The other day Rachel told Drew that "I'm worried Mommy won't be back in time for Hanukkah to sing her special song."
I reassured her later that I would, in fact, be back in time to make latkes, sufganyiot, the whole deal. That made her happy.
***
"Swaziland, Swalizand, Swaziland!" Rachel sang the other day. She is enchanted at the idea of me going there because I mentioned the country -- which is Africa's last absolute monarchy -- has a king and queen. When Rachel wondered whether there were princes and princesses, too, I said probably. She thinks I'll get to meet them all.
"I'm not important enough to meet the king of Swaziland," I told her.
"C'mon, you're a magazine editor!" Rachel said. "That's important!"
If you say so, sweetie.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Rachel takes over Shabbat
A former colleague of mine wrote a book about Bruce Springsteen, the first one in 25 years with Bruce's cooperation. It has gotten a lot of buzz. I'm friends with the colleague's wife, Sarah, who has made a point of inviting me to her husband Peter's publicity parties, one of which I can't go to because I'll be overseas. So...on Friday I decided to attend his book reading at Powell's. I figure I could make an appearance and then leave quickly to have Shabbat dinner with Drew and Rachel.
I got home just as they were finishing up, but by eating fast I was able to have dessert with all of them. Drew said that Rachel had picked out the candles and put them in the candle holders, and SHE SAID THE BLESSING ALL BY HERSELF. And, best of all, she added her own blessing! It went like this:
"Bless Mommy, bless Daddy, bless Grandma and Grandpa, bless PopPop, bless Uncle David, bless Auntie Anne and bless Grandma Jean."
I got home just as they were finishing up, but by eating fast I was able to have dessert with all of them. Drew said that Rachel had picked out the candles and put them in the candle holders, and SHE SAID THE BLESSING ALL BY HERSELF. And, best of all, she added her own blessing! It went like this:
"Bless Mommy, bless Daddy, bless Grandma and Grandpa, bless PopPop, bless Uncle David, bless Auntie Anne and bless Grandma Jean."
Rachel's dreams
The other day Rachel came into my room and announced she'd had a good dream. "It lasted right until I woke up!" she said.
"What was the dream?" I asked.
"When I went into school, there was a big surprise for me," she said. "We went sailing on a toy ship with toy sails. And PopPop gave me two nutcrackers. I gave one to Sadie and she cried of happiness."
That sounds like one delightful dream!
"What was the dream?" I asked.
"When I went into school, there was a big surprise for me," she said. "We went sailing on a toy ship with toy sails. And PopPop gave me two nutcrackers. I gave one to Sadie and she cried of happiness."
That sounds like one delightful dream!
what a week....
...filled with the tension of the election, booking tickets for Swaziland and South Africa(!!), running around on last-minute trip preparation craziness, etc. Figure I'd catch everyone up on what's been happening.
(While I'm gone I will urge Drew to keep y'all updated via this blog, but I make no promises. I expect to be mostly incommunicado while I'm gone. I'll be leaving this Thursday, Nov. 15 and back on Wednesday, Dec. 5th. One nice thing coming and going: I've timed it so that Drew and Rachel can drop me off AND pick me up at the airport. Oooh I can't wait to see her sweet little face when I return!!)
So, on Tuesday, I was a Bad Mommy because I was dying to sit in front of the TV all night and watch the returns, but of course I couldn't because I was on Rachel Duty. So, what did I do? We went to Powell's (grudgingly, on my part), came home and I was listening to NPR the whole way home (and repeatedly shushing my poor daughter, who gave up trying to say anything after a while).
Then at home I turned on the radio as loud as I could and listened to returns after throwing some pizza into the oven and then shoving it in front of Rachel. The moment NPR called the election for Obama, I threw my hands up in the air and said, "YESSSS!!! I told Rachel, "Obama WON!!!" and then SHE put her hands in the air and cheered. At that moment Drew called and we were on the phone for about a half-hour while Rachel gave me the thumbs-up sign. And, um, I almost totally ignored her.
Romney conceded at around 10 p.m. our time, and so I rushed Rachel's bedtime preparations. I refused to cuddle in bed with her, instead giving a hasty kiss and leaving so I could catch every line of Mitt's goodbye. Then I listened to Obama's victory speech. And then had work to do, so I was still typing when Drew returned at 1:30 a.m. We stayed up until 2 a.m. talking, and then I finally pleaded for sleep.
I was a wreck the next day, but luckily got sleep Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. By tomorrow (Monday) I should be nearly back to normal.
A note about Obama: One of my indelible memories is sitting Rachel on my legs on the couch in the living room and listening to Obama accept the nomination. I was with my friend Paige, who has a son about a year older than Rachel, and we turned to each other in astonishment at his oratory. "That's not a politician; that's a preacher," I said in awe.
Rachel was so little when Obama made history -- only four months -- but I will always trace her birth to that election. And that every time she ages four years, there will be an election. Kind of a neat way to keep time.
(While I'm gone I will urge Drew to keep y'all updated via this blog, but I make no promises. I expect to be mostly incommunicado while I'm gone. I'll be leaving this Thursday, Nov. 15 and back on Wednesday, Dec. 5th. One nice thing coming and going: I've timed it so that Drew and Rachel can drop me off AND pick me up at the airport. Oooh I can't wait to see her sweet little face when I return!!)
So, on Tuesday, I was a Bad Mommy because I was dying to sit in front of the TV all night and watch the returns, but of course I couldn't because I was on Rachel Duty. So, what did I do? We went to Powell's (grudgingly, on my part), came home and I was listening to NPR the whole way home (and repeatedly shushing my poor daughter, who gave up trying to say anything after a while).
Then at home I turned on the radio as loud as I could and listened to returns after throwing some pizza into the oven and then shoving it in front of Rachel. The moment NPR called the election for Obama, I threw my hands up in the air and said, "YESSSS!!! I told Rachel, "Obama WON!!!" and then SHE put her hands in the air and cheered. At that moment Drew called and we were on the phone for about a half-hour while Rachel gave me the thumbs-up sign. And, um, I almost totally ignored her.
Romney conceded at around 10 p.m. our time, and so I rushed Rachel's bedtime preparations. I refused to cuddle in bed with her, instead giving a hasty kiss and leaving so I could catch every line of Mitt's goodbye. Then I listened to Obama's victory speech. And then had work to do, so I was still typing when Drew returned at 1:30 a.m. We stayed up until 2 a.m. talking, and then I finally pleaded for sleep.
I was a wreck the next day, but luckily got sleep Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. By tomorrow (Monday) I should be nearly back to normal.
A note about Obama: One of my indelible memories is sitting Rachel on my legs on the couch in the living room and listening to Obama accept the nomination. I was with my friend Paige, who has a son about a year older than Rachel, and we turned to each other in astonishment at his oratory. "That's not a politician; that's a preacher," I said in awe.
Rachel was so little when Obama made history -- only four months -- but I will always trace her birth to that election. And that every time she ages four years, there will be an election. Kind of a neat way to keep time.
Monday, November 5, 2012
More evidence of Rachel's phenomenal memory
Drew apparently told Rachel that he used to have a guinea pig -- the late, lamented, super-cool Sid (named after punk rocker Sid Vicious, of course).
"One time when Daddy was living in Chicago, he had a guinea pig named Sid," Rachel said over dinner tonight. "And one time he decided to bring Sid over to Suzanne's house to show him to the family and to see how Nutmeg and Sid would act together. And he set Sid in the middle of the living room but he took a little time to figure out where everything was. Then he let Nutmeg into the room and you could almost see the thought in her face: 'Ooh, that's a pounce toy!'" And she started preying around Sid like a tiger and then we scooped up Sid before Nutmeg could pounce on Sid. And then Daddy decided not to bring Sid to Suzanne's house anymore."
I have no doubt this story is true, and I'm astonished that Rachel remembered so much of it!
"One time when Daddy was living in Chicago, he had a guinea pig named Sid," Rachel said over dinner tonight. "And one time he decided to bring Sid over to Suzanne's house to show him to the family and to see how Nutmeg and Sid would act together. And he set Sid in the middle of the living room but he took a little time to figure out where everything was. Then he let Nutmeg into the room and you could almost see the thought in her face: 'Ooh, that's a pounce toy!'" And she started preying around Sid like a tiger and then we scooped up Sid before Nutmeg could pounce on Sid. And then Daddy decided not to bring Sid to Suzanne's house anymore."
I have no doubt this story is true, and I'm astonished that Rachel remembered so much of it!
A conversation between Mommy and Rachel
Tonight after preschool Rachel asked to go to Powell's and read books, and I obliged. As I was leaning over her and getting ready to unbuckle her from the car seat, I said, "Do you know how much I love you?"
"How much?" Rachel asked.
"To the end of the universe," I answered.
"I love you to the universe and up to the moon and back," she said.
"Thank you for being my daughter!" I said, touched.
"You're welcome," Rachel said. "Friendship is forever."
Man, this kid knows how to make my day.
***
I was discussing the end of Daylight Savings Time over dinner tonight and how it's going to be dark for a long, long time.
"Wait until the summer solstice, Mommy," Rachel said. "Let me tell you about the summer solstice. The summer solstice is when it stays late until, like, nine o'clock."
True, that.
***
"Giada was wearing a black and pink checked shirt," Rachel said, talking about one of her little preschool friends. "It was very dramatic."
"How much?" Rachel asked.
"To the end of the universe," I answered.
"I love you to the universe and up to the moon and back," she said.
"Thank you for being my daughter!" I said, touched.
"You're welcome," Rachel said. "Friendship is forever."
Man, this kid knows how to make my day.
***
I was discussing the end of Daylight Savings Time over dinner tonight and how it's going to be dark for a long, long time.
"Wait until the summer solstice, Mommy," Rachel said. "Let me tell you about the summer solstice. The summer solstice is when it stays late until, like, nine o'clock."
True, that.
***
"Giada was wearing a black and pink checked shirt," Rachel said, talking about one of her little preschool friends. "It was very dramatic."
Denver
Drew, Rachel and I were in Denver last week for the 66th annual Sweet Adelines International convention. My chorus, Pride of Portland, competed against 34 choruses. We spent several days in what seemed like nonstop rehearsals and then sang in the semifinals on Thursday and the finals on Saturday. The trip was especially sweet because PopPop made it out to see us. From what I've been told, he, Drew and Rachel had a fantastic time while I was rehearsing, sleeping off my exhaustion or attending the quartet/chorus portions of the contest.
Rachel was so excited to see PopPop that when she and Drew got off the plane (PopPop met them on Thursday, right after I finished singing in the semifinals; I had to go back to my hotel room and sleep because I was so drained), she literally jumped into PopPop's arms. We all congregated in the hotel room and talked for a while with our room-sharer, Julie, a friend from chorus. Mom and Dad called and we were relieved to hear they were OK (if without power after Hurricane Sandy). Then PopPop, Drew, Rachel and I went to dinner and, as we were coming back, we heard that Pride of Portland had made the finals! Yippee!!
So Drew, Rachel and PopPop had a ball the next two days, going to the Denver Aquarium (where Rachel got to see not one but TWO mermaid shows), and the Denver Children's Museum while Mommy was rehearsing and competing. At night we'd reunite for a bit before crashing into bed at 11 (late for Rachel, quite early for Drew and me). We all got good amounts of sleep but I still ended up feeling tired, probably because of the adrenaline, the stress and the geography, while resulted in my throat being terribly dry the whole time and me losing my voice halfway through the semifinal ballad.
We're hoping that PopPop can see Pride of Portland in Baltimore two years from now, and that Drew and Rachel can come, too. I love that Rachel is growing up around music and that she sees how much being part of SAI means to me. She met Touche, the winning quartet, one of whose members lives in our region, and one of the quartet members got a picture of Rachel between them when the women were wearing their crowns at breakfast (Rachel did a perfect curtsy in front of them, and the bass in the quartet said it was a perfect way to start her morning).
On Sunday morning as we were getting ready to leave, Rachel presented me with a paper crown she'd made at the Denver Children's Museum. "Mommy, you're a QUEEN!" she said. "A queen of HARMONY!"
This is why it didn't matter that we came in 8th instead of 5th or 6th or 7th as I'd hoped. And, hey, the chorus has been asked to audition for "America's Got Talent." So, really, it was very productive week.
Rachel was so excited to see PopPop that when she and Drew got off the plane (PopPop met them on Thursday, right after I finished singing in the semifinals; I had to go back to my hotel room and sleep because I was so drained), she literally jumped into PopPop's arms. We all congregated in the hotel room and talked for a while with our room-sharer, Julie, a friend from chorus. Mom and Dad called and we were relieved to hear they were OK (if without power after Hurricane Sandy). Then PopPop, Drew, Rachel and I went to dinner and, as we were coming back, we heard that Pride of Portland had made the finals! Yippee!!
So Drew, Rachel and PopPop had a ball the next two days, going to the Denver Aquarium (where Rachel got to see not one but TWO mermaid shows), and the Denver Children's Museum while Mommy was rehearsing and competing. At night we'd reunite for a bit before crashing into bed at 11 (late for Rachel, quite early for Drew and me). We all got good amounts of sleep but I still ended up feeling tired, probably because of the adrenaline, the stress and the geography, while resulted in my throat being terribly dry the whole time and me losing my voice halfway through the semifinal ballad.
We're hoping that PopPop can see Pride of Portland in Baltimore two years from now, and that Drew and Rachel can come, too. I love that Rachel is growing up around music and that she sees how much being part of SAI means to me. She met Touche, the winning quartet, one of whose members lives in our region, and one of the quartet members got a picture of Rachel between them when the women were wearing their crowns at breakfast (Rachel did a perfect curtsy in front of them, and the bass in the quartet said it was a perfect way to start her morning).
On Sunday morning as we were getting ready to leave, Rachel presented me with a paper crown she'd made at the Denver Children's Museum. "Mommy, you're a QUEEN!" she said. "A queen of HARMONY!"
This is why it didn't matter that we came in 8th instead of 5th or 6th or 7th as I'd hoped. And, hey, the chorus has been asked to audition for "America's Got Talent." So, really, it was very productive week.
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