Dora Princess

Well, today was off to a great start when Madeleine woke up super early and then began requesting something that, I've decided, simply does not exist.

MADELEINE: Mommy, I want to watch Dora Princess.
ME: Dora princess? Which one is Dora Princess?
MADELEINE: Dora Princess.
ME: I don't know which one is Dora Princess.
MADELEINE: Mommy? I want to watch Dora Princess.
ME: (pulling out her new Christmas-gift Dora DVD) Is this Dora Princess?
MADELEINE: No, that's Dora Enchanted Forest. I want to watch Dora Princess.
ME: But what is Dora princess?
MADELEINE: I don't know.
ME: Can you tell me what happens in Dora Princess?
MADELEINE: Because... I want to watch a show!

I then read through every On Demand title of Dora episodes, all of which were refused. Finally, I just chose one that was not named Dora Princess, but whose synopsis had something to do with a castle. Madeleine did not complain when it came on, and watched with rapt attention. Nor did she complain afterwards, when I put on the customary morning episode of Curious George for both girls to watch. It wasn't until Julia turned off the television that I discovered Madeleine was still waiting for Dora Princess.

MADELEINE: I want Dora PRIIIIIIIIINCEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!
ME: Honey, we're all done with tv.
MADELEINE: DORA PRIIIIIIIIIIIINCEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!


That wasn't the end of the melt-down. Unfortunately, it seems that Madeleine has learned a thing or two from Julia when it comes to angry pouting. ("This is NOT a living room!", anyone?)

MADELEINE: I want Dora PRIIIIIIIIIIINCEEEEEEEEEESSSS!
ME: Sorry, honey, but we're all done watching tv.
MADELEINE: (tossing her empty milk cup onto the ground) FINE! I'm NEVER going to play with my MILKIE!

Boy, way to give it to me, Madeleine.

Meanwhile, Julia has been extraordinarily sweet and cooperative lately, leaving me wondering who came and abducted my child and replaced her with a completely compliant version of herself. She had hoped to come along with me to my piano lessons yesterday, and to her disappointment, I left her at home with our baby-sitter. When I returned home from lessons, early, due to my last student (one of a pair of siblings) having a stomach bug, I told Julia how lucky she was not to have come along and been in the house with stomach bug germs. To my surprise, she responded, full of joy, "It's okay, Mama, I had a WONDERFUL time at home!" Perhaps she is still basking in the post-Christmas, new-toys glow. As she put it today in a random announcement to our sitter, "Christmas was, like, SO AWESOME. My mom said I got REALLY COOL toys."

Like, totally!