So, today was BR's last day with us. I got an unexpected writing assignment in the morning (yay!), which put me in a good mood for most of the day. BR and I had a light lunch at Cosi, near the newspaper, then went to The Post and met Lori Montgomery, who then introduced BR to Tracy Grant, the paper's hiring manager. She and BR had a nice chat about possible employment, and BR promised to send in her resume.
Then we headed deeper into the District and hit Voice of America, where she met with some folks about doing editing/writing/working with reporters in Juba, South Sudan, which looks like it is a go. One of her assignments is to look for a story for me to do so I can pitch it to The Post and visit her while she's there, which hopefully won't last longer than six months and then she can come back to the U.S. (hopefully D.C.) permanently.
I waited until around 4:30, then headed back home to pick up LR from her latest summer camp -- art camp -- and we swung by the train station to pick up BR. Then it was home to prepare steaks for the grill, baked potatoes and salad. Drew surprised us by coming home early, and BR and I relaxed while he took over dinner. I opened a pinotage from South Africa that I happened to have in the basement, which turned out to be EXCELLENT, and we ate outside, and the weather was absolutely perfect -- so perfect that I needed a blanket to cover my legs -- and we ate, and talked, and listened to LR break in now and then with her end of the conversation -- and we all remarked that it felt like late fall, and suddenly it felt as if we were in Tuscany or South Africa or wherever, just a bunch of old friends enjoying wine and good food and each other's company. It was MAGICAL, a great way to start the week (even though I started the week on Sunday by working my usual night shift at The Post, complete with editing a front-page story, YAY.)
At 9:30 we left for Union Station so BR could get on a bus for Charlotte, NC. LR was very sad to see her go -- "I wish she could stay for a HUNDRED DAYS MORE!" she said, disappointed, as we arrived home from camp -- and BR said she has a wonderful, wonderful time, as did we, and we hugged each other goodbye. Earlier tonight as I was bringing plates in from the deck I thought, this is absolutely the best summer I've had in a long time, although last summer's trip East with LR and Molly and all the wonderful things we saw and did was pretty awesome, too. I feel like one very lucky woman tonight.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Odds and ends from the past week
At the pancake place yesterday, Drew was gently reinforcing the idea of multiplication and algebra to LR. Afterward, she said to me, "I think you need to tell the school system all I know."
"Do you want to skip a grade?" I asked.
She was nocommittal, probably because she didn't know what that entails. Of course she won't skip, but at the least I hope we can get her into a gifted and talented program.
***
On the way home the other night, Drew and BR started talking about the Chinese investors who have come to Nairobi and built a lot of infrastructure. BR said she isn't sure that they're there to make life better for Africans so much as wanting a return on their investors.
LR, from the back seat: "Are they invaders?"
Well, no, BR answered, shocked, then tried to explain the situation and added that things are looking pretty bad in Kenya -- lots of dark talk about different tribal groups fighting -- the Luo, Kikuyu, etc.
"Sounds like a mini-revolution," LR observed.
Geopolitics with Rachel DeSilver, folks.
"Do you want to skip a grade?" I asked.
She was nocommittal, probably because she didn't know what that entails. Of course she won't skip, but at the least I hope we can get her into a gifted and talented program.
***
On the way home the other night, Drew and BR started talking about the Chinese investors who have come to Nairobi and built a lot of infrastructure. BR said she isn't sure that they're there to make life better for Africans so much as wanting a return on their investors.
LR, from the back seat: "Are they invaders?"
Well, no, BR answered, shocked, then tried to explain the situation and added that things are looking pretty bad in Kenya -- lots of dark talk about different tribal groups fighting -- the Luo, Kikuyu, etc.
"Sounds like a mini-revolution," LR observed.
Geopolitics with Rachel DeSilver, folks.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Determined little girl
Drew and Rachel spent most of the day together on Saturday at her swim lesson, the haircut place, etc. He gave her $1 from her allowance to buy a tchotcke at Claire's, a boutique that is in malls all over the country. She bought a stuffed neon green-and-blue cheetah, with huge bug eyes that I would be scared to encounter if I were drunk and in the dark. She was so proud of using her OWN MONEY to buy what she wanted!
Guess we'll start her on mutual funds next.
One of the things they did was bike to the park near our house. On the way back, Rachel insisted on pedaling up the steep hill to our house (which even I didn't do when I biked the W&OD trail when we moved here; I just walked the bike up the hill). Drew told her she didn't have to pedal, it was steep hill.
Her reply: "Girl Scouts don't give up!"
I love this kid.
Guess we'll start her on mutual funds next.
One of the things they did was bike to the park near our house. On the way back, Rachel insisted on pedaling up the steep hill to our house (which even I didn't do when I biked the W&OD trail when we moved here; I just walked the bike up the hill). Drew told her she didn't have to pedal, it was steep hill.
Her reply: "Girl Scouts don't give up!"
I love this kid.
Auntie Rachel is here!!
Rachel Jones, one of my dearest friends in the universe, has been here the last few days (she arrived on Wednesday and leaves late tomorrow night (Monday) -- sniff. We have been having quite a time.
On Wednesday morning Drew picked her up from the East Falls Church Metro stop, where Rachel had taken the train from Union Station after arriving at the crack of dawn via bus from New York State. Little Rachel ran out to greet her and threw her arms around her and wouldn't let her go until it was time for her to head to camp.
I had gone to bed quite late the night before getting the house ready and baking lemon blueberry bread (which Big Rachel had requested) and so she and I talked animatedly until 11 a.m. or so, when she pulled a Lisa and her batteries ran down and she headed up to the guest room to take a nap. I napped a bit, too, then headed in to work. Big Rachel, Drew and Little Rachel went to Lebanese Taverna that night, where LR charmed BR with her singing and general cuteness. By the time I arrived home from work, everyone was asleep except Drew.
On Thursday, BR went in for an unexpected interview at Voice of America. I met her downtown for a great lunch at a Dupont Circle restaurant we discovered called Circa, then we wandered around her old stomping grounds when she lived here seven years ago. She ducked into a barbershop to see if they knew where she could get her hair re-twisted, and the guy directed us to Ted's Bulletin nearby. We ordered desserts and homemade pop tarts, which she LOVED, and then I headed in to work while she went home and hung out again with Drew and LR while LR was at gymnastics.
On Friday, my day off, LR was sick so Drew and I brought her home after the presentation at Summer Laureates. I ducked out for a swim and went to Trader Joe's to get BR and I some salads. (Poor LR talked BR into setting up and then playing Connect 4. Thankfully, BR doesn't have any more patience with LR's "Rachel Rules" than I do, so she had to end the game at least once when LR tried to win.) LR, of course, made a miraculous recovery from her stomachache, but Drew had warned her that BR and I had work to do (I had to go over the proofs for the magazine story I've been working on). At around 5 LR helped me bake chocolate cupcakes (I had some pink and chocolate frosting I wanted to use up) and I started frying up some chicken and put popovers in the oven -- just in time for Drew to join us for Shabbat dinner outside. It was truly lovely, even if the mosquitos got us in the end and forced us inside after dark.
On Saturday, BR and I met a Post reporter, Lori Montgomery, for lunch (turns out that Lori edited the first story Drew ever wrote for the Daily Northwestern) and BR and I, not to put too fine a point on it, got smashed on margaritas (her) and frozen strawberry daquiris (me). Then we took the Metro to explore Eastern Market a bit, got half-off rings (we bought the same one, a Tree of Life motif) and jewelry, then went back on the Metro to meet a mutual friend, Carol (her husband did the Knight-Wallace fellowship in 2010 and I met her soon after arriving in D.C.) for dinner at what turned out to be a fabulous restaurant in Clarendon, Lyon Hall. Steak tartare! Mussels! Homemade twinkies for dessert! Doesn't get much better than that. Carol took us back to her house (we walked a mile) and then drove us to the station near my house to pick up the car, and I drove us home.
And then today, this morning, we all went to the Original Pancake House and I got a glimpse of LR's incredibly cute haircut (which makes her look even more like Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird). LR, BR and I all had a nice chat by phone with Mom -- sorry we missed you, Dad! -- and then we had a good breakfast. Even though they stopped making gingerbread pancakes, they had some flour left so I was able to alleviate LR's distress that the pancakes were no longer on the menu -- at least she'll know for next time.
And then we all went home. LR headed to Ivy and Liam's for their birthday party celebration (and their Dad, Billy, is home temporarily from Afghanistan so I really need to stop by), Drew drove me to Trader Joe's to pick out salads for the week and then kindly drove me all the way in to work...and Rachel was relaxing on the couch when I left.
This has been the most wonderful stress-free mini-vacation I can imagine. It's like the old Southern custom of having guests stay for a week at a time, which I definitely recommend during the summer!
On Wednesday morning Drew picked her up from the East Falls Church Metro stop, where Rachel had taken the train from Union Station after arriving at the crack of dawn via bus from New York State. Little Rachel ran out to greet her and threw her arms around her and wouldn't let her go until it was time for her to head to camp.
I had gone to bed quite late the night before getting the house ready and baking lemon blueberry bread (which Big Rachel had requested) and so she and I talked animatedly until 11 a.m. or so, when she pulled a Lisa and her batteries ran down and she headed up to the guest room to take a nap. I napped a bit, too, then headed in to work. Big Rachel, Drew and Little Rachel went to Lebanese Taverna that night, where LR charmed BR with her singing and general cuteness. By the time I arrived home from work, everyone was asleep except Drew.
On Thursday, BR went in for an unexpected interview at Voice of America. I met her downtown for a great lunch at a Dupont Circle restaurant we discovered called Circa, then we wandered around her old stomping grounds when she lived here seven years ago. She ducked into a barbershop to see if they knew where she could get her hair re-twisted, and the guy directed us to Ted's Bulletin nearby. We ordered desserts and homemade pop tarts, which she LOVED, and then I headed in to work while she went home and hung out again with Drew and LR while LR was at gymnastics.
On Friday, my day off, LR was sick so Drew and I brought her home after the presentation at Summer Laureates. I ducked out for a swim and went to Trader Joe's to get BR and I some salads. (Poor LR talked BR into setting up and then playing Connect 4. Thankfully, BR doesn't have any more patience with LR's "Rachel Rules" than I do, so she had to end the game at least once when LR tried to win.) LR, of course, made a miraculous recovery from her stomachache, but Drew had warned her that BR and I had work to do (I had to go over the proofs for the magazine story I've been working on). At around 5 LR helped me bake chocolate cupcakes (I had some pink and chocolate frosting I wanted to use up) and I started frying up some chicken and put popovers in the oven -- just in time for Drew to join us for Shabbat dinner outside. It was truly lovely, even if the mosquitos got us in the end and forced us inside after dark.
On Saturday, BR and I met a Post reporter, Lori Montgomery, for lunch (turns out that Lori edited the first story Drew ever wrote for the Daily Northwestern) and BR and I, not to put too fine a point on it, got smashed on margaritas (her) and frozen strawberry daquiris (me). Then we took the Metro to explore Eastern Market a bit, got half-off rings (we bought the same one, a Tree of Life motif) and jewelry, then went back on the Metro to meet a mutual friend, Carol (her husband did the Knight-Wallace fellowship in 2010 and I met her soon after arriving in D.C.) for dinner at what turned out to be a fabulous restaurant in Clarendon, Lyon Hall. Steak tartare! Mussels! Homemade twinkies for dessert! Doesn't get much better than that. Carol took us back to her house (we walked a mile) and then drove us to the station near my house to pick up the car, and I drove us home.
And then today, this morning, we all went to the Original Pancake House and I got a glimpse of LR's incredibly cute haircut (which makes her look even more like Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird). LR, BR and I all had a nice chat by phone with Mom -- sorry we missed you, Dad! -- and then we had a good breakfast. Even though they stopped making gingerbread pancakes, they had some flour left so I was able to alleviate LR's distress that the pancakes were no longer on the menu -- at least she'll know for next time.
And then we all went home. LR headed to Ivy and Liam's for their birthday party celebration (and their Dad, Billy, is home temporarily from Afghanistan so I really need to stop by), Drew drove me to Trader Joe's to pick out salads for the week and then kindly drove me all the way in to work...and Rachel was relaxing on the couch when I left.
This has been the most wonderful stress-free mini-vacation I can imagine. It's like the old Southern custom of having guests stay for a week at a time, which I definitely recommend during the summer!
Summer Laureates graduation!
Drew and I went to Rachel's "graduation" from her summer laureates program last Friday. The kids all had made portfolios of their work, and Rachel showed us hers -- it was heavily based on observation via all the senses. When she had to write about the sound of anger, she wrote: "The Nats losing." (Got a kick out of that; in a few years, it'll be the Mets.) She also showed us a short demonstration on the iPad, which reassured me that she, in fact, is learning technology even though we are deliberately giving her a low-tech education at home when she's not in school.
She also got a progress report. Highest score was 5; lowest was 1. The categories were:
--Sucessfully responded to the fast pace of challenging instruction
--Displayed creativity
--Was inquisitive about various topics
--Successfully completed research/projects(s)
--Was self-directed; was independent
--Participated cooperatively in group activities
She got a 5 in everything.
What I liked most, though, were the comments by her teacher, Ms, Dolinsky, who looks like she's around 25 or so:
"Rachel has been a pleasure to have taught this summer! She is a kind and caring student who is always willing to participate and share her wonderful ideas! Rachel puts great effort into her assignments and tries her best throughout the day."
Drew and I told Rachel we are so, so proud of her -- for being kind, for sharing, and most of all, for working hard. Really, we can't have asked for a better kid.
She also got a progress report. Highest score was 5; lowest was 1. The categories were:
--Sucessfully responded to the fast pace of challenging instruction
--Displayed creativity
--Was inquisitive about various topics
--Successfully completed research/projects(s)
--Was self-directed; was independent
--Participated cooperatively in group activities
She got a 5 in everything.
What I liked most, though, were the comments by her teacher, Ms, Dolinsky, who looks like she's around 25 or so:
"Rachel has been a pleasure to have taught this summer! She is a kind and caring student who is always willing to participate and share her wonderful ideas! Rachel puts great effort into her assignments and tries her best throughout the day."
Drew and I told Rachel we are so, so proud of her -- for being kind, for sharing, and most of all, for working hard. Really, we can't have asked for a better kid.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
She stuns me sometimes....
Tonight Rachel and I were reviewing some "Brain Quest" cards for first-graders -- they're trivia cards and knowledge questions for different grade levels -- and Rachel blew through so many of them that I'm convinced she is ready for the 2nd-grade ones, especially after she told us at dinner that she had gotten the top score in kindergarten on an end-of-the-year spelling test. (I was always great at spelling, too, and only recently began using SpellCheck at work.)
One of the Brain Quest questions was to say whether this expression was correct: "A leopard can't change its stripes." Rachel corrected it to say "spots."
"Do you know what that expression means?" I asked. Then I started to explain it thusly:
"It's like if someone said you should be..."
"Delicate!" she shrieked. YES, I answered, adding that she would answer, "a leopard can't change its spots."
I was amazed at how quickly she grasped the concept that she can't really be something she's not. I was going to use the example of her playing video games, but she came up with a much more clever response. Again, just...amazing!
One of the Brain Quest questions was to say whether this expression was correct: "A leopard can't change its stripes." Rachel corrected it to say "spots."
"Do you know what that expression means?" I asked. Then I started to explain it thusly:
"It's like if someone said you should be..."
"Delicate!" she shrieked. YES, I answered, adding that she would answer, "a leopard can't change its spots."
I was amazed at how quickly she grasped the concept that she can't really be something she's not. I was going to use the example of her playing video games, but she came up with a much more clever response. Again, just...amazing!
A dinner at home
Since I work nights most of the week, I rarely get to cook dinner for everyone anymore (sigh), and the one good thing about cold weather is that I'll get to chop up vegetables and meat and throw them into a slow cooker so at least Drew and Rachel can have a hot meal when they get home. But summer meals are harder.
Today I spent the day running errands and cleaning up for our friend Rachel Jones, who is arriving by bus from NYC at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday. I made spaghetti with cherry tomatoes tonight, with fresh basil from our rapidly expanding herb garden out back, and we all had a great time talking at dinner. At one point Rachel said, "I really like listening to your guys' conversation" about Drew's work. Rachel seemed so relaxed at dinner; at one point she left her seat and crawled into my lap to cuddle.
She asked if I would read to her tonight, which I did -- she is very into the American Girl books; this one is about a girl living in Colonial time -- and then she asked me to lie in bed with her a bit while she fell asleep. At dessert she had asked me to pick her up early from camp one day "so we can do something fun."
"Like what?" I asked.
"Play a game, or something," she answered.
I promised to do that Monday, when I have a day off. I think what she's trying to tell me is that she misses seeing Mommy during the week and wants to spend more time with me, which I am happy to do...
Today I spent the day running errands and cleaning up for our friend Rachel Jones, who is arriving by bus from NYC at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday. I made spaghetti with cherry tomatoes tonight, with fresh basil from our rapidly expanding herb garden out back, and we all had a great time talking at dinner. At one point Rachel said, "I really like listening to your guys' conversation" about Drew's work. Rachel seemed so relaxed at dinner; at one point she left her seat and crawled into my lap to cuddle.
She asked if I would read to her tonight, which I did -- she is very into the American Girl books; this one is about a girl living in Colonial time -- and then she asked me to lie in bed with her a bit while she fell asleep. At dessert she had asked me to pick her up early from camp one day "so we can do something fun."
"Like what?" I asked.
"Play a game, or something," she answered.
I promised to do that Monday, when I have a day off. I think what she's trying to tell me is that she misses seeing Mommy during the week and wants to spend more time with me, which I am happy to do...
Monday, July 21, 2014
Colonial times
After a rough post-camp pickup (none of us could really decide what to do about dinner, so we drove back to Leesburg in silence, and Rachel was so afraid she had made us angry -- we weren't angry at her, just exasperated that she was set on making us pizza bagels, which she'd had at camp, and all we wanted was a nice family dinner at a restaurant but we couldn't find a suitable one and so we were all angry -- she wrote, "I hait myself" and "I am a bad little girl" on a piece of camp stationery, which worried Drew no end, and we kept reassuring her over and over that she shouldn't hate herself), we all hopped in the car on Saturday and went to a colonial market fair at a farm located, ironically enough, near the CIA in Langley. It really was an incredibly cool place: An open-air market with stuff to buy that wasn't chintzy; decent colonial food at astonishingly low prices; and demonstrations of weaving; a magic show; and a militia mustering exercise for kids that Rachel took great delight in. The whole atmosphere reminded me of why I'm so glad we live where we do: the constant presence of history, which I felt had been missing from our time in Oregon.
The fair happens three times a year; the next one is in the fall, and then there's a wassail celebration in December. I have made a mental note to take us all there for those events.
When we got home, Rachel made us pizza bagels. We watched "Barbie and the Flying Pegasus," or whatever it's called, and ate the bagels, and you know what? They were FANTASTIC (even though I burned the roof of my mouth eating them). I apologized to Rachel several times for doubting that they'd be absolutely delicious, and she agreed to make them again sometime. I'm actually looking forward to it!
On Sunday we (me, and then Drew took over) began the Mammoth Clean-up Of Rachel's Room, and four hours later we had lots of old workbooks and coloring books to recycle, and old toys she doesn't play with anymore, to make room for all her lovely birthday presents. Her room is now tidy, which means I can walk into it without getting tremendously depressed at the mess. Now, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our latest guest, Rachel Jones, who gets here at the crack of dawn on Wednesday and stays through the weekend. Yay! The Summer of Partying rocks on!!
The fair happens three times a year; the next one is in the fall, and then there's a wassail celebration in December. I have made a mental note to take us all there for those events.
When we got home, Rachel made us pizza bagels. We watched "Barbie and the Flying Pegasus," or whatever it's called, and ate the bagels, and you know what? They were FANTASTIC (even though I burned the roof of my mouth eating them). I apologized to Rachel several times for doubting that they'd be absolutely delicious, and she agreed to make them again sometime. I'm actually looking forward to it!
On Sunday we (me, and then Drew took over) began the Mammoth Clean-up Of Rachel's Room, and four hours later we had lots of old workbooks and coloring books to recycle, and old toys she doesn't play with anymore, to make room for all her lovely birthday presents. Her room is now tidy, which means I can walk into it without getting tremendously depressed at the mess. Now, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our latest guest, Rachel Jones, who gets here at the crack of dawn on Wednesday and stays through the weekend. Yay! The Summer of Partying rocks on!!
Sleepaway camp redux
So, we dropped Rachel off at a Girl Scout camp called Potomac Woods in Leesburg. Mom and Dad may remember dropping me off at Girl Scout camp in Glen Spey, NY, years ago. I told Rachel that the first time that I got to go away to SLEEPAWAY CAMP was when I was 11. She found that pretty hilarious. (Remember, Mom and Dad, that I didn't want to come home? That you ended up signing me up for another two weeks? The sense of independence and freedom were heady, and that camp was where I got a first taste of living outdoors and fell in love with the idea of camping and canoeing, which lasts to this day. So, a belated thank-you.)
Drew was extremely impressed at how organized everything was. All the counselors appeared to be from Scotland -- they all had funny camp names like "Ping" and "Scotland" and delightful British Isles accents. We asked one woman about the Scotland independence referendum and she said she'd be voting "no." The first thing we did was drop off Rachel's big duffel and sleeping bag in an area labeled "Hill High" for the youngest kids (because they are, adorably, only hill high), then smuggled in our letters. They checked Rachel and all the other kids for head lice, and then the moment came to say goodbye. Probably guessing that we expected her to make a scene, Rachel played it very cool. "Bye!" she said, lifting one hand. "Bye!" she said, lifting the other, and walking off. Then she turned around, grinned, and allowed each of us to hug her...and she was off. I got a little teary-eyed thinking that this is the first of one of many goodbyes we'll be saying to her throughout her life.
...When it came time to pick her up, it felt as if she had grown an entire grade in two days! Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, she had on a camp T-shirt decorated with the names of her fellow campers and counselors, a cute camp cap that was also colorfully decorated, and...she had lost another tooth! So, now, she has an adorable gap-toothed smile and she has developed a lisp because there are two teeth missing at the top of her mouth! I grabbed her up in my arms and started crying a bit, because I realized that I missed her so much and she looked so grown-up and...well, she's getting there. Way too fast.
Drew was extremely impressed at how organized everything was. All the counselors appeared to be from Scotland -- they all had funny camp names like "Ping" and "Scotland" and delightful British Isles accents. We asked one woman about the Scotland independence referendum and she said she'd be voting "no." The first thing we did was drop off Rachel's big duffel and sleeping bag in an area labeled "Hill High" for the youngest kids (because they are, adorably, only hill high), then smuggled in our letters. They checked Rachel and all the other kids for head lice, and then the moment came to say goodbye. Probably guessing that we expected her to make a scene, Rachel played it very cool. "Bye!" she said, lifting one hand. "Bye!" she said, lifting the other, and walking off. Then she turned around, grinned, and allowed each of us to hug her...and she was off. I got a little teary-eyed thinking that this is the first of one of many goodbyes we'll be saying to her throughout her life.
...When it came time to pick her up, it felt as if she had grown an entire grade in two days! Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, she had on a camp T-shirt decorated with the names of her fellow campers and counselors, a cute camp cap that was also colorfully decorated, and...she had lost another tooth! So, now, she has an adorable gap-toothed smile and she has developed a lisp because there are two teeth missing at the top of her mouth! I grabbed her up in my arms and started crying a bit, because I realized that I missed her so much and she looked so grown-up and...well, she's getting there. Way too fast.
Summer adventures
..so, after PopPop left last Tuesday, the house felt strangely empty. I finished fact-checking a story, then went in to my last day of work for a few days because on Wednesday we were taking Rachel to...SLEEPAWAY CAMP!!!
I had insisted on a staying nearby in Leesburg, so that if camp was too overwhelming for Rachel and she needed to come home, then we'd be close by. After a mishap with our reservation at the first place, we ended up bunking in a lovely B&B -- a 1700s-era house with beautiful rooms, fantastic breakfasts (we filled up so much that we never ended up going out to lunch) and an OUTDOOR HEATED POOL. Just the thing to undo the weeks of stress and tension planning Rachel's birthday party and finishing up the magazine story. We got the chance to explore some antique stores in Lucketts, a small town nearby, and I bought two vintage dresses -- not something I do very often -- and some blue linen napkins for fancy-occasion dinners.
On Thursday we explored Harpers Ferry, then hiked a bit on the Appalachian Trail, ate dinner at a barbecue restaurant (we'd gone to a nice place the night before, meeting a garrulous woman from Charlotte) then went back for a night swim before turning in.
Friday Drew wanted to stop at a bunch of outlet stores so he could check out the Brooks Brothers to replace some frayed and faded shirts. I got a few things, too, and eventually it was time to pick up Rachel from camp around 6.
I had insisted on a staying nearby in Leesburg, so that if camp was too overwhelming for Rachel and she needed to come home, then we'd be close by. After a mishap with our reservation at the first place, we ended up bunking in a lovely B&B -- a 1700s-era house with beautiful rooms, fantastic breakfasts (we filled up so much that we never ended up going out to lunch) and an OUTDOOR HEATED POOL. Just the thing to undo the weeks of stress and tension planning Rachel's birthday party and finishing up the magazine story. We got the chance to explore some antique stores in Lucketts, a small town nearby, and I bought two vintage dresses -- not something I do very often -- and some blue linen napkins for fancy-occasion dinners.
On Thursday we explored Harpers Ferry, then hiked a bit on the Appalachian Trail, ate dinner at a barbecue restaurant (we'd gone to a nice place the night before, meeting a garrulous woman from Charlotte) then went back for a night swim before turning in.
Friday Drew wanted to stop at a bunch of outlet stores so he could check out the Brooks Brothers to replace some frayed and faded shirts. I got a few things, too, and eventually it was time to pick up Rachel from camp around 6.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Back to work
It was a real bummer having to go back to work on Sunday after Rachel's party. Fortunately, PopPop was here until Tuesday -- which allowed us the chance to chaperone a field trip to a nearby park that Rachel's Summer Laureates classmates accompanied her on. The park, Lacey Park, is near her friend Libby's house, and Richard had the extraordinary grace to tromp through the woods very cheerfully without complaining about the heat (and it was HOT). After we got back, I changed into my work clothes and we hiked to the Metro station. The weather was a sticky mess, I hadn't had time to eat breakfast, I still had to fact-check a magazine story and I was in a bad mood by the time we got to D.C. Richard, of course, had NO PROBLEM with the walk; he said he needed the exercise. We miscommunicated with Drew about where we all were supposed to meet, and by the time we got to the restaurant where we all were supposed to meet for lunch, I was POOPED. Luckily, it was a great lunch spot and we had a lovely meal.
When I got home late that night, I heard that PopPop, Drew and Rachel had gone to Red Robin for dinner. Apparently they all had a great time.
When I got home late that night, I heard that PopPop, Drew and Rachel had gone to Red Robin for dinner. Apparently they all had a great time.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
PAR-TAY!
So, Drew ran out early this morning while I slept until 9:10 or so. Rachel came into my room, crawled into bed with me and said, "Mommy. The cupcakes look AWESOME!" Then she demanded I play "Twenty Questions" and at one point I must have looked exhausted because she said, "You really want to go back to sleep, don't you??" I said no, but then she got upset when I said I needed to get up and make breakfast for PopPop. She hopped off the bed and went into her room. I followed her in because I sensed she needed some Mommy and Rachel time, and I lay down on the bed with her and she grabbed my arm and wrapped it around her body and she said, "All I want is MOMMY." So, she read me a book about a little girl who dreams about being president (YEAH), and then we talked about Title IX (see previous post), and then she started to get to a happier part in the book, and I said she should finish it while I took a shower and tell me how it ends -- which she did, and it ended okay and I know this because she raced into the bathroom to tell me while I still showering. I love how she does that.
Then Drew got back and we raced over to the Lyon Park Community Center and started setting up. The folks who had had first few hours were just leaving and gave us a rundown of what we had to do, which we knew because Drew had printed out the checklist. Kelly, the troop leader of Rachel's Daisy Scouts troop, stopped in early with her husband and son and immediately jumped in to help set up. We had most of it done by the time everyone arrived, and the kids went outside to play for a bit. We got them back in to make masks, and then they tossed balloons around for a while, banged on the piano on the stage, ate pizza and watermelon and chips, then we did the piñata, then they came inside for cupcakes, and then we had them play pin the tail on the cheetah (all Drew's doing; he was a great MC while I made sure Mom and Dad were okay, chatted with the rest of the parents and made sure the kids had the food they wanted) and then, magically, it was 2:30 and some the parents graciously helped us clean up, and by 2:57 we had the place shipshape because PopPop had done half of the cleanup while I said goodbye to folks. One big lesson learned? Instead of just dropping Rachel off at birthday parties, I'm going to stay and socialize, and help the parents if they need it. Just call that my way of paying it forward.
Then we went home and Rachel opened presents -- including Grandpa and Grandma's incredibly cool Wizard of Oz pop-up book that I WANT FOR MYSELF BECAUSE IT IS AMAZING, BUT I WILL LET RACHEL HAVE IT, SINCE IT'S HER PRESENT, AND I WILL GO OFF IN A CORNER AND SULK. Rachel loved, loved, loved the gift. She put all her presents upstairs, I changed into cooler clothes and we headed out to....Wolf Trap! I had suggested Drew get tickets for us all to see selections from "Fantasia" 1940 and 2000 with a live score from the National Symphony, and, man, was it worth it! We walked around Wolf Trap a bit and vowed to come back when we can really hike around -- it's a gorgeous, forested National Park -- and we saw an outdoor restaurant with a wonderful buffet that we really want to come back and try sometime, and we got some light food at the concession stand, ate dinner on the lawn, went to our seats at the appointed time, and then...Fantasia! It was amazing, fantastic, Rachel sat on Drew's lap, then on mine, with a glowstick necklace (I'd bought it for her at the gift shop) and then we hopped the shuttle back to the West Falls Church Metro station, got into Drew's car and drove home. Poor Rachel didn't get to bed until almost midnight, but it was so worth it.
I feel so blessed to be back East with all my family, my old friends, my new friends...and the friends still in Oregon and Washington who are looking forward to our return visit in August. Peace, all!
Then Drew got back and we raced over to the Lyon Park Community Center and started setting up. The folks who had had first few hours were just leaving and gave us a rundown of what we had to do, which we knew because Drew had printed out the checklist. Kelly, the troop leader of Rachel's Daisy Scouts troop, stopped in early with her husband and son and immediately jumped in to help set up. We had most of it done by the time everyone arrived, and the kids went outside to play for a bit. We got them back in to make masks, and then they tossed balloons around for a while, banged on the piano on the stage, ate pizza and watermelon and chips, then we did the piñata, then they came inside for cupcakes, and then we had them play pin the tail on the cheetah (all Drew's doing; he was a great MC while I made sure Mom and Dad were okay, chatted with the rest of the parents and made sure the kids had the food they wanted) and then, magically, it was 2:30 and some the parents graciously helped us clean up, and by 2:57 we had the place shipshape because PopPop had done half of the cleanup while I said goodbye to folks. One big lesson learned? Instead of just dropping Rachel off at birthday parties, I'm going to stay and socialize, and help the parents if they need it. Just call that my way of paying it forward.
Then we went home and Rachel opened presents -- including Grandpa and Grandma's incredibly cool Wizard of Oz pop-up book that I WANT FOR MYSELF BECAUSE IT IS AMAZING, BUT I WILL LET RACHEL HAVE IT, SINCE IT'S HER PRESENT, AND I WILL GO OFF IN A CORNER AND SULK. Rachel loved, loved, loved the gift. She put all her presents upstairs, I changed into cooler clothes and we headed out to....Wolf Trap! I had suggested Drew get tickets for us all to see selections from "Fantasia" 1940 and 2000 with a live score from the National Symphony, and, man, was it worth it! We walked around Wolf Trap a bit and vowed to come back when we can really hike around -- it's a gorgeous, forested National Park -- and we saw an outdoor restaurant with a wonderful buffet that we really want to come back and try sometime, and we got some light food at the concession stand, ate dinner on the lawn, went to our seats at the appointed time, and then...Fantasia! It was amazing, fantastic, Rachel sat on Drew's lap, then on mine, with a glowstick necklace (I'd bought it for her at the gift shop) and then we hopped the shuttle back to the West Falls Church Metro station, got into Drew's car and drove home. Poor Rachel didn't get to bed until almost midnight, but it was so worth it.
I feel so blessed to be back East with all my family, my old friends, my new friends...and the friends still in Oregon and Washington who are looking forward to our return visit in August. Peace, all!
Happy 6th birthday, darling girl
Wow, what a weekend! On Friday I got up early to make chocolate-chip pancakes to Rachel, who was kind of subdued -- it turns out she was upset by a passage she read in an American Girl book about a girl in the 1970s who wanted to form her own basketball team, and the male coach said no, and it turns out that Title IX got passed, and so the girl got to play basketball. I had quite a time explaining to Rachel what Title IX was -- so glad she won't have to go through that when she gets older. No, she'll just have to worry about getting raped in college and having to decide whether to trust the university to press charges, and then launching a career in which she'll be mommy-tracked, or mommy-track herself because of our insane culture of work, work, work all the time.
But I digress.
Anyway... Richard and I had a nice chat before he headed out to buy Rachel's gifts (a microscope, among other things -- THANKS, MAMMAW and POPPOP!!) and then I made frosting for Rachel's birthday cupcakes, showered and then met Mom and Dad for a lovely lunch at Busboys & Poets, a place I've always wanted to try. We had a great afternoon laughing and reminiscing about the past. Then I picked Rachel up from camp, swung by the party venue, raced home to get us both changed for dinner, and then all of us -- Drew, PopPop, Mom and Dad, Rachel and I -- went to Lebanese Taverna for dinner, where the staff made a fuss over her and brought her a special dessert of ice cream and baklava (which everyone ate, much to Rachel's chagrin, but Drew had ordered some chocolate ice cream forher), and then it was time to go home. We put Rachel to bed, then I finished making the cupcakes (and topped them with plastic jungle animals, and they looked so adorable that Drew and I couldn't stop exclaiming over them), Drew made a grocery and party-store list for an early Saturday morning run, and then we talked for a while and got to bed at 2 a.m. And then, on Saturday, it was...PARTY DAY!!!
But I digress.
Anyway... Richard and I had a nice chat before he headed out to buy Rachel's gifts (a microscope, among other things -- THANKS, MAMMAW and POPPOP!!) and then I made frosting for Rachel's birthday cupcakes, showered and then met Mom and Dad for a lovely lunch at Busboys & Poets, a place I've always wanted to try. We had a great afternoon laughing and reminiscing about the past. Then I picked Rachel up from camp, swung by the party venue, raced home to get us both changed for dinner, and then all of us -- Drew, PopPop, Mom and Dad, Rachel and I -- went to Lebanese Taverna for dinner, where the staff made a fuss over her and brought her a special dessert of ice cream and baklava (which everyone ate, much to Rachel's chagrin, but Drew had ordered some chocolate ice cream forher), and then it was time to go home. We put Rachel to bed, then I finished making the cupcakes (and topped them with plastic jungle animals, and they looked so adorable that Drew and I couldn't stop exclaiming over them), Drew made a grocery and party-store list for an early Saturday morning run, and then we talked for a while and got to bed at 2 a.m. And then, on Saturday, it was...PARTY DAY!!!
Thursday, July 10, 2014
We are a science family! I guess
When Drew picked up Rachel after her first day of camp, she announced, "We're a science family!"
"Really?" Drew said.
"Yes," she replied. "You've said you like science, right, Daddy?"
"Yes," he said.
"And Mommy likes science, right?" she added. "So, we're a science family!"
This warms my heart, even if it is completely untrue because, while I liked parts of science, I couldn't properly dissect a cat to save my life, and I practically flunked physics in high school, and chemistry was mostly a mystery although I did manage to memorize the chart of all the elements. So I'm glad our daughter has STEM tendencies because I'm not sure I want to be extolling the virtues of a journalism degree -- or a liberal-arts eduction, unless she uses it to become a doctor or a lawyer.
"Really?" Drew said.
"Yes," she replied. "You've said you like science, right, Daddy?"
"Yes," he said.
"And Mommy likes science, right?" she added. "So, we're a science family!"
This warms my heart, even if it is completely untrue because, while I liked parts of science, I couldn't properly dissect a cat to save my life, and I practically flunked physics in high school, and chemistry was mostly a mystery although I did manage to memorize the chart of all the elements. So I'm glad our daughter has STEM tendencies because I'm not sure I want to be extolling the virtues of a journalism degree -- or a liberal-arts eduction, unless she uses it to become a doctor or a lawyer.
Summer Laureates
So, for three weeks in July Rachel will be attending Summer Laureates, a camp run by Arlington's Gifted and Talented program. She had to get a teacher's recommendation to get in, which Mrs. Kappert was happy to write for us, and she was so excited to do more learning this summer.
When Drew picked her up that first night, Monday, Rachel waved him inside the building (Arlington Traditional School, a grammar school) and excitedly pointed to the slides she was looking at UNDER A MICROSCOPE. Drew told me that night that he never got near a microscope until he was in, like, 3rd grade. I remember my first time was 6th grade. Anyway...she loves, loves, LOVES camp and has invited at least one of her new little camp friends to her birthday party on Saturday (we are up to 11 kids, heaven help us).
She takes the bus to camp; the bus picks her up from McKinley, so I get to walk her in every morning. The first time I put her on the bus (the big orangey school bus we all remember from elementary school and camp), and I walked down the street toward home and as the bus pulled away I waved to her as she passed me, I had a flashback to Mom, years ago, putting me on the bus to Y day camp, and her waving goodbye to me, kerchief around her hair and in a light coat. The memory of that was so powerful it almost brought tears to my eyes because, yes, history is repeating itself, and someday I'll be waving goodbye to my little girl, and she'll be all grown-up, and I won't have a little one anymore to send off to camp every morning. Now, Mom, I know what you went through.
When Drew picked her up that first night, Monday, Rachel waved him inside the building (Arlington Traditional School, a grammar school) and excitedly pointed to the slides she was looking at UNDER A MICROSCOPE. Drew told me that night that he never got near a microscope until he was in, like, 3rd grade. I remember my first time was 6th grade. Anyway...she loves, loves, LOVES camp and has invited at least one of her new little camp friends to her birthday party on Saturday (we are up to 11 kids, heaven help us).
She takes the bus to camp; the bus picks her up from McKinley, so I get to walk her in every morning. The first time I put her on the bus (the big orangey school bus we all remember from elementary school and camp), and I walked down the street toward home and as the bus pulled away I waved to her as she passed me, I had a flashback to Mom, years ago, putting me on the bus to Y day camp, and her waving goodbye to me, kerchief around her hair and in a light coat. The memory of that was so powerful it almost brought tears to my eyes because, yes, history is repeating itself, and someday I'll be waving goodbye to my little girl, and she'll be all grown-up, and I won't have a little one anymore to send off to camp every morning. Now, Mom, I know what you went through.
We survived the sleepover....
On our 3rd day of the Fabulous Fourth of July weekend, Daniella and Darryl came over at around 10:30 to pick up Valerie. She and Rachel actually did get some sleep even though Drew put them to bed late, solo, because I had to spend the night working on my magazine story. We all went to the Original Pancake House, which is fast becoming our go-to breakfast/brunch place, and I had a delightful time trying to take pictures of the girls while they made goofy faces and generally refused to be photographed.
Then we headed over to Dan and Beryle's for a lovely visit that lasted almost two hours. We sat around and talked about all sorts of things, including Grandpa, and Dan's art, and the girls spent the time walking from the living room to the balcony and back again. I had foolishly neglected to bring anything to amuse them from home, so the girls got tired and cranky until we got some food into them (thanks to Daniella, who actually noticed this), and then they perked right up, like flowers.
Afterward it was too late to go to a water park as we had planned, so we went to a cool park we discovered right after we moved here that we subsequently showed off to Darryl and Daniella: Clemyjontri Park. We all played there for a while until dinnertime, when Darryl and Daniella took us to a GREAT place near their hotel called Copperwood Tavern. I tried some apple pie moonshine, which was mighty fine, and we had a good dinner before the girls said goodbye (they were pretty good about it, too, no weeping). And then it was home to bed, and work/camp for Drew, myself and Rachel. Oh, what a great weekend it was! We can't wait to repeat it.
Then we headed over to Dan and Beryle's for a lovely visit that lasted almost two hours. We sat around and talked about all sorts of things, including Grandpa, and Dan's art, and the girls spent the time walking from the living room to the balcony and back again. I had foolishly neglected to bring anything to amuse them from home, so the girls got tired and cranky until we got some food into them (thanks to Daniella, who actually noticed this), and then they perked right up, like flowers.
Afterward it was too late to go to a water park as we had planned, so we went to a cool park we discovered right after we moved here that we subsequently showed off to Darryl and Daniella: Clemyjontri Park. We all played there for a while until dinnertime, when Darryl and Daniella took us to a GREAT place near their hotel called Copperwood Tavern. I tried some apple pie moonshine, which was mighty fine, and we had a good dinner before the girls said goodbye (they were pretty good about it, too, no weeping). And then it was home to bed, and work/camp for Drew, myself and Rachel. Oh, what a great weekend it was! We can't wait to repeat it.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Sweet girls of ours
During a phone call tonight, Dad asked if Valerie and Rachel always get along. I had to say that I can't remember them ever getting into a fight. Some examples of how sweet they are to each other:
--on the 4th of July, Rachel accidentally kicked Valerie in the head when she insisted on doing a somersault after the fireworks, when it was dark. She burst into tears and was inconsolable for a while, saying, "It's my fault! I'm so angry at myself!" convinced that she had seriously hurt Valerie. Even when Valerie reassured her she was okay, it took a while for Rachel to calm down. At one point, she said, of Valerie, "She should kick ME in the head!" Had to wince at that one.
--during the day of the 4th, Valerie scratched her foot badly on the hose we use to water the flowers. She screamed and cried; it was apparently a bad injury. Rachel got very quiet and morose, and when we asked her why, she said it was her fault that the hose was on the ground and that Valerie had gotten hurt. It's great that she takes responsibility, Drew noted later, but sometimes she takes on too much.
--tonight Daniella said that Valerie, referring to Rachel, called her "my sweet sister who happens to be my cousin." I wish I had been there; I would have covered her little face with kisses. And she would have squirmed and run away, of course.
--also tonight, there was a scary part of the movie Rachel chose for herself and Valerie, and when Rachel burst into tears, Valerie put her arm on her lap and said, "That's okay, Rachel. I'll protect you!" When Rachel ran upstairs and insisted on cuddling with me in the papasan chair in the study, where I was working on a magazine story, Valerie -- who had run upstairs after Rachel -- said, "I hate those bad guys! I want to kill them!" Then they both calmed down and finished the movie.
Really wish I was young enough to be their friend.
--on the 4th of July, Rachel accidentally kicked Valerie in the head when she insisted on doing a somersault after the fireworks, when it was dark. She burst into tears and was inconsolable for a while, saying, "It's my fault! I'm so angry at myself!" convinced that she had seriously hurt Valerie. Even when Valerie reassured her she was okay, it took a while for Rachel to calm down. At one point, she said, of Valerie, "She should kick ME in the head!" Had to wince at that one.
--during the day of the 4th, Valerie scratched her foot badly on the hose we use to water the flowers. She screamed and cried; it was apparently a bad injury. Rachel got very quiet and morose, and when we asked her why, she said it was her fault that the hose was on the ground and that Valerie had gotten hurt. It's great that she takes responsibility, Drew noted later, but sometimes she takes on too much.
--tonight Daniella said that Valerie, referring to Rachel, called her "my sweet sister who happens to be my cousin." I wish I had been there; I would have covered her little face with kisses. And she would have squirmed and run away, of course.
--also tonight, there was a scary part of the movie Rachel chose for herself and Valerie, and when Rachel burst into tears, Valerie put her arm on her lap and said, "That's okay, Rachel. I'll protect you!" When Rachel ran upstairs and insisted on cuddling with me in the papasan chair in the study, where I was working on a magazine story, Valerie -- who had run upstairs after Rachel -- said, "I hate those bad guys! I want to kill them!" Then they both calmed down and finished the movie.
Really wish I was young enough to be their friend.
2nd day of a fabulous three-day weekend
We all got up late this morning after the merriment of the 4th. Rachel, bless her little heart, let us sleep late -- very late -- it was 10 AM WHEN WE GOT UP. That is very unusual, even for us. As soon as she heard us talking quietly together, she came in and announced she had a surprise for us downstairs. Drew checked it out first, and when I came downstairs I discovered that Rachel had SET THE BREAKFAST TABLE ALL BY HERSELF. She must have used her little red chair to reach the bows and plates -- everything was arranged in the exact right order. I was beside myself, as was Drew, and we hugged and kissed her repeatedly and told her what a great kid she was. Because, you know, she is.
Then I took Rachel to a water park while Drew ran errands and bought all her birthday gifts. Rachel and I had a FABULOUS time at the water park, the best park I have ever been to. Its called Great Waves, and it has a couple of water slides, and a wading pool with two slides that Rachel insisted on going down with me, and I loved them so much that I kept telling her, "Let's go down AGAIN!" And she was so happy that she kept wrapping her arms around me and hugging me and kissing me and telling me how much she loved me. Which was a cue for me to try to stop acting so stressed-out around her, because she picks up on it and it makes her less likely to be relaxed around me.
There was also a sand pit where we dug seats for ourselves and Rachel tried to bury my feet, and an enclosed play structure that reminded us of Playdate PDX, and a wave pool with a wavemaking machine that simulated the beach. I got a life jacket from the First Aid station and put it on Rachel, and we had a blast. She LOVED getting knocked around by the waves, as long as she hung on to Mommy for dear life. Really, it was best 2 1/2 hours I have ever spent.
Then we came home, Drew grilled burgers and we had French fries and tater tots, and then went to Toby's for ice cream. Daniella, Darryl and Valerie showed up soon after, and the cousins immediately went downstairs to watch a movie as part of Family Fun Night while we shoved Darryl and Daniella out the door with a magazine of great Arlington restaurants. Hopefully they found a great dessert place. I worked on a magazine story due next week while Drew supervised the girls and put them to bed far later than they should have been up, but okay. Tomorrow is breakfast at a great pancake place in Falls Church, then we visit Dan and Beryle, and after that...who knows?We're on VACATION!!!
Then I took Rachel to a water park while Drew ran errands and bought all her birthday gifts. Rachel and I had a FABULOUS time at the water park, the best park I have ever been to. Its called Great Waves, and it has a couple of water slides, and a wading pool with two slides that Rachel insisted on going down with me, and I loved them so much that I kept telling her, "Let's go down AGAIN!" And she was so happy that she kept wrapping her arms around me and hugging me and kissing me and telling me how much she loved me. Which was a cue for me to try to stop acting so stressed-out around her, because she picks up on it and it makes her less likely to be relaxed around me.
There was also a sand pit where we dug seats for ourselves and Rachel tried to bury my feet, and an enclosed play structure that reminded us of Playdate PDX, and a wave pool with a wavemaking machine that simulated the beach. I got a life jacket from the First Aid station and put it on Rachel, and we had a blast. She LOVED getting knocked around by the waves, as long as she hung on to Mommy for dear life. Really, it was best 2 1/2 hours I have ever spent.
Then we came home, Drew grilled burgers and we had French fries and tater tots, and then went to Toby's for ice cream. Daniella, Darryl and Valerie showed up soon after, and the cousins immediately went downstairs to watch a movie as part of Family Fun Night while we shoved Darryl and Daniella out the door with a magazine of great Arlington restaurants. Hopefully they found a great dessert place. I worked on a magazine story due next week while Drew supervised the girls and put them to bed far later than they should have been up, but okay. Tomorrow is breakfast at a great pancake place in Falls Church, then we visit Dan and Beryle, and after that...who knows?We're on VACATION!!!
Friday, July 4, 2014
Camp report
Drew was the one who picked Rachel up from camp this week -- it was a one-day overnight camp at the Y's Camp Kirkwood -- and I called them from work on Thursday to get a quick report. Rachel said all was fine, she had a great time, her new best friend is a 13-year-old girl at camp, since she apparently prefers playing with older girls (the exception being Valerie, "my special cousin," who she really thinks of as a sister), etc.
When I got home, the report was quite different. Apparently the huge rain we had Wednesday infiltrated the girls' tent, and the fly came off, and water soaked all their stuff, and Rachel and her little friend, Sidney, started screaming and yelling before a counselor herded them into the Y where they slept on mats for the night. Rachel also said they didn't get much of a breakfast -- just half a bagel. Sounds like the event was pretty disorganized. (Also, apparently, when they were roasting marshmallows before the rain started, one kid's marshmallow was on fire and dropped onto the arm o another kid. This left a huge impression on Rachel.)
When I woke up this morning (Friday), Rachel made me go to my computer to read the note she had left for me. "Dear Mommy," it read. "I misst you!" Love, Rachel was in a heart, and in another heart it said, "Picture on the back." I turned the Post-It note around and there was a huge heart, and the words, "You'r the best Mommy!" and my heart melted because, really, I'm not the best mommy -- far from it -- but hopefully she will believe that I am as long as possible.
When I got home, the report was quite different. Apparently the huge rain we had Wednesday infiltrated the girls' tent, and the fly came off, and water soaked all their stuff, and Rachel and her little friend, Sidney, started screaming and yelling before a counselor herded them into the Y where they slept on mats for the night. Rachel also said they didn't get much of a breakfast -- just half a bagel. Sounds like the event was pretty disorganized. (Also, apparently, when they were roasting marshmallows before the rain started, one kid's marshmallow was on fire and dropped onto the arm o another kid. This left a huge impression on Rachel.)
When I woke up this morning (Friday), Rachel made me go to my computer to read the note she had left for me. "Dear Mommy," it read. "I misst you!" Love, Rachel was in a heart, and in another heart it said, "Picture on the back." I turned the Post-It note around and there was a huge heart, and the words, "You'r the best Mommy!" and my heart melted because, really, I'm not the best mommy -- far from it -- but hopefully she will believe that I am as long as possible.
Happy 4th of July, everyone!
We have had surely the most fantastic 4th EVER. Daniella, Darryl and Valerie came over around 11:30 this morning, and after discussing whether or not we should go downtown, we ended up just sitting around in our backyard, talking and relaxing. It helped that it was a perfect day, weather-wise: Breezy, not too warm, humidity almost non-existent. Valerie and Rachel were, of course, delighted to see each other. They played outside on the swings, did gymnastics tricks, then went upstairs while Drew baked his famous chocolate-chip cookies. Daniella admired the herb garden I've planted and even helped me weed a bit (THANK YOU, Daniella!)
At one point, Daniella went upstairs to Rachel's room to check on the girls -- and, she said, it was like going through a time warp. Valerie was in the corner playing with one of Rachel's dolls, and Rachel was lying on her bed, reading, intensely absorbed in her book. "It's just like when Lisa and I were kids!" she told Drew. "I was always drawing, I didn't care for books, and Lisa was always reading!"
Yeah, the apple(s) don't fall far from the tree, I guess...
We gathered up our picnic stuff at around 3:30 or so, then went to Harris Teeter to get food. We had two shopping bags full by the time we were done, which got Drew momentarily cranky, but I had a backpack and he had a large bag and Darryl and Daniella carried the other food bag and a backpack, so it worked out. Luckily we found two parking spaces at the East Falls Church Metro station -- and since it's a holiday, parking was FREE! -- the Metro was surprisingly uncrowded, and we got off at the Foggy Bottom station and walked about six blocks to the check-in. We easily found a nice shady spot right on the Mall to spread our blanket and then ate dinner (it was around 6 by this point). The girls amused themselves by listening to a rollicking version of the Hare and the Tortoise by Daniella, complete with props (yet another reason why she is a thousand times better than me at being a mommy) and then I took the girls to the Lincoln Memorial. They hung out at the gift shop for a while, doing -- what else? -- reading some books they found, then I walked them back, and then Drew took Rachel to a kiosk and bought her a cool D.C. T-shirt that I want the adult version of, and then it was just about time for the fireworks to start, and Drew took the kids to a bare patch of lawn and watched them race around (they have to be run like puppies every hour or so).
And then the fireworks! OH, THEY WERE AWESOME! "I must be imagining this!" Rachel exclaimed at one point. "You realize, we're going to be totally spoiled after this," Drew said, and he is right -- I can no longer imagine spending the 4th anywhere else except on the Mall. I had visions of us at 70, lugging lawn chairs and a blanket, setting up at 4 p.m. with our Kindles (or whatever devices are in vogue by then), reading the afternoon away and eating a fabulous dinner until the fireworks start.
Getting home was a bit of a trick -- approximately 1 gazillion people all heading to the Metro at the same time -- but I must say, the Metro folks were fantastically organized. There was a line to enter, but once we did, we snagged the 2nd train that came through even though we had to squeeze ourselves on (and poor Rachel had to go to the bathroom, so I tried to distract her by braiding her hair in the station). We stood next to a nice elderly couple from the Shenandoah Valley who had seen the fireworks and asked the kids which ones they liked best, which Rachel and Valerie recounted in great detail, and we managed to make it back to the Metro and home in time for Rachel to pee. On the train she turned to me, despite the fact that it was crowded, and said, "This is kind of fun." And I answered, "It's an adventure! You two are adventure girls!" And, surely, they are.
At one point, Daniella went upstairs to Rachel's room to check on the girls -- and, she said, it was like going through a time warp. Valerie was in the corner playing with one of Rachel's dolls, and Rachel was lying on her bed, reading, intensely absorbed in her book. "It's just like when Lisa and I were kids!" she told Drew. "I was always drawing, I didn't care for books, and Lisa was always reading!"
Yeah, the apple(s) don't fall far from the tree, I guess...
We gathered up our picnic stuff at around 3:30 or so, then went to Harris Teeter to get food. We had two shopping bags full by the time we were done, which got Drew momentarily cranky, but I had a backpack and he had a large bag and Darryl and Daniella carried the other food bag and a backpack, so it worked out. Luckily we found two parking spaces at the East Falls Church Metro station -- and since it's a holiday, parking was FREE! -- the Metro was surprisingly uncrowded, and we got off at the Foggy Bottom station and walked about six blocks to the check-in. We easily found a nice shady spot right on the Mall to spread our blanket and then ate dinner (it was around 6 by this point). The girls amused themselves by listening to a rollicking version of the Hare and the Tortoise by Daniella, complete with props (yet another reason why she is a thousand times better than me at being a mommy) and then I took the girls to the Lincoln Memorial. They hung out at the gift shop for a while, doing -- what else? -- reading some books they found, then I walked them back, and then Drew took Rachel to a kiosk and bought her a cool D.C. T-shirt that I want the adult version of, and then it was just about time for the fireworks to start, and Drew took the kids to a bare patch of lawn and watched them race around (they have to be run like puppies every hour or so).
And then the fireworks! OH, THEY WERE AWESOME! "I must be imagining this!" Rachel exclaimed at one point. "You realize, we're going to be totally spoiled after this," Drew said, and he is right -- I can no longer imagine spending the 4th anywhere else except on the Mall. I had visions of us at 70, lugging lawn chairs and a blanket, setting up at 4 p.m. with our Kindles (or whatever devices are in vogue by then), reading the afternoon away and eating a fabulous dinner until the fireworks start.
Getting home was a bit of a trick -- approximately 1 gazillion people all heading to the Metro at the same time -- but I must say, the Metro folks were fantastically organized. There was a line to enter, but once we did, we snagged the 2nd train that came through even though we had to squeeze ourselves on (and poor Rachel had to go to the bathroom, so I tried to distract her by braiding her hair in the station). We stood next to a nice elderly couple from the Shenandoah Valley who had seen the fireworks and asked the kids which ones they liked best, which Rachel and Valerie recounted in great detail, and we managed to make it back to the Metro and home in time for Rachel to pee. On the train she turned to me, despite the fact that it was crowded, and said, "This is kind of fun." And I answered, "It's an adventure! You two are adventure girls!" And, surely, they are.
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