So Much For Sugar and Spice

Rachel informs me the other day that her friend Shaam's favorite phrase is "uh-oh."

I ask her what her favorite phrase is.

She responds, "toilet."

Rachel's Adorable New Word

I miss the days when Rachel said pirkle for purple and pereeter for computer.

So I am delighted to report that instead of Spaghettios she says Baskettios!

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

I can't tell you how many times we have wanted to light a fire under our daughter so we can leave the house to go out to eat or run an errand. Sometimes, you could look up lollygag in the dictionary and we'd swear her picture would be next to it.

"Rachel, where are your socks?"

"I don't know!"

Or

"Rachel, could you please put on your shoes?"

"Rachel, your shoes are on the wrong feet!"

"No, they're not!"

Or

"Do we have to turn off the tv for you to get dressed?"

"No!"

"Well, we've asked you three times! Let's get going! Mommy and daddy are hungry!"

She also has this quirk where she will wear her jacket to the car, but she won't wear it in the car because it makes her feel constricted when she gets belted into her seat. So when it is cold and she's taking her time, and mommy is standing in the cold behind her dad, arthritic knees and hands a-throbbing, and Rachel is taking her sweet time taking off the jacket she just put on and insisting we attach the seat belt around her and the one stuffed animal we allowed her to take when she really wanted to take two or three and she had to go into the other room to decide which one would join us today, well, let's just say patience can wear a tad bit thin!

So we're playing a game in the car last night where one of thinks of a shape we are holding up and the rest of us have to guess what shape it is. Maybe it's a square. Or a heart. Or a diamond. Or a triangle. You get the idea.

This was about ten minutes after mommy was outside in the cold behind daddy while Rachel took her sweet time facing forward in her seat and refused to strap herself in.

Rachel had thought of her shape and asked us, "What am I holding up?"

"Usually mommy and daddy," daddy replied from the front seat.

Old Finger

It is truly amazing what you can learn from your children. The three of us were having a conversation in the car when Rachel informed us that one of her fingers was older than the rest.

Amazed by this revelation, we asked her the basis for her discovery.

"It is more wrinkled than the others," she replied.

We informed her that the fact that she sucks on it part of the time could have a lot to do with it.

Neat Freak

We are in Gainesville, Florida, visiting relatives. Our Sunday started with a visit with my 55-year-old cousin Steve, his wife Linda and their 20-year-old son, Benjamin. Rachel has charmed everyone, but really took a liking to Benjamin, who she calls her "buddy" and Steve and the family dog, Shana.

Last night, she paid them the ultimate compliment. She invited them to our Atlanta-area home for a sleepover..."but not now, the house is a mess."