellent pho (good for a rainy day). Then we went to the AT&T store to get her a SIM card for her phone while I picked up some groceries at Safeway; we stopped into Marshalls to get her more clothes and I got some warm socks and slippers; then we went home and I put the roast in the oven and got the table set before picking up our Rachel and heading to the library, where I finally got to see her read to a dog as part of the "Paws to Read" program. It's for hesitant readers, which Rachel definitely is not, but she gets to hang out with a dog and read to it, and since she loves animals, we figure it's a great way for her to be around them.
When we got home, the roast lamb was ready and Drew had started the batter for latkes. I proceeded to fry them up in goose fat from our dinner over the weekend while Drew put together the salad and carved the roast. Rachel was overwhelmed by the meal -- we finished off the pumpkin-cocoa cake, which she also liked -- and we lit the candles, sang the Hanukkah song, and opened gifts. Oh, yes, and Rachel and I opened a bottle of chocolate wine that that a colleague had given me for my birthday. It was FABULOUS and we drank quite a lot of it. Which is why she and I collapsed on pillows in the study afterward, along with our Rachel, who completely crashed because she was so tired from the day. Drew took her upstairs and lay her on her bed; Rachel went upstairs to fall asleep and I think I helped Drew clean up but I'm not sure. Either way, it was a great way to spend the last night of Hanukkah!
Anyway, on Tuesday, our Rachel went to a "Polar Express" party at her school, in which she got to wear her pajamas -- yay! -- and Drew went to work. Rachel and proceeded to run a bunch of errands. She bought a lovely pair of African-made chopsticks for a friend of hers in North Carolina, got a gorgeous coat at a consignment shop near our house that I really must browse through sometime, and then I picked up a winter coat that had gotten a new zipper at the tailor's and dropped off our Rachel's Daisy Scouts tunic for them to sew on petals and patches; then Rachel and I discovered a fabulous Vietnamese restaurant that served excellent pho (good for a rainy day). Then we went to the AT&T store to get her a SIM card for her phone while I picked up some groceries at Safeway; we stopped into Marshalls to get her more clothes and I got some warm socks and slippers; then we went home and I put the roast in the oven and got the table set before picking up our Rachel and heading to the library, where I finally got to see her read to a dog as part of the "Paws to Read" program. It's for hesitant readers, which Rachel definitely is not, but she gets to hang out with a dog and read to it, and since she loves animals, we figure it's a great way for her to be around them.
When we got home, the roast lamb was ready and Drew had started the batter for latkes. I proceeded to fry them up in goose fat from our dinner over the weekend while Drew put together the salad and carved the roast. Rachel was overwhelmed by the meal -- we finished off the pumpkin-cocoa cake, which she also liked -- and we lit the candles, sang the Hanukkah song, and opened gifts. Oh, yes, and Rachel and I opened a bottle of chocolate wine that that a colleague had given me for my birthday. It was FABULOUS and we drank quite a lot of it. Which is why she and I collapsed on pillows in the study afterward, along with our Rachel, who completely crashed because she was so tired from the day. Drew took her upstairs and lay her on her bed; Rachel went upstairs to fall asleep and I think I helped Drew clean up but I'm not sure. Either way, it was a great way to spend the last night of Hanukkah!
Sunday, December 21, 2014
The day AFTER the party
...While I put Rachel to bed last night, Drew did a lot of the cleanup (in fairness, as he pointed out, because I did most of the cooking). I came downstairs in time to put stuff away, dry crystal and polish the silver. We got to bed around 1 a.m., and we slept in quite late -- until almost 10 a.m. -- which was great, because we really, really needed the sleep!
While I was in the shower, Rachel came in to the bathroom with a wonderful exclamation: "Good MORNING, Mommy!" in such a happy voice that I felt compelled to answer in kind. I explained that we were heading to Uncle Dan's for brunch, and that we'd be bringing holiday cookies. I also said I'd bring some gingerbread I'd baked, in case she got hungry for breakfast in the car.
"That would be HEAVEN!" she exclaimed. "Just like your pumpkin-cocoa cake. You should keep that out of my reach. I could eat the whole cake in one day -- even thought you wouldn't let me."
"That's right, I wouldn't," I said, smiling. How can you not smile when the day starts with a compliment?
We had a good time with Uncle Dan at brunch, then going up to the apartment where it was sunny and easier to talk. We had a lovely conversation about all kinds of subjects until around 2:30, when it was time for Drew and Rachel to drive me in to work (religious school is on break until after the new year, which is why we were able to visit Uncle Dan on a Sunday afternoon).
And now I'm at work until 11.
While I was in the shower, Rachel came in to the bathroom with a wonderful exclamation: "Good MORNING, Mommy!" in such a happy voice that I felt compelled to answer in kind. I explained that we were heading to Uncle Dan's for brunch, and that we'd be bringing holiday cookies. I also said I'd bring some gingerbread I'd baked, in case she got hungry for breakfast in the car.
"That would be HEAVEN!" she exclaimed. "Just like your pumpkin-cocoa cake. You should keep that out of my reach. I could eat the whole cake in one day -- even thought you wouldn't let me."
"That's right, I wouldn't," I said, smiling. How can you not smile when the day starts with a compliment?
We had a good time with Uncle Dan at brunch, then going up to the apartment where it was sunny and easier to talk. We had a lovely conversation about all kinds of subjects until around 2:30, when it was time for Drew and Rachel to drive me in to work (religious school is on break until after the new year, which is why we were able to visit Uncle Dan on a Sunday afternoon).
And now I'm at work until 11.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Holiday dinner (or, the week Lisa lost her mind)
So. Drew and I had such fun and were so successful last year making a New Year's dinner featuring goose for PopPop and Mammaw that we decided to do another goose dinner this year. This time, we hosted a holiday dinner for our close friends -- Charon and her son Cameron; Jeff, Crystal and their 9-month-old girl, Julia, and Julie, a colleague of mine at The Post.
I decided that I was going to send everyone home at the end with a batch of homemade cookies, so...I spent this entire week baking cookies (and finishing the edits on one Sunday magazine story and starting the reporting on another). I had wanted to make 7 kinds of cookies but only ended up having time for 5: chocolate/mint rounds, tangerine-flavored cookies; cherry cookies dipped in white chocolate; lemon star cookies with lemon cream filling; and salted caramel chocolate cookies which were OUT OF THIS WORLD -- I just finished making them this morning. So, basically, the kitchen has been a crowded mess this week as I made cookies before heading to work every day. The project turned into making cookies for our neighbors, Rachel's friends' moms, her teachers, etc. And leaving some for our friend Rachel, who is staying with us while she visits the States in December/January from Nairobi.
Anyway...we had thought of taking Rachel to a "holiday camp" this morning so I could finish the cookies and start cleaning the house in peace, but she decided she didn't want to go at the last minute. I kept trying to persuade her to go, but then she said something that stopped my heart, "Mom, I don't get to spend that much time with you. Please, let me stay. I won't bother you; I'll read. If you need help, call me -- especially if you need help with the cookies."
Well, how could I resist an appeal like that? I was so touched that I told Drew, who was angry by that point that she had changed her mind, that I'd be responsible for whatever she did/didn't do. He went out to run errands, and she and I had a ball -- she actually helped me a great deal by drizzling white chocolate on the chocolate/mint rounds (they really needed something to perk them up) and just talking and hanging out together. As I was getting ready to go upstairs, I said to her: "Rachel. I really liked having you around today." And she answered: "I know, Mom. That's why I wanted to stay. I always have a good time when you're around."
Then a friend of hers, Kira, came over and the girls played upstairs (and in the study, and then we shooed them downstairs to watch a movie) while I showered, Drew prepared the goose, and then I did the first batch of latke mix and fixed the salad. People began arriving around 5:15. Drew built a fire, and it was so sweet to see Rachel lying on her stomach and reading in front of it while Cameron, who is 8, talked to her and Julia sat on her mom's lap next to them, and Rachel tried to teach Julia how to walk). The goose had been warming about 45 minutes by then, and I managed to get enough latkes on the griddle (frying them in duck fat, a brilliant suggestion by Drew), so that people actually got to have latkes and goose together. (And did I mention we had an unexpected guest -- a friend of Julie's, a clerk at a federal court who graduated from Stanford Law? -- so, Drew and I basically didn't sit down most of the meal).
But people seemed to have a great time talking together. Julia and her mom left early, as did Charon and Cameron -- by around 7:15 or so, and Julie, her friend Matt, and Jeff all stayed until after 9 to talk. By then Drew and I had eaten, and I had served dessert -- a pumpkin-cocoa cake with bittersweet chocolate glaze -- so we were all pretty relaxed. The evening could have gone on longer expect that it was really time to get Rachel down to bed and we still needed to light the Hanukkah candles and open gifts. I got Rachel to bed around 10, and Drew and I spent the next 90 minutes cleaning up, putting food away and polishing silver and crystal. We are both POOPED.
But it was so, so worth it. This is what the holiday season is all about, and these are the memories we're creating for Rachel -- and for us.
I decided that I was going to send everyone home at the end with a batch of homemade cookies, so...I spent this entire week baking cookies (and finishing the edits on one Sunday magazine story and starting the reporting on another). I had wanted to make 7 kinds of cookies but only ended up having time for 5: chocolate/mint rounds, tangerine-flavored cookies; cherry cookies dipped in white chocolate; lemon star cookies with lemon cream filling; and salted caramel chocolate cookies which were OUT OF THIS WORLD -- I just finished making them this morning. So, basically, the kitchen has been a crowded mess this week as I made cookies before heading to work every day. The project turned into making cookies for our neighbors, Rachel's friends' moms, her teachers, etc. And leaving some for our friend Rachel, who is staying with us while she visits the States in December/January from Nairobi.
Anyway...we had thought of taking Rachel to a "holiday camp" this morning so I could finish the cookies and start cleaning the house in peace, but she decided she didn't want to go at the last minute. I kept trying to persuade her to go, but then she said something that stopped my heart, "Mom, I don't get to spend that much time with you. Please, let me stay. I won't bother you; I'll read. If you need help, call me -- especially if you need help with the cookies."
Well, how could I resist an appeal like that? I was so touched that I told Drew, who was angry by that point that she had changed her mind, that I'd be responsible for whatever she did/didn't do. He went out to run errands, and she and I had a ball -- she actually helped me a great deal by drizzling white chocolate on the chocolate/mint rounds (they really needed something to perk them up) and just talking and hanging out together. As I was getting ready to go upstairs, I said to her: "Rachel. I really liked having you around today." And she answered: "I know, Mom. That's why I wanted to stay. I always have a good time when you're around."
Then a friend of hers, Kira, came over and the girls played upstairs (and in the study, and then we shooed them downstairs to watch a movie) while I showered, Drew prepared the goose, and then I did the first batch of latke mix and fixed the salad. People began arriving around 5:15. Drew built a fire, and it was so sweet to see Rachel lying on her stomach and reading in front of it while Cameron, who is 8, talked to her and Julia sat on her mom's lap next to them, and Rachel tried to teach Julia how to walk). The goose had been warming about 45 minutes by then, and I managed to get enough latkes on the griddle (frying them in duck fat, a brilliant suggestion by Drew), so that people actually got to have latkes and goose together. (And did I mention we had an unexpected guest -- a friend of Julie's, a clerk at a federal court who graduated from Stanford Law? -- so, Drew and I basically didn't sit down most of the meal).
But people seemed to have a great time talking together. Julia and her mom left early, as did Charon and Cameron -- by around 7:15 or so, and Julie, her friend Matt, and Jeff all stayed until after 9 to talk. By then Drew and I had eaten, and I had served dessert -- a pumpkin-cocoa cake with bittersweet chocolate glaze -- so we were all pretty relaxed. The evening could have gone on longer expect that it was really time to get Rachel down to bed and we still needed to light the Hanukkah candles and open gifts. I got Rachel to bed around 10, and Drew and I spent the next 90 minutes cleaning up, putting food away and polishing silver and crystal. We are both POOPED.
But it was so, so worth it. This is what the holiday season is all about, and these are the memories we're creating for Rachel -- and for us.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
The weird stuff Rachel says
A sampling from tonight:
The conversation for some reason had turned to hanging, and I mentioned that in long-ago times, kids used to be hanged for stealing (even in the United States), and that some countries still do that.
"I wouldn't want to be hanged," Rachel said. "I want to die freely, without people watching, in public."
***
I hadn't finished my salad when Drew announced he had finished dinner (Rachel had, too), and I said that I could skip dessert. Drew gave me a stern look and said no.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, your growth will be stunted," he said. "Oh, wait..."
Rachel cracked up. "Good one, Dad!" she exclaimed.
I, of course, finished my salad.
***
Many years ago Drew brought a kitchy Hanukkah thing called "Latke Larry" that moves and sings. I think it's dreadful, but he and Rachel think it's great and whenever I threaten to get rid of it when they're not looking, they say that will never happen. So, we're at an impasse.
Tonight, as we went into the study to open presents (it's where we've stashed everyone's gifts), Rachel announced, "Should we torture Mommy and bring up Latke Larry."
Luckily, she and Drew decided to let him be, hidden in a closet in the basement.
The conversation for some reason had turned to hanging, and I mentioned that in long-ago times, kids used to be hanged for stealing (even in the United States), and that some countries still do that.
"I wouldn't want to be hanged," Rachel said. "I want to die freely, without people watching, in public."
***
I hadn't finished my salad when Drew announced he had finished dinner (Rachel had, too), and I said that I could skip dessert. Drew gave me a stern look and said no.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, your growth will be stunted," he said. "Oh, wait..."
Rachel cracked up. "Good one, Dad!" she exclaimed.
I, of course, finished my salad.
***
Many years ago Drew brought a kitchy Hanukkah thing called "Latke Larry" that moves and sings. I think it's dreadful, but he and Rachel think it's great and whenever I threaten to get rid of it when they're not looking, they say that will never happen. So, we're at an impasse.
Tonight, as we went into the study to open presents (it's where we've stashed everyone's gifts), Rachel announced, "Should we torture Mommy and bring up Latke Larry."
Luckily, she and Drew decided to let him be, hidden in a closet in the basement.
Happy Hanukkah!
Hanukkah got off to a great start tonight when Rachel, arriving home after a playdate, walked in the door and the first -- the very first -- thing she said was, "How can I help?" We agreed to let her put the cut-up potatoes in the blender. By some miracle (a Hanukkah miracle?) dinner was ready -- chicken, salad and latkes, all still warm -- by 8:15. We had a fine time eating and talking about our days (I had the day off and spent most of it working on a magazine story and baking an enormous batch of holiday cookies for our holiday dinner for friends this weekend and for all our neighbors, who have started dropping off cookies that THEY'VE baked).
Then, before presents, we opened the tzedakah box that we've periodically put money into to see how much we had to donate to a worthy cause (we let Rachel choose -- she loves animals so much that she wanted to give money to the Arlington Animal Shelter). There was $9 or so in it. Rachel insisted on getting her piggy bank and giving most of her money to the shelter ("you know how I love animals," she said), and Drew and I each gave $10. Rachel made up an envelope with the words "To Arlington Animal Shelter" and From: "The DeSilver Family." She and Drew are going to take it, in person, to the shelter sometime later this week or early next and explain where the money came from and why we're giving it. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time -- save money during the year and give it to a worthy cause, and so I'm glad we're incorporating charity into our lives (although next year we will more consciously save more money).
THEN it was time for presents, and again Rachel insisted that Drew open his first, then Mommy, then herself. Dad got new hiking boots, Mom got a sweater that Rachel and Daddy picked out, and Rachel got a FABULOUS art kit from Anne and David (thanks, Uncle David and Auntie Anne!) and some American Girl doll stuff from Mommy and Daddy.
Altogether, a great evening. Rachel sang an almost-perfect rendition of "Oh, Chaukah" in Yiddish. Chag Semeach, everyone!
Then, before presents, we opened the tzedakah box that we've periodically put money into to see how much we had to donate to a worthy cause (we let Rachel choose -- she loves animals so much that she wanted to give money to the Arlington Animal Shelter). There was $9 or so in it. Rachel insisted on getting her piggy bank and giving most of her money to the shelter ("you know how I love animals," she said), and Drew and I each gave $10. Rachel made up an envelope with the words "To Arlington Animal Shelter" and From: "The DeSilver Family." She and Drew are going to take it, in person, to the shelter sometime later this week or early next and explain where the money came from and why we're giving it. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time -- save money during the year and give it to a worthy cause, and so I'm glad we're incorporating charity into our lives (although next year we will more consciously save more money).
THEN it was time for presents, and again Rachel insisted that Drew open his first, then Mommy, then herself. Dad got new hiking boots, Mom got a sweater that Rachel and Daddy picked out, and Rachel got a FABULOUS art kit from Anne and David (thanks, Uncle David and Auntie Anne!) and some American Girl doll stuff from Mommy and Daddy.
Altogether, a great evening. Rachel sang an almost-perfect rendition of "Oh, Chaukah" in Yiddish. Chag Semeach, everyone!
Friday, December 5, 2014
Poor Rachel
Last week we got a call from school -- Rachel had a stomachache. I talked to her, Drew talked to her, and we decided that we couldn't let her come home if she didn't have a fever, wasn't throwing up, etc. So, we told the clinic nurse to let her finish her lunch and then tough out the day. (Drew said the night before she hadn't eaten much dinner, and that morning she hadn't eaten much breakfast. So, he thought the issue was hunger.)
Yesterday we got a call from the clinic again -- Rachel threw up. She didn't have a fever, but we had to come and get her right away; they make us take the kids home if they throw up or have diarrhea, even if they're not feverish. I was on my way to work, so Drew had to leave early from Pew.
Hopefully the next time Rachel gets sick, it will be early in the morning so I can call in sick or arrange to work from home (I have to let The Post know by noon if I plan to take a sick day, so they can find a replacement). Meanwhile, we have decided that I will take her to all morning doctor's appointments, as I usually do.
As for Rachel she is fine. I called home last night during a quick break at work, and she said, "Mom? About that vomit thing? I felt fine the whole time."
Words you never expect to hear until you're a mom.
Yesterday we got a call from the clinic again -- Rachel threw up. She didn't have a fever, but we had to come and get her right away; they make us take the kids home if they throw up or have diarrhea, even if they're not feverish. I was on my way to work, so Drew had to leave early from Pew.
Hopefully the next time Rachel gets sick, it will be early in the morning so I can call in sick or arrange to work from home (I have to let The Post know by noon if I plan to take a sick day, so they can find a replacement). Meanwhile, we have decided that I will take her to all morning doctor's appointments, as I usually do.
As for Rachel she is fine. I called home last night during a quick break at work, and she said, "Mom? About that vomit thing? I felt fine the whole time."
Words you never expect to hear until you're a mom.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Odyssey of the Mind
Rachel's on a team! An Odyssey of the Mind team has formed at McKinley, with Rachel's friends Libby, Simone, Sammy (from Summer Laureates) and some other kids, including boys. Libby's dad David is going to be the coach. I believe they start meeting next month.
Simone is part of the Buddy Trio. I love that Rachel's clique consists of all the smart girls at McKinley.
Simone is part of the Buddy Trio. I love that Rachel's clique consists of all the smart girls at McKinley.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
A talk about God
When we signed Rachel up for Hebrew school, I was under the assumption that she'd go to school every Sunday, learn about Judaism and how to read Hebrew, and that would be it. We'd discuss things when she had questions, much like regular school, but otherwise it would be another activity that she really, really wanted to do and that I've always wanted to provide for her.
Apparently, I was wrong.
Our synagogue, Rodef Shalom, really encourages parent involvement, to the point of having one program a month for parents. It's not mandatory, but we are strongly encouraged to attend. The program last week was about God, and our feelings about a higher power. Drew adamantly refused to go and I couldn't blame him. Frankly, I thought it was kind of intrusive. I don't think it's anyone's business what/how I think of God, and I have no interest in hearing anyone else's view, either. But the program included activities involving our kids, who were brought out of class (sneaky!), so it would have looked strange if I hadn't been there.
The parent discussion took place in a circle, and the leader, who is the cantor, started out by saying that everyone had to talk at least once and told us that whatever was said in the room would stay in the room. That alone made me refuse to talk; the cantor tends to move these discussions along instead of letting the group linger on what they want to linger on, so I was predisposed not to participate, anyway.
The discussion focused on different people's views of God -- a lot of them reminded me of what people would have said in Portland -- and I found the whole experience uncomfortable and not particularly enlightening. I also didn't agree with the cantor when he said that all little kids are inherently spiritual (although I think Rachel has a deep feeling for Judaism that comes from I don't know where, since we've never pushed it on her, but it doesn't seem to be connected to a feeling about God) and that since this is a synagogue, they will be teaching kids about God. Of course that's true, but it bothered me that there doesn't seem to be any room for people who don't believe.
What was encouraging is that the cantor said that there are many different religious beliefs and that the synagogue teaches that, that Judaism isn't the one right answer. I liked that -- I want Rachel to have a very strong knowledge of and love for Judaism, strong enough to counter peoples' misperceptions of the religion but elastic enough to learn about other belief systems.
Apparently, I was wrong.
Our synagogue, Rodef Shalom, really encourages parent involvement, to the point of having one program a month for parents. It's not mandatory, but we are strongly encouraged to attend. The program last week was about God, and our feelings about a higher power. Drew adamantly refused to go and I couldn't blame him. Frankly, I thought it was kind of intrusive. I don't think it's anyone's business what/how I think of God, and I have no interest in hearing anyone else's view, either. But the program included activities involving our kids, who were brought out of class (sneaky!), so it would have looked strange if I hadn't been there.
The parent discussion took place in a circle, and the leader, who is the cantor, started out by saying that everyone had to talk at least once and told us that whatever was said in the room would stay in the room. That alone made me refuse to talk; the cantor tends to move these discussions along instead of letting the group linger on what they want to linger on, so I was predisposed not to participate, anyway.
The discussion focused on different people's views of God -- a lot of them reminded me of what people would have said in Portland -- and I found the whole experience uncomfortable and not particularly enlightening. I also didn't agree with the cantor when he said that all little kids are inherently spiritual (although I think Rachel has a deep feeling for Judaism that comes from I don't know where, since we've never pushed it on her, but it doesn't seem to be connected to a feeling about God) and that since this is a synagogue, they will be teaching kids about God. Of course that's true, but it bothered me that there doesn't seem to be any room for people who don't believe.
What was encouraging is that the cantor said that there are many different religious beliefs and that the synagogue teaches that, that Judaism isn't the one right answer. I liked that -- I want Rachel to have a very strong knowledge of and love for Judaism, strong enough to counter peoples' misperceptions of the religion but elastic enough to learn about other belief systems.
Rachel's busy schedule
A sample from last week: Veterans Day greeting retired soldiers at the airport with her Daisy Scout troop; accompanying the other student council representatives to a warehouse to box up food for the homeless (Wednesday); a playdate with her friend Kira (Thursday, while Drew attended a Girl Scout cookie meeting, since he's in charge of cookie sales -- Go, Cookie Dude!); a playdate on Friday afternoon with her friend Sammy (she met her in Summer Laureates and Sammy also attends McKinley; they spent much of the really cold afternoon in Sammy's treehouse, with pillows and blankets to keep them warm); a new members' dinner at the synagogue; a sleepover at Ivy's house Saturday night; a playdate with Ivy on Sunday after swim lessons and then another playdate afterward with her friend Sidney.
On Friday night while he was reviewing this schedule with me, Drew said, "the weekend hasn't even started and I'm already exhausted." You betcha.
On Friday night while he was reviewing this schedule with me, Drew said, "the weekend hasn't even started and I'm already exhausted." You betcha.
Catching up...
So, after last week's drama of having my cellphone stolen on the Metro (it must have fallen off while Rachel and I were heading to Federal Triangle, but a police officer who helped me called the number and someone answered it, so it is definitely in someone else's possession), I've gotten a new cellphone (same number). My sliced finger is healing, I've worked hard to get extra sleep and I am (hopefully) on the mend.
Rachel's Daisy Scout troop was greeting veterans at the airport for Veterans Day when my phone went missing. I wish I could share pictures of how cute she looked with her homemade sign. The vets were all quite old -- from WWII and Korea -- and one was so charmed by Rachel that he leaned over in his wheelchair and kissed her hand! She couldn't get over it.
Afterward we hung out at Dunkin' Donuts at the airport, took the Metro in to the District -- which is when I discovered my phone was gone -- and I was so discouraged that we headed to the Sackler Gallery and collapsed on a bench outside. Rachel napped on my lap for an hour while I dozed on and off.
Then we walked 4,509 miles to the Lincoln Memorial (kidding -- it was, indeed, quite a walk) and browsed through the gift shop before I hailed a cab to Drew's office and The Post. Rachel stayed with Drew until it was time for him to leave. She had books and her advanced-level math workbook to keep her happy.
Rachel's Daisy Scout troop was greeting veterans at the airport for Veterans Day when my phone went missing. I wish I could share pictures of how cute she looked with her homemade sign. The vets were all quite old -- from WWII and Korea -- and one was so charmed by Rachel that he leaned over in his wheelchair and kissed her hand! She couldn't get over it.
Afterward we hung out at Dunkin' Donuts at the airport, took the Metro in to the District -- which is when I discovered my phone was gone -- and I was so discouraged that we headed to the Sackler Gallery and collapsed on a bench outside. Rachel napped on my lap for an hour while I dozed on and off.
Then we walked 4,509 miles to the Lincoln Memorial (kidding -- it was, indeed, quite a walk) and browsed through the gift shop before I hailed a cab to Drew's office and The Post. Rachel stayed with Drew until it was time for him to leave. She had books and her advanced-level math workbook to keep her happy.
Monday, November 10, 2014
More word problems
Drew and Rachel were driving to Michael's, the craft store tonight to get materials to make a poster to greet veterans at the airport tomorrow for Veterans Day -- it's a Daisy Scout thing -- and Rachel asked Drew to give her some word problems.
He started off with simple problems such as, if I have 12 blueberry pies, and if my relatives come over and eat 12, how many do I have left? By the time they got to Michael's, they were up to: What's 2x times 3x squared? Rachel even got the concept of CUBED. He explained to her about what cubed means and she got the concept very quickly. "X rectangled? X triangled? Something shaped!" she exclaimed. But when he said "X cubed," she replied, "Whoa!" then added, "Oh, I get it. Because a cube is made up of lots of squares. So, it's more than squared."
I am running out of steam for word problems. David Lednicer, we need to you to come back because Rachel is definitely ready for a lesson in fluid dynamics.
He started off with simple problems such as, if I have 12 blueberry pies, and if my relatives come over and eat 12, how many do I have left? By the time they got to Michael's, they were up to: What's 2x times 3x squared? Rachel even got the concept of CUBED. He explained to her about what cubed means and she got the concept very quickly. "X rectangled? X triangled? Something shaped!" she exclaimed. But when he said "X cubed," she replied, "Whoa!" then added, "Oh, I get it. Because a cube is made up of lots of squares. So, it's more than squared."
I am running out of steam for word problems. David Lednicer, we need to you to come back because Rachel is definitely ready for a lesson in fluid dynamics.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Lovely Sunday
...we all slept in from our extremely late night on Saturday. Drew drove Rachel and I to religious school -- only to find that we hadn't been paying attention to synagogue newsletters and it turned out that there was no choir rehearsal this morning (two days after a performance, ya know....) So Rachel and I hung out a bit until Drew arrived to pick me up and take me to brunch (a Sunday morning tradition).
We were finishing up at Einstein's Bagels and got into a conversation with the woman and her 4-year-old sitting next to us. Turns out they live in Arlington and the kids may end up at McKinley next year if the school boundaries change. And...the woman and her family are members of Rodef Shalom and her daughter is in Rachel's class! Small world. To make it even smaller...the woman, Stacy, has a friend named Lisa who owns a used bookstore in...wait for it...North Portland! I told Drew we need to stop in there next summer and freak her out by saying, "We know your friend Stacy in Arlington!"
Then we picked up Rachel. Drew dropped us off at Rachel's tennis lesson (it was a 60ish degree day, gorgeous for being outside, and all I wanted to do at the end of her lesson was all take a walk in Great Falls Park. But, I had to go to work. Sigh) while he went home to rake leaves. Then they picked me up and drove me to work, got back for Rachel's swim lesson (resuming after weeks of not going for various reasons), then home.
We were finishing up at Einstein's Bagels and got into a conversation with the woman and her 4-year-old sitting next to us. Turns out they live in Arlington and the kids may end up at McKinley next year if the school boundaries change. And...the woman and her family are members of Rodef Shalom and her daughter is in Rachel's class! Small world. To make it even smaller...the woman, Stacy, has a friend named Lisa who owns a used bookstore in...wait for it...North Portland! I told Drew we need to stop in there next summer and freak her out by saying, "We know your friend Stacy in Arlington!"
Then we picked up Rachel. Drew dropped us off at Rachel's tennis lesson (it was a 60ish degree day, gorgeous for being outside, and all I wanted to do at the end of her lesson was all take a walk in Great Falls Park. But, I had to go to work. Sigh) while he went home to rake leaves. Then they picked me up and drove me to work, got back for Rachel's swim lesson (resuming after weeks of not going for various reasons), then home.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Baltimore
Spent most of Saturday indoors watching my gals -- the ladies from my former chorus, Pride of Portland, COME IN FOURTH PLACE IN THE WORLD in international competition. Congratulations, women!! Why did this have to happen AFTER I left the chorus?
I did have mixed feelings as I was walking to meet Drew and Rachel for dinner. Luckily, Dad had the absolutely perfect response, "Think of it this way, Lis. If you'd been there, they would have come in third."
Really, it was exactly what I needed to hear at the time. Thanks, Dad!
I brought Drew and Rachel to the after-chorus party, and Rachel worked the room -- she has several grownup-looking conversations with people, and when a couple of the quartets go up to sing, she sat behind them on the risers, chin in her hands, looking intently at them. Oh, I hope this settles in and she decided she wants music in her life when she grows up. I love the idea of someday coming to HER performances when both of us are, um, older.
We ended up leaving the part way late -- 10:30! and luckily Rachel fell asleep in the car.
As she was getting ready for bed, she said to Drew, "I'm wouldn't want to be rich."
"Good," Drew replied bluntly. "Because we're not."
"Because if you had to store all that money," she explained, "you wouldn't have enough room for BOOKS!"
True, dat.
I did have mixed feelings as I was walking to meet Drew and Rachel for dinner. Luckily, Dad had the absolutely perfect response, "Think of it this way, Lis. If you'd been there, they would have come in third."
Really, it was exactly what I needed to hear at the time. Thanks, Dad!
I brought Drew and Rachel to the after-chorus party, and Rachel worked the room -- she has several grownup-looking conversations with people, and when a couple of the quartets go up to sing, she sat behind them on the risers, chin in her hands, looking intently at them. Oh, I hope this settles in and she decided she wants music in her life when she grows up. I love the idea of someday coming to HER performances when both of us are, um, older.
We ended up leaving the part way late -- 10:30! and luckily Rachel fell asleep in the car.
As she was getting ready for bed, she said to Drew, "I'm wouldn't want to be rich."
"Good," Drew replied bluntly. "Because we're not."
"Because if you had to store all that money," she explained, "you wouldn't have enough room for BOOKS!"
True, dat.
Friday, November 7, 2014
A lesson in tolerance
One of my pet peeves is parents who let their kids play with electronics in synagogue (and in church, too, I suppose, although I'm not in churches very often). There was a family I knew and was friends with in Portland; they were members of our chavurah, and I liked them a lot until one night I saw the youngest kid sitting on his mom's lap during a service and playing something on her smartphone, and it instantly changed how I thought of them. Harsh? Yes. But I've been taking Rachel to services with me since she was about 2, and she has never, ever needed the distraction of a smartphone or any other device.
Tonight there was a young mom in front of us with three girls, one of whom was probably 2 or 3, and she let her play with an iPad during the entire service -- and it was a family service, meaning the standards were lower anyway. I wouldn't have cared much except Rachel notice and started leaning over and seeing what was going on, and I tried to get her to hold back, but she kept looking. And I got more and more annoyed, but pretty sure that saying something would not have been appropriate.
Toward the end of the service Rachel all of a sudden started saying she was hungry and whining for challah. We went to the table for the Oneg Shabbat and I grabbed some crackers and slipped them into my pocket after giving Rachel one and eating one myself.
On the last song, one of the mom's daughters, the one with the iPad, started whining that she was hungry. The mom said they'd get food at the Oneg but she'd have to wait. So, I reached in my pocket and gave the girl a cracker -- and then her bigger sister, and then the oldest one. The mom thanked me profusely and explained this was the first time she'd gotten through a service with all three kids. And then she said, "thank you for not judging me for the iPad."
It was a smart preemptive move, and it left me feeling terribly guilty because I HAD judged her. Apparently her husband was traveling and she was on her own with the three kids. "I know a single mom with three kids," I said as we parted. I felt really bad for my reaction, especially because one obedient little girl is a lot easier to handle than three. Hopefully giving her kids the crackers made up for my evil thoughts.
Tonight there was a young mom in front of us with three girls, one of whom was probably 2 or 3, and she let her play with an iPad during the entire service -- and it was a family service, meaning the standards were lower anyway. I wouldn't have cared much except Rachel notice and started leaning over and seeing what was going on, and I tried to get her to hold back, but she kept looking. And I got more and more annoyed, but pretty sure that saying something would not have been appropriate.
Toward the end of the service Rachel all of a sudden started saying she was hungry and whining for challah. We went to the table for the Oneg Shabbat and I grabbed some crackers and slipped them into my pocket after giving Rachel one and eating one myself.
On the last song, one of the mom's daughters, the one with the iPad, started whining that she was hungry. The mom said they'd get food at the Oneg but she'd have to wait. So, I reached in my pocket and gave the girl a cracker -- and then her bigger sister, and then the oldest one. The mom thanked me profusely and explained this was the first time she'd gotten through a service with all three kids. And then she said, "thank you for not judging me for the iPad."
It was a smart preemptive move, and it left me feeling terribly guilty because I HAD judged her. Apparently her husband was traveling and she was on her own with the three kids. "I know a single mom with three kids," I said as we parted. I felt really bad for my reaction, especially because one obedient little girl is a lot easier to handle than three. Hopefully giving her kids the crackers made up for my evil thoughts.
Rachel's first singing performance!
...sadly, not with Sweet Adelines (although they are in town tonight, competing internationally in Baltimore, and I get to watch them tomorrow). She has joined Shir Joy, the synagogue choir, and today they sang for the first time at family services. They have special T-shirts; hers is light blue with a collar, a Polo shirt, with "Shir Joy" near the left shoulder.
They did pretty well, although at this age it's not very musical; it's more like shouting than singing. She didn't look particularly excited during the performance, but then told us at dinner that she wants to join the older kids' choir, Shir Harmony, when she gets to be of age.
It was delightful to watch and wave and make faces at her to try to get her to smile and look enthusiastic, until she gave me a severe look and dragged a finger across her lips to tell me to stop. Which I did at once.
They did pretty well, although at this age it's not very musical; it's more like shouting than singing. She didn't look particularly excited during the performance, but then told us at dinner that she wants to join the older kids' choir, Shir Harmony, when she gets to be of age.
It was delightful to watch and wave and make faces at her to try to get her to smile and look enthusiastic, until she gave me a severe look and dragged a finger across her lips to tell me to stop. Which I did at once.
Nicknames for the club members
...Simone is Scout, since she's in Girl Scouts and, Rachel said, is a good Scout.
...Sydney is Flash, because she can run very fast.
...Rachel is Patch, because she can sew.
"You don't know how to sew!" I keep telling her. And she insists she can because she has watched a movie in which sewing was featured. She thinks the issue is just that I won't let her use a needle. Any sewing classes for kids out there??
...Sydney is Flash, because she can run very fast.
...Rachel is Patch, because she can sew.
"You don't know how to sew!" I keep telling her. And she insists she can because she has watched a movie in which sewing was featured. She thinks the issue is just that I won't let her use a needle. Any sewing classes for kids out there??
The Buddy Trio
This week, Rachel and two of her friends, Sydney and Simone, formed a club called "The Buddy Trio." Simone is the president and Rachel has written the handbook. It's called "Buddy Trio Guide," and here's what it says:
Contents:
1. how to Be a member
2. what we do
3. How to join
4. Are pets (should be "our" pets -- me writing this)
5. Our Rules
6. our tree House
(apparently Simone's dad is going to build a treehouse for the girls to use as a club meeting place. "What should we contribute?" I asked at dinner tonight. The consensus from Drew and Rachel: snacks.
1. How to Be a member
To be a member you Must Show that you are Loyal to the club. You must pas a test to get in. You must Follow three Rule. You must know us well. You Must follow the Three Ruls At All Times. You Must be Actave and Alert At All Tims. You Must think well At All times.
2. What We do
We do a lot of things. One thing we do Is Make Secret Notes to aChather (each other -- me writing this) And to Other Peple too.
That's as far as she's gotten. Rachel did reassure me tonight that grownups are automatically members of the club. Presuming they like us, I suppose.
Contents:
1. how to Be a member
2. what we do
3. How to join
4. Are pets (should be "our" pets -- me writing this)
5. Our Rules
6. our tree House
(apparently Simone's dad is going to build a treehouse for the girls to use as a club meeting place. "What should we contribute?" I asked at dinner tonight. The consensus from Drew and Rachel: snacks.
1. How to Be a member
To be a member you Must Show that you are Loyal to the club. You must pas a test to get in. You must Follow three Rule. You must know us well. You Must follow the Three Ruls At All Times. You Must be Actave and Alert At All Tims. You Must think well At All times.
2. What We do
We do a lot of things. One thing we do Is Make Secret Notes to aChather (each other -- me writing this) And to Other Peple too.
That's as far as she's gotten. Rachel did reassure me tonight that grownups are automatically members of the club. Presuming they like us, I suppose.
A note from Drew about Rachel and Shakespeare
This is a note Drew sent me earlier this week from one of Rachel's enrichment teachers:
In other news, I got a call this afternoon from the woman who teaches the "STEAM for Curious Kids" enrichment class. She wanted some info about that Shakespeare book that we bought Rachel this summer -- seems Shakespeare came up in a class and Rachel knew so much about him and the plays that the teacher thinks the book might be good to get. She also said she loves having Rachel in her class -- says she's very smart and curious and likes to contribute ideas, but is well-behaved and respectful -- (paraphasing) doesn't just jump in whenever she wants, but waits her turn and then says her piece.
New book idea
Rachel and I are putatively working on a book called "Patriot Girls," about 6 orphaned girls during the Revolutionary War who act as messengers for General George Washington. We've got the characters' names, (the girls, that is) and now have to outline the plot. And then add dialogue. And then, you know, write the thing.
Rachel has already decided there will be sequels: "Daughters of Liberty" and "Stars and Stripes." And there will be another series after that called "Patriot Pets."
"I'm not sure I like the marketing idea of her extending the brand," Drew said last night. I could only laugh. And sigh.
Rachel has already decided there will be sequels: "Daughters of Liberty" and "Stars and Stripes." And there will be another series after that called "Patriot Pets."
"I'm not sure I like the marketing idea of her extending the brand," Drew said last night. I could only laugh. And sigh.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Halloween costumes
Drew and I have been talked in to attending a Halloween bash at our friend Charon's country club this coming Friday night. So, on Saturday, Charon, her son Cameron, Drew, Rachel and I all trooped to a costume store in Alexandria. Drew, wisely, flagged it because it was a theatrical store as opposed to someplace like Party City, which has cheap costumes that are uncomfortable and that Rachel wouldn't even wear last year.
We were not disappointed. Rachel sat glumly watching us as we all tried on costumes, because Drew had told her that he'd already bought her a waitress costume for her birthday and to not expect us to buy her one this time. After a couple of false starts, Charon, Drew and I came up with a group theme -- King Henry the VIII and two of his wives (she and I may end up carrying the severed heads of two of the wives he beheaded). We had originally thought of going as Brigham Young and two of his many wives, with Drew carrying the Book of Mormon, but we couldn't find costumes that weren't unbearably frumpy. Whereas there is a big selection of Renaissance-era costumes. I'm wearing a tight velvet purple number, which will keep me nice and warm; Drew looks fabulous as a king; Charon will order something off the Internet, and we relented and bought Rachel a pirate fairy costume that she looks AWESOME in.
I'm actually getting excited for this party -- I think I may even go to a salon and get my hair braided and pinned up for the occasion.
We ran a couple of errands, took Rachel to her friend Libby's for a playdate, and then I raced out to L.L. Bean and bought some rain gear because we're getting a lot of precipitation lately and it comes down in waves, which means I can't get away with sneakers and an inadequate coat like I had in Oregon. Still have to run more errands (as I told Drew, the more I get done, the more I see that needs doing. Sigh), but it was a fruitful afternoon. Last night Drew heated up some Giordano's Pizza he had brought back from his conference in Chicago, and then he, Rachel and I all watched an American Girl movie about bullying (I winced and cried silently throughout), put Rachel to bed -- and then Drew and I continued watching "House of Cards." We hope to get caught up by the time the new season starts next January or so.
We were not disappointed. Rachel sat glumly watching us as we all tried on costumes, because Drew had told her that he'd already bought her a waitress costume for her birthday and to not expect us to buy her one this time. After a couple of false starts, Charon, Drew and I came up with a group theme -- King Henry the VIII and two of his wives (she and I may end up carrying the severed heads of two of the wives he beheaded). We had originally thought of going as Brigham Young and two of his many wives, with Drew carrying the Book of Mormon, but we couldn't find costumes that weren't unbearably frumpy. Whereas there is a big selection of Renaissance-era costumes. I'm wearing a tight velvet purple number, which will keep me nice and warm; Drew looks fabulous as a king; Charon will order something off the Internet, and we relented and bought Rachel a pirate fairy costume that she looks AWESOME in.
I'm actually getting excited for this party -- I think I may even go to a salon and get my hair braided and pinned up for the occasion.
We ran a couple of errands, took Rachel to her friend Libby's for a playdate, and then I raced out to L.L. Bean and bought some rain gear because we're getting a lot of precipitation lately and it comes down in waves, which means I can't get away with sneakers and an inadequate coat like I had in Oregon. Still have to run more errands (as I told Drew, the more I get done, the more I see that needs doing. Sigh), but it was a fruitful afternoon. Last night Drew heated up some Giordano's Pizza he had brought back from his conference in Chicago, and then he, Rachel and I all watched an American Girl movie about bullying (I winced and cried silently throughout), put Rachel to bed -- and then Drew and I continued watching "House of Cards." We hope to get caught up by the time the new season starts next January or so.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
The adventures of two guinea pigs (as I remember it a day later)
Once upon a time there were two guinea pigs named Courtney and Chrissie. Courtney was brown, and Chrissie was black with white stripes. They were owned by a very evil circus ringmaster, who always tried to get them to perform tricks. He'd shout "Stand on your hind legs!" "Talk!" "Say something!" and the guinea pigs could only look and him with their vacant eyes like they were saying, "Huh?" So, one day, the ringmaster said the circus was going broke and he could no longer afford to feed them anymore, and so when the circus left town he abandoned them.
A little girl named Carrie found them. She was an only child with older parents, and she had been wanting a pet for a while, and her parents said she could keep the guinea pigs. But Carrie was only 4, and she didn't know how to take care of the pigs. Plus, they were messy, and taking care of them was hard, and her parents said she needed to give the pigs away until she was old enough to take care of a pet on her own. (And, in fact, that happened -- she eventually got a cat, Sabrina, who lived for such a long time that she went to college with Carrie). So, Carrie took the guinea pigs around the neighborhood and asked who would take them in. Finally she arrived at the house of a piano teacher, Madame Souzatska. Madame Souzatska had lived in Russia and been very rich; she had a fine house, with a pool, and beautiful furnishings and gardens, and had been married to a Russian nobleman. But she was a great piano player and had given concerts, until her husband went off to fight in the war and disappeared, so she had to flee from her house and come to America, and the only thing she could do was play the piano, so she decided to support herself by being a piano teacher. She had never married again and never had children, so she was overjoyed when Carrie brought over the guinea pigs and said, in a heavy Russian accent, "Ach! Yes, I will be glad to take care of these guinea pigs, they are so much nicer than hamsters, that bite, yes! Yes!" And so she placed Courtney and Chrissie in the corner of the room where she gave piano lessons, and the pigs stayed there for many years.
Eventually Madame Souzatska got too old to give lessons and realized she had to find a good home for the guinea pigs, so she turned to an adult pupil of hers named Simon, who was a scientist but took piano lessons on the side. He agreed to take them. One day, he heard Chrissie try to speak. "Hello!" she squeaked. "How do you know how to talk?!" he exclaimed. "Magic!" she squeaked, and then explained that she and Courtney had lived in another world, and that there was fighting going on, and the leader of their world had turned them from girls into guinea pigs because he wanted to protect them and were afraid that if they told anyone where they were from, they'd give away the secret of the different world they lived in. So that's how they got to be acquired by the evil ringmaster. Simon asked if they wanted to be turned back into little girls again, and they said no.
So, they lived with Simon for many years. One day, two little girls knocked on his door, asking him if he wanted to buy cookies. He said no, but he let them inside and they oohed and ahhed over the pigs. They were with their mom, and when their mom saw the pigs, she recognized them. It was Carrie! She was all grown up and a mom herself...and so the pigs came full circle from their time with the evil ringmaster, to Carrie, to Madame Souzatska, to Simon and back to Carrie.
A little girl named Carrie found them. She was an only child with older parents, and she had been wanting a pet for a while, and her parents said she could keep the guinea pigs. But Carrie was only 4, and she didn't know how to take care of the pigs. Plus, they were messy, and taking care of them was hard, and her parents said she needed to give the pigs away until she was old enough to take care of a pet on her own. (And, in fact, that happened -- she eventually got a cat, Sabrina, who lived for such a long time that she went to college with Carrie). So, Carrie took the guinea pigs around the neighborhood and asked who would take them in. Finally she arrived at the house of a piano teacher, Madame Souzatska. Madame Souzatska had lived in Russia and been very rich; she had a fine house, with a pool, and beautiful furnishings and gardens, and had been married to a Russian nobleman. But she was a great piano player and had given concerts, until her husband went off to fight in the war and disappeared, so she had to flee from her house and come to America, and the only thing she could do was play the piano, so she decided to support herself by being a piano teacher. She had never married again and never had children, so she was overjoyed when Carrie brought over the guinea pigs and said, in a heavy Russian accent, "Ach! Yes, I will be glad to take care of these guinea pigs, they are so much nicer than hamsters, that bite, yes! Yes!" And so she placed Courtney and Chrissie in the corner of the room where she gave piano lessons, and the pigs stayed there for many years.
Eventually Madame Souzatska got too old to give lessons and realized she had to find a good home for the guinea pigs, so she turned to an adult pupil of hers named Simon, who was a scientist but took piano lessons on the side. He agreed to take them. One day, he heard Chrissie try to speak. "Hello!" she squeaked. "How do you know how to talk?!" he exclaimed. "Magic!" she squeaked, and then explained that she and Courtney had lived in another world, and that there was fighting going on, and the leader of their world had turned them from girls into guinea pigs because he wanted to protect them and were afraid that if they told anyone where they were from, they'd give away the secret of the different world they lived in. So that's how they got to be acquired by the evil ringmaster. Simon asked if they wanted to be turned back into little girls again, and they said no.
So, they lived with Simon for many years. One day, two little girls knocked on his door, asking him if he wanted to buy cookies. He said no, but he let them inside and they oohed and ahhed over the pigs. They were with their mom, and when their mom saw the pigs, she recognized them. It was Carrie! She was all grown up and a mom herself...and so the pigs came full circle from their time with the evil ringmaster, to Carrie, to Madame Souzatska, to Simon and back to Carrie.
Weekend getaway
Spent a weekend in the mountains of Maryland at the cabin of my college roommate, Charon, and her 8-year-old son, Cameron (who Rachel calls "Cammy"). Some highlights (or lowlights, as you shall see):
--It was raining when we went up there. We were prepared for it, but it didn't make Friday (the day we left) any more promising. The kids got whiny toward late afternoon, and Drew told Rachel that if he heard two words -- "I want" -- one more time, that would be a sure way of her NOT getting what she wanted. That seemed to impress her. Drew was cranky because of lack of sleep and of what he felt was being rushed through antique stores (where I saw about $2,000 worth of furniture that would look gorgeous in a guest room, except that we don't have the space), I was cranky because I was determined to enjoy this little mini-vacation. We ended up at a restaurant where I ordered the most god-awful steak I've ever eaten in my life (but an awesome apple and caramel flavored martini, which helped), and Drew graciously offered to trade his burger for my steak. So, not a total loss. We all went home, got the kids to bed, got ourselves to bed around 11 p.m., only to be woken up at 5:30 a.m. by the LOUD sound of children's voices, and I thought I'd go out of my mind if I had a second day of no sleep. Could it get worse? Yes, indeedy, it could!
--After we were forced out of bed, Drew went downstairs to the basement to take a shower, and Rachel and I cuddled in the huge king-sized bed where we were sleeping. I reminded her of the time she had accidentally (I assume) punched me in the eye in her sleep while we were at Grandma and Grandpa's house for Rosh Hashanah, and she proceeded to demonstrate what she had done, and then poked me in the breast by accident, and when I shrieked, "OW!!!" she got off the bed in a huff, grabbed her crutches and tried to go down the stairs -- and proceeded to FALL ALL THE WAY DOWN AND LAND SMACK ON THE SIDE OF HER FACE ON THE SLATE FLOOR. I will never forget her shrieks of agony, which sent Charon and I running up to her. I threw aside her crutches and carried her back upstairs (the staircase is unusually narrow), and asked Charon, who was on the verge of crying, if she had any ice. No. Well then, I said, trying to stay calm, how about putting cold water on a bunch of towels? Rachel had a nickel-sized gash near her right eye and she was moaning in agony about a bruised wrist, and all the while she kept apologizing and sobbing, "You're the best mommy in the world," and I was trying mightily not to scold her for trying to use her crutches on the stairs (which we have told her over and over not to do), and then Drew came upstairs, and the drama continued (he did, in fact, scold her), and I almost started crying when I noticed a huge egg-like bump protruding from Rachel's forehead; it looked like an abnormal growth), and then he and Charon talked about what hospitals or clinics or doctor's offices would be open in rural Maryland on a Saturday, and then he, Charon and Cameron all went to Rite-Aid and brought back ice packs, ibuprofin and Band-Aids. Meanwhile, I got back into bed next to Rachel and she asked me to tell her a story, and I told her a long, involved story about the adventures of two guinea pigs (Courtney and Chrissy, the names of the guinea pigs Drew and I had in St. Paul), and she fell asleep halfway through. Cameron had thoughtfully brought Rachel back a get-well card with a kitten on it.
--So, Rachel insisted she was fine, and we all got ourselves dressed to go to the Garrett County Autumn Glory parade, which was a pretty good one as parades go. It had been steadily drizzling all morning, right up until the start of the parade, but luckily the worst of it held off during the actual parade, which was full of bands and princesses and Shriners and acrobats. Cameron let Rachel sit in his little folding chair, so she got a fine view of the festivities. Then we went to an antiques show at the local armory, which we had to pay to get into and it wasn't very good -- and poor Rachel was so tuckered out that she fell asleep on my (and then Drew's) lap. We took the shuttle bus back to the parking lot, then raced to the county fairgrounds to catch the last of what turned out to be a great crafts festival. I bought pumpkin fudge (out of this world), an alpaca hat, some jewelry and some lovely bath salts to use on my hands to make them soft and smooth. The day was definitely looking up at this point, plus the sun had come out. Then we went to a great buffet restaurant, Penn Alps, for dinner, got the kids home and then Drew, Charon and I discussed what our costumes will be for the Halloween party at Charon's country club in two weeks. And then it was time for bed. Luckily the children were quiet this morning, Rachel's wrist seems to be okay for the moment, and we left around 10 a.m.
I am calling a moratorium on any more Rachel accidents for the rest of the year.
--It was raining when we went up there. We were prepared for it, but it didn't make Friday (the day we left) any more promising. The kids got whiny toward late afternoon, and Drew told Rachel that if he heard two words -- "I want" -- one more time, that would be a sure way of her NOT getting what she wanted. That seemed to impress her. Drew was cranky because of lack of sleep and of what he felt was being rushed through antique stores (where I saw about $2,000 worth of furniture that would look gorgeous in a guest room, except that we don't have the space), I was cranky because I was determined to enjoy this little mini-vacation. We ended up at a restaurant where I ordered the most god-awful steak I've ever eaten in my life (but an awesome apple and caramel flavored martini, which helped), and Drew graciously offered to trade his burger for my steak. So, not a total loss. We all went home, got the kids to bed, got ourselves to bed around 11 p.m., only to be woken up at 5:30 a.m. by the LOUD sound of children's voices, and I thought I'd go out of my mind if I had a second day of no sleep. Could it get worse? Yes, indeedy, it could!
--After we were forced out of bed, Drew went downstairs to the basement to take a shower, and Rachel and I cuddled in the huge king-sized bed where we were sleeping. I reminded her of the time she had accidentally (I assume) punched me in the eye in her sleep while we were at Grandma and Grandpa's house for Rosh Hashanah, and she proceeded to demonstrate what she had done, and then poked me in the breast by accident, and when I shrieked, "OW!!!" she got off the bed in a huff, grabbed her crutches and tried to go down the stairs -- and proceeded to FALL ALL THE WAY DOWN AND LAND SMACK ON THE SIDE OF HER FACE ON THE SLATE FLOOR. I will never forget her shrieks of agony, which sent Charon and I running up to her. I threw aside her crutches and carried her back upstairs (the staircase is unusually narrow), and asked Charon, who was on the verge of crying, if she had any ice. No. Well then, I said, trying to stay calm, how about putting cold water on a bunch of towels? Rachel had a nickel-sized gash near her right eye and she was moaning in agony about a bruised wrist, and all the while she kept apologizing and sobbing, "You're the best mommy in the world," and I was trying mightily not to scold her for trying to use her crutches on the stairs (which we have told her over and over not to do), and then Drew came upstairs, and the drama continued (he did, in fact, scold her), and I almost started crying when I noticed a huge egg-like bump protruding from Rachel's forehead; it looked like an abnormal growth), and then he and Charon talked about what hospitals or clinics or doctor's offices would be open in rural Maryland on a Saturday, and then he, Charon and Cameron all went to Rite-Aid and brought back ice packs, ibuprofin and Band-Aids. Meanwhile, I got back into bed next to Rachel and she asked me to tell her a story, and I told her a long, involved story about the adventures of two guinea pigs (Courtney and Chrissy, the names of the guinea pigs Drew and I had in St. Paul), and she fell asleep halfway through. Cameron had thoughtfully brought Rachel back a get-well card with a kitten on it.
--So, Rachel insisted she was fine, and we all got ourselves dressed to go to the Garrett County Autumn Glory parade, which was a pretty good one as parades go. It had been steadily drizzling all morning, right up until the start of the parade, but luckily the worst of it held off during the actual parade, which was full of bands and princesses and Shriners and acrobats. Cameron let Rachel sit in his little folding chair, so she got a fine view of the festivities. Then we went to an antiques show at the local armory, which we had to pay to get into and it wasn't very good -- and poor Rachel was so tuckered out that she fell asleep on my (and then Drew's) lap. We took the shuttle bus back to the parking lot, then raced to the county fairgrounds to catch the last of what turned out to be a great crafts festival. I bought pumpkin fudge (out of this world), an alpaca hat, some jewelry and some lovely bath salts to use on my hands to make them soft and smooth. The day was definitely looking up at this point, plus the sun had come out. Then we went to a great buffet restaurant, Penn Alps, for dinner, got the kids home and then Drew, Charon and I discussed what our costumes will be for the Halloween party at Charon's country club in two weeks. And then it was time for bed. Luckily the children were quiet this morning, Rachel's wrist seems to be okay for the moment, and we left around 10 a.m.
I am calling a moratorium on any more Rachel accidents for the rest of the year.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Why Rachel likes certain books
...because they have Jewish characters, apparently. Of the "American Girl" series of books, she really focused on Rebecca, a Jewish girl who becomes active in the union movement in NYC in the early part of the 20th century.
And today, she was devouring a book about a girl who has the ability to time-travel with her family. "I like this book because Mila (the main character) is Jewish," she said cheerfully.
When I was a kid, I read a wonderful series of books called "All-of-a-Kind Family," about a family with multiple daughters growing up on the Lower East Side around the 1900s. I told Rachel about those books today, and now I need to find out of they're still in print. If so, I intend to buy her every single one.
And today, she was devouring a book about a girl who has the ability to time-travel with her family. "I like this book because Mila (the main character) is Jewish," she said cheerfully.
When I was a kid, I read a wonderful series of books called "All-of-a-Kind Family," about a family with multiple daughters growing up on the Lower East Side around the 1900s. I told Rachel about those books today, and now I need to find out of they're still in print. If so, I intend to buy her every single one.
Parent-teacher conferences
So, today was the long-awaited (by me, anyway) parent-teacher conference with Rachel's first-grade teacher, Mrs. McAdam. Drew asked Rachel if there was anything SHE wanted to tell her teacher.
She replied: "I need more challenging math homework!"
Okay, then.
In a word, the conference was stunning.
"Rachel is super-smart," Mrs. McAdam said flatly. "Everybody loves Rachel. She's solid. They trust her. Everyone wants to help her" with her crutches, the teacher said, so she has chosen the kids who can help Rachel with various tasks instead of making Rachel choose, which -- considering Rachel's desire not to hurt anyone's feelings -- was a smart idea.
So, on to the progress report. In math, she was tested in the first weeks of school and scored 80 percent. That means she knows 80 percent of the ENTIRE FIRST-GRADE MATH CURRICULUM.
In reading, she is completely accurately reading at a third-grade level and her comprehension extends to fifth-grade reading. For oral reading in context (at the 5th-grade level) she scored a 99 percent for accuracy, a 3 out of 3 for fluency, and a 4 out of 6 for comprehension. Mrs. McAdam said she won't even bother testing Rachel in the middle of the year and instead will wait until the end of 1st grade to do another reading test.
The school has a gifted and talented resource teacher, Mr. Trainor, and Mrs. McAdam says he will be working with some of the students who, like Rachel scored 80 percent in math. She won't be eligible for full gifted and talented services until next year, but I'm hoping that she'll be able to at least do some things this year. Mrs. McAdam promised to send home a "challenge" math packet soon, so Rachel can do extra work. And Drew has been very good about getting her BrainQuest cards and math workbooks (she's already using a 2nd-grade math workbook), so we'll just continue that.
Bottom line: Our little girl is very, very bright, and it's not just we who think so. My one concern is that I want to make sure the school system is equipped to challenge her; at least Mrs. McAdam recognizes this is important, so hopefully Rachel will still continue to enjoy school. We told Mrs. McAdam that Rachel loves to learn -- she has a rage for it, actually -- and we're hoping Mrs. McAdam is so charmed by that that she'll make sure she continues to advance exponentially.
Needless to say, I am very proud of her. But perhaps the best comment today came from Mom, who said, "Give Rachel a hug and kiss and tell her we're very proud of her. But not because she's smart. Because she's RACHEL."
Thanks, Mom.
She replied: "I need more challenging math homework!"
Okay, then.
In a word, the conference was stunning.
"Rachel is super-smart," Mrs. McAdam said flatly. "Everybody loves Rachel. She's solid. They trust her. Everyone wants to help her" with her crutches, the teacher said, so she has chosen the kids who can help Rachel with various tasks instead of making Rachel choose, which -- considering Rachel's desire not to hurt anyone's feelings -- was a smart idea.
So, on to the progress report. In math, she was tested in the first weeks of school and scored 80 percent. That means she knows 80 percent of the ENTIRE FIRST-GRADE MATH CURRICULUM.
In reading, she is completely accurately reading at a third-grade level and her comprehension extends to fifth-grade reading. For oral reading in context (at the 5th-grade level) she scored a 99 percent for accuracy, a 3 out of 3 for fluency, and a 4 out of 6 for comprehension. Mrs. McAdam said she won't even bother testing Rachel in the middle of the year and instead will wait until the end of 1st grade to do another reading test.
The school has a gifted and talented resource teacher, Mr. Trainor, and Mrs. McAdam says he will be working with some of the students who, like Rachel scored 80 percent in math. She won't be eligible for full gifted and talented services until next year, but I'm hoping that she'll be able to at least do some things this year. Mrs. McAdam promised to send home a "challenge" math packet soon, so Rachel can do extra work. And Drew has been very good about getting her BrainQuest cards and math workbooks (she's already using a 2nd-grade math workbook), so we'll just continue that.
Bottom line: Our little girl is very, very bright, and it's not just we who think so. My one concern is that I want to make sure the school system is equipped to challenge her; at least Mrs. McAdam recognizes this is important, so hopefully Rachel will still continue to enjoy school. We told Mrs. McAdam that Rachel loves to learn -- she has a rage for it, actually -- and we're hoping Mrs. McAdam is so charmed by that that she'll make sure she continues to advance exponentially.
Needless to say, I am very proud of her. But perhaps the best comment today came from Mom, who said, "Give Rachel a hug and kiss and tell her we're very proud of her. But not because she's smart. Because she's RACHEL."
Thanks, Mom.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Storytelling
Rachel has decided that she and Mommy should write a book together, set in colonial times. Drew suggested the title: Patriot Girls, about five girls who get involved in the Revolutionary War.
On Saturday, Rachel left a copy of the cover in my room. It said, next to pictures and designs: Edited by Lisa Lednicer. Written by Rachel Drury DeSilver. Rachel really wanted me to edit it, so I told her that she should put her name in bubble letters.
She outlined one character, then informed me this morning: "Mommy, you can write the book and I'll illustrate it."
Then she added, "I'll write the war parts."
Um...so, I need to figure out how I'm gonna write this thing.
On Saturday, Rachel left a copy of the cover in my room. It said, next to pictures and designs: Edited by Lisa Lednicer. Written by Rachel Drury DeSilver. Rachel really wanted me to edit it, so I told her that she should put her name in bubble letters.
She outlined one character, then informed me this morning: "Mommy, you can write the book and I'll illustrate it."
Then she added, "I'll write the war parts."
Um...so, I need to figure out how I'm gonna write this thing.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Rachel on crutches
As it turns out, Rachel -- even injured -- is one amazing kid. She got the hang of crutches immediately, saying that she had seen a girl in a movie use them, and read in a book about someone using them, so she just taught herself from there.
"I know you and Mommy are worried about my leg," Rachel told Drew last week. "But, really, it's NO BIG DEAL!!"
She is definitely not milking this. She was upset because everyone, she says, keeps asking her about her leg, and all the kids at recess keeping following her and saying, "Can I hold your crutches? Can I hold your crutches?" I tried to explain to her that it's not every day that a 6-year-old is on crutches, so she'll have to get used to people being curious -- until they all get tired of remarking on it and move on to something else.
She didn't seem convinced.
On Saturday morning, as we were leaving Yom Kippur services held in a local high school, a young parent looked at her and said cheerfully, "No more flying off the roof! You were trying to be Mary Poppins, right?" She much preferred that to the standard, "What HAPPENEND to you??" and so that cheered her right up. Then that night, when we arrived at a break-the-fast that someone at the synagogue invited us to (she happens to live three blocks away, so we walked), the first person we ran into was a guy who had a boot, too! He was recovering from surgery, and he and Rachel exchanged stories, and she felt instantly at home.
It was actually a lovely break-the-fast -- we ended up talking to the guy in the boot and his high-school kids about the best middle schools in Arlington. Both went to H.B. Woodlawn, a school for artsy, smart kids that you can only get into through a lottery (and they only take about five kids a year from McKinley). The oldest kid, Gaby, said to me, "I can tell, after five minutes of talking to Rachel, that she would LOVE H.B. Woodlawn." I considered that quite a compliment!
"I know you and Mommy are worried about my leg," Rachel told Drew last week. "But, really, it's NO BIG DEAL!!"
She is definitely not milking this. She was upset because everyone, she says, keeps asking her about her leg, and all the kids at recess keeping following her and saying, "Can I hold your crutches? Can I hold your crutches?" I tried to explain to her that it's not every day that a 6-year-old is on crutches, so she'll have to get used to people being curious -- until they all get tired of remarking on it and move on to something else.
She didn't seem convinced.
On Saturday morning, as we were leaving Yom Kippur services held in a local high school, a young parent looked at her and said cheerfully, "No more flying off the roof! You were trying to be Mary Poppins, right?" She much preferred that to the standard, "What HAPPENEND to you??" and so that cheered her right up. Then that night, when we arrived at a break-the-fast that someone at the synagogue invited us to (she happens to live three blocks away, so we walked), the first person we ran into was a guy who had a boot, too! He was recovering from surgery, and he and Rachel exchanged stories, and she felt instantly at home.
It was actually a lovely break-the-fast -- we ended up talking to the guy in the boot and his high-school kids about the best middle schools in Arlington. Both went to H.B. Woodlawn, a school for artsy, smart kids that you can only get into through a lottery (and they only take about five kids a year from McKinley). The oldest kid, Gaby, said to me, "I can tell, after five minutes of talking to Rachel, that she would LOVE H.B. Woodlawn." I considered that quite a compliment!
Not a great way to start October
While we were in New York, Rachel injured her foot while running down a hill near Tia Daniella's house. She said it hurt at the time, and we put some ice on it for two days, then kind of forgot about it -- until she awoke in the middle of last week unable to walk; the foot hurt too much to bear weight.
So, Drew swung into action. (I had an appointment for pain in my right knee, and I ended up not being able to see a doctor because I needed a referral from my primary-care doctor, which no one bothered to tell me until I had already tried to get in to see and orthopedist). He got Rachel an appointment with her pediatrician, who took an X-ray, found nothing wrong and...sent her home. Even though she was still in pain. Because it wasn't, you know, their responsibility.
Frustrated, Drew made an appointment with an orthopedist because it turns out that you can't just go out and buy crutches for a 6-year-old; they have to be custom fitted. The orthopedist was in Herndon, a fair ways away. He ended up taking one day off work because he had to sit with Rachel, and then the next day they went to the orthopedist.
No one at the pediatrician's office bothered to tell us we needed an actual referral form. (We were with Kaiser Permanente for 15 years in Oregon, where everything was in one building and there was none of this nonsense of referral forms; you just went to a different office and everything was there). Drew had to asked them THREE TIMES to fax over the form. They originally told him that he had to fill out the form online, and then he might have to wait 5 days for a referral, by which point I was so mad that I thought, hell, I'll just take her in to the damn hospital, but Drew "got East Coast with them" and made them fax it to the orthopedist. What if this had been an emergency?? he demanded of the pediatrician staff, and he never got a satisfactory answer).
So, the visit to the orthopedist was much more pleasant because, Drew said, they knew what the hell they were doing. They agreed that Rachel hadn't broken anything, but that based on the fact that she couldn't stand to have anyone touch her lower leg, she probably pulled a ligament, poor thing. So now she is outfitted with crutches, (or "crunches," according to her friend Sidney); a thick boot to wear at all times except while she's sleeping, and a doctor's note excusing her from P.E. We have cancelled gymnastics and tennis for the next few weeks.
Rosh Hashanah (cont'd)
...so, on Saturday, we got up and took the train to Penn Station and then to Mt. Kisco (Tia Daniella had thoughtfully taken care of all of the tickets). On the train to the station, we were treated to a bunch of musicians, accordion, cello, etc. singing and playing for tips (another reason why I love New York), and then I slept a bit on the train to Mt. K while Daniella told the girls a story.
When we arrived, we had lunch and then said a quick goodbye to Patricia, who was heading back unexpectedly to Israel. Then we went to the indoor pool and Grandma and Grandpa's, and I showed my amazing parenting skills by trying to force my daughter to dunk herself completely underwater (she has yet to put her whole face in), and getting more and more frustrated with her by the minute, and making her cry. No Mother of the Year award for me, I'm afraid. Finally I just gave up, and Grandpa took me aside and made a very good point -- that I shouldn't try to teach Rachel to swim; that she wouldn't dare cry and fuss in front of her teacher, whereas she does so with me because I'm her mommy. So, from now on, I'll let 20-year-old Taylor, a student at Marymount University, try to make some progress. I confess I am getting tired of waiting for Rachel to get it together and SWIM, ALREADY, but I need to have patience. So, Dad, I will try.
That night I took everyone out to dinner for Dad's belated 80th birthday celebration -- Rachel gave him a gigantic card decorated with stars and hearts and such -- and then it was time to go home and go to bed.
The next day we said goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa and got on the train to go home. Rachel and I spent the time drawing Hershey Park as we think it should be designed (with chocolate kisses-shaped play structures and a big welcome banner; you should really see what we did with the place). We dragged all our suitcases onto the Metro, took a cab home from East Falls Church, then went to Lebanese Taverna (and ate outside, yay!), Toby's for ice cream, and got home just in time for Drew to come home and give Rachel a huge hug and kiss just after I'd put her to bed. "How was the trip?" he asked her. Buried in his chest she answered, "the best part is right now," and I am so glad that the next couple of trips we'll take will be as a family.
When we arrived, we had lunch and then said a quick goodbye to Patricia, who was heading back unexpectedly to Israel. Then we went to the indoor pool and Grandma and Grandpa's, and I showed my amazing parenting skills by trying to force my daughter to dunk herself completely underwater (she has yet to put her whole face in), and getting more and more frustrated with her by the minute, and making her cry. No Mother of the Year award for me, I'm afraid. Finally I just gave up, and Grandpa took me aside and made a very good point -- that I shouldn't try to teach Rachel to swim; that she wouldn't dare cry and fuss in front of her teacher, whereas she does so with me because I'm her mommy. So, from now on, I'll let 20-year-old Taylor, a student at Marymount University, try to make some progress. I confess I am getting tired of waiting for Rachel to get it together and SWIM, ALREADY, but I need to have patience. So, Dad, I will try.
That night I took everyone out to dinner for Dad's belated 80th birthday celebration -- Rachel gave him a gigantic card decorated with stars and hearts and such -- and then it was time to go home and go to bed.
The next day we said goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa and got on the train to go home. Rachel and I spent the time drawing Hershey Park as we think it should be designed (with chocolate kisses-shaped play structures and a big welcome banner; you should really see what we did with the place). We dragged all our suitcases onto the Metro, took a cab home from East Falls Church, then went to Lebanese Taverna (and ate outside, yay!), Toby's for ice cream, and got home just in time for Drew to come home and give Rachel a huge hug and kiss just after I'd put her to bed. "How was the trip?" he asked her. Buried in his chest she answered, "the best part is right now," and I am so glad that the next couple of trips we'll take will be as a family.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Happy Rosh Hashana!
Well, we had a great time in New York, even though Drew wasn't there. I have decided that a) Rachel is a wonderful traveling companion; when she needs to get going quickly, she does it without dawdling or complaining; and b) I love traveling alone with her. She was so fun to talk to and be with on the train; she read to herself; she read to me; we both took naps, and on the way back she kept pestering me to give her "hard word problems" and algebra problems.
We all (Drew included) took the Metro in to the District; Drew got off at work (he was heading to a conference in Chicago, which is why he didn't get to come to NYC with us) and Rachel and I got off at Metro Center and struggled to Union Station. We were aided by a very nice woman who insisted on dragging Rachel's suitcase (her backpack was filled with the approximately 3,498 books she has to have on every trip) and getting us exactly where we needed to go, which fortunately turned out to be next to an Einstein Bagel place, so I got breakfast and Rachel got a pumpkin bagel that held her until the end of the train ride.
We got to Penn Station an hour earlier than I had thought our tickets said, so I talked to a guy at a tourist information booth and decided we'd take a cab to the Queens public library in Rego Park, hang out for an hour, change into our fancy holiday clothes and then walk to Darryl and Daniella's apartment. Thank heavens that Daniella offered to have Darryl drive us there because it would have been a long, ugly walk.
We had a delicious dinner with Mom, Dad, Daniella, Darryl and Valerie (who was overjoyed to see Rachel and they immediately changed into their matching Hana Andersen dresses) and cousin Patty who was visiting from Israel. They all left around 10 or so, and by the time the girls got to bed and I got to bed, it was around midnight.
The next day was rainy. We all got up and went to services at Daniella's lovely old synagogue, which is very progressive because they have a children's playroom on the third floor; Rachel and Valerie played, ate some challah and fruit and watched movies while Daniella, Darryl and I stayed downstairs for most of the services (although only Daniella and I listened to the rabbi's sermon, which was great and I'm glad we stayed).
Then I took everyone out to lunch, and got Daniella to promise to take me back, just us, because there is a fabulous drink menu and I was dying to try a flavored martini or two. She treated the girls to frozen yogurt for dessert while I went to a bakery and got some treats for myself and shared with Daniella and Darryl later.
We went home and the girls watched some old, old episodes of "The Electric Company" -- a great reminder of why I can read and count so well, I learned it all from public television -- and then "Dora the Explorer." The contrast could not have been greater. Seriously, the people who created "The Electric Company" must have been on a serious acid trip, even though the show moves at a snail's pace, and "Dora" looks so unimaginative and flat in comparison.
I fell asleep on the couch; Daniella fell asleep on the floor and the girls played in Valerie's room until we all got up and Daniella decided it was time for a refreshing nighttime walk (plus I needed to go to CVS for some hair clips). When we got back, Daniella reheated the previous night's excellent dinner -- chicken, couscous, challah -- and we went to bed.
More later...
We all (Drew included) took the Metro in to the District; Drew got off at work (he was heading to a conference in Chicago, which is why he didn't get to come to NYC with us) and Rachel and I got off at Metro Center and struggled to Union Station. We were aided by a very nice woman who insisted on dragging Rachel's suitcase (her backpack was filled with the approximately 3,498 books she has to have on every trip) and getting us exactly where we needed to go, which fortunately turned out to be next to an Einstein Bagel place, so I got breakfast and Rachel got a pumpkin bagel that held her until the end of the train ride.
We got to Penn Station an hour earlier than I had thought our tickets said, so I talked to a guy at a tourist information booth and decided we'd take a cab to the Queens public library in Rego Park, hang out for an hour, change into our fancy holiday clothes and then walk to Darryl and Daniella's apartment. Thank heavens that Daniella offered to have Darryl drive us there because it would have been a long, ugly walk.
We had a delicious dinner with Mom, Dad, Daniella, Darryl and Valerie (who was overjoyed to see Rachel and they immediately changed into their matching Hana Andersen dresses) and cousin Patty who was visiting from Israel. They all left around 10 or so, and by the time the girls got to bed and I got to bed, it was around midnight.
The next day was rainy. We all got up and went to services at Daniella's lovely old synagogue, which is very progressive because they have a children's playroom on the third floor; Rachel and Valerie played, ate some challah and fruit and watched movies while Daniella, Darryl and I stayed downstairs for most of the services (although only Daniella and I listened to the rabbi's sermon, which was great and I'm glad we stayed).
Then I took everyone out to lunch, and got Daniella to promise to take me back, just us, because there is a fabulous drink menu and I was dying to try a flavored martini or two. She treated the girls to frozen yogurt for dessert while I went to a bakery and got some treats for myself and shared with Daniella and Darryl later.
We went home and the girls watched some old, old episodes of "The Electric Company" -- a great reminder of why I can read and count so well, I learned it all from public television -- and then "Dora the Explorer." The contrast could not have been greater. Seriously, the people who created "The Electric Company" must have been on a serious acid trip, even though the show moves at a snail's pace, and "Dora" looks so unimaginative and flat in comparison.
I fell asleep on the couch; Daniella fell asleep on the floor and the girls played in Valerie's room until we all got up and Daniella decided it was time for a refreshing nighttime walk (plus I needed to go to CVS for some hair clips). When we got back, Daniella reheated the previous night's excellent dinner -- chicken, couscous, challah -- and we went to bed.
More later...
Surprise for Daddy
Last night, Rachel told Drew to come downstairs to the study and look on his desk.
On it was a sign with an arrow pointing down, saying, "For You."
There was a pack of baseball cards. Apparently Rachel got them from one of her camp buddies this summer and thought Drew would like them because he enjoys baseball so much.
She really does have the biggest heart imaginable...
On it was a sign with an arrow pointing down, saying, "For You."
There was a pack of baseball cards. Apparently Rachel got them from one of her camp buddies this summer and thought Drew would like them because he enjoys baseball so much.
She really does have the biggest heart imaginable...
New names for Mommy and Daddy
Rachel has decided that our new names are "Mudge," (Drew) and "Bubba" (me).
"BUBBA?!?" I wailed. "How about Ima? Ima is Hebrew for mother." (I was thinking of a Jewish/Christian lesbian couple I know; one is called Mommy, the other is Ima.)
"'Bubba' is like 'Bubbie,' which is Russian for 'grandmother,'" Rachel explained. "Do you want 'Bubba' or 'Bubbie?'"
"I'll take 'Bubba,'" I groused.
Mudge, I have no idea where that came from. I'm kind of getting used to both, though. Now we have to think of an equally ridiculous nickname for Rachel...
"BUBBA?!?" I wailed. "How about Ima? Ima is Hebrew for mother." (I was thinking of a Jewish/Christian lesbian couple I know; one is called Mommy, the other is Ima.)
"'Bubba' is like 'Bubbie,' which is Russian for 'grandmother,'" Rachel explained. "Do you want 'Bubba' or 'Bubbie?'"
"I'll take 'Bubba,'" I groused.
Mudge, I have no idea where that came from. I'm kind of getting used to both, though. Now we have to think of an equally ridiculous nickname for Rachel...
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Prim
When Rachel wants to diss someone (like, say, an uncool princess), she calls them "prim." It usually means that person is unduly fussy about something.
Last night while I was at work, Rachel was eating a biscuit rather messily, and Drew gently chastised her, saying that Mommy doesn't like it when she doesn't eat nicely.
"That's because Mommy's about 10 percent prim," she announced. "But she's 100 percent non-prim."
"100 percent is all," Drew replied. "If she's 10 percent prim, how much non-prim would she have to be."
"80 percent!" Rachel guessed.
"You sure?" Drew replied.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "90 percent!"
So, apparently I am 10 percent prim and 90 percent un-prim. Rachel claims she is 100 percent non-prim. Which explains the state of her hair (uncombed) and clothes (whatever she decides to throw together in the morning.)
I will try to clean her up for Rosh Hashanah, folks.
Last night while I was at work, Rachel was eating a biscuit rather messily, and Drew gently chastised her, saying that Mommy doesn't like it when she doesn't eat nicely.
"That's because Mommy's about 10 percent prim," she announced. "But she's 100 percent non-prim."
"100 percent is all," Drew replied. "If she's 10 percent prim, how much non-prim would she have to be."
"80 percent!" Rachel guessed.
"You sure?" Drew replied.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "90 percent!"
So, apparently I am 10 percent prim and 90 percent un-prim. Rachel claims she is 100 percent non-prim. Which explains the state of her hair (uncombed) and clothes (whatever she decides to throw together in the morning.)
I will try to clean her up for Rosh Hashanah, folks.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Morning events
Rachel came into our bedroom this morning and reminded me that I had promised to buy her a necklace to replace the one that she gave to Libby last Friday (and promptly sobbed, since I think she regretted it immediately but couldn't take it back once she'd given it).
That was a foolish promise on my part, one I will never do again, because if she gives things away (as Drew pointed out to her last night), she can't expect to get them back and she can't expect that Mommy and Daddy will replace what she gives as gifts.
I was thinking of all of this and got very cross when Rachel mentioned it to me, because I was half-asleep and I can't for the life of me figure out when I would have time to buy her a necklace, anyway, especially the one she wants, which is at her doctor's office, where they give kids a token to get a little surprise at random, and I didn't want to head all the way in to Falls Church to take care of it.
"I just came in to wake you up," Rachel said in a hurt voice, as she slid off the bed.
I felt awful, and a few minutes later I went in to her room to apologize. She was on the floor, having forgotten the incident, and said proudly, "Look, Mom! I've almost folded my blanket!" (we insist that she makes her bed in the morning.) All was okay until we were walking to school and she remembered that she had meant to put Band-Aids on the blisters she's gotten from the monkey bars at school. I told her she could go to the clinic for the Band-Aids, and she got all worried that her teacher wouldn't give her permission to go, and then I told her to tell her teacher that her mom told her she needed to go to the clinic.
That still didn't satisfy her, so just as we reached the building I bent down and said, "How about we BOTH go to the clinic on the way to class, and I'll get you some Band-Aids."
The relief in her voice was palpable. "I love you, Mommy, because you always do good things for me," she said.
"Of COURSE I do!" I exclaimed, leaning down. "You're my DAUGHTER."
It's the little things, I guess...
That was a foolish promise on my part, one I will never do again, because if she gives things away (as Drew pointed out to her last night), she can't expect to get them back and she can't expect that Mommy and Daddy will replace what she gives as gifts.
I was thinking of all of this and got very cross when Rachel mentioned it to me, because I was half-asleep and I can't for the life of me figure out when I would have time to buy her a necklace, anyway, especially the one she wants, which is at her doctor's office, where they give kids a token to get a little surprise at random, and I didn't want to head all the way in to Falls Church to take care of it.
"I just came in to wake you up," Rachel said in a hurt voice, as she slid off the bed.
I felt awful, and a few minutes later I went in to her room to apologize. She was on the floor, having forgotten the incident, and said proudly, "Look, Mom! I've almost folded my blanket!" (we insist that she makes her bed in the morning.) All was okay until we were walking to school and she remembered that she had meant to put Band-Aids on the blisters she's gotten from the monkey bars at school. I told her she could go to the clinic for the Band-Aids, and she got all worried that her teacher wouldn't give her permission to go, and then I told her to tell her teacher that her mom told her she needed to go to the clinic.
That still didn't satisfy her, so just as we reached the building I bent down and said, "How about we BOTH go to the clinic on the way to class, and I'll get you some Band-Aids."
The relief in her voice was palpable. "I love you, Mommy, because you always do good things for me," she said.
"Of COURSE I do!" I exclaimed, leaning down. "You're my DAUGHTER."
It's the little things, I guess...
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Sweet, loving child
We were all a little tense this morning trying to eat breakfast, gather all our stuff and head out the door for Hebrew school and tennis lessons (which are right after Hebrew school, so Rachel had to remember her racquet, sneakers and a change of clothes). Drew, meanwhile, had hoped to have brunch with me -- something we want to do while Rachel is Hebrew school so we can catch up from the week -- and he was cranky that we had to go to a class instead (see previous post).
"I know you know this already," Rachel said at one point. "But I love you more than anything in the world."
"And Mommy, too," Drew prompted.
"And Mommy," she added.
It's times like these that we realize how lucky we are to have such a wonderful daughter.
"I know you know this already," Rachel said at one point. "But I love you more than anything in the world."
"And Mommy, too," Drew prompted.
"And Mommy," she added.
It's times like these that we realize how lucky we are to have such a wonderful daughter.
Jewish education
After we dropped Rachel off at choir practice and raced to and from the farmer's market, Drew and I attended a class/group discussion on our goals for Rachel's Hebrew school education. It was pretty illuminating, probably because I didn't realize that there are Jews in the military who work very hard to be Jewish even when they're stationed in out-of-the-way places where there aren't many Jews.
In class, Rachel decorated a glass dish for Rosh Hashana apple-and-honey dipping (they had apples and honey for snack) and learned about the letter "shin." She seems to be enjoying it a lot, and I hope this sticks. One of the things I mentioned in our discussion was that I'm secretly hoping to learn a lot more about Judaism through the things Rachel tells me about class, and apparently they are starting a program for parents to learn at the same pace their kids are, so they can have family discussions about that week's lesson.
I think that's a brilliant idea.
Rachel also has come up with a nickname for me: Bubba. When she's cuddly or has missed me or is about to say goodbye to me before I go to work, she'll say, "I love BUBBA," like she did this afternoon when she and Drew dropped me off at The Post for my afternoon/night shift. "Call me Ima!" I pleaded. "Ima means 'mother' in Hebrew!" But she didn't listen. So, I guess I'm resigned to being called "Bubba" for the foreseeable future. (My friend Dan's granddaughters call him "Oz" for no apparent reason, and he has told me that grandparents get called what their grandchildren decide to call them, so...I guess it could be worse.)
In class, Rachel decorated a glass dish for Rosh Hashana apple-and-honey dipping (they had apples and honey for snack) and learned about the letter "shin." She seems to be enjoying it a lot, and I hope this sticks. One of the things I mentioned in our discussion was that I'm secretly hoping to learn a lot more about Judaism through the things Rachel tells me about class, and apparently they are starting a program for parents to learn at the same pace their kids are, so they can have family discussions about that week's lesson.
I think that's a brilliant idea.
Rachel also has come up with a nickname for me: Bubba. When she's cuddly or has missed me or is about to say goodbye to me before I go to work, she'll say, "I love BUBBA," like she did this afternoon when she and Drew dropped me off at The Post for my afternoon/night shift. "Call me Ima!" I pleaded. "Ima means 'mother' in Hebrew!" But she didn't listen. So, I guess I'm resigned to being called "Bubba" for the foreseeable future. (My friend Dan's granddaughters call him "Oz" for no apparent reason, and he has told me that grandparents get called what their grandchildren decide to call them, so...I guess it could be worse.)
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Sleepover hell
So, Rachel attempted to have her second sleepover in two weeks on Friday night. Her friend Libby was scheduled to spend the night with us while her parents, David and Kelly, celebrated their 10th anniversary in Denver where Kelly had to go for a business trip. Rachel had already had a sleepover at their place while Drew and I went to a concert at Wolf Trap (Beethoven's Ninth), and so we really wanted to reciprocate the favor.
Libby came home with me and Rachel from extended day; I had put a roast chicken in the oven and on the way to the playground, Rachel told Libby "My Mom makes the BEST roast chicken!" We roasted some red potatoes and took the girls to Toby's, a local ice cream place, for dessert.
Libby had been moody before dinner, when she put her head on her knees and said she missed her mom. After we got home from Toby's, Drew blew up an air mattress (not an easy task) and put it in Rachel's room for Libby to sleep on, and we thought all was okay.
Drew had planned to go to the gym, but something told him it was a good idea to stay home. Turns out he was prescient, because at around 10:45 Rachel came downstairs and said that Libby wanted to go home. By the time Drew got her parents on the phone, Libby had packed up her backpack and was ready to hightail it home. He drove her back to her house -- Kelly and David have a houseguest who, luckily, was home -- and Rachel insisted on cuddling with me. She then revealed that she doesn't like sleepovers at other people's houses. "I try to be brave, but inside, I'm struggling," she said, explaining why she had never told us that before.
Apparently, Ivy's house is okay for a sleepover because it's right down the block and Rachel has been there so many times that she's comfortable sleeping there. And Girl Scout sleepover camp, even for a whole week, is okay too.
Last week her friend Sidney stayed over and wanted to go home around midnight or so, but I said sternly that she had asked to stay over, and she and Rachel needed to stop crying and get to bed because they both WANTED THE SLEEPOVER. Sure enough, they went to sleep and didn't get up until the next morning.
For now, Drew and I are done with sleepovers until Rachel is much older. (Unless, of course, Valerie is involved. At that point, we will leave the girls in Darryl and Daniella's apartment while the parents go away for a weekend and laugh ourselves silly.)
Libby came home with me and Rachel from extended day; I had put a roast chicken in the oven and on the way to the playground, Rachel told Libby "My Mom makes the BEST roast chicken!" We roasted some red potatoes and took the girls to Toby's, a local ice cream place, for dessert.
Libby had been moody before dinner, when she put her head on her knees and said she missed her mom. After we got home from Toby's, Drew blew up an air mattress (not an easy task) and put it in Rachel's room for Libby to sleep on, and we thought all was okay.
Drew had planned to go to the gym, but something told him it was a good idea to stay home. Turns out he was prescient, because at around 10:45 Rachel came downstairs and said that Libby wanted to go home. By the time Drew got her parents on the phone, Libby had packed up her backpack and was ready to hightail it home. He drove her back to her house -- Kelly and David have a houseguest who, luckily, was home -- and Rachel insisted on cuddling with me. She then revealed that she doesn't like sleepovers at other people's houses. "I try to be brave, but inside, I'm struggling," she said, explaining why she had never told us that before.
Apparently, Ivy's house is okay for a sleepover because it's right down the block and Rachel has been there so many times that she's comfortable sleeping there. And Girl Scout sleepover camp, even for a whole week, is okay too.
Last week her friend Sidney stayed over and wanted to go home around midnight or so, but I said sternly that she had asked to stay over, and she and Rachel needed to stop crying and get to bed because they both WANTED THE SLEEPOVER. Sure enough, they went to sleep and didn't get up until the next morning.
For now, Drew and I are done with sleepovers until Rachel is much older. (Unless, of course, Valerie is involved. At that point, we will leave the girls in Darryl and Daniella's apartment while the parents go away for a weekend and laugh ourselves silly.)
Rachel's new book
We were in the District today, at Rachel's request, because she wanted to visit the Lincoln Memorial. Drew bought her a book there called, "Mary America."
The book is about a 12-year-old girl who becomes president of the United States in place of her grandfather. She finished high school at age 10.
This was after Rachel tore through a book about Cleopatra and her young handmaiden, Nefret. It was fiction but based on history, and Rachel could not put it down since she started reading it last night.
"I LOVE HISTORY!" she exclaimed as we walked to the Memorial today. We also visited a little place on an island in a reflecting pool near the Washington Monument called "Constitution Gardens." Drew and I spent the time discussing politics and the Republicans' chances of taking the Senate while Rachel buried herself in "Mary America."
One of the things I love about D.C.? We never have to be part of a tour group. History is all around us and we get to partake of it for free!
The book is about a 12-year-old girl who becomes president of the United States in place of her grandfather. She finished high school at age 10.
This was after Rachel tore through a book about Cleopatra and her young handmaiden, Nefret. It was fiction but based on history, and Rachel could not put it down since she started reading it last night.
"I LOVE HISTORY!" she exclaimed as we walked to the Memorial today. We also visited a little place on an island in a reflecting pool near the Washington Monument called "Constitution Gardens." Drew and I spent the time discussing politics and the Republicans' chances of taking the Senate while Rachel buried herself in "Mary America."
One of the things I love about D.C.? We never have to be part of a tour group. History is all around us and we get to partake of it for free!
Being Jewish
Rachel has always had a strong feeling for Judaism, for reasons I don't quite understand. The other day she said to me, "I wish I could wave a wand and make everyone Jewish!" Other times she's said she feels uncomfortable around people who are Christian.
When we were walking home from school on Wednesday, she told me that "people think I'm weird because I'm Jewish."
"What do they say?" I asked carefully. (inside I was groaning, great, we live in the South now, and she's becoming more aware of these things, and, really, does it have to start this early??)
She didn't reply. instead, I told her that Judaism is the oldest religion there is, and that, in fact, Jews are special because we're the "chosen people."
She really seemed to like that idea of exclusivity. Today, when we were in the District, we visited a statue of Albert Einsten. "He's Jewish!" I said proudly. "He's one of the chosen!" she said back.
Hopefully that will keep her for a while, until she makes friends at the synagogue and decides that being Jewish is cool.
When we were walking home from school on Wednesday, she told me that "people think I'm weird because I'm Jewish."
"What do they say?" I asked carefully. (inside I was groaning, great, we live in the South now, and she's becoming more aware of these things, and, really, does it have to start this early??)
She didn't reply. instead, I told her that Judaism is the oldest religion there is, and that, in fact, Jews are special because we're the "chosen people."
She really seemed to like that idea of exclusivity. Today, when we were in the District, we visited a statue of Albert Einsten. "He's Jewish!" I said proudly. "He's one of the chosen!" she said back.
Hopefully that will keep her for a while, until she makes friends at the synagogue and decides that being Jewish is cool.
Song lyrics
Rachel taught us (and her friend, Libby) the lyrics to a song she picked up from her friend, Simone. It goes like this:
Down by the banks of the hankety-pank
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank
With an eeps ips obs ups
One falls in and goes kerplop
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Justin Beiber makes me gag
Seven up and with the flu
Now I'm drinking Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew fell off the mountain
Now I'm drinking from the fountain
Fountain broke and now I'm drinking...
Plain old Coke
Pepsi Cola ginger ale
Ginger ale, ginger ale, ginger ale ginger ale
Pepsi Coal ginger ale
Ginger ale..12345
You're out!
I have no idea what any of it means. Picture a little girl saying it in a sing-songy voice, and you get an idea what it's been like around our house for the past two nights.
Down by the banks of the hankety-pank
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank
With an eeps ips obs ups
One falls in and goes kerplop
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Justin Beiber makes me gag
Seven up and with the flu
Now I'm drinking Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew fell off the mountain
Now I'm drinking from the fountain
Fountain broke and now I'm drinking...
Plain old Coke
Pepsi Cola ginger ale
Ginger ale, ginger ale, ginger ale ginger ale
Pepsi Coal ginger ale
Ginger ale..12345
You're out!
I have no idea what any of it means. Picture a little girl saying it in a sing-songy voice, and you get an idea what it's been like around our house for the past two nights.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Rachel's activities
So, Rachel is one busy kid. We have signed her up for swimming, tennis, gymnastics, religious school, Daisy Scouts, and we hope to get her into Odyssey of the Mind, too. She asked for everything, and we said yes before we quite realized how things were piling up.
For extended-day activities, we're hoping to get her in to a STEAM class (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics), which apparently uses scientific principles to explain great works of art such as Shakespeare and Michelangelo. Or something like that. Also hoping she gets in to a class called "Creative Movement" and some kind of sports class where they learn different games every week, like Capture the Flag and such.
She was dragging her feet last night before gymnastics, which meant she and Drew were five minutes late, and he chewed her out for delaying. He noted to me that if she's going to do all these activities, then she has to get better at time management. And I agree.
She's also interested in embroidery. Gotta find her an embroidery kit somewhere. Hey, Mom, remember those dinner napkins I embroidered for you when I was a kid with that embroidery kit you got me? I told Rachel all about it. Do you still have them?
For extended-day activities, we're hoping to get her in to a STEAM class (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics), which apparently uses scientific principles to explain great works of art such as Shakespeare and Michelangelo. Or something like that. Also hoping she gets in to a class called "Creative Movement" and some kind of sports class where they learn different games every week, like Capture the Flag and such.
She was dragging her feet last night before gymnastics, which meant she and Drew were five minutes late, and he chewed her out for delaying. He noted to me that if she's going to do all these activities, then she has to get better at time management. And I agree.
She's also interested in embroidery. Gotta find her an embroidery kit somewhere. Hey, Mom, remember those dinner napkins I embroidered for you when I was a kid with that embroidery kit you got me? I told Rachel all about it. Do you still have them?
Religious school
We have joined a synagogue in Falls Church and enrolled Rachel in Sunday school. I have mixed feelings about the synagogue -- it is so big; there are 900 children in religious school, making it one of the five largest religious schools in the country -- and although people seem nice, I miss our former rabbi in Portland, Michael Cahana, dreadfully; he and Rachel really seemed to have a connection (he called her his Shabbat Shalom girl, because he said it didn't feel like Shabbat unless he had a hug from her.) But the synagogue is a 10-minute drive away, and the chief rabbi is a woman (which Drew really likes), and there are lots of activities and chances to get involved, and they run a great summer camp (so I'm told.) And we really needed to make a decision about a spiritual home.
Last Sunday was the first day of school. Rachel ASKED to be enrolled in Hebrew school; she has been bugging us about it for several months now. "Who doesn't want to learn?" she asked. At this age, it's a very low-key introduction to Judaism and emphasizes a Jewish person's place in the world rather than hard-core Hebrew lessons (those start in 4th grade.) And I like that she'll be learning about the holidays, the Jewish cycle of life, etc., because maybe she can teach Mommy a thing or two.
She was quite nervous on the first day because she thought everyone would be talking in Hebrew, but she came out smiling, saying, "It went so fast!" At dinner, she said, "They were very gentle with us." Apparently that meant that they didn't scold the kids if they got anything wrong. They introduced at least one Hebrew word: "Po," which means "here," and "NoPo," which means "not here."
School runs from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sundays, and the total number of hours for the entire year turns out to be the equivalent of two weeks of public school. I'm just happy that she'll meet Jewish kids (maybe even some who attend McKinley Elementary) and hopefully we will meet some nice Jewish families.
Oh, and she has signed up for the synagogue choir which means we'll bring her in at 10:30 on the mornings of religious school so she can rehearse for a half-hour before class. She is following in Grandma's footsteps! Yay!
Last Sunday was the first day of school. Rachel ASKED to be enrolled in Hebrew school; she has been bugging us about it for several months now. "Who doesn't want to learn?" she asked. At this age, it's a very low-key introduction to Judaism and emphasizes a Jewish person's place in the world rather than hard-core Hebrew lessons (those start in 4th grade.) And I like that she'll be learning about the holidays, the Jewish cycle of life, etc., because maybe she can teach Mommy a thing or two.
She was quite nervous on the first day because she thought everyone would be talking in Hebrew, but she came out smiling, saying, "It went so fast!" At dinner, she said, "They were very gentle with us." Apparently that meant that they didn't scold the kids if they got anything wrong. They introduced at least one Hebrew word: "Po," which means "here," and "NoPo," which means "not here."
School runs from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sundays, and the total number of hours for the entire year turns out to be the equivalent of two weeks of public school. I'm just happy that she'll meet Jewish kids (maybe even some who attend McKinley Elementary) and hopefully we will meet some nice Jewish families.
Oh, and she has signed up for the synagogue choir which means we'll bring her in at 10:30 on the mornings of religious school so she can rehearse for a half-hour before class. She is following in Grandma's footsteps! Yay!
Rachel the politician
Rachel told us earlier this week that she was running for student council. She informed me of this while I was getting ready to take her to school on Tuesday, and she seemed to think I might say that it wasn't a good idea.
"Are you KIDDING?!" I exclaimed. "I am SO PROUD OF YOU!"
Today, she announced when I picked her up after school (I had the night off work because of back-to-school night) that "I have wonderful news!" Turns out that she and boy in her class, Noah, were chosen (voted by her classmates? I'm not sure, but she said Libby ran for it and lost) as the classroom representatives to the student council. They have a meeting once a month, and they'll get to help plan school fundraisers, activities, etc.
Drew and I told her effusively how proud we are of her.
We're in D.C., after all. The politicking starts early.
"Are you KIDDING?!" I exclaimed. "I am SO PROUD OF YOU!"
Today, she announced when I picked her up after school (I had the night off work because of back-to-school night) that "I have wonderful news!" Turns out that she and boy in her class, Noah, were chosen (voted by her classmates? I'm not sure, but she said Libby ran for it and lost) as the classroom representatives to the student council. They have a meeting once a month, and they'll get to help plan school fundraisers, activities, etc.
Drew and I told her effusively how proud we are of her.
We're in D.C., after all. The politicking starts early.
Adorableness alert!
This morning Drew took Rachel to school while I raced to an exercise class I've started that is kicking me in the ASS -- I've been sore all over for the past two days -- and he related this story:
As Rachel entered the building, her little friend Libby came up and gave her a hug. Then her little friend Sydney did the same, as did Tasia -- they are all friends from last year -- and Rachel exclaimed to Drew, I did NOT expect this!" and then they all linked hands and walked down the hall together.
"Rachel, do you need me for anything?" Drew called after her.
"No, you can go," she said.
And so it begins. Rachel, the Popular Kid.
As Rachel entered the building, her little friend Libby came up and gave her a hug. Then her little friend Sydney did the same, as did Tasia -- they are all friends from last year -- and Rachel exclaimed to Drew, I did NOT expect this!" and then they all linked hands and walked down the hall together.
"Rachel, do you need me for anything?" Drew called after her.
"No, you can go," she said.
And so it begins. Rachel, the Popular Kid.
Back to school night!
Another school year, another back to school night. Tonight we got to see Rachel's first-grade classroom. She has a lovely teacher, Mrs. McAdam, and a locker, and a desk, and the emphasis this year is on independence and responsibility. (Can't imagine how Waldorf-supporting parents would feel about this; learning is fairly regimented -- if fun -- at this age.) There was a note for us from Rachel at her desk, and a paper-plate portrait she made of herself, and artwork along the walls, and some writing (Rachel said her favorite activity is reading, and that she LOVES -- not likes -- American Girl doll books and "The Thicketty," which I am hoping to read to her on our train ride up to NYC next week for Rosh Hashana.)
Parent-teacher conferences are in a couple of weeks.
It was so cute to see Rachel so eager to show us her world at school, and she insisted on reading a book to me that was really hilarious, "The Diary of a Worm," in which a worm talks about taking a vacation at The Compost Resort, and how he has a bad dream about chickens playing hopscotch. I told Rachel it was a great book.
Tonight as I got her ready for bed, I told Rachel that they didn't have American Girl dolls when I was growing up, and then she immediately replied, "Well, maybe I can get you one for a present," and then insisted I listen to the brief biographies of all the dolls. I really think that she may end up saving money in her NEW SAVINGS ACCOUNT (which she opened with Drew at his credit union last Saturday while I was on a catering job) to buy me one. Which just tells me how sweet she is.
Parent-teacher conferences are in a couple of weeks.
It was so cute to see Rachel so eager to show us her world at school, and she insisted on reading a book to me that was really hilarious, "The Diary of a Worm," in which a worm talks about taking a vacation at The Compost Resort, and how he has a bad dream about chickens playing hopscotch. I told Rachel it was a great book.
Tonight as I got her ready for bed, I told Rachel that they didn't have American Girl dolls when I was growing up, and then she immediately replied, "Well, maybe I can get you one for a present," and then insisted I listen to the brief biographies of all the dolls. I really think that she may end up saving money in her NEW SAVINGS ACCOUNT (which she opened with Drew at his credit union last Saturday while I was on a catering job) to buy me one. Which just tells me how sweet she is.
Monday, September 1, 2014
Kid says the darndest things...
On the way to the Outer Banks, Rachel suddenly said, "I'm an iron fist in a velvet glove."
Drew's reaction: "WHAT?!"
Rachel: "That means I'm tough, but also calm. I like to sew and I like to run around."
We know she didn't make up that expression but she won't tell us where she heard it.
Drew's reaction: "WHAT?!"
Rachel: "That means I'm tough, but also calm. I like to sew and I like to run around."
We know she didn't make up that expression but she won't tell us where she heard it.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
More vacation news...
We spent much of Saturday at the beach before Drew and I got up very early Sunday so he could drive me 21/2 hours to Rock Mount, NC so I could catch the train back to D.C. and work a late shift. (Next year, this will not happen. We will ALL drive back TOGETHER on Sunday or Monday of Labor Day weekend. Harummph. My fault.) Anyway...Rachel had such a great time catching waves, it was a joy to stand with her, her little hand curled in mind, while she screeched, "This is AWESOME!! This is the funnest beach EVER!!" and then she'd ask me or Drew to jump her over the waves, and she didn't even mind (too much) when a wave slapped her in the middle and got in her face. The water was absolutely the perfect temp -- cool enough to feel refreshing, but warm enough to want to play in again and again (I went in three times yesterday!) I also sunned myself on the beach while reading the newspapers and a bunch of old issues of the New Yorker. I got so tan, in fact, that a colleague of mine said to me tonight, "You look TAN! Where have you been?" She has fair skin and her sister is getting married next weekend, so I think she was a bit envious of all the color I've gotten this summer.
Drew reports that the water was calmer today (the waves were receding a bit toward the end of yesterday) and Rachel had fun again with Sarah (Mammaw's daughter), who kindly texted me a photo of Rachel on the beach; Chrissie (Sarah's partner) and their daughter, Kaia, who is two years older than Rachel. They had a sleepover last night in the living room and watched a T.V. show of cute kitties, puppies and duckies on Animal Planet -- they fell asleep to the T.V., in fact. Mammaw made an awesome rib roast and Yorkshire pudding, and we had a chocolate-chip cake that I had made and brought with us for dessert.
The great thing is that for years on, Rachel will always have fond memories of summers at the Outer Banks -- beaches, the aquarium (PopPop and Mammaw took both girls there while Drew drove up and back from Rocky Mount), picking honeysuckle along the path, the big crazy dogs that PopPop and Mammaw have that Rachel used to be scared of, but now she's just delighted that they keep wanting to lick her and she laughs nervously. Of such moments are lifelong memories made...
Drew reports that the water was calmer today (the waves were receding a bit toward the end of yesterday) and Rachel had fun again with Sarah (Mammaw's daughter), who kindly texted me a photo of Rachel on the beach; Chrissie (Sarah's partner) and their daughter, Kaia, who is two years older than Rachel. They had a sleepover last night in the living room and watched a T.V. show of cute kitties, puppies and duckies on Animal Planet -- they fell asleep to the T.V., in fact. Mammaw made an awesome rib roast and Yorkshire pudding, and we had a chocolate-chip cake that I had made and brought with us for dessert.
The great thing is that for years on, Rachel will always have fond memories of summers at the Outer Banks -- beaches, the aquarium (PopPop and Mammaw took both girls there while Drew drove up and back from Rocky Mount), picking honeysuckle along the path, the big crazy dogs that PopPop and Mammaw have that Rachel used to be scared of, but now she's just delighted that they keep wanting to lick her and she laughs nervously. Of such moments are lifelong memories made...
Fabulous (too-short) vacation
So, we took a quick trip to the Outer Banks the weekend to visit PopPop and Mammaw. It was so great that we decided we are going next year at the same time -- only this time, for a week or so.
I was manic about avoiding traffic so I insisted we leave the house early Friday morning. We ended up leaving an hour later than I wanted -- 8 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. -- but it turned out fine because THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC! We couldn't believe our good fortune. We zipped down to Richmond in something like 90 minutes, grabbed a quick to-go breakfast at Panera Bread, then ended up in the Outer Banks around 2 or so. Stopped for lunch and Carolina bbq, then discovered a children's playseum near Nags Head that enchanted Rachel (after we all indulged in homemade ice cream with dipped cones). I had gotten home from work quite late Thursday night, between staying late and the train schedule, so I stretched out on an uncomfortable bench near the playseum and conked out for about a half-hour.
We had talked about stopping at the beach, but it was cloudy and getting late, so we headed over to PopPop and Mammaw's, then went for dinner at an Italian restaurant. I was so full from lunch and ice cream that I just ordered an appetizer and shared Drew's entree.
The restaurant was so close to PopPop and Mammaw's that Rachel and I decided to walk back together. We stopped in on a Manteo High football game, where Rachel danced to the band as we watched way back at the fenceline. Then we picked some honeysuckle bouquets growing wild along the road. For a minute or two, I didn't recognize where we were. "Call them!" Rachel insisted, and I almost did, but then I told her, very calmly, that the best way, when you're lost, is to be calm and try to figure things out. "We'll walk just past the next driveway, and if we don't see the road, I'll call," I promised. The next road was Arbor Drive, where PopPop and Mammaw live, and then I told Rachel that if she's ever lost at night to not panic and follow the North Star. "That's how the slaves found their way to freedom," I said, and then started telling her about Harriet Tubman -- "I've heard of her!" Rachel exclaimed -- and how she led people to Canada by establishing a network of safe houses, and that the North Star was their guiding light, and that "North Star" can also refer to someone you love, as in, "he's my North Star" -- my guiding light.
Heh, heh, heh. She thought she was just going to get a nice walk home. Instead, she got a lesson.
Oh, and after we put her to bed. Drew and I watched the first two episodes of "House of Cards" (the American version), and It.Blew.Our.Minds. Drew promised to order the first two seasons from Amazon because we are HOOKED.
I was manic about avoiding traffic so I insisted we leave the house early Friday morning. We ended up leaving an hour later than I wanted -- 8 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. -- but it turned out fine because THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC! We couldn't believe our good fortune. We zipped down to Richmond in something like 90 minutes, grabbed a quick to-go breakfast at Panera Bread, then ended up in the Outer Banks around 2 or so. Stopped for lunch and Carolina bbq, then discovered a children's playseum near Nags Head that enchanted Rachel (after we all indulged in homemade ice cream with dipped cones). I had gotten home from work quite late Thursday night, between staying late and the train schedule, so I stretched out on an uncomfortable bench near the playseum and conked out for about a half-hour.
We had talked about stopping at the beach, but it was cloudy and getting late, so we headed over to PopPop and Mammaw's, then went for dinner at an Italian restaurant. I was so full from lunch and ice cream that I just ordered an appetizer and shared Drew's entree.
The restaurant was so close to PopPop and Mammaw's that Rachel and I decided to walk back together. We stopped in on a Manteo High football game, where Rachel danced to the band as we watched way back at the fenceline. Then we picked some honeysuckle bouquets growing wild along the road. For a minute or two, I didn't recognize where we were. "Call them!" Rachel insisted, and I almost did, but then I told her, very calmly, that the best way, when you're lost, is to be calm and try to figure things out. "We'll walk just past the next driveway, and if we don't see the road, I'll call," I promised. The next road was Arbor Drive, where PopPop and Mammaw live, and then I told Rachel that if she's ever lost at night to not panic and follow the North Star. "That's how the slaves found their way to freedom," I said, and then started telling her about Harriet Tubman -- "I've heard of her!" Rachel exclaimed -- and how she led people to Canada by establishing a network of safe houses, and that the North Star was their guiding light, and that "North Star" can also refer to someone you love, as in, "he's my North Star" -- my guiding light.
Heh, heh, heh. She thought she was just going to get a nice walk home. Instead, she got a lesson.
Oh, and after we put her to bed. Drew and I watched the first two episodes of "House of Cards" (the American version), and It.Blew.Our.Minds. Drew promised to order the first two seasons from Amazon because we are HOOKED.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)