Busy lead-up to New Year's

So, last weekend passed in a bit of a whirl, and now the year is almost over. Some highlights:

--Rachel and I spent all of last Friday, Dec. 26th, cleaning her room. And when I say cleaning, I really mean "purging." We got rid of FIVE BAGS of clothes, toys and games that she no longer uses. I didn't even have to fight with her; she actually wanted to throw away more than I wanted her to, so I held some clothes and dolls back for the day when (hopefully) she has her own children and I get to be a grandma! We started the morning kind of tired and cranky, so after breakfast we went up to her room, cuddled on her bed and fell asleep for 90 minutes. Rachel is so sweet when she falls asleep with me; she grabbed my arm, wrapped it around her chest, and then dropped off. When we woke up, the cleaning went much faster.

--The whole process took about 5 hours, and by the end of it, I was pooped -- so much so that I couldn't even think about cooking (and Rachel said she didn't want meatloaf, anyway, which was Drew's suggestion), so we decided to meet him at a place we all like -- the Silver Diner in Clarendon. I could barely eat, my brain was so tired and Rachel didn't eat much, either. When we got home, she asked that I read her a book, and when I said it had to be a short one, she chose "Little Duckie's Day" (yes, Tia Daniella, we are still reading it!). And then suddenly she burst into tears and told me about a situation that is bothering her at school -- Sidney and Simone, the other two members of "The Buddy Trio," constantly fight with each other and put Rachel in the middle, and they each tell Rachel about the other, and she hates being in the center of their squabbles. (Gee, it's amazing what your kids tell you when you least expect it.) I told her she should firmly tell them both to not put her in the center of their fights, but she says she has and it didn't work. I told her I'd work on thinking of some solutions. "If you think of something after I'm asleep, don't hesitate to wake me up and tell me," she said earnestly, which just about broke my heart. I really am thinking about some good advice to give her, but I can't think of anything beyond what I've already advised.