As soon as Ching comes through the door, she is all up in his grill.

Sometimes she likes me but other times she will abandon me like an old toy when her bestie walks in the room.  I feel kicked to the curb.  But I will always try again.  I am not reminiscing about junior high school.  I am not talking about that girl that would befriend you if no one else was around, but once her other friends walked in, you became invisible.  I am talking about Rachel..my younger daughter.

While I am sure you think I am exaggerating, let me tell you about last night.  Ching was reading Laurel a book while putting her to bed.  I was holding Rachel's bedtime bottle so she gravitates toward me with a smile.  (I am about to feel used..) We sit in her rocking chair quietly, just the two of us.  She is very content and this is one of my favorite times of day.  Ching comes out of Laurel's room, peeks his head into Rachel's room to say good night.  She proceeds to pluck the bottle out of my hands, slide off my lap, shuffle over to Ching with her outstretched arms.  (Really?  My belly button is now an outie for this girl and she pulls this?) She would like Ching to put her to bed now that he is available.

In jest, I will say that she doesn't like me.  It's not that she doesn't like me but she certainly doesn't prefer me. She would rather have Ching give her a bath or put her in her car seat.  (After the Lil' Kim incident..I am wary of that freakin' seat.  Please reference entry dated 1/10)

Ching and I joke that perhaps she gravitates toward him because they look very similar..actually Rachel is a mini-Ching.  Full cheeks with a pudgy body (he said that, really).  They both have the same smile that brightens their face.  Physically, if I didn't see her actually come out of my body..I would doubt she was mine.  The irony is that Rachel's personality is more like mine..sometimes manic, funny and all over the place and other times a tad pensive choosing to work on something by herself.  She plays hard to get and she has a little bit of a bossy side which I would think is more of a future managerial style.

We work very hard to be neither the fun nor the stern parent.  Actually sometimes, I try to be a little more fun..but she won't budge.  As soon as Ching comes through the door, she is all up in his grill.  My time will come..with my luck when she is a pre-menstrual 13 year old.  I am counting the days..