Aftermath of the Storm

Hurricane Sandy seems to have passed, and we in the Rowe household are feeling very lucky to have suffered minimal repercussions.  While we have some branches and limbs that fell in our backyard, we had no major damage and were fortunate enough not to lose power.  I guess all the candles Ethan bought on Sunday night were for naught, although Julia seemed to think she knew of a good use for them.

JULIA: Mama, can I have some lunch?
ME: Yes, in a few minutes I'll get you a cheese stick.
JULIA: But Mama, can I have one of those EXTRA LONG cheese sticks that Daddy bought?
ME: The cheese sticks are all the same size.  There are no extra long ones.
JULIA: No, I'm talking about the ones on the COUNTER that Daddy bought!

Extra long cheese sticks.  Mmm, nice and waxy.

Last night, Ethan and I decided to have the girls sleep together in one bed, so that a) if we lost power they would have each other for comfort, and b) Julia would not have to hear the sound of the howling wind and clacking tree branches right outside her window to the backyard.  So they snuggled close to protect each other in Madeleine's room throughout the night:

While they certainly look like little precious angels in this picture, it took some doing to get them to this point.  A sleepover in Madeleine's room was such an exciting idea that neither kid could seem to calm down during their lullaby.  Madeleine did not help matters when the girls were choosing their song.

ME: Okay, what song would you girls like?
JULIA: I want "Under African Skies."
MADELEINE: (barely able to contain herself) I want BUNDER BAFRICAN BYES!
ETHAN: (beginning to sing the instrumental intro)
MADELEINE: (sticking her tongue out and loudly making "BLAH BLAH BLAH" noises over him.)
ETHAN: (singing) Joseph's face was as black as the night...
MADELEINE: (singing) Boseph's bace bas bas black bas ba biiiight....
JULIA: (hysterically cracking up)
MADELEINE: (goofing around even more loudly) BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAAAAH!

Our ultimate solution was for Ethan to take Julia out of the bedroom until Madeleine was asleep, after which we were able to put Julia back in Madeleine's bed.  This morning, however, upon waking, Madeleine was just as excited as ever.  The girls got a stern visit from me shortly before 6am to tell them it was fine if they wanted to talk or play but the VERY loud, VERY rambunctious "BLAH BLAH BLAAAAAH!" resonating through my wall was unacceptable. 

I mean, as Madeleine knows, I like sticking my tongue out and saying "blah blah blah" just as much as the next guy, but there is truly a time and a place for it, and the crack of dawn is definitely not that time.  Furthermore, to my dismay, Julia also reported: "And Mama, Madeleine asked if she could LICK-KISS me!" 

That girl seriously needs to learn to keep her tongue to herself.

School was cancelled yet again, unfortunately, so the girls and I are facing a second day of being house-bound.  We were able to add some excitement to our day, however, by arranging a play-date at our place with Nate and Anja, whose house has no power.  The kids got to have yesterday's Halloween cookies for snack, play "police officer," hang out upstairs in Julia and Madeleine's rooms, and watch Sesame Street while eating lunch.  Here they all are, sitting around the tv, eating some non-extra-long cheese sticks:

Now that our friends have gone back home, Julia is busy doing "Gallop Time," while Madeleine has decided to dress up as "a beach girl who's going to the BEACH":

Halfway through no-school day #2.  Fingers crossed for school tomorrow, AND decent weather for evening trick-or-treating!