Rachel Catherine

Rachel  dob. 07-02-97

Rachel's the big sister in this family, with 2 younger brothers, and  that's both good and bad.  She's unique as Daddy's only little girl but boys aren't much fun to play dress up with on a rainy Saturday afternoon.  Rachel attends 1st grade in Potomac, Maryland and in her free time she plays soccer on a local team.  As far as I'm concerned one of her finest qualities is her love of nature.  She often has some small critter as a temporary pet and an outing with her usually includes a search for something new.   No life form is scary or repulsive to Rachel, she unconditionally accepts them all.

Disney World 2007	Rachel loves bugs!	Rachel & Zoe at Disney

Current Events 2007

A new year has just begun so everybody's web page needs a little updating to reflect the changes that can occur in 365 days.  Rachel is now a 4th grader at Bells Mill Elementary School and, according to Mom, she's an excellent student.  When Rachel isn't studying she busies herself with the cello, soccer, swimming and karate.  Of all these activities I think soccer is her favorite and Rachel and her mom are in the process of deciding which team will have the benefit of her considerable talent.  I'll keep everybody informed of their decision.

March - Yesterday dawned picture perfect for a trip to the Warner Theater to see the 25th anniversary performance of the musical, "Cats".  Rachel and Cathy met Opa and I at the metro for a quick ride to downtown DC for a 2PM show.  Like all kids, Rachel wanted a drink to take into the theater and mom obliged.  The problem was that the concession had run out of lids so the beverage was at risk of an accident from the beginning.  Once inside Rachel set the cup on the floor and it promptly spilled - the floor has quite a slant that isn't obvious at first glance.  The good thing was that the spilled liquid quickly rolled down along the ground to settle under some other patron's feet and nobody could trace the accident to us!  The bad thing was that somebody behind me spilled their drink and it ran under MY feet.  Oh well.  For cat lovers "Cats" is the ultimate entertainment and I certainly fit that bill.  If Rachel liked the show half as much as I did then she'll have a fond memory for a lifetime.  After the performance we went to Da Dominica in Tysons Corner for a great Italian dinner.

Current Events 2006

February - OK Rachel, this is my Valentine's Day gift to you!  It's been over a year since I updated Judysplace but you asked me to work on it today so I will.  Rachel had a busy year in 2005.  She completed 2nd grade, played soccer, worked on Brownie merit badges and grew a whole lot.  In July Opa and I took her, along with cousins Kelly and Zoe, to Clear Creek Guest Ranch in the mountains of North Carolina.  Most of our activities centered around riding but we also had barbecues, lots of pool time, and a wonderful trip to a gem mine where the girls panned for semi-precious stones.  I think the best part of the vacation happened on the last day, when we all got a chance to canter the horses!  Well not ALL of us, Opa was a riding whinp!  But Rachel and the rest of us ladies charged down the mountain trail on our swift steeds and vowed to return in 2006 for another week of fun and relaxation. 

April 13 - Today Rachel joined the growing number of family members (Grammy, Zoe and Megan) who have broken a bone!  She was riding her bike with brother, Jack, when the 2 had a collision.  Rachel fell off and fractured her collarbone.  With her left arm in a sling to keep the broken bone from moving Rachel is leading a pretty sedentary life for the next 6 weeks.  No soccer,  swimming, biking, etc.  This is really bad luck in April when the weather is just turning beautiful but Rachel will survive.  In 2 short months this will just be a bad memory but, if I know my girl, she'll be back playing sports as good as ever way before summer sets in.  I'll give her until May 1 to throw the sling away and get back to life as usual.  Kids are so resilient!

Current Events 2004

April 12 - Rachel had a busy week in early April, she lost her first tooth (and got $5.00 from the tooth fairy) and she met Nutty, our new pony who is destined to take the Bergman grandchildren to great heights in the equestrian arena.  Despite a gloomy, rainy Monday Rachel and I hit the saddle shop to buy boots and pants suitable for equine activities, then we continued on to the barn for first introductions.  Rachel loved Nutty and I think the feeling was mutual since we were generous with treats and the way to win a pony's heart is with lots of food.  We spent about 45 minutes reviewing the guidelines for basic horse care, administered  a thorough grooming, and then we returned Nutty to her soggy paddock and went to lunch.  Rachel is anxious to experience her first ride on the pony which will occur after the weather shows some significant improvement.

July 2 - Today was only Rachel's second riding lesson and she's demonstrating lots of natural talent as an equestrian.  Her trainer, Miss Donna, has visions of Rachel as a little "dressage queen" and is already planning for her first show.  Once Rachel learns to post to the trot the next step is the canter, what fun!  I think that by the end of summer Nutty will have a dedicated horsewoman and loving rider on her little back.