At Drew's office yesterday, Rachel -- totally unprompted by Drew -- created a newspaper. It's called "The montana Gazette" (we live on Montana Street, remember) and here is what the front page said:
Locel News
Rachel DeSilver and Drew DeSilver are havingasale May 9th 2:30-4:00 Come and get little Bags for your stuff!
notes
Wach out for Neighborhood Cats! One Person said he saw two In his driveway.
AnnoOwNcements
Spring is in full bloom! Welcome It By mowing Your Lawns, Cleaning out your gardings and evan hanging a birdfedder iF you want!
Comices
The advenshers of the Cats
(To be filled in later, I gather).
I can push STEM education all I want, but apparently our girl has newspapering in her blood. When I asked her what she wanted to be -- a reporter, editor, designer, publisher -- she answered, "maker."
Ah, I told Drew, that means publisher. Seriously, this is how kids end up running major news organizations -- it all starts with the neighborhood newspapers they create, and I WILL OF COURSE KEEP THIS ONE FOREVER.
At the very least, she appears to be an excellent candidate for the Medill Class of 2030.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Sick day
Rachel's throat really started bothering her Sunday night after her chorus performance, and Drew warned me that if it kept up on Monday, she might have to stay home from school.
That prediction came true. Drew said he woke Rachel up as usual, but she was so sick that he sent her back to bed with a Ricola and instructions to sleep. Then he came into our room, told me that Rachel would be home for the morning, kissed me goodbye and left for work.
I got up, showered, dressed for work, came downstairs to do my blasted exercises to rid myself of this damn plantar facia (the exercises, at morning and at night, take an hour total out of my day -- an hour that I really can't spare, but I have to do them anyway) and then, as I was finishing up, Rachel crept down the stairs. She looked spent. She came up to me, put her arms around me, leaned her head into my stomach and sighed, "I'm glad it's you." We whispered to each other while I got out breakfast, and then, after she'd eaten some cereal and some homemade gingerbread, she perked right up.
We had fun telling each other what our dream houses would contain. Hers: A swimming pool filled with chocolate and a taffy diving board; a room filled with candy; a holiday room where you just press a button and "Happy Hanukkah" lights up, with blue and white patterns; a huge backyard with a treehouse so big that there'd be rooms for Mommy and Daddy; a pet room; and a subway connecting everything. Mine: A huge kitchen with two wall ovens and an eating nook; a big master bedroom with room enough for a sitting area; a mud room; a front porch and a screened-in back deck.
Sigh.
Then she decided we should play Monopoly. So, we went up to her room and she honestly kicked my butt at the game -- this, while following all the rules and pointing out the rules written out on a pamphlet that came with the game when I questioned her. Then she called Daddy to tell him that she beat Mommy and Monopoly. And then I made her lunch. She wanted egg noodles, and demolished a plate of them, plus a glass of milk, plus two Thin Mints for dessert. Yeah, she was definitely feeling better. So, I scooped her up and we took the Metro to Daddy's office. And I went in to The Post to work my night editing shift.
She is back in fighting form today.
That prediction came true. Drew said he woke Rachel up as usual, but she was so sick that he sent her back to bed with a Ricola and instructions to sleep. Then he came into our room, told me that Rachel would be home for the morning, kissed me goodbye and left for work.
I got up, showered, dressed for work, came downstairs to do my blasted exercises to rid myself of this damn plantar facia (the exercises, at morning and at night, take an hour total out of my day -- an hour that I really can't spare, but I have to do them anyway) and then, as I was finishing up, Rachel crept down the stairs. She looked spent. She came up to me, put her arms around me, leaned her head into my stomach and sighed, "I'm glad it's you." We whispered to each other while I got out breakfast, and then, after she'd eaten some cereal and some homemade gingerbread, she perked right up.
We had fun telling each other what our dream houses would contain. Hers: A swimming pool filled with chocolate and a taffy diving board; a room filled with candy; a holiday room where you just press a button and "Happy Hanukkah" lights up, with blue and white patterns; a huge backyard with a treehouse so big that there'd be rooms for Mommy and Daddy; a pet room; and a subway connecting everything. Mine: A huge kitchen with two wall ovens and an eating nook; a big master bedroom with room enough for a sitting area; a mud room; a front porch and a screened-in back deck.
Sigh.
Then she decided we should play Monopoly. So, we went up to her room and she honestly kicked my butt at the game -- this, while following all the rules and pointing out the rules written out on a pamphlet that came with the game when I questioned her. Then she called Daddy to tell him that she beat Mommy and Monopoly. And then I made her lunch. She wanted egg noodles, and demolished a plate of them, plus a glass of milk, plus two Thin Mints for dessert. Yeah, she was definitely feeling better. So, I scooped her up and we took the Metro to Daddy's office. And I went in to The Post to work my night editing shift.
She is back in fighting form today.
We miss Anne and David!
Rachel and I were walking home from school last week when she said, all of a sudden, "When are we going to see Anne and David again? I miss them!"
Totally unprompted by me. Hopefully, we'll see them soon!
Totally unprompted by me. Hopefully, we'll see them soon!
Chorus performance
On Sunday, Rachel performed with her Hebrew-school chorus, Shir Joy, at a facility for elderly people. I was working at the time, so Drew took her. He got some adorable shots of her in the front row.
Her assessment: "There was one old lady who I think had a stroke. One side of her face was stiff" and she talked in a gritty voice, Rachel said. I'm glad this chorus gets her out and about, seeing people other than Mom and Dad and her friends.
Her assessment: "There was one old lady who I think had a stroke. One side of her face was stiff" and she talked in a gritty voice, Rachel said. I'm glad this chorus gets her out and about, seeing people other than Mom and Dad and her friends.
Weird money issue
I mentioned in a previous post that James, a boy in Rachel's class, gave her a quarter. Well, last Friday, I was talking to Sidney's mom, Nicole, while Rachel and Sidney were playing on the McKinley playground. Before I realized what was happening, Rachel started digging around in Sidney's purse -- apparently Sidney had offered to give her 25 cents if she'd push her.
"Rachel, let's not take money for pushing our friends on the swings," I called out. Nicole also told Sidney not to pay money to her friends.
Later that weekend, Drew and I had a stern talk with Rachel. She is not to accept any money from her friends, ever. Even if they offer her money, Drew told her, she has to say, "My Mom and Dad have a rule that I'm not allowed to take any money from you."
I hope this sticks.
"Rachel, let's not take money for pushing our friends on the swings," I called out. Nicole also told Sidney not to pay money to her friends.
Later that weekend, Drew and I had a stern talk with Rachel. She is not to accept any money from her friends, ever. Even if they offer her money, Drew told her, she has to say, "My Mom and Dad have a rule that I'm not allowed to take any money from you."
I hope this sticks.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Rachel's superpowers
She claims she has two. They are, in her own words:
--"I can read people's minds."
--"When I close a book and open it up again, it always opens to the same page I was on."
She is very impressed with herself.
--"I can read people's minds."
--"When I close a book and open it up again, it always opens to the same page I was on."
She is very impressed with herself.
Spring cleaning
Spent all of today -- chilly, and now rainy -- cleaning the house. I've been wanting to teach Rachel how to do chores for a long time, and so today was the day.
I taught her how to do laundry and told her (after we cleaned up her room) that keeping things neat in her bedroom was her job from now on. (We didn't have time to go through her winter clothes, and it has been so chilly here that I'm putting that off until we have at least two weeks of 70+-degree weather. Same with my own clothes.
Drew taught her how to clean the sink and the toilet. Those will be her chores on Wednesday night.
And I reinforced how to sweep under the table -- she'll be responsible for that, too, after she finishes dinner at night. I told her that she also has to clear all our plates and glasses after dinner, not just her own.
Hopefully this will stick. I am completely exhausted -- I also baked two kinds of bread as part of a deal one of the parents at McKinley won for last year's auction. I was gong to dive into my messy office, but Drew says it wouldn't be family fun night unless I joined him and Rachel downstairs for pizza, cupcakes and a movie -- probably Pippi Longstocking tonight -- and so I said, sure.
The desk will just have to wait until next Friday.
***
I was looking at Rachel sitting on her bed, reading, looking all grown-up, and told her, "Someday, you'll look at your own children the way I'm looking at you now."
And she replied, "I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, 'she's growing up, and there's nothing I can do to stop it.'"
YES.
I taught her how to do laundry and told her (after we cleaned up her room) that keeping things neat in her bedroom was her job from now on. (We didn't have time to go through her winter clothes, and it has been so chilly here that I'm putting that off until we have at least two weeks of 70+-degree weather. Same with my own clothes.
Drew taught her how to clean the sink and the toilet. Those will be her chores on Wednesday night.
And I reinforced how to sweep under the table -- she'll be responsible for that, too, after she finishes dinner at night. I told her that she also has to clear all our plates and glasses after dinner, not just her own.
Hopefully this will stick. I am completely exhausted -- I also baked two kinds of bread as part of a deal one of the parents at McKinley won for last year's auction. I was gong to dive into my messy office, but Drew says it wouldn't be family fun night unless I joined him and Rachel downstairs for pizza, cupcakes and a movie -- probably Pippi Longstocking tonight -- and so I said, sure.
The desk will just have to wait until next Friday.
***
I was looking at Rachel sitting on her bed, reading, looking all grown-up, and told her, "Someday, you'll look at your own children the way I'm looking at you now."
And she replied, "I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, 'she's growing up, and there's nothing I can do to stop it.'"
YES.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Rachel's report card
We're so proud of Rachel! She is "Making Expected Progress" in everything. Areas of strength include level of instructional materials; reads with understanding; shows growth in vocabulary; reads independently and uses word recognition skills.
Other areas of strength: In written communication, she expresses ideas clearly. In math, an area of strength is that she understands concepts presented.
She is improving on "organizes self/materials for tasks."
Her art teacher, Mrs. Bonahoom, writes: "Rachel has had a wonderful quarter in art class. She has loved our architecture unit and has created a beautiful insect house. Rachel continues to do her best with each project and delves right into new techniques and materials. She is helpful with others and is an asset to our class."
Her regular teacher, Mrs. McAdam, said: "Rachel continues to show growth in the first grade. Through whole group lessons and differentiated math centers, she demonstrates a solid understanding of time, fractions, and graphs. Rachel continues to work on reading further developed text that is lengthier and requires the use of quick problem solving strategies."
Way to go, kiddo!
Other areas of strength: In written communication, she expresses ideas clearly. In math, an area of strength is that she understands concepts presented.
She is improving on "organizes self/materials for tasks."
Her art teacher, Mrs. Bonahoom, writes: "Rachel has had a wonderful quarter in art class. She has loved our architecture unit and has created a beautiful insect house. Rachel continues to do her best with each project and delves right into new techniques and materials. She is helpful with others and is an asset to our class."
Her regular teacher, Mrs. McAdam, said: "Rachel continues to show growth in the first grade. Through whole group lessons and differentiated math centers, she demonstrates a solid understanding of time, fractions, and graphs. Rachel continues to work on reading further developed text that is lengthier and requires the use of quick problem solving strategies."
Way to go, kiddo!
A Rachel story
Told at dinner tonight. It's called "The Legendary Cookie." (The title was suggested today by Rachel's friend Simone, who apparently was eating chocolate-chip cookies at some point today.)
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Sophie who loved to eat chocolate-chip cookies. Her parents were rich and lived in a mansion, so she had a really big backyard. So then one day, she was walking through her yard when she spied a bush of chocolate-chip cookies! Which she loved. Then when she was eating the cookies, Sophie saw a golden chocolate-chip cookie. "Oh, wow, I've read about this in a book," she said. But what she didn't know is that it had secret powers.
"And...?" I asked.
"That's Adventure 1," Rachel replied. "When I write it, you'll read it. There are 10 adventures in all."
Something tells me I'll be waiting a while for the denouement...
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Sophie who loved to eat chocolate-chip cookies. Her parents were rich and lived in a mansion, so she had a really big backyard. So then one day, she was walking through her yard when she spied a bush of chocolate-chip cookies! Which she loved. Then when she was eating the cookies, Sophie saw a golden chocolate-chip cookie. "Oh, wow, I've read about this in a book," she said. But what she didn't know is that it had secret powers.
"And...?" I asked.
"That's Adventure 1," Rachel replied. "When I write it, you'll read it. There are 10 adventures in all."
Something tells me I'll be waiting a while for the denouement...
Arlington National Cemetery
Grandma and Grandpa are talking about visiting us at the end of May, and I am researching some good hotels as possibilities for places to stay. I had the night off work tonight, and at the dinner table we were brainstorming things for us all to do when we're here. Drew brought up Arlington National Cemetery.
Rachel shook her head. "I'd drown in tears!" she said in dismay.
Guess we'll keep looking.
Rachel shook her head. "I'd drown in tears!" she said in dismay.
Guess we'll keep looking.
Little boys
Rachel told Drew the other day (and me as I was walking her to school) that she apparently has a little admirer, James. He's a boy in her class and is one of the smarter kids.
She knows he likes her because he keeps telling her how smart she is. And the other day, he apparently gave her a quarter!
"Uh...thanks!" she said. And then added under her breath, "I guess."
None of this matters, though -- she is going to marry her friend Kira, who is just as obsessed with history as Rachel is. Kira proposed, Rachel said yes, and then Kira gave her an engagement ring. Kira is a girl, but Rachel doesn't care. She says when she grows up, she and Kira will get married "and go exploring together."
She knows he likes her because he keeps telling her how smart she is. And the other day, he apparently gave her a quarter!
"Uh...thanks!" she said. And then added under her breath, "I guess."
None of this matters, though -- she is going to marry her friend Kira, who is just as obsessed with history as Rachel is. Kira proposed, Rachel said yes, and then Kira gave her an engagement ring. Kira is a girl, but Rachel doesn't care. She says when she grows up, she and Kira will get married "and go exploring together."
Rachel's fanciful imagination
A few weeks back, we hired the daughter of a friend of mine at work to babysit Rachel while Drew and I went to McKinley's annual auction. (And before you ask: No, NO ONE bid on the pig roast, probably because they priced it starting at $1,500, which would have amounted to $60 per person -- the price should have been more along the lines of about $20 per person. Sigh). My friend lives close to the Knights of Columbus where the auction was held, and she suggested just dropping Rachel off and Katrina would watch her at her own house. We said yes.
When we got to Paula and Theron's house to pick up Rachel, Paula said, "Oh, so Rachel's getting RIDING LESSONS, hmm???" Turned out that Rachel told Paula (my colleague and Katrina's mom) that she has started taking riding lessons. "Where?" Paula asked. "Oh, about a mile from here," Rachel said casually. We immediately debunked that myth, and pondered how to talk to Rachel about it.
The next day on the way to Hebrew school, I mentioned it, and Rachel looked abashed. "What on Earth made you say something like that?!?!" I asked, and she mumbled something, and then I said, "You shouldn't lie like that. You talk about the fact that your friends lie, now you've lied, too. You made Mommy and Daddy look awkward in front of our friends."
She promised not to do that again, and you can be that we will hold her to it.
When we got to Paula and Theron's house to pick up Rachel, Paula said, "Oh, so Rachel's getting RIDING LESSONS, hmm???" Turned out that Rachel told Paula (my colleague and Katrina's mom) that she has started taking riding lessons. "Where?" Paula asked. "Oh, about a mile from here," Rachel said casually. We immediately debunked that myth, and pondered how to talk to Rachel about it.
The next day on the way to Hebrew school, I mentioned it, and Rachel looked abashed. "What on Earth made you say something like that?!?!" I asked, and she mumbled something, and then I said, "You shouldn't lie like that. You talk about the fact that your friends lie, now you've lied, too. You made Mommy and Daddy look awkward in front of our friends."
She promised not to do that again, and you can be that we will hold her to it.
Rachel's problem-sovling prowess
Rachel is an enrichment class after school called "Thinking Outside the Box." The problem that they were given to start brainstorming solutions for was, you're out on the lake and you lose your favorite stuffed animal in the lake. The sign at the edge of the lake says, "No swimming." So the kids had to brainstorm ideas about how to get the stuffed animal back.
Rachel's idea was get your parents to take you on a vacation to the sea and collect a whole bunch of fish, and train the fish to retrieve your stuffed animal, and put them in the lake, and they would get your stuffed animal.
Then the teacher gave a different wrinkle: Imagine that same challenge, but you can have any superpower you want. What would it be and how would you use it to get the stuffed animal back?
And Rachel said her superpower would be the power to change the words on the sign to say, "Yes, swimming!" so you could go get your stuffed animal.
At the end of class, she was one of three kids to get the "creative thinking" certificate. "This certifies that Rachel has won an award for working the best with his/her team mates and showing an extraordinary participation and creativity during today's Thinking Outside of the Box brainstorming session. Cheers, keep Thinking Outside of the Box!"
This kid...
Rachel's idea was get your parents to take you on a vacation to the sea and collect a whole bunch of fish, and train the fish to retrieve your stuffed animal, and put them in the lake, and they would get your stuffed animal.
Then the teacher gave a different wrinkle: Imagine that same challenge, but you can have any superpower you want. What would it be and how would you use it to get the stuffed animal back?
And Rachel said her superpower would be the power to change the words on the sign to say, "Yes, swimming!" so you could go get your stuffed animal.
At the end of class, she was one of three kids to get the "creative thinking" certificate. "This certifies that Rachel has won an award for working the best with his/her team mates and showing an extraordinary participation and creativity during today's Thinking Outside of the Box brainstorming session. Cheers, keep Thinking Outside of the Box!"
This kid...
Birthday lists and mud
On the way to school the other day, Rachel announced that she has started making a list of the birthday gifts she wants.
"What's on the list?" I asked.
Quick as a flash, she replied, "Cowgirl boots, a Nerf gun WITH BULLETS, and a gift card to Barnes and Noble." I don't quite know what to make of this.
***
We were close to the field outside of school that we use to take a shortcut into the building. Rachel wanted to cross it, but it was muddy and I had on the sneakers I was going to use for my fitness class later that morning, so I said no.
She said it was fun for her to walk through mud and puddles, and I said I would have done so except I was wearing the wrong shoes. (I wanted her to know I'm not fussy when it comes to that sort of thing.)
"I'll make any sacrifice to have fun," Rachel announced. "Except die. Because then I wouldn't have any fun."
"What's on the list?" I asked.
Quick as a flash, she replied, "Cowgirl boots, a Nerf gun WITH BULLETS, and a gift card to Barnes and Noble." I don't quite know what to make of this.
***
We were close to the field outside of school that we use to take a shortcut into the building. Rachel wanted to cross it, but it was muddy and I had on the sneakers I was going to use for my fitness class later that morning, so I said no.
She said it was fun for her to walk through mud and puddles, and I said I would have done so except I was wearing the wrong shoes. (I wanted her to know I'm not fussy when it comes to that sort of thing.)
"I'll make any sacrifice to have fun," Rachel announced. "Except die. Because then I wouldn't have any fun."
Gymnastics
...on the other hand, Rachel is getting very frustrated that she's at Level 1 in gymnastics, where she has been for years and years and years. Yes, she was on crutches for part of last year, and at one point Drew didn't get her signed up in time, but she really should be progressing by now.
Her frustration spilled over last night, and she told Drew she was working hard. He replied with an incredibly valuable insight: Yes, sweetie, you may be working hard at what you can do (the rings), but you also need to work hard at the stuff you CAN'T do (a cartwheel, for instance) before you can move up.
He also suggested that they talk to her coach next time about the things she needs to work on. I told Drew that if she quits, she must choose another sport -- I want her in at least one sport, preferably one individual sport and one team sport. He said we shouldn't talk about that until they talk to her coach. I'm also thinking that maybe it's time to try to get her into tap lessons or force her into ballet, even though she says she doesn't want to do ballet because she has stage fright. I just want her to be active and do other things besides academics.
Her frustration spilled over last night, and she told Drew she was working hard. He replied with an incredibly valuable insight: Yes, sweetie, you may be working hard at what you can do (the rings), but you also need to work hard at the stuff you CAN'T do (a cartwheel, for instance) before you can move up.
He also suggested that they talk to her coach next time about the things she needs to work on. I told Drew that if she quits, she must choose another sport -- I want her in at least one sport, preferably one individual sport and one team sport. He said we shouldn't talk about that until they talk to her coach. I'm also thinking that maybe it's time to try to get her into tap lessons or force her into ballet, even though she says she doesn't want to do ballet because she has stage fright. I just want her to be active and do other things besides academics.
Swimmming
Rachel has been in swim lessons for a while now and
is slowly gaining skills -- she was much less frightened in Grandma and
Grandpa's pool during spring break than before, and she kept asking to swim to
me -- but this week she made real progress. On Tuesday night, she and Drew
called me at work.
Drew could hardly keep the excitement out of his
voice when he told me about Rachel's latest weekly swim lesson. Then he put her on the phone and she said, "Um, Mom? Um, I had my swim lesson today and...let Daddy tell you." Drew got back on and announced that Rachel had swum THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE POOL AND BACK WITHOUT FLIPPERS and without holding onto Taylor, her instructor.
"I am SO PROUD OF YOU!" I exclaimed softly, since I was at my desk. I could tell she was proud of herself, and Drew later told me that when Taylor offered to stand halfway between the shallow and deep ends, Rachel said, "I think I can do it," and proceeded to it all by herself! Yay! Maybe this kid will learn to swim after all!
One of the things I didn't tell her put plan to is that not only am I proud she can swim, but that she kept at it and kept at it and pushed herself to succeed and didn't give up. That is the most valuable character trait any kid can have.
Math festival!
The Smithsonian put on a math festival this past weekend on the Mall. Most of the exhibits were outside and aimed at kids in grade school and middle school. There were demonstrations, games, crafts, cool exhibits (I now know what the Fibonacci sequence is -- very cool!) and a bunch of things for us to do with Rachel, so we put off our Day of Cleaning to this weekend, hopped on the Metro after a good breakfast (and securing the last legal parking space at the East Falls Church Metro station) and off we went.
The festival, the first ever, was a hive of activity and the weather was unbelievably perfect -- soft, springlike, perfect for hanging out outside. We toured a couple of exhibits, grabbed lunch in the cafe and then headed to a demonstration of a mathematician who was performing tricks that demonstrated math logic. He called up various members of the audience to try to outsmart him; some did, some didn't. One of the people he called on was Rachel, who proceeded to beat him at a game of dots and boxes (with audience encouragement, but she also refused her chance to go first, leading him to say, "I guess you're smarter than I thought you'd be!") and she won A $10 BILL!!! You can imagine her excitement. She said she'd save some of it and put some of it in our tzedakah box at home. I hugged her hard and told her I was proud of her. (Unfortunately I missed the whole thing because I was in the bathroom, having drunk a lot of water that day. Sigh.)
Anyhow, we stayed a few hours and then caught the Metro back in time to have a quick dinner at the Stray Cat, a restaurant in Westover Town Center near our house, and then we raced to the synagogue to attend a Havdalah ceremony, story and milk and cookies for all the first-graders in Hebrew school. Rachel got to make a spice box and a braided candle, and we let her take some cookies to Ivy, with whom she was having a sleepover that night. Then we raced to Tobey's, our local ice cream place, got some ice cream and then headed to Ivy's. Drew and I proceeded to take advantage of our unexpected date night (the sleepover was confirmed only that morning) and saw "Woman in Gold" and loved it.
The next morning Drew picked Rachel up from Ivy's and took her to Hebrew School chorus practice (school was canceled but chorus practice was not, which annoyed me immensely because it really put a crimp in our weekend) while I headed to Uncle Dan's for a visit. I brought him some scones from our cool new bakery, Village Sweets, which opened up in the town center near the Italian Store, an excellent Italian sandwich/dinner/products from Italy place that supposedly will be open for business in the next few weeks.
Dan and I had a nice visit; Drew and Rachel joined us about an hour into it, and then I headed to Chevy Chase, Md., to greet incoming Northwestern students at a reception sponsored by the Northwestern Alumni Association. Then I headed to work just in time to start my shift.
Whew! I'm tired just writing this; it was a busy weekend.
The festival, the first ever, was a hive of activity and the weather was unbelievably perfect -- soft, springlike, perfect for hanging out outside. We toured a couple of exhibits, grabbed lunch in the cafe and then headed to a demonstration of a mathematician who was performing tricks that demonstrated math logic. He called up various members of the audience to try to outsmart him; some did, some didn't. One of the people he called on was Rachel, who proceeded to beat him at a game of dots and boxes (with audience encouragement, but she also refused her chance to go first, leading him to say, "I guess you're smarter than I thought you'd be!") and she won A $10 BILL!!! You can imagine her excitement. She said she'd save some of it and put some of it in our tzedakah box at home. I hugged her hard and told her I was proud of her. (Unfortunately I missed the whole thing because I was in the bathroom, having drunk a lot of water that day. Sigh.)
Anyhow, we stayed a few hours and then caught the Metro back in time to have a quick dinner at the Stray Cat, a restaurant in Westover Town Center near our house, and then we raced to the synagogue to attend a Havdalah ceremony, story and milk and cookies for all the first-graders in Hebrew school. Rachel got to make a spice box and a braided candle, and we let her take some cookies to Ivy, with whom she was having a sleepover that night. Then we raced to Tobey's, our local ice cream place, got some ice cream and then headed to Ivy's. Drew and I proceeded to take advantage of our unexpected date night (the sleepover was confirmed only that morning) and saw "Woman in Gold" and loved it.
The next morning Drew picked Rachel up from Ivy's and took her to Hebrew School chorus practice (school was canceled but chorus practice was not, which annoyed me immensely because it really put a crimp in our weekend) while I headed to Uncle Dan's for a visit. I brought him some scones from our cool new bakery, Village Sweets, which opened up in the town center near the Italian Store, an excellent Italian sandwich/dinner/products from Italy place that supposedly will be open for business in the next few weeks.
Dan and I had a nice visit; Drew and Rachel joined us about an hour into it, and then I headed to Chevy Chase, Md., to greet incoming Northwestern students at a reception sponsored by the Northwestern Alumni Association. Then I headed to work just in time to start my shift.
Whew! I'm tired just writing this; it was a busy weekend.
A day out with my girl
Last Friday I did something that I always said I'd do but don't: I picked Rachel up early from school (a surprise) and took her to a nature center near our house, the Long Branch Nature Center.
I showed up unexpectedly around 4, and Rachel's face when she saw me was all smiles. She was sitting with Sidney, whose looked puzzled and briefly envious when Rachel collected her things and came to my side. The first thing she said? "Mommy, I missed you SO MUCH!" She said in the car that she had been crying a little because I wasn't there and had started writing a note to me telling me that, with the writing in blue to indicate sadness.
We got to the nature center pretty quickly, and as we were getting out of the car she said that she was going to put a ponytail on, a task that I usually do for her. And then she said, "I know what you're thinking. 'Rachel doesn't need me anymore.'" I was floored and could only say, "Sweetie, stop reading my mind!"
(She did this late as we were walking to the shelter, except she said, "I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, 'Rachel's growing up too fast!'" Well, yes).
We stopped at a shelter to eat some of the snacks I had brought -- a foresight that I usually don't exhibit -- and she started talking about her birthday party and how she wanted to invite her friends from Portland. I made the mistake of saying we couldn't, because they live too far away and probably wouldn't come, and all of a sudden she burst into tears and went on and on about how she missed Portland, and missed her friends and wished we hadn't moved, etc. "I'm sorry you feel that way," I said quietly, and then I thought of a way to make things better. "Why don't we invite them anyway?" I said. "Maybe they'll decide to take a trip out here and include your birthday party." That seemed to cheer her up and she was soon her usual chatterbox self.
Then we took a little walk, and Rachel tried to cross the creek using the stones instead of the bridge to get herself across. It was interesting watching her figure out how to do it without getting her sneakers wet. I tossed out a suggestion here and there, and even offered to help her at one point, but she shrugged me off and made it across. (She suggested that Mommy use the bridge, which I did because I was carrying a backpack with the water and the rest of the snacks.)
On the way up the hill I mentioned that a teacher in another school district had done an exercise with her students: "What do you wish your teacher knew?" and they had to write down responses anonymously (although some chose to use their names). The responses, I told Rachel, were heartbreaking -- "I wish I had someone to play with," "I wish my teacher knew that sometimes my reading log isn't signed because my mom isn't around a lot."
"What do you wish your teacher knew?" I asked.
At first she said she didn't know, but then she thought about it and said, "You're not around a lot. I don't like it when you take trips. That's why I love vacation, because we're all together."
I winced, because she sounded a little teary, but didn't say anything except repeating what I've always told her -- that Mommy has to work, and I tried to switch to days but couldn't but maybe someday I'll be able to.
We ended our walk sort of late, and I was on tap to make a Shabbat dinner of lamb chops, pilaf and salad, which didn't get done until 8, but the time Rachel and I had was so valuable that it was worth it.
I showed up unexpectedly around 4, and Rachel's face when she saw me was all smiles. She was sitting with Sidney, whose looked puzzled and briefly envious when Rachel collected her things and came to my side. The first thing she said? "Mommy, I missed you SO MUCH!" She said in the car that she had been crying a little because I wasn't there and had started writing a note to me telling me that, with the writing in blue to indicate sadness.
We got to the nature center pretty quickly, and as we were getting out of the car she said that she was going to put a ponytail on, a task that I usually do for her. And then she said, "I know what you're thinking. 'Rachel doesn't need me anymore.'" I was floored and could only say, "Sweetie, stop reading my mind!"
(She did this late as we were walking to the shelter, except she said, "I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, 'Rachel's growing up too fast!'" Well, yes).
We stopped at a shelter to eat some of the snacks I had brought -- a foresight that I usually don't exhibit -- and she started talking about her birthday party and how she wanted to invite her friends from Portland. I made the mistake of saying we couldn't, because they live too far away and probably wouldn't come, and all of a sudden she burst into tears and went on and on about how she missed Portland, and missed her friends and wished we hadn't moved, etc. "I'm sorry you feel that way," I said quietly, and then I thought of a way to make things better. "Why don't we invite them anyway?" I said. "Maybe they'll decide to take a trip out here and include your birthday party." That seemed to cheer her up and she was soon her usual chatterbox self.
Then we took a little walk, and Rachel tried to cross the creek using the stones instead of the bridge to get herself across. It was interesting watching her figure out how to do it without getting her sneakers wet. I tossed out a suggestion here and there, and even offered to help her at one point, but she shrugged me off and made it across. (She suggested that Mommy use the bridge, which I did because I was carrying a backpack with the water and the rest of the snacks.)
On the way up the hill I mentioned that a teacher in another school district had done an exercise with her students: "What do you wish your teacher knew?" and they had to write down responses anonymously (although some chose to use their names). The responses, I told Rachel, were heartbreaking -- "I wish I had someone to play with," "I wish my teacher knew that sometimes my reading log isn't signed because my mom isn't around a lot."
"What do you wish your teacher knew?" I asked.
At first she said she didn't know, but then she thought about it and said, "You're not around a lot. I don't like it when you take trips. That's why I love vacation, because we're all together."
I winced, because she sounded a little teary, but didn't say anything except repeating what I've always told her -- that Mommy has to work, and I tried to switch to days but couldn't but maybe someday I'll be able to.
We ended our walk sort of late, and I was on tap to make a Shabbat dinner of lamb chops, pilaf and salad, which didn't get done until 8, but the time Rachel and I had was so valuable that it was worth it.
Watching Rachel run
Now I know why parents love watching their kids do sports. Late last month, Rachel's school did an activity called "Boosterthon," in which we had to pledge $1 per lap for our kids to run up to $35 a lap around the field at Madison Park, which is near our house.
The event was on a Wednesday afternoon, the day I was scheduled to leave for a conference in Pittsburgh, and I was giving someone from The Post a ride, but I told her we had to leave after Rachel's run. She was cool with that.
I didn't tell Rachel I was coming, and so I stood with a clutch of other parents watching her round the field with her buddies. "RACHEL!!!" I yelled, and she turned her head, and the look of pure joy on her face -- that Mommy had turned out to watch her run -- is something I'll never forget. I yelled "Go, Rachel, go!" every time I saw her round a lap, and after a while she gave me an embarrassed little smile, and at the end she said, "I RAN 34 LAPS!" and I swooped her up into my arms and said, "I'm so PROUD of you!!" and covered her with kisses.
She wanted me to stay, and then she wanted me to take her to Drew's office, but I told her I had to leave for my trip. She quickly ascertained that it wasn't a fixed time, so she said, "You don't have to be there at a certain time," and begged me to stay, but then I told her I had to pick my colleague up at the train station and she looked so sad -- so I waited until she had lined up with her class to go back inside, and then I left.
The event was on a Wednesday afternoon, the day I was scheduled to leave for a conference in Pittsburgh, and I was giving someone from The Post a ride, but I told her we had to leave after Rachel's run. She was cool with that.
I didn't tell Rachel I was coming, and so I stood with a clutch of other parents watching her round the field with her buddies. "RACHEL!!!" I yelled, and she turned her head, and the look of pure joy on her face -- that Mommy had turned out to watch her run -- is something I'll never forget. I yelled "Go, Rachel, go!" every time I saw her round a lap, and after a while she gave me an embarrassed little smile, and at the end she said, "I RAN 34 LAPS!" and I swooped her up into my arms and said, "I'm so PROUD of you!!" and covered her with kisses.
She wanted me to stay, and then she wanted me to take her to Drew's office, but I told her I had to leave for my trip. She quickly ascertained that it wasn't a fixed time, so she said, "You don't have to be there at a certain time," and begged me to stay, but then I told her I had to pick my colleague up at the train station and she looked so sad -- so I waited until she had lined up with her class to go back inside, and then I left.
Spring break, part 2
So, after we got home from Williamsburg, I immediately set out to bake cookies for Daniella's annual Passover extravaganza celebration at her apartment. The next day, Friday, we got up early and hit the road by 10:30, despite my misgivings that it was too late by that time to hope to get to Daniella's by 5, but we arrived at 5:30 after stopping at the public library near the apartment to change.
As usual, the food was fabulous and everyone seemed to like my cookies. Rachel wore her Colonial outfit (we will also use it as the basis of her Halloween costume this year, since she says she wants to be Betsy Ross) and we had a great time with Mom, Dad, Daniella, Valerie, Jim, Amy and Darryl. Rachel even got to answer one or two questions and wanted to jump in a couple of times as Daniella was working her way through the Seder!
That night Drew and I slept over while Rachel and Valerie had a sleepover in Valerie's room. I read them a few books and sang a song or two, then the adults stayed up way too late talking. Luckily I had taken a sleeping pill, so I actually got a decent night's sleep.
The next day Daniella made an amazing matzo-brei with raisins and walnuts that was out of this world, and we went to Mom and Dad's house for swimming and an early dinner at a great restaurant nearby. Unfortunately I was trying to observe Passover's dietary rules (which collapsed two days later when I realized I had to have fiber-based cereal or I'd have intense gastric pain) so I couldn't eat quite what I wanted, but the food was delicious nonetheless. Rachel kept coming over to give kisses and hugs to Grandma and asked how Grandpa was doing, and they seemed to have some nice talks at the other end of the table.
Then it was time for goodbyes and our trip to a hotel in New Jersey so we could get a head start on leaving the next morning in time for me to work a 3:30 p.m. Sunday shift. Barely made it in time, but I did, and so that was the end of our vacation. It was a grand one!
As usual, the food was fabulous and everyone seemed to like my cookies. Rachel wore her Colonial outfit (we will also use it as the basis of her Halloween costume this year, since she says she wants to be Betsy Ross) and we had a great time with Mom, Dad, Daniella, Valerie, Jim, Amy and Darryl. Rachel even got to answer one or two questions and wanted to jump in a couple of times as Daniella was working her way through the Seder!
That night Drew and I slept over while Rachel and Valerie had a sleepover in Valerie's room. I read them a few books and sang a song or two, then the adults stayed up way too late talking. Luckily I had taken a sleeping pill, so I actually got a decent night's sleep.
The next day Daniella made an amazing matzo-brei with raisins and walnuts that was out of this world, and we went to Mom and Dad's house for swimming and an early dinner at a great restaurant nearby. Unfortunately I was trying to observe Passover's dietary rules (which collapsed two days later when I realized I had to have fiber-based cereal or I'd have intense gastric pain) so I couldn't eat quite what I wanted, but the food was delicious nonetheless. Rachel kept coming over to give kisses and hugs to Grandma and asked how Grandpa was doing, and they seemed to have some nice talks at the other end of the table.
Then it was time for goodbyes and our trip to a hotel in New Jersey so we could get a head start on leaving the next morning in time for me to work a 3:30 p.m. Sunday shift. Barely made it in time, but I did, and so that was the end of our vacation. It was a grand one!
Spring break
Lots has been happening here lately, so I will try to fill everyone in:
We ended up having a fantastic spring break. Took Rachel to Colonial Williamsburg for the first part of it. On the drive down, she mentioned that she was feeling really carsick. We offered to pull over, but she insisted on continuing the drive, because "I want to get as much out of it as possible." Well, all of a sudden she just threw up in the back seat of Drew's car (he notes that the few times Rachel has thrown up in the car, it's always in his vehicle). We pulled to the side of the busy road, hauled her out and wiped down the car seat and had her change clothes. Most of the vomit was in the cup holder, so I had to mop that up. Rachel kept apologizing over and over -- she sounded terrified that we'd be angry -- but we reassured her that everything would be okay, that these things happen, that Mommy and Daddy weren't mad, etc.
We arrived at our hotel a little later after Drew stopped at 7-11 to buy some detergent and paper towels. As soon as we checked in, I marched up to our room, pulled Rachel's clothes out of the plastic bag we had found, surprisingly, in the car (mental note: Pack a full box of Ziploc bags whenever we go on trips) and used the foul-smelling hotel soap to rinse everything. Then we wiped Rachel down and headed to the colonial grounds.
We got into a tour of the Governor's Palace, which was quite lovely and Rachel kept raising her hand to volunteer answers to the tour guide's questions. Unfortunately a lot of the artisan shops were closed, although I did manage to find a store that sold ginger cookies. No, Mom and Dad, they don't give them out free anymore -- apparently the Va. Health Department was appalled at that practice and stopped it in the 1980s after our trip there.
We went to dinner at one of the taverns, where we were seated with another family with a young boy from Maryland (it was group seating) and we managed to have a pretty decent meal -- mine was a shepherd's pie that was quite tasty. Entertainers played early American music, and the atmosphere really seemed to replicate Colonial life.
The next day we continued playing a game called "Revolutionary (Rev) Quest," which is an incredibly cool game in which kids are Patriot spies and are given a map and decoding instructions and guided to various "dead drops" and meet ups with fellow spies, done through "secret messaging devices" (smartphones). At the end of the game you get a silver token and profuse thanks for delivering a much-needed message to a commander on the Patriot side. You also get a cool black scarf with white Rev Quest lettering that you can take home.
We also bought Rachel an adorable Colonial-era dress with a sash and a mobcap. She seemed most interested in the mobcap -- it made her look absolutely adorable -- and found a good restaurant for lunch outside the village on the way to William & Mary. Unfortunately it took 45 minutes to get seated and then another hour for lunch, which got Drew upset because it seemed all we did was eat and shop, but I explained to him that Rachel and I really need to eat lunch when the hotel breakfast is woefully inadequate (as it was in this case), so he calmed down. Turns out lunch was so big that we ended up eating more of a snack than dinner at a Crackel Barrel restaurant near our hotel, a move we instantly regretted because Cracker Barrels are AWFUL. But by that time we'd had a full day, so we didn't care.
On our last day, we got to tour a working farm that had been closed the day before. The weather was perfect and Rachel got to try her hand at hoeing. She also finished the RevQuest game, and then we chased her through a nearby hedge maze until it was time to head home. On the way back and forth from the visitor's center is a walkway that has stones with things written on them that take you backward and forward in time. From the visitor's center: 1980: your computer is your brain, and so on through history: 1860: You know people who own other people, and then other dates that say, "Your news is a week old," and "You cannot travel more than 70 miles overland in a day," etc. until 1760: You are subjects of His Majesty the King." A sobering reminder of where we came from -- and then, on the other side of the walkway, stones that take us forward in time: "Ask now what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country," until the last one: "What mark will YOU make?"
We ended up having a fantastic spring break. Took Rachel to Colonial Williamsburg for the first part of it. On the drive down, she mentioned that she was feeling really carsick. We offered to pull over, but she insisted on continuing the drive, because "I want to get as much out of it as possible." Well, all of a sudden she just threw up in the back seat of Drew's car (he notes that the few times Rachel has thrown up in the car, it's always in his vehicle). We pulled to the side of the busy road, hauled her out and wiped down the car seat and had her change clothes. Most of the vomit was in the cup holder, so I had to mop that up. Rachel kept apologizing over and over -- she sounded terrified that we'd be angry -- but we reassured her that everything would be okay, that these things happen, that Mommy and Daddy weren't mad, etc.
We arrived at our hotel a little later after Drew stopped at 7-11 to buy some detergent and paper towels. As soon as we checked in, I marched up to our room, pulled Rachel's clothes out of the plastic bag we had found, surprisingly, in the car (mental note: Pack a full box of Ziploc bags whenever we go on trips) and used the foul-smelling hotel soap to rinse everything. Then we wiped Rachel down and headed to the colonial grounds.
We got into a tour of the Governor's Palace, which was quite lovely and Rachel kept raising her hand to volunteer answers to the tour guide's questions. Unfortunately a lot of the artisan shops were closed, although I did manage to find a store that sold ginger cookies. No, Mom and Dad, they don't give them out free anymore -- apparently the Va. Health Department was appalled at that practice and stopped it in the 1980s after our trip there.
We went to dinner at one of the taverns, where we were seated with another family with a young boy from Maryland (it was group seating) and we managed to have a pretty decent meal -- mine was a shepherd's pie that was quite tasty. Entertainers played early American music, and the atmosphere really seemed to replicate Colonial life.
The next day we continued playing a game called "Revolutionary (Rev) Quest," which is an incredibly cool game in which kids are Patriot spies and are given a map and decoding instructions and guided to various "dead drops" and meet ups with fellow spies, done through "secret messaging devices" (smartphones). At the end of the game you get a silver token and profuse thanks for delivering a much-needed message to a commander on the Patriot side. You also get a cool black scarf with white Rev Quest lettering that you can take home.
We also bought Rachel an adorable Colonial-era dress with a sash and a mobcap. She seemed most interested in the mobcap -- it made her look absolutely adorable -- and found a good restaurant for lunch outside the village on the way to William & Mary. Unfortunately it took 45 minutes to get seated and then another hour for lunch, which got Drew upset because it seemed all we did was eat and shop, but I explained to him that Rachel and I really need to eat lunch when the hotel breakfast is woefully inadequate (as it was in this case), so he calmed down. Turns out lunch was so big that we ended up eating more of a snack than dinner at a Crackel Barrel restaurant near our hotel, a move we instantly regretted because Cracker Barrels are AWFUL. But by that time we'd had a full day, so we didn't care.
On our last day, we got to tour a working farm that had been closed the day before. The weather was perfect and Rachel got to try her hand at hoeing. She also finished the RevQuest game, and then we chased her through a nearby hedge maze until it was time to head home. On the way back and forth from the visitor's center is a walkway that has stones with things written on them that take you backward and forward in time. From the visitor's center: 1980: your computer is your brain, and so on through history: 1860: You know people who own other people, and then other dates that say, "Your news is a week old," and "You cannot travel more than 70 miles overland in a day," etc. until 1760: You are subjects of His Majesty the King." A sobering reminder of where we came from -- and then, on the other side of the walkway, stones that take us forward in time: "Ask now what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country," until the last one: "What mark will YOU make?"
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