Tonight Rachel begged me to play "baseball" while Drew was out grocery shopping. "Baseball" involves her using an inflatable milk jug that Doug and Linda bequeathed to us as part of a tub of inflatable kids-size balls that they gave us a couple of years ago (there's a picture of Rachel in the bucket of balls on her 1st birthday. She looks totally delighted to be there, naturally). Right before she began, she stunned Drew (and me) by informing him that she wants a baseball mitt for her next birthday.
"Um...OK!" Drew said delightedly.
"Do you REALLY want a mitt?" I asked. "A real one?"
"Yeah," she said firmly.
I'd love to sign her up for tee-ball. She was in the room when she heard me telling this to Drew and said, "You have to be, like, 5! Or in 2nd grade!"
Her coordination and concentration are terrific. "Keep your eye on the ball, keep your eye on the ball," I kept saying tonight as I threw gentle pitches. And all of a sudden I was back on the tennis courts near Hackensack High, with Mom telling me, "Keep your eye on the ball!" Keep your eye on the ball!" (and then gently scolding me when I'd complete a shot and then pose prettily, saying, "This isn't ballet, Lisa.").
The older Rachel grows up, the more I hear Mom's and Dad's voices as I guide Rachel through daily life. That's one thing they never tell you happens when you become a parent.
***
This morning I let Drew sleep in while Rachel and I did some coloring before breakfast. Actually, Rachel was instructing me precisely what colors to use for Cinderella's hair, dress, and bow.
"What happens if I DON'T color her hair?" I teased Rachel at one point.
"You'll DIE," she said, quick as a wink. You'd better believe I got back to coloring....
***
Rachel's version of one of the verses from "Clementine":
When she colored
She colored Barbie
And she fell upon her tummy...
She stopped there and resumed the normal words, which are pretty disturbing.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
What Rachel says when we're cuddling
Rachel likes it when I cuddle her in bed, which she asks me to do for the two nights every week that I put her to sleep when Drew's in Seattle. It's our way of decompressing from our busy days, giggling, singing, talking. I hope this stage lasts a long, long, long time.
Tonight she stroked my cheeks with her little hands, pressed the edges of my mouth together so I had a hard time talking (I protested and did the same to her, and she started cracking up) and begged me to sing (I had sung my chorus's version of "Sonny Boy" in the glider beforehand, which is the most depressing song imaginable -- it's about a mother's longing for her son, who died as a child -- but Rachel called it "nice and relaxing"), so I sang "Summertime" to her and she sang "Clementine," to me.
Then she said, unexpectedly, "The other kids hit me."
"They do?" I said. "What do you do?
"I tell them, 'don't do that,' she said.
"And...?" I said.
"They still hit me," she said. She went on to talk about one friend of hers, Devin, who hit her. So Rachel yelled back at her, and Devin said nothing. I think they're still friends.
"Hit them back," I said. Probably not the best advice, but I've told Rachel many times to go to her teacher if she's hit. I think she does, but just in case...it's never too early for her to learn to defend herself.
Keep in mind that this was an hour after she said, at dinner, "I can sip and kiss at the same time. Watch me, Mommy," and she sipped her soup and kissed the spoon at the same time.
"Do you kiss some of the kids at school?" I said. She said she did.
"Who do you kiss?" I said.
"Like, everybody," she replied.
"I bet the other kids like that," I said.
"They try not to avoid me," she replied. I asked her again, to make sure she didn't mean that they actually try to avoid her, but she repeated herself the exact same way. So...I'm guessing she has more friends who love her than she realizes...?
Tonight she stroked my cheeks with her little hands, pressed the edges of my mouth together so I had a hard time talking (I protested and did the same to her, and she started cracking up) and begged me to sing (I had sung my chorus's version of "Sonny Boy" in the glider beforehand, which is the most depressing song imaginable -- it's about a mother's longing for her son, who died as a child -- but Rachel called it "nice and relaxing"), so I sang "Summertime" to her and she sang "Clementine," to me.
Then she said, unexpectedly, "The other kids hit me."
"They do?" I said. "What do you do?
"I tell them, 'don't do that,' she said.
"And...?" I said.
"They still hit me," she said. She went on to talk about one friend of hers, Devin, who hit her. So Rachel yelled back at her, and Devin said nothing. I think they're still friends.
"Hit them back," I said. Probably not the best advice, but I've told Rachel many times to go to her teacher if she's hit. I think she does, but just in case...it's never too early for her to learn to defend herself.
Keep in mind that this was an hour after she said, at dinner, "I can sip and kiss at the same time. Watch me, Mommy," and she sipped her soup and kissed the spoon at the same time.
"Do you kiss some of the kids at school?" I said. She said she did.
"Who do you kiss?" I said.
"Like, everybody," she replied.
"I bet the other kids like that," I said.
"They try not to avoid me," she replied. I asked her again, to make sure she didn't mean that they actually try to avoid her, but she repeated herself the exact same way. So...I'm guessing she has more friends who love her than she realizes...?
Worried Rachel
Rachel has been asking us a lot lately if, when she does something naughty (and her naughtiness is still in the mild stage, mind you...) we still love her. This morning when Drew was hurrying her to school, she started sniffling and whimpered, "I'm in trouble."
"No you're not, sweetie," he tried to reassure her. "I just want to make sure we get to school on time for dance class."
Tonight (Thursday night) at dinner (Drew was in Seattle; he'll be going up Thursday/Friday from now on because I am auditing a class at Willamette's business school on Tuesday nights, plus I have chorus on Wednesday, so Thursday/Friday are the only days Drew can head North) Rachel said unexpectedly, "I love you, Mommy! I'll love you forever."
I thanked her profusely. Then when I started getting impatient with her slowness sipping her soup, she got pouty and teary and said, "Do you love me forever and ever?"
"Of course I do, sweetie!" I said.
"Even when I disappoint you?" she answered.
Astonished, I replied, "Of course! I will always love you!"
I hope it sticks.
"No you're not, sweetie," he tried to reassure her. "I just want to make sure we get to school on time for dance class."
Tonight (Thursday night) at dinner (Drew was in Seattle; he'll be going up Thursday/Friday from now on because I am auditing a class at Willamette's business school on Tuesday nights, plus I have chorus on Wednesday, so Thursday/Friday are the only days Drew can head North) Rachel said unexpectedly, "I love you, Mommy! I'll love you forever."
I thanked her profusely. Then when I started getting impatient with her slowness sipping her soup, she got pouty and teary and said, "Do you love me forever and ever?"
"Of course I do, sweetie!" I said.
"Even when I disappoint you?" she answered.
Astonished, I replied, "Of course! I will always love you!"
I hope it sticks.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Rachel reads to Mommy and Daddy
Our poor fairy-tale book that Richard gave us not even a year ago is so tattered from all the reading we've done with it; the spine is spackled together with masking tape and I need to repair some accidental rips on some pages -- but who cares if Rachel loves it so?
Tonight she kept trying to get Drew to delay finishing his salad until he did Daddy Books, but he insisted on finishing it. So, SHE decided to read with US and dragged said fairy-tale book to the kitchen nook. Then she began to read "Cinderella" word for word!
It's easy to think at times like these that she's actually reading. She's not, of course; it's just from rote memory. But it's still pretty amazing to hear her childish voice warble the words and imitate the cruel stepsisters as they mock poor Cinderella. "I could listen to this for HOURS," Drew whispered at one point. "Isn't this what we've always wanted in a daughter?"
Tonight she kept trying to get Drew to delay finishing his salad until he did Daddy Books, but he insisted on finishing it. So, SHE decided to read with US and dragged said fairy-tale book to the kitchen nook. Then she began to read "Cinderella" word for word!
It's easy to think at times like these that she's actually reading. She's not, of course; it's just from rote memory. But it's still pretty amazing to hear her childish voice warble the words and imitate the cruel stepsisters as they mock poor Cinderella. "I could listen to this for HOURS," Drew whispered at one point. "Isn't this what we've always wanted in a daughter?"
New Year's weekend in Seattle
Hi folks, quick recap of the terrific weekend we spent with Uncle David, Auntie Anne and Grandma Jean:
--Rachel was quite a trouper after we told her that she had to sleep in a room upstairs and away from Mommy and Daddy, who were in the living room on a futon. "But I'll be so lonely if you guys aren't in my room!" Rachel whined, but we stood firm. Result: She slept for two nights on a cot, in a strange room, without all her stuffed animals and dolls (she had only Elizabeth, she of the yarn hair and reflective clothing, and the stuffed kitty that, when pressed, sounds eerily like a real one) and woke up at her usual time -- 8 or so -- figured out the layout of the house enough to walk downstairs and find us on the futon in the living room. We are SO PROUD AND IMPRESSED with her travel ability -- can't wait to take her on more adventures away from home!
--We were well-fed during our time there: candy cane cookies, Uncle David's homemade lamb and pizzas, great snack food. Rachel was her usual picky self but she did eat a lot of lamb after I told her she had to if she wanted dessert. I warmed it back up and she dove right in!
--Rachel, Anne and I soaked in their hot tub on Saturday evening for what seemed like hours but was probably only 30 minutes. "This is so nice and relaxing," Rachel kept saying in that grown-up way of hers. She even got close enough to the water to blow bubbles, and the few times she accidentally swallowed some water, she didn't cry or freak out; just coughed a lot and eventually tried it again. One of these days I'm going to surprise her with a trip to the soaking pool when Drew's in Seattle and then a late dinner at the so-so restaurant attached to it.
--There's a very cool and challenging play structure at a park near Anne and David's house, and on Sunday David, Drew, Rachel and I explored it. The most forbidding part involved climbing up a rope structure to the top of a slide, then sliding down. Rachel insisted Drew climb with her the first time. The second time, Drew watched from the ground with Uncle David. The third, fourth, fifth times she insisted on doing it herself, with Mommy cheering below and watching her emerge from the steep covered slide with a big grin on her face! So proud of her spirit. Drew said it best to David: "Rachel is fearless but not reckless." So true.
--We spent yesterday (Monday) in Washington, browsing a Blockbuster video sale in Redmond and then stopping at Pike Place Public Market to pick up dinner since I am tired of cooking (I've been making dinner/dessert combinations for a solid month now). Rachel was enchanted with the bronze statue of a pig just outside the market; it's named Rachel, for some reason, and she insisted on climbing on top of it and, after posing for pictures, hopped off and kissed its snout and then its side. When I asked her what her favorite part of the weekend was, she replied, "the pig!" We got home just in time for a quick dinner, a bath and bed. I suggested that she had so much to tell about the weekend that she could talk to her stuffed animals about it. Sure enough, her last words to Drew before he left her bedroom were, "I'm going to have a big conversation with all my stuffed animals."
--Rachel was quite a trouper after we told her that she had to sleep in a room upstairs and away from Mommy and Daddy, who were in the living room on a futon. "But I'll be so lonely if you guys aren't in my room!" Rachel whined, but we stood firm. Result: She slept for two nights on a cot, in a strange room, without all her stuffed animals and dolls (she had only Elizabeth, she of the yarn hair and reflective clothing, and the stuffed kitty that, when pressed, sounds eerily like a real one) and woke up at her usual time -- 8 or so -- figured out the layout of the house enough to walk downstairs and find us on the futon in the living room. We are SO PROUD AND IMPRESSED with her travel ability -- can't wait to take her on more adventures away from home!
--We were well-fed during our time there: candy cane cookies, Uncle David's homemade lamb and pizzas, great snack food. Rachel was her usual picky self but she did eat a lot of lamb after I told her she had to if she wanted dessert. I warmed it back up and she dove right in!
--Rachel, Anne and I soaked in their hot tub on Saturday evening for what seemed like hours but was probably only 30 minutes. "This is so nice and relaxing," Rachel kept saying in that grown-up way of hers. She even got close enough to the water to blow bubbles, and the few times she accidentally swallowed some water, she didn't cry or freak out; just coughed a lot and eventually tried it again. One of these days I'm going to surprise her with a trip to the soaking pool when Drew's in Seattle and then a late dinner at the so-so restaurant attached to it.
--There's a very cool and challenging play structure at a park near Anne and David's house, and on Sunday David, Drew, Rachel and I explored it. The most forbidding part involved climbing up a rope structure to the top of a slide, then sliding down. Rachel insisted Drew climb with her the first time. The second time, Drew watched from the ground with Uncle David. The third, fourth, fifth times she insisted on doing it herself, with Mommy cheering below and watching her emerge from the steep covered slide with a big grin on her face! So proud of her spirit. Drew said it best to David: "Rachel is fearless but not reckless." So true.
--We spent yesterday (Monday) in Washington, browsing a Blockbuster video sale in Redmond and then stopping at Pike Place Public Market to pick up dinner since I am tired of cooking (I've been making dinner/dessert combinations for a solid month now). Rachel was enchanted with the bronze statue of a pig just outside the market; it's named Rachel, for some reason, and she insisted on climbing on top of it and, after posing for pictures, hopped off and kissed its snout and then its side. When I asked her what her favorite part of the weekend was, she replied, "the pig!" We got home just in time for a quick dinner, a bath and bed. I suggested that she had so much to tell about the weekend that she could talk to her stuffed animals about it. Sure enough, her last words to Drew before he left her bedroom were, "I'm going to have a big conversation with all my stuffed animals."
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Rachel the storyteller
Here's the story of how Rachel got here, as she narrated it to me this morning at breakfast:
""Before I was a human baby, I was a mermaid baby, and then I grew up to be a little bit older and I was 4. Then the fairy turned me back into a human."
My friend Amy's response: "That's awesome. I like that way better than Jake's version: 'I was dead and then some guys builded me.'"
***
Rachel also told us this morning: "A long time ago, before you were born, I goed to the sea park and all the sea creatures loved me so much because they rubbed against me and I rubbed against them and they played with the toys I gave them at the sea park. And then BunBun fell into the tank and I lifted her back up and she went into the sea tank with me. It's down in the sea basement of an old castle."
BunBun is the bunny in Rachel's preschool class. We think the references to the sea park are from a book she likes us to read about Little Critter's visit to the local sea park. Little Critter is an ongoing character in a series of books Rachel has.
See why she's so entertaining to be around? Some days I think Rachel makes more sense than all the adults around her....
***
We are leaving tomorrow morning to spend the New Year's Eve weekend with Uncle David, Auntie Anne and Grandma Jean in Seattle. I'll try to post while I'm there, but in case I don't -- Happy New Year to everyone who reads this blog and enjoys following the adventures of The Little Girl. One of my New Year's resolutions is to post more often and get a new computer so I can add pictures. A great 2012 to all!!
""Before I was a human baby, I was a mermaid baby, and then I grew up to be a little bit older and I was 4. Then the fairy turned me back into a human."
My friend Amy's response: "That's awesome. I like that way better than Jake's version: 'I was dead and then some guys builded me.'"
***
Rachel also told us this morning: "A long time ago, before you were born, I goed to the sea park and all the sea creatures loved me so much because they rubbed against me and I rubbed against them and they played with the toys I gave them at the sea park. And then BunBun fell into the tank and I lifted her back up and she went into the sea tank with me. It's down in the sea basement of an old castle."
BunBun is the bunny in Rachel's preschool class. We think the references to the sea park are from a book she likes us to read about Little Critter's visit to the local sea park. Little Critter is an ongoing character in a series of books Rachel has.
See why she's so entertaining to be around? Some days I think Rachel makes more sense than all the adults around her....
***
We are leaving tomorrow morning to spend the New Year's Eve weekend with Uncle David, Auntie Anne and Grandma Jean in Seattle. I'll try to post while I'm there, but in case I don't -- Happy New Year to everyone who reads this blog and enjoys following the adventures of The Little Girl. One of my New Year's resolutions is to post more often and get a new computer so I can add pictures. A great 2012 to all!!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Rachel the sensitive one
This morning I attempted to go swim at the local community center, but the pool was too crowded and I went at night. Pool was still crowded, but it cleared out at 7 p.m. leaving me exactly 15 minutes to swim. (We tried to turn that into a math lesson for Rachel at dinner, but failed).
As I left this morning, Rachel stood by the window next to Drew and said:
"Goodbye, Mommy! Be careful! You don't want to be dead!"
And as my car pulled away from the driveway she said, "...And there she goes!"
***
Rachel is fascinated with the song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and is constantly asking us to sing variations of it. Today she noted, "The other reindeer were being like the stepsisters. But they weren't as bad because they gave Rudolph things. Each reindeer did. The stepsisters were mean for the whole time."
(The stepsisters, of course, being the ones from "Cinderella.'").
***
Devin, Rachel's little friend from preschool, apparently said something mean to Rachel today -- something along the lines of calling her "stinky" because she hadn't taken a bath.
Rachel told us she yelled at Devin and then she walked away. I suggested that next time she tell her, "I'm not going to listen to you. You can't play with me," and walk away.
***
Rachel's a girl, all right: We now have quite the collection of princess and cupcake Band-Aids; now add Hello Kitty to the mix. I have no idea where this comes from (probably from her friend Tessa at preschool, who is very into Hello Kitty), but Rachel is now a big Hello Kitty fan. She has offered me numerous Hello Kitty Band-Aids to cover the owies from my bike accident. I think that's her way of telling me she loves me and is worried about my health.
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