Trip to Boston

Last evening, the girls had an exciting adventure, taking the commuter rail into Boston to meet up with Ethan, Uncle Dave, Aunt Sarah, and cousin Emily.

Perhaps it was a bit TOO exciting for Madeleine, who is apparently still scared of the purple lousy train, and spent the ride in covering her ears from the imaginary loud noises the train was making:

Or perhaps she was covering her ears to avoid being hypnotized by Julia, who decided to spend the entire train ride humming the same eight measures of music OVER AND OVER AND OVER again.  Even I started humming along; if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

We met up with Ethan and the others at South Station and took a stroll down to the Boston Common, where the kids got ready to jump into the Frog Pond:

The Rowe cousins had a blast splashing in the wading pool, and Julia was absolutely enthralled with little Emily.  Madeleine spent most of the time off in her own world, getting herself completely and utterly soaked in the big, central fountain; that is, until the fountain was turned off near the frog pond's closing time.  As I sat on the edge of the pond, Madeleine came to me, eyes wide and full of tears, lamenting her fate.

MADELEINE: (sorrowfully) Mommy, I got LOST!
ME: You got lost?
MADELEINE: Yeah.  I got LOST!
ME: How did you get lost?
MADELEINE: I can't find the FOUNTAIN!

Despite my explanations, Madeleine didn't seem to grasp that she was indeed in the very same place she had been a minute before, and that the fountain had simply been turned off.  Happily, however, it wasn't long before she found a little spurt of water spewing up from the edge of the pond like a little drinking fountain.  Before I knew it, she was dunking her head down into it as if preparing to do a forward roll, then standing up in delight as water dripped from the top of her head down her face.  Good to know it doesn't take much to satisfy this kid.

After parting with the Atlanta Rowes, who were bound for their hotel before flying home the following morning, we local Rowes boarded the train to head back to our house.  Since it was nearly bedtime for our kids I expected them to be sleepy on the ride, but instead, Madeleine was in manic mode.

MADELEINE: I'm gonna SINK down!  (leaning herself forward in her chair and bonking her head into the seat in front of her)  OW!  (near tears.)
ME: That's why you need to SIT ON YOUR BUM.  No more sinking down.
MADELEINE: I wanna sink down again.
ME: No.  You may not.
MADELEINE: Is it okay I can sink down again, Mommy?
ME: No.  No more sinking down.
MADELEINE: How bout for just ONE QUICK SECOND.
ME: No.

At another point, Madeleine became fascinated with the fact that Ethan and I had to present our train tickets to the conductor as proof that we had paid our fare.  Despite the fact that kids 11 and under ride for free, Madeleine felt it was extremely unjust that she herself did not get to present a ticket.

MADELEINE: Mommy, is that your ticket?
ME: Yes.
MADELEINE: Mommy, can I have a ticket?
ME: No, you don't need one.
MADELEINE: Can I have YOUR ticket?
ME: No.  I need to put mine away so I don't lose it.
MADELEINE: When my name is Mommy and I'M big can I have a ticket?
ME: When your name is Mommy?  Are you going to turn into me?
MADELEINE: No, I'm gonna BE you.
ETHAN: Who's gonna be Daddy?
MADELEINE: uh, Julia can be Daddy.
JULIA: No I will NOT!

A few moments of silence, and then:




MADELEINE: (talking loudly to herself) When I turn into a boy, I'm gonna have a PENIS.

I'd like to point out that rather than growing a penis, she could take the simpler approach of putting Golben Grahams into her mouth in order to become a boy.