Friday afternoon with my daughter

We got snow today, the first day of spring (of course!), but luckily it didn't stick and by afternoon had turned into cold, miserable rain. I ran around like a crazy woman today -- baked orange bread because we are going to visit Uncle Dan and Auntie Ruth (who's in town this weekend, yay!) tomorrow, then rushed to Vienna (a hike away) for a haircut, then back home, then changed into different clothes, then picked up Rachel early from extended day so we could go get a gift for her friend, Simone, whose birthday party is tomorrow. This season seems to be the one for birthday parties; Rachel has one to go to every week!

She was very happy to see me, but disappointed when I said no to a sleepover with Sidney. (I do not want that child in my house, especially not overnight). I later found out she meant a sleepover at Sidney's house, which I said maybe to. She cheered up a bit and focused on reading her book on the way to Toys 'R Us. By the time we were ready to get out of the car, she said, "I love you, Mommy," with a smile on her face, and all was well.

We wandered around for bit before Rachel spied a big stuffed hedgehog (no joke -- this thing is huge) and decided it would be a perfect gift. We chose a card and then I got wrapping paper while Rachel looked at some of the drivable toy cars ($250) nearby. "You can check out while I stay here," she suggested, one of many things she said today that made me think she seems to have grown up in about the last three days -- maybe because I haven't really seen her because I've been working a five-day week.

When I came back she pointed out three things she wanted and then made her trademark Rachel puppy-dog face, but I held firm and she started sulking and crying. I ignored it until we got back home, and then when we got out of the car to walk to a play that her school was doing, I said, "We're going to this play because you wanted us to. Are you mad at me because I didn't buy you anything?"

No, she said, it turned out she'd had a bad day. "Daddy made me rush around this morning, which hurt my legs, and you didn't walk me to school, and then we had a mystery reader AND IT WASN'T YOU!!" she sobbed. I apologized for oversleeping and then she threw herself into my arms, and I carried her a bit, and then set her down.

She was okay when we got to the school, although she was looking for Sidney who thank heavens did not show up. The play, entirely student-written and produced, was a musical about "tall tales of the frontier" featuring Paul Bunyan, John Henry, Calamity Jane and others. I was starving by the end of it -- didn't have time to eat lunch today -- but I thought it was actually pretty good. We chatted about it on the way home, and got back to discover Drew had done EVERYTHING to get dinner ready -- heated up the last of the homemade matzoh-ball soup and homemade challah and set the table -- so we had a quick Shabbat dinner. The bottom of my left foot was aching (I believe I have planter fasciitis) and Rachel was so sweet -- she went to the bathroom and came down with some wet cotton pads and a cotton washcloth and rubbed my feet. As she was ready to go to bed, she spread some liquid cucumber-and-melon soap on my foot, which I told her felt very refreshing. I thanked her profusely for taking care of me.

When I went upstairs to the bathroom about a half-hour later, she called out softly from her bedroom. "Are you calling me?" I said as I went in. "Mama," she said softly, taking me into her arms as I kneeled next to her bed. "I love you so much, Mommy," she said, and I replied, "I love you so much, too, Rachel. You are the best kid in the world." And then we said our good-nights, and I closed the door and went back downstairs.