Rachel is growing up right before our eyes. She has developed some really cute habits, lately (along with a host of really annoying habits, but I'll leave that to your imagination). One of my favorite things she just started doing is clicking her tongue and pointing her finger after she matter-of-factly announces something to me. "Well, I could use my crayons instead of my markers [click/point]!" It's hard to argue with that self-assured presentation, Rach.
She's also inferred that "soaking" can be used instead of "very." I assume this is due to me referring to her as "soaking wet" after a bath? The first occurrence of the word came when she brought me the trash can from our bathroom "Mommy, you need to empty this trash can; it's soakin' full!" She had to repeat it before I understood, and I tried to stifle my giggles.
She also, within the last two days, has begun making up stories, mostly involving Carly and their cousin Emma. In the stories, the two babies are usually at MiMi's house, chasing each other and hitting each other. The parents usually get involved in some way, with appropriate scolding and exclamation. Cute. Yesterday, she told me that the two men who cleaned our gutters got married. When I reminded her that you need a boy and a girl to get married, not two boys, she declared, "Well, they did get married. They weren't aware of that rule. (shrugging and shaking her head) I don't know why they did."
She's thinking more (and thinking less...hmmm) and can figure things out, even when I don't want her to figure things out. My favorite conversation lately happened tonight after dinner:
- Rachel: Daddy, why are you washing the dishes?
- Mommy: Daddy is blessing Mommy by washing the dishes tonight, isn't he.
- Rachel: Why is he blessing you?
- Mommy: Well, Daddy has lots of his own work to do, but tonight he's helping me with my work. He's blessing me.
- Rachel: What's blessing, Mommy?
- Mommy: It's when you give someone something they want or need.
- Rachel (thinking): You wanted Daddy to wash the dishes, Mommy?
Yes, child, yes I did. I was floored that she made that leap in logic. I guess we tall people often don't give the shorts much credit, but they sure are smart sometimes.
Anyway, the girl is driving me crazy most days, but I sure do love watching her grow and learn. She is so funny playing with Carly. When I asked her a couple of weeks ago if she remembered when we brought Carly home, right after she came out of Mommy's belly, Rachel looked at me, perplexed. She did not remember. She cannot even conceptualize life without her sister. It seems like only yesterday to me, but to her, this is how it's always been, and anything else would be just wrong. How sweet is that?
