Say What?

It's easy to think that Madeleine lives on some alternate plane of reality, especially when she says things like this:

MADELEINE: Mommy?  Do you have to WEAR a butterfly costume to wear a butterfly costume?

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that's a yes.

However, she will occasionally come out with some razor sharp comment that proves to me that she does, indeed, actually pay attention to what's going on around her.  For instance, last night as we snuggled in her bed, we had this discussion:

MADELEINE: (singing a made-up song) I loooove because I'm maaaad, I loooove because I'm maaaad... Mommy?  Does "LOVE" rhyme with "MAD?"
ME: No.  But "love" rhymes with "dove," and "mad" rhymes with "sad."
MADELEINE: Well Mama.  Miss Eleni says that a dove is the HOLY SPIRIT.

Miss Eleni is the girls' Sunday School teacher.  And our church does indeed talk about how the Holy Spirit took the form of a dove after Jesus was baptized.  I have to admit, however, when I hear things like that come out of Madeleine's mouth, I can't help but feel stunned.  The child who just asked me if "love" rhymed with "mad" was also able to explain the significance of the dove in the Christian religion.  Um...what?!?

Or, for another example, as I took pictures of Madeleine getting ready for ballet class yesterday, she was able to teach me a thing or two about ballet, despite the fact that she hadn't seemed to pay the slightest attention during her first class.  (In fact, none of the kids did; the class takes place in the basement of a neighbor's home, and the basement toys proved WAY too distracting for the little 2 and 3 year olds...)

ME: Madeleine, great job with your feet!  You're doing second position! 
(I know NOTHING about ballet.)
MADELEINE: Well Mama.  That's FIRST position.
ME: Oh.  I think it's second position, actually.
MADELEINE: Well Mama.  The teacher TOLD US it's called FIRST POSITION.

And at the ballet class that followed this discussion, I learned that, indeed, Madeleine was correct, and that position IS first position.

Now, back to the subject of our kids living in an alternate reality.

Last night, as Ethan gave Julia her good-night hug and kiss, Julia went off on a tangent about Magic (aka Aurora Borealis), her new unicorn beanie baby.  Julia explained that since Magic is her new baby unicorn, Ethan and I are Magic's grandparents.  Ethan, who should have really known better, decided to probe further and ask, "And who's the father?"

Turns out the father is someone who has been featured on this blog some time back, albeit as Madeleine's, not Julia's, previous obsession.

JULIA: UNCLE MIKE!

Julia launched into the whole family tree she had concocted for Magic, with Uncle Dave and Aunt Sarah as Godparents, and Madeleine as auntie to her unicorn-bred-of-two-humans little niece.  As the family tree got more and more incestuous, Ethan began to regret his seemingly innocent question as to Magic's paternity.

And, Julia being Julia, she remembers every detail of Magic's ancestry this morning.

JULIA: (brightly popping out of bed when I went in to say good morning) Mommy!  Last night I told Daddy the whole story about Magic!
ME: I heard.
JULIA: (delighted) And...GUESS who I said is Magic's FATHER!
ME: I heard.  Uncle Mike.
JULIA: (giggling with glee)  And you and Daddy are the GRANDPARENTS!
ME: I know.  I heard that too.
JULIA: And Uncle Dave and Aunt Sarah are...the...the...
ME: I know, Daddy told me.  The godparents!
JULIA: Yes!  But Mommy?  I had to whisper "godmother," because I couldn't remember what the BOY god-person is called, so I had to whisper "godmother" to remind myself what the word is.

Maybe she should have just asked Madeleine, who seems to be an expert on all things religious lately.