Happy Fathers Day!

The girls had a very active, hands-on part in this year's Fathers Day gift.  A few months ago, we purchased a "Make-A-Plate" kit from a local toy store for the kids to decorate.  Julia has made her own plate in the past, and we have a few of my kiddie plate decorations in our stack of dishes, so the girls were well aware of the whole plate-making process.  Eager to begin, they sat together and colored the template in a haphazard fashion, filling up every last inch of space they could get at.  They were understandably excited about and proud of their finished template, but unfortunately they were in for a long wait.  Knowing the actual finished plate takes 8-10 weeks to arrive, I had started this project in the early spring, and for the next week or so, Julia asked me every day, "WHEN is Daddy's plate going to come??"

Luckily, by the time the plate finally did arrive, the girls had forgotten about it, so I was able to hide it from both the girls AND Ethan to reduce the risk of one kid or the other accidentally spilling the beans.  It was only two days ago that I finally reminded Julia of the plate, as she sat fretting over her need to make a Fathers Day gift for Ethan.  "Remember, Julia?  You already made one.  The plate!" I reminded her.  I patted myself on the back for keeping so quiet on the gift for so long so that we could actually present it as a surprise to Ethan.

Apparently, two days was two too many for the girls to keep a secret.

Last night, with Ethan sitting in the adjacent room, Julia loudly declared to me: "Mama, I think you're right that it was a great idea to make Daddy a plate, because I always notice him SNEAKING my plate and our other COLORFUL plates to use, so I think he'll really like having his OWN."  I shushed her, and the matter was quickly dropped, but little did I know someone ELSE was about to blow it.

This morning, while Ethan was shaving, the girls sat at the dining room table with his wrapped present.  "Daddy!" Madeleine hollered.  "Here's your PRESENT!  We have a PLATE for youuuuuuuuuu!"

So Daddy finally got a chance to open his mystery, surprise present.  It was a plate.

Since this plate was made a few months ago, Madeleine was not yet in her ghoul-eyes phase, so unfortunately Ethan will have to make do with skeleton heads and creepy bug-like creatures instead.

Despite it being Fathers Day, the girls seemed to have forgotten their manners this morning, rather than giving Daddy the treat of extra-good behavior.  Madeleine had a big freak-out over the fact that Daddy was sitting in the chair she'd happened to sit in about an hour earlier.  Doesn't Daddy understand that the chair remains property of Madeleine even when she has abandoned it?!?

MADELEINE: NO!  DADDY!  That's MY chair!
ME: Madeleine!  That is NOT how you talk to Daddy.  Use your words.  Can you say "Daddy, may I please sit in that chair?"
MADELEINE: (staring at me in despair)
ME: How about you just say, "Please, Daddy?"
MADELEINE: (whining) I caaaaaan't.
ETHAN: I'll tell you what.  I'll give it to you for a kiss.
MADELEINE: (whining) Nooooooo!  I need my chaaaaaaaair!
ETHAN: Well, Madeleine, I'm happy to give it to you, but not if you ask like that.

Madeleine maintained that it was just way too impossible to say "please," at least until she got over her stubbornness, so Ethan was completely absorbed in his e-mail by the time she actually got over herself and decided to act nicely.

MADELEINE: Daddy, may I please sit in that chair?
ETHAN: (silent, fiddling with his phone, oblivious.)
MADELEINE: (turning to me, eyes full of tears of injustice) Mommy, I said it to Daddy!

Julia, on the other hand, remembered to say "please,"  but... um... that's about it:
"Whoever can get me milkie... do it please NOW."

It's okay, because they're both watching Barbie: Princess Charm School right now, so that ought to learn them on royal manners/etiquette right enough.

On an unrelated note, Julia has been planning all week that this weekend she is going to have Ethan make a CD recording of a Goldens concert.  In fact, Saturday has been the chosen day all along, but she came upon an unexpected glitch yesterday afternoon.  Shouting to me through the closed bathroom door as she pooped on the potty, she announced, "Uh, MAMA?  I think I have to do my CD of the GOLDENS concert TOMORROW, because, uh, I'm not wearing the right OUTFIT for it today!"

And we all know that if she's not wearing the right OUTFIT for her audio CD, everyone listening will be able to sense that she wasn't dressed appropriately when she was singing.  When her new CD debuts, I will keep you all posted.