Rachel's big news

It's been a while since I've updated.  I'd say it's been more of the same (picture books, poop, and smothering prevention), except that every day is so different.  We are never wanting for entertainment around here--and we are never more than a word or two away from laughing, crying, screaming, or dancing.  Sometimes we are within a word of all of those at once.  (Those are moments when Mommy and Daddy choose their words very carefully.)

Some big news from the last month or so...

Rachel got her hair cut!  She went with me to the salon so she could watch.  I figured the only way we'd get her in the chair was if she saw first-hand that a haircut does not have to involve noisy clippers in the kitchen, the way it does for Daddy.  Turns out, the thing that got her in the chair was the lollipop she saw another newly-shorn child receive.  Whatever works.  She got about 3-4 inches trimmed off the back, and it looks darling.

We've gotten some warm weather that looks like it might actually stick around for a while.  We went from temperatures in the 40s F to temperatures in the 80s F in two days--I exaggerate not--so our wonderful spring flowers are a little confused.  So are my children, come to think of it.  I put them in the car on Friday and they both turned bright red within moments of being buckled in, poor lambs.  But we are revelling in the chance to go to the park and for walks and even just outside in the yard.  To celebrate, Rachel finally got the long-promised tricycle from her grandparents.  She loves it!  She can even pedal when she thinks hard about which way to push her feet.  It's been quite a lot of fun already.

And--this may be the biggest news of all--Rachel jumped!  This morning she was counting, "One, two, free, fir, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twaylve, firteen, JUMP!"  And she jumped!  She actually got air about one time out of three.  It was very exciting for those of us watching.  (Didn't seem to feel any different to the one of us who was actually jumping; as far as she knows, she's been jumping for months.)

Adel

Yesterday at breakfast, Rachel asked me, "What's adel?"  Adel?  Huh?  I finally got out of her that it's from a song.  Then she revealed that it's from "789," a Barenaked Ladies song that she really likes.  (Click here to hear it and see the video--it's really cute.)  So I'm running through the lyrics, and I get to: "Once upon a time in our solar system, you couldn't get by without nine.  But Pluto's not a planet now, so eight'll do fine."  Eight'll!  When I recounted this tale to Aunt Jen (an English major), she asked if we talked about contractions.  Ummm...that probably would have made sense.  Instead, we talked about Pluto and what makes something a planet and why "The Scientists" changed Pluto's designation.  (Since you're asking, of course all of that made perfect sense to my two-year-old daughter!)  As for the syntax, I just said they were singing so fast ("Why were they singing fast, Mommy?") that "Eight will" sounded like "Eight'll."

Fun photo:  When your sister has two tutus and she's the sharing type...