Snow daze....

So, the snow we got last night resulted in school being closed today (but of course, Pew was open so off Drew went to work). I figured that since some of the responses to the magazine story I'm writing were from government, and government offices were closed or half-closed, I just threw in the towel and decided to enjoy my time with Rachel.

We started the morning with a pillow fight (I won, but Rachel insisted that she did), then we put on multiple layers of clothes and explored the snow in our backyard. (Rachel looks SO CUTE in her pink snow pants, black snow boots and pink snow jacket and fuzzy hat, I just want to cover her little face in kisses). She taught Mommy how to make snow angels (and I did, even though I don't have snow pants, just jeans) and we stomped around making the biggest footprints we could. While we were out, Ivy's mom called and asked if Rachel would be free for a playdate. Sure, I said, bring her over. So Ivy came over after lunch, and they played outside for a while, then came back in. Ivy badly wanted to watch the Barbie movie version of "The Princess and the Pauper," but Rachel got VERY mad at that idea because she wanted to be "active." (Good on her for not wanting to sit around and watch TV all day; I've trained my little girl well). I promised to make them popcorn and homemade hot chocolate with marshmallows, and Rachel instantly got excited enough to watch the movie. I brought down a tray, Ivy ate most of the popcorn and immediately asked if she could have more. "Um, I don't think we have any more," I said.

Near the end of the movie Ivy's mom came to pick her up and Rachel threw a FIT, wailing and sobbing because she thought she wouldn't have any time to be "active" with Ivy -- she watched the movie because that was what Ivy wanted to do, and now she wanted to do what she wanted to do, and it looked as if Ivy might leave. I was about to send her to her room when Ivy invited Rachel over for a faux pajama party (Rachel brought her nightgown) and I was asked to pick her up at 7. So, they went, and I spent the next two hours cleaning the house because we have friends coming over for brunch tomorrow morning at 11.

Drew picked Rachel up and we had matzo ball soup, challah and salad for dinner -- perfect for a hideously cold day (it will go down to 10 degrees tonight and will be cold tomorrow, too). "There's nothing like soup on a cold day," Rachel pronounced at dinner, "and my favorite chef's challah."

Really, it was a lovely day.