The Jolly Day

Even though they were lamenting the fact that the snow was melting last week, the girls are totally on board with today's spring-like temperatures.  As we headed out to walk Julia to school this afternoon, the girls were buoyant with delight, and for once I didn't have to coax Julia out of her daydreamy snail's pace.  Skipping gaily down the sidewalk, she managed to get a huge lead on us, then turned to skip back towards us, calling out gleefully, "Mommy, do I look like I'm feeling JOLLY?"

The jolly skipper set off once again, pausing occasionally to wait for us when we got behind, or to call back exclamations of delight like, "Well, it really is a JOLLY, JOLLY day!"  Best of all was when we caught up with another kindergarten classmate, who was also walking to school, giving Julia a skipping buddy for the final leg of the journey. 

On our way home, after dropping off Julia, Madeleine and I chatted about all sorts of things, including Madeleine's recurring gender confusion.

MADELEINE: Mommy?  I'm a BOY.
ME: Oh.
MADELEINE: I'm a boy.  Did you hear me Mommy?  I said I'm a BOY-GIRL.

This has been her habitual theme lately, purportedly as a means of getting a laugh.  She made a similar announcement about being a boy during a recent car-ride, which left Julia in the position of trying to point out the anatomical impossibility of the above statement.

MADELEINE: I'm a BOY!
JULIA: Mommy!  Madeleine just said she's a BOY!
MADELEINE: (goofily) Yeah, I'm a BOY, Julia!
JULIA: Madeleine, you're a girl.
MADELEINE: No.  I'm a BOY!
JULIA: Okay, so...do you not have a VAGINA?
MADELEINE: Nope.  I don't have a vagina.  I have a PENIS.
JULIA: Well, Mommy, I was gonna ask her if she has that, but I was trying not to do POTTY TALK.
MADELEINE: Mommy, I have a penis and Julia can say, "Nice WORM, Madeleine!"

Maybe she needs to spend a little more time studying those naked Barbies to fully embrace her own vagina.