Home from CT

The girls had a blast in Connecticut, so much so that Julia burst into tears upon saying our good-byes.  As we began our drive back to Massachusetts, Julia sobbed broken-heartedly in the backseat, and to make things really fun, Madeleine decided to fake cry on top of Julia just to add to the chaos.

JULIA: Maaaadeleeeine!  STOP PRETENDING TO CRY!
MADELEINE: Waaah-waah-waaah!  A-huh-huh-huh-huh!  (big grin on her face) I'm just so sad we had to leave!
JULIA: (hissing) STOP IT, Madeleine!
MADELEINE: I'm just really really CRYING!
JULIA: Mama, I don't want Madeleine pretending to cry!

I myself didn't want ANYONE crying, fake or not.

Luckily, the non-stop excitement of the weekend, plus some very late bedtimes and veeery early rising shortly led to this:

They woke back up during the last 45 minutes of the drive in much cheerier moods, and to pass the time, Julia decided we should play "I'm Thinking of Something."  If you're not familiar with the game, the object is for one person to give the starting letter of whatever they are thinking of, plus a clue, and if the other person is unable to correctly guess what it is, more clues are provided.  For example:

JULIA:  I'm thinking of something that begins with the letter "A," and it's something you become if someone has a baby.
ME: An auntie?
JULIA: Yes!  You got it!

Some of Julia's ideas were unintentionally stumpers.

JULIA: I'm thinking of something that begins with the letter "C," and it's something you can play on.
ME: Uh... a car??
JULIA: No, Mama, I said it's something you can PLAY on!
ME: I know, but you have play cars that you drive around in the backyard.
JULIA: No, it's not a car.  Here's another clue.  It's BOUNCY.
ME: It's bouncy??  Are you sure it begins with the letter "C?"
JULIA: Yes, I'm sure.
ME: Um...a cushion?
JULIA: Nope!  Should I just tell you?  It's a TRAMPOLINE!

or:

JULIA: I'm thinking of something that begins with the letter "C," and it's a place in MASSACHUSETTS!
ME: Is it the Capitol?
JULIA: No!
ME: Is it the Cape?
JULIA: No!  Here's another hint.  We just CAME from it!
ME: Honey, you know Connecticut is not in Massachusetts, right?
JULIA: But I thought you TOLD me that Yiayia lives in a part of Massachusetts!
ME: No, she doesn't.
JULIA: But you TOLD me she does!
ME: No, I never told you that.  Connecticut is a different state from Massachusetts.
JULIA: But, wait, Mama, I thought you TOLD me that it IS part of Massachusetts.
ME: No, I never said that.
JULIA: Okay, fine, then should I just CRY ABOUT IT?
ME: Okay.  Go ahead.

Things got a little bit exciting towards the end of the car ride, when Madeleine announced she needed to poop and Julia announced she needed to pee, just as we had passed the last rest stop for 38 miles.  Both girls assured me they could hold it until we arrived home, though Julia felt the need for frequent check-ins on how much farther we had to go.  As we came into the last 10 minutes of the drive, Madeleine's urgency amped up.

MADELEINE: Mommy, I need a BATHROOM!
ME: Okay, honey.  We'll be home in a few minutes.  Can you hold it?
JULIA: But how many more minutes?
ME: Maybe ten minutes.  Just hang on girls!  We're almost there!
JULIA:  Well, Mama, good thing we're not driving all the way to Acklanta, because driving to Acklanta would take for HOURS!

I, for one, am very glad we only had to drive from the Connecticut part of Massachusetts into the part of Massachusetts in which we live, because I certainly would not have wanted to be driving for HOURS.  And in a happy ending to the whole story, we all made it home and onto the toilet without a hitch!

Julia is compensating for her sorrow at leaving her beloved aunties and Yiayia  by coloring pictures for everyone, which I'm sure she'll be asking me to mail out.  Madeleine, on the other hand, is busy watching tv instead of coloring, but that's probably because she already completed her master work of art while in Connecticut.  Behold the Shadowy Dora of Death!:

That child's artistic visions freak me out sometimes. 

Hope you had a great birthday weekend, Mom!!