Rachel's kind heart

Rachel designed what she said was an elaborate "treasure hunt" for us all to do "sometime on Saturday or Sunday afternoon." She said it would take us most of the afternoon to do it. She added that the treasure would be in her playroom downstairs in the basement and we were under strict orders not to go there until we did the whole treasure hunt.

When we picked her up from her sleepover, her first question was, "Did you do the treasure hunt?" We said no, of course not, we were waiting for her. With a little grumbling, she headed out to the farmers market with us (she really wanted to go straight home and do the treasure hunt) and then, when we got home, she whipped out an elaborate map she had made. ("I need to guide you," she explained.) We started at the couch, then went upstairs to her room, the into the bathroom ("Anyone need to take a bathroom break?" she asked), then downstairs, then through the kitchen, then into the downstairs bathroom, where she asked us AGAIN if we needed to take a bathroom break -- maybe because she thinks we're old? -- and then into the playroom.

This card was waiting for us:

Dear Mommy and Daddy You Are So Nice And Kind So I Decided to give You A Present! Love Rachel

Inside the card were two rings made of pink and purple paper that we could slip on our fngers. I was so overwhelmed that I got teary-eyed and hugged her tight. Oh, I hope she knows what a special little girl she is!

Great day

Woke up very late this morning, almost 10 a.m., because a) I haven't been getting very much sleep lately and b) I had taken a Benadryl late last night for my allergies. When I opened the bedroom door, Rachel was standing at the hall window, looking out to the yard. When she heard me, she turned around and handed me a heart-shaped cutout. I opened it and it read:

Roses are Red
Violets are blue
You love me
And I love you

"love you" was next to a picture of Mommy and Daddy.

I gave her a huge hug and thanked her for being so sweet. (Turns out that, as Drew later discovered, Rachel had spent the time before we woke up WORKING ON SOME PAGES OF HER MATH WORKBOOKS THAT DREW BOUGHT HER A WHILE AGO. Voluntarily. I don't know how we got this child, but I'm glad we get to raise her!)

Then I showered because I had a phone interview I had to do for a magazine story I'm working on. When I came downstairs, Drew was about to take Rachel to swim lessons, and he informed that she -- without being asked -- had watered the plants this morning, a task I don't really like to do. "THANK YOU!" I exclaimed, hugging her. "You saved me a task!"

Then I read the paper for an hour and ate breakfast. Around 1:30 p.m. I headed to Potomac Mills, an outlet mall that is an hour or so away (ugh) to return some shoes and clothes that don't fit -- then raced back home in time to dress for dinner and a concert at Wolf Trap. Libby's mom invited Rachel over for a playdate, so Drew dropped her off at 4:30 and I changed quickly so we could head out to a great restaurant that Drew's co-worker had recommended. The food was quite good (although served in small portions and expensive), and then we went to Wolf Trap, a well-known outdoor concert venue like Ravinia and Tanglewood.

The Philadelphia Orchestra played some Benjamin Britten and then Beethoven's 9th. The acoustics were incredible, the weather was perfect -- warm and breezy and definitely not too hot -- and transportation a snap -- we parked at the West Falls Church Metro station and caught a shuttle bus to Wolf Trap. Parking at the station was free since it was a weekend, and we avoided all the traffic getting there and coming back. Drew and I were quite impressed with how organized everything was compared to some events we've experienced in Portland.

Tomorrow I have to do one more phone interview, weed the garden out back and then hopefully we can all snag some family time before I leave for work. I am quite happy.

Rachel the...Democrat?

The other day, Rachel came into my room with three books she had checked out from the library, all of which were about colonial history, George Washington, the tea party, etc.

I explained to her that just like people long ago didn't want to pay taxes, people today STILL don't like paying taxes.

"Do they like liberries?" she asked.
"Um, yes," I said.
"Well, government pays for liberries," she shot back.

Really, I had no answer.

Summer camp!

Today is Rachel's first day of summer camp. She woke me up this morning with a big hug, smelling of sunscreen and wriggling with excitement -- this camp that Drew signed her up for consists of field trips the whole week -- to the National Zoo, Clemyjontri Park (which Tia Daniella and Jojo remember all too well:)) and Great Falls Park -- all places she loves.

Drew found out on the news last night that the National Zoo, where Rachel is heading today after a morning of activities and snacks, has three baby elephants that will be on display today. Rachel told me this as she went downstairs.

"I'm jealous!" I said. "I want to see the baby elephants! How about you go to work and I go see the elephants?"

"Mom," Rachel said dismissively. "You've already HAD your childhood."

Rachel's report card

I had been wondering if Rachel would receive an end-of-the-year report card. She did, and pulled it out after the block party and -- well, I'll just reiterate some of the comments:

"Rachel's joy for learning has given her great success this year in kindergarten. She has demonstrated excellent skills in reading and writing, and can read many difficult texts in the classroom. Rachel easily picks up new math concepts and is able to build upon previously taught skills quickly. She is willing to participate in group discussions, enters the classroom confidently everyday, and has made many friends in her class. I have had a wonderful time getting to know Rachel this year and know she will have great success next year as well!" (Mrs. Kappert, her main teacher)

"Rachel had a wonderful year in art. She is energetic to start new projects and use different materials. Rachel's fine motor skills have improved this year, and her drawings and paintings have become more detailed. Rachel did especially well with her flower collage. She is eager to help and works cooperatively with other classmates. It is a pleasure having Rachel in my class." (Mr. Bonahoom, Rachel's art teacher)

"Rachel has gained so much confidence this year. She shares her ideas & interacts well with friends. She makes goo choices, follows directions & uses time well. It was a pleasure having her in my class." (Senora Byrne, Rachel's Spanish teacher)

Also included were the scores from the Phonological Awareness Literacy screening (PALS-K), an informal screening done in Virginia that gives teachers information on planning lessons and measures students yearly progress early literary skills. Some of the things tested are rhyme awareness, sound awareness, alphabet knowledge, spelling, letter sounds, word concepts and word recognition in isolation (an optional task).

The kindergarten benchmark is 81 -- meaning that if the student receives this score or higher, she/he is at or above grade level expectations.

The benchmark is 28 at mid-year; Rachel scored a 95.

Again, the benchmark at the end of the year is 81; Rachel scored 102. THAT IS THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE SCORE.

I told her I was so proud of her hard work. Really, I couldn't be more pleased.

A magical day

Saturday was fantastic. Rachel and I went to my regular nail place for Mommy/Daughter manis and pedis -- I told Rachel it was a treat because she'd worked so hard this year in kindergarten. I got glittery red toenails; she got deep purple ones with white polka dots, and pink nails with flowers on the thumbs. Then we got to her swim lesson in plenty of time to change, and I got to watch her swim; she has improved a lot, but is still a little hesitant in the water, so we'll probably need to add an extra lesson during the week come fall. (In retrospect, we should have signed her up for a swim camp. Oh, well, maybe next year.) Then it was off to her final tee-ball game! No rain today, so I got to watch her get some good hits -- it's amazing how I get such a charge watching Rachel play sports successfully -- and then we had pizza and cupcakes thoughtfully provided by Coach Rucker, who has really been a great coach this year; gentle and encouraging. He provided a great introduction to the sport and we hope to keep the team together next spring.

Rachel and I were exhausted by the time we got home, so we both agreed to take naps. After she and I slept an hour or so, she crawled into my bed and cuddled up against me and fell asleep AGAIN while I stroked her hair (I was awake by that time) and kissed her gently on the top of her head. Then I reminded her that we should get to the block party.

It was in full swing when we arrived. I finally met the parents of Izzy, one of Ivy and Rachel's playmates. Her mom, Jen, is Jewish and she and her husband, Matthew, are from Montreal. They're friends with another Jewish family (mom is Jewish; dad isn't) across the street, and Jen told me great things about Rodeph Sholom, the synagogue we are thinking of joining in Falls Church. She spoke very highly of their summer camp and especially their Hebrew school, which is on Sunday mornings. Apparently the kids love it, and Rachel has said several times she'd like to start going, so maybe we'll join and sign her up. It's on Sunday mornings, so if we can pack her activities into Sunday rather than Saturday, then that will leave Saturdays for family-only time, which I insist on because of my wacky work schedule (Sundays-Wednesday nights and occasionally Thursday nights, too.) Jen says the families try to get together for the holidays, and when I told her I smoke brisket and make my own challah and babka, she was definitely interested. So glad to have found two Jewish families in our neighborhood! I'd been wondering where they all were...

There was a bouncy house that Rachel loved, and a Ping-Pong table, and the neighborhood swing. There was even a talent show, with a microphone (and Rachel decided to do a "gymnastics trick" -- a cartwheel -- and everyone applauded) and then at 9 p.m. the grownups rigged up an outdoor screen and we watched...The Incredibles! The volume was too low but it was so fun sitting next to Rachel, who had changed into one of Ivy's nightgowns and they snuggled under a blanket next to each other while the older kids passed out glow sticks and the grownups made fresh popcorn and gave everyone a little bag of it. It was cool enough for blankets and a sweater but warm (and light! The summer solstice!) to feel like summer in Mayberry, or something. Poor Drew was stuck in Madison because of weather issues, but he finally resolved it and should be here tomorrow by 1 p.m.

"This is the best block party EVER!" Rachel exclaimed by the end of the evening, and I had to agree.

What the girls do when Daddy's away

Lots of activities. LOTS. Today I picked Rachel up early to head to a water-balloon and piñata and scavenger hunt party at her friend Jacksen's house. Jacksen's mom and Dad, Sam and CeCe, are really nice people who live close by and for some reason we haven't gotten together with them much although they're really fun to talk to. As soon as we got there and I explained the day I'd had, Sam said, "here, let me help you with that," and handed me a glass of white wine. The day got instantly better. I chatted with him and CeCe a bit while Rachel found the other girl her age at the party and they played Twister (Rachel was hilarious and actually won a round or two). CeCe had put on quite a non-birthday event and when I told her how impressed I was, she says she's out of town for work a lot and doesn't see Jacksen a lot, which is why she threw him this party. It put my Sunday-Wednesday night work schedule in perspective.

Then we went to tee-ball practice, where the kids played the adults. Rachel is a better hitter than I am (I missed once with the tee, arghhh) and we played for only a half-hour. Tomorrow is the last game although it may be canceled if there is a thunderstorm. Rachel got a TROPHY with HER NAME ON IT, and Coach Rucker said she had done an excellent job and tried really hard this season. She says she wants to do tee-ball again and try soccer, too -- and, of course, she does gymnastics and swimming. Maybe we have a budding jock in the family???

After the game it was on to dinner with Nicole and her daughter, Sydney, who Rachel knows from aftercare. I don't like Sydney much -- she whines and throws temper tantrums a lot -- but she really seems to like me and Rachel, and Nicole is going through a divorce so I figure it's a good thing to reach out to them (and I like Nicole, too). Nicole took us to a YMCA Member Appreciation BBQ, which was free -- hot dogs and hamburgers, potato salad, baked beans, chips, veggies and cookies and brownies for dessert, plus a bouncy house, a play structure and a kid's deejay who did  great job with the music and getting the kids to participate. ("Thanks for the GREAT dance party!" Rachel exclaimed politely as we left; I was so proud of her.) She and Sydney spent most of the time doing activities while Nicole and I talked and occasionally tried to coax the girls to eat. At once point I asked Rachel to bring me some lemonade, and when Nicole asked if Sydney would bring her some, too, and Sydney balked, Rachel piped up and said, "I'll get it!" and she did. Nicole scolded Sydney for being lazy and not attending to her mom. I'm glad Rachel is a thoughtful kid.

When we got home I told Rachel that she needed to take all her camping stuff upstairs; I had told her to strike the tent and bring everything inside this morning, but we ran out of time and I debated whether I should make her do it when we got home tonight or just do it myself. I was pleased with the compromise I came up with -- I folded up the tent and dragged everything in the living room but told Rachel to bring it all upstairs -- which she did, without complaining.

Tomorrow I'm treating her to a Mommy/Daughter manicure and pedicure (I desperately need both), then swim lesson, then her last tee-ball game, and then the block party that begins at 3. I sure hope the rain holds off until tomorrow night after Drew returns. On Sunday we're meeting a former colleague of mine from Willamette's law school for brunch (he works now for the University of Toledo and is in town for a conference) and then I go back to work. Busy weekend!

Camping!

Drew is away in Wisconsin at his friend Jack's 50th birthday party, part of which involves camping. He left Thursday morning and returns Saturday night. He took our tent and a sleeping bag.

With him camping, Rachel announced that SHE wanted to camp, too -- in our backyard. I didn't pay much attention until she threw herself on the ground in despair Thursday night when I told her she probably couldn't camp because there was rain in the forecast (and, indeed, it sprinkled as we began walking home), but then while I was getting dinner ready (made with herbs from the herb garden I planted; there is NOTHING like fresh, home-grown herbs in food) she dragged out the pink castle tent that Tia Daniella and family gave her for Hanukkah last year, her pillow, blanket, a bunch of stuffed animals and a book DOWN THE STAIRS AND OUTSIDE, and then I knew she was serious.

When I told her that I intended to sleep inside, she told me she'd be scared if I wasn't next to her, and, truth be told, I felt a little weird with the idea of me being inside while she was outside, so I said sure. (Keep in mind that I had no tent.) So, I pulled on a pair of heavy jeans, a long-sleeved shirt and socks, laid out a blanket and then my sleeping back on top, and lay down next to Rachel. The night was quite warm (although on the way to cooling down, thank goodness) and the dog next door decided to bark -- to the point that I dearly wished I could shoot him -- and the damn trains kept running until past midnight. I dozed lightly until midnight until I felt as if the bugs were getting to me, so I got up, sprayed myself with bug spray all over, then tried to get back to sleep.

As I tossed and turned on the grass, trying to get comfortable, I flashed back to the times that Dad slept out on the beach at Cape Cod with me and Daniella. (Mom insisted on staying in back in the rental cabin in Chatham.) I could imagine how he felt -- bugs probably biting him, and he had two girls to keep track of, not one -- but I don't remember him ever complaining. If he could do it with two kids, I could do it with one, I told myself, and so I dozed in and out of sleep until 2:30 a.m., 6, 7, and 7:30, when I finally tapped softly on Rachel's window of her tent and said, "Rachel, honey, time to wake up."

We went upstairs and cuddled on her bed for a bit, and I managed to barely get her out of the house in time for school (it was the last day). I then went through the morning like a total zombie and pulled an epic Mommy fail -- I thought I was an hour behind where I really was, which meant I didn't show up to help in her classroom when they did water-based games. I was so busy getting through the morning -- making strawberry bread for her last tee-ball practice, talking to Mom and Dad on the phone, showering because I had to head downtown to interview someone for a magazine story, checking e-mail, etc. that I ended up thinking I had an hour more than I did.

Luckily, Rachel did not seem to be bothered too much by my absence. When I picked her up from school, she said, "Why weren't you there to help us change out of our bathing suits?" I explained, at Drew's suggestion, that camping had left me exhausted and I couldn't get to class in time to do what I had promised and that I felt awful. "It's okay, Mom, I just wondered," she said dismissively, and that was that.

Rachel the history buff

Rachel has repeatedly told Drew that she loves history, and now she asks for history books every time they go to the library. She and I were reading a book tonight called "George vs. George" about George Washington vs. King George III, and it was actually quite sophisticated -- so much so that I asked her if I could borrow it because it might help me with the massive biography of George Washington that I am trying to get through so I can start on massive tomes of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. I'm trying to crash-course my way through colonial history because of where we live now. Rachel said, sure, I could borrow her book, "and when you're done with your book on George Washington, Mom, can I read it?" and I said sure, too.

Right before we began reading tonight she said that she loves Mount Vernon (another thing she says a lot).

"Why do you like Mount Vernon so much?" I asked her.
"Because I love being able to touch the same stair railing that George and Martha Washington touched," she replied.

I was so stunned by her answer that I said weakly, "that's a beautiful thing to say, Rachel!" As Drew told me tonight...she is an old soul.

Chores

I've been thinking for the past month or so that we really need to add to Rachel's list of responsibilities around the house -- all she does right now is empty the garbages on recycling day, set the table for dinner every night and clear her place after meals, and that's about it (although she is very helpful spontaneously -- carrying my purse when she sees that my arms are full, or offering to do whatever I'm about to do if I'm really tired; she can always tell when I'm about to collapse).

I keep meaning to make a master list and then have a family discussion, but I never seem to get around to it. We all really need to split things up around here, because every time we have houseguests (at least once a month, it seems) or invite people to dinner, we (meaning I) go into a huge cleaning frenzy and I end up resenting the fact that I can't spend time outside or going to one of Rachel's activities (like today, because we're having friends from Oregon over for dinner, and I missed Rachel's tee-ball game because I was preparing a lamb for roasting and baking a fruit tart for dessert).

At breakfast, which Rachel insisted on having outside, she suddenly said, "Daddy, when I'm about 7, I want a job. Not a big job like you have, but a little job."

I ran to get a pen and write this down.

"What kind of job?" I asked carefully.

"I like helping people, and I like earning money helping people," she explained. "Maybe the neighbors. They're really, really nice and they probably need help sweeping the floors. I can also cook because I know how to cook."

"Yes, you can make cinnamon tortillas," Drew agreed.

"I really want one of those jobs, like, now," Rachel insisted.

So, that created an opening to talk about how we will add to her chores list and give her a weekly allowance. She said she'd use it to buy something, "maybe for you," she said, looking at me. We decided that she will be responsible for sweeping the floor after dinner (meaning we'll have to buy her a Rachel-sized broom), watering the plants during the summer before she sets the table (it still takes some effort for her to drag the hose around the backyard), cleaning the bathroom once a week, on Sunday nights, before bath, and make her bed every morning. Now I just have to teach her to do all of this stuff properly, and she'll be on her way.

Next task: teaching her how to apportion money to savings, spending and charity.

Rachel the charmer

At Libby's house tonight, her 4-year-old brother, Charlie, told his mom, Kelly, that had a secret he wanted to tell Rachel.

"What is it?" Kelly asked.

He whispered in her ear, then she told him to go tell Rachel.

So, he climbed off the big dining-room table chair, walked up to her and whispered in her ear (loud enough so that I could hear): "You're pretty."

"I'm so embarrassed!" Rachel exclaimed.

"You're blushing!" I said.

"I know," she answered. "I like it."

As Drew says, it's the first of many boys who will be captivated by our little girl....

..and let's not forget math....

McKinley has put a bunch of math worksheets online for kids to keep up their math skills during the summer (yet another reason why I love the schools here). Drew has downloaded them and says he will give one a week to Rachel throughout July and August. She doesn't need much persuading; she said today she wished she had homework "so I could sign my name in cursive."

Drew has begun teaching her rudimentary multiplication, more as a shortcut to arithmetic, a kind of game, more than anything else. He said she totally grasps the concept. He has even done a bit of algebra with her -- again, more of a concept at this stage than real problem-solving.

I think kids are capable of grasping way more than we parents think they can!

Readin' Rachel

Drew and Rachel were shopping for Father's Day cards the other night when Rachel began reading aloud from some of them. A woman stopped by and exclaimed, "That's GREAT reading!" Turns out that she is a former teacher and she and Drew got into a long discussion about kids and reading. She was quite impressed by Rachel's skill level!

Wednesday night was a gigantic "book swap" at the Westover Library -- apparently THE place to be; Drew said Rachel kept recognizing kids she knows from school. She got some books and was reading aloud when Ivy happened to stop by. "You're getting THOSE books?" she asked Rachel. When Rachel said yes, Ivy said, "You're reading at a 2nd- or 3rd-grade level!"

Rachel is quite fascinated with history and when she's at the library she asks the librarian, very politely, for any history books (it seems we are past the princess books stage, thank God) and when I kiss her goodnight after getting home from work, she is invariably curled up next to an open book that I gently remove and put near her bookshelf. Apparently she loves reading in bed. Like mother, like daughter, I guess.

Kindergarten performance!

Today was a day that Rachel has been anticipating for weeks -- the day of her performance! All the kindergarten classes have been rehearsing a performance summarizing what they learned during the year. There were songs about Betsy Ross; skeletons (for Halloween), leaves falling (autumn), penguins, and a turkey tango. I turned to one of the moms and we both said at the same time, "THAT'S where all the songs come from!" She asked if Rachel had been rehearsing at home and I said yes, and she said she feels she knows all the songs by heart.

Drew and I both went, and at some point I started weeping -- it was when the kids were singing, "Here Comes the Sun." In so many ways it's an echo of how I feel about our lives here, how it's such an improvement over the last few years and how I lucky I feel to have found a welcoming community so quickly.

We hung around Rachel's class for a bit afterward; she got weepy when we wouldn't stay to help out at Field Day, but Drew said he had to work (and I did, too -- I am racing to finish a magazine story and I had two interviews today, one in the District). I explained to Rachel that I had volunteered to help out but they already had volunteers when I signed up. So I drove Drew to the Metro station, ran some errands, grabbed an emu burger and a salad for lunch at Westover Market, raced home in time to do a phone interview, then went to the post office to mail out some things, hopped on the Metro and headed to the District to do my interview with a 16-year-old boy and his mom (he is leaving for a summer in Israel this Sunday and this was the only time we could do the interview).

On the way in to the interview I met two kids who were spending the summer at George Mason taking classes -- they're both in college and the guy was just a charmer; he was from Alabama and made friends of everyone around him on the train. (He has a great career in politics or journalism should he want it). I told them the best way to get to the zoo was by exiting at Cleveland Park instead of Woodley Park because the walk would be downhill, not up. It was such a pleasant exchange and reminded me of why I love taking the Metro.

Until I left for home. For some reason, they were single-tracking the trains ahead of us, so I ended up stuck at one station for 20 minutes, which meant my carefully cultivated plans to pick Rachel up at tee ball tonight were dashed. Luckily, Kelly (Libby's mom and the leader of Rachel's Daisy Scout troop) scooped Rachel up and took her to their house and ordered pizza. I had planned a nice Shabbat dinner, but just decided to go with the flow and join them for pizza while Drew stayed late at work. I felt terribly guilty about being late, but Kelly pushed aside my concern and I ended up taking the whole family to ice cream at Toby's, the local ice cream place in Westover Village. Whenever we go there we inevitably run into someone we know, and tonight it was Alice, a PTA mom, her husband Bob and their two kids who are slightly older than Rachel. Bob works in the Federal Public Defender's Office doing economic modeling, and was fascinated when I described what Drew does. I gave him my card, and hopefully we can all get together soon.

Rachel the Social Secretary

Tonight as I stayed outside in the dark paying bills -- it was such a nice night, hot and mostly bug-free, and I could see with the porch light on -- Rachel came up to me, said, "I love you, Mommy," gave me a kiss on the lips and then asked if I was "free to meet me for lunch this week."

SURE, I answered. We chose a day (Wednesday, since I'm coming in at noon tomorrow to read to her class), and she proceeded to note it, it pen, in my datebook. She spelled everything right, too, except "luch" for "lunch." I was so proud of her!

Drew and I are also attending her kindergarten performance this Friday morning, so that's three times this week that I'll be at school -- one advantage to working nights. I wonder if I'll be able to see her as much when she starts camp after school ends June 20...

Fireflies!

One of the things I didn't even realize I was missing about the East Coast was FIREFLIES. My book co-author, Dan Huntley, wrote a wonderful column about them once, and I haven't seen them yet...until tonight.

"Firefly!" Rachel exclaimed as we were eating dinner outside. Sure enough, we saw a little one light up, a greenish dot that disappeared and kept reappearing. We kept watching for it to reappear, which it did a couple of times before flying into our neighbor's yard. There is a firefly festival near here that will occur on a Sunday night when I'm working (boo!) but I'm going to suggest to Drew that he take Rachel there. I think they'll have a lot of fun.

This evening, Rachel also noticed a bunny in our yard. The bunnies are everywhere -- I routinely encounter then on my walk to and from the Metro station in the way to and from work. Say what you will about the East Coast not being like Oregon, but I love the fact that my kid will grow up seeing fireflies and wild bunnies in the backyard.

Rachel the...lawyer?

Rachel and I were negotiating how we'd spend our afternoon on Sunday -- playing a game with Drew and then heading out to Great Falls -- and she was such a deft negotiator that I said, "Rachel, you're a lawyer."

"No, I'm not," she replied.

"Oh yes, you are," I said.

"No, I'm not," she said calmly. "If I were a lawyer, I'd be writing a lot. Just an observation."

And later, she added: "And I'd be an adult."

When I posted this on Facebook, one of the former newspaper editors I worked for in St. Paul, Walker Lundy, said, "You are overmatched." How right he is!

Phew! What a weekend!

Wow, this one was a doozy. Spent the third straight weekend messing around in the garden -- ripping out the owners' dead stuff and planting an herb garden, a shade garden, strawberries/cucumbers/pumpkin in one planter, tomatoes in another; weeding the front (as much as I could; I finally gave up, marched into the house and told Drew that we have to hire someone to do some of the clean-up because I simply can't manage it all by myself, this is why we are definitely not gardeners) because we had houseguests this weekend and another couple coming for dinner next Saturday night; ran over to Ingleside to visit Beryle for a bit (knocked on the door of Dan's apartment, but apparently he was at dinner); cleaned the inside of the house; did about five loads of laundry...and insisted on some family time, so Drew, Rachel and I all went to Great Falls Park.

We have an annual pass to Great Falls, and Rachel met a little girl there named Denali (very Portland to name your kids for a park in Alaska), who was getting her junior ranger badge, so Rachel decided SHE wanted to get a badge, and so we got a booklet from one of the employees and off we went. Rachel had to identify things she saw and smelled, as well as her favorite parts of the park, and she had to follow a map to get places. We were going at quite a clip when it started raining very lightly, and she had a playdate at 5, so we piled back into the car and took her to her friend Sidney's house. Then Drew raced out to do grocery shopping while I finished the cleanup for our guests, Peter Letsou (my former boss at Willamette, now dean of the University of Memphis's law school); his wife, Felicity, and 16-year-old son, Ted). They were on their way back from South Carolina to visit Felicity's parents in New York.

We had a great time with them. They used to live here when they were young and Peter was starting his law school teaching career, and they took me by the two houses they lived in near ours before they left for Oregon. We ate dinner at Lebanese Taverna, which was here when they were and they loved the food. We gave them our bedroom and guest room, and Drew and I slept downstairs in the TV room (which, though very cold because of the air conditioning, was actually incredibly comfortable and I got a great night's sleep!). Drew took Rachel to school this morning while I talked at length with Peter and Felicity and gave them some homemade strawberry bread. I sent them on their way 30 minutes ago.

Next weekend will hopefully be a bit calmer than this one, but it's great having people in the house!

Responsible Rachel

Since I work nights, Drew has to catch me up on stuff that Rachel says and does after he picks her up from school and they have dinner and bedtime together. Here's what he told me today:

Rachel has decided, all on her own, to write a "chapter book." (Granted, each chapter is one page, but I was impressed that she came up with the idea by herself). She asked Drew how to spell "crystal," so I'm actually looking forward to reading it.

Also, Rachel (like Drew and I) seems to be allergic to pollen or trees or flowers or whatever the hell else it is out here that is making us sneezy and itchy. She left a "writer's workshop" at school yesterday to go to the clinic. Even though she was still feeling itchy, though, she left the clinic after a bit to go back to the workshop because "I had to go do my responsibilities."

Tell me this kid isn't ready for 1st grade!

Precocious child

So, this morning Drew and I went to a meeting for the parents of rising 1st-graders. Instead of joining the rest of the kids on the playground, Rachel insisted on accompanying us to the meeting (yes, she was the only kid there) and asking questions. At one point, when questioning why the PowerPoint was shaky, she remarked that the screen was "shivering." "Big word!" one of the first-grade teachers exclaimed.

We found out that Rachel will be getting two pages of math homework a night, plus reading/writing homework. Math should not be a problem, since Drew is already teaching her rudimentary algebra (How much would ten 9s be and 3 ones? he asked her last night. Her quick-as-lighting response: 93!).

We've also enrolled her in a three-week program in July called "Summer laureates." The curriculum is very fast-paced, and the kids work collaboratively on projects. It's for kindergarteners through second-graders. She'll have to miss a few days because of Daisy Scouts sleep-away camp, but since she often says, "Who doesn't love to learn?" we figure she'll have a great summer.