back to reality

Today Rachel goes back to school, which means Christmas Vacation is officially over, and real life starts up again.  A few days ago I was really down about it all.  Today I'm very ready for things to get back to normal. 

I'm going to miss Rachel, though.  I've gotten used to having her around.  What I won't miss, though, is policing the arguing between the two girls.  Oh my.  It reached an all time high over the last two weeks, I think.  A little too much togetherness, I guess.  So I won't miss that, but I will miss Rebecca having a playmate. 

I'm also going to miss leisurely mornings in our PJs and not making Rachel's lunch each morning. 

But, that's life. 

Rebecca's been cuddly this morning.  She threw her arms around me and said, "This is my ____!"  (insert my name here--I don't know why she used my regular name--usually she says, "This is my mommy!").  Then she told me, "You are so cute."  I told her, "Well, you are so cute, too."  Next she said, "You love me!"  I assured her that yes, I love her, and she told me, "I love you, too."  She's been telling me that more and more in the last few days.  So sweet to hear!

On New Years Eve we were looking for something a little "special" to do with the girls without venturing out.  We ended up watching home movies.  We never watch the videos we take, so it was something special.  Rachel LOVED it.  She loved seeing herself as a younger girl.  And Rebecca kept saying that little Rachel was Rebecca.  They do look very similar, so a little Rachel does look like a current Rebecca, so it's easy to see why she thought that.  I couldn't believe how different Rachel was--so little girly, and it made her seem so grown up now.  Until recently she couldn't say certain sounds correctly (the R sound, the TH sound....), so to hear her talking that way in the videos made her current speech sound so mature.  I miss my little three and four year old Rachel.  I told her she needs to go back to being three or four.  She said she can't.  So I told her she needs to stay six and not get any older.  She didn't seem to like that idea either.  Sometimes I just want to stop time. 

We watched the day Rebecca was born.  So tiny.  So sweet.   No arguing with her sister, no telling me, "NO!" and no constantly getting into things she shouldn't.  There are certain things about babyhood that I miss.  Guess I'll just have to be happy that now there's no waking up in the middle of the night to eat like there was then.  She also couldn't tell me, "I love you!"  I'll take that.

Well, I have work to do.  Back to reality!