Another Trip to the Car Dealership

Madeleine was full of ALL KINDS of sage comments during our car rides today.  As we drove home from dropping Julia at school, Madeleine lamented the fact that it was pouring rain.

MADELEINE: Mommy?  Why does it have to be raining ALL THE TIME, EVERY DAY?
ME: I don't know, honey, but I don't like the rain either.
MADELEINE: Mom?  Sometimes, we call it...a RAIN BLIZZARD.
ME: A rain blizzard, huh?
MADELEINE: Yes.  And...on the days of the week, we call it a RAIN STORM.  For...for...for a FRENCH WORD.

I didn't minor in French for nothing.  Let me tell you, there's no more French sounding word than rainstorm.
I think Madeleine might be a genius.


Later in the morning, we hopped back into the car to drive to Framingham for a car inspection and oil change at the car dealership.  In a very happy contrast to my last adventure driving to the dealership, I drove on the correct road this time and found the place without a problem.  As we headed along down the highway, I popped in the CD of "Jesus Christ, Superstar," for which Madeleine had been asking on our earlier morning drive.

MADELEINE: Mom?  Is this JESUS CHRISTES SUPERSTAR?
ME: Yes!  It is.  I remembered you were asking to listen to it earlier, so I put it on for you!
MADELEINE: (pensive) Mom?  Sometimes me and Daddy call "Jesus Christes Superstar" just "JESUS."  For...for...for a NICKNAME.

So, we listened to "Jesus" (allow me to make use of the nickname as well) during our commute to Framingham, although the enjoyment was temporarily ruined for Madeleine because of my foolish assumption that it was okay to join in the singing.

MADELEINE: (exasperated) Mom?  Can you STOP trying to sing along?

After that, I shut my trap and just respectfully listened to the singers on the CD.

When we got to the car dealership and handed over the keys, we had about an hour to kill in the waiting area.  Luckily, I had come prepared with snack for Madeleine, as well as a bunch of markers and some blank paper.  After Madeleine colored a picture of a dog named Deandra for me, she came and climbed up into my lap so I could admire her artwork.  I then flipped the paper over and asked if she could write her name on the back for me.

Madeleine decided to take a more clever approach:

MADELEINE: Mom?  What's MISSING?
ME: Oh, my gosh, look at how smart you are!  Here, let me take a picture of this.
MADELEINE: (trying to shove a marker into my hand) No!  Mom!  Say "L!"
ME: Okay, just hang on, let me take a picture...
MADELEINE: No!  No!  MOM!  You have to say "L!!!"
ME: I will...okay..."L..." let me take a picture-
MADELEINE: (ripping the marker out of my hand to just write the gosh-darn "L" herself)  No!  No Mommy!  You have to MAKE AN "L!"
ME: I will!  I just want to-
MADELEINE: (pushing my cell phone camera away) YOU HAVE TO MAKE-
ME: Just hang on!  (shoving the camera back over the paper)
MADELEINE: MOM!
ME: Hang on!
MADELEINE: Don't take a picture!  I have to make "L!!!!!"

So, I did what any loving, responsible parent would do.  I grabbed the marker out of her hand so that she couldn't fill in the missing letter until I had taken my picture.

(And now you may understand why the picture came out a bit blurry.)

At any rate, we were back to happy and agreeable coloring before long, although Madeleine felt the need to occasionally look around and loudly observe upon something else in the waiting room or out the window.

For example,
MADELEINE: Mom!  Kia SOUL!

Or,
MADELEINE: Mom!  Kia SOUL!

Or,
MADELEINE: Mom!  I see a KIA SOUL!

Or, in regards to a man in the waiting room a table or two away from us,
MADELEINE: Mom?  There's a man with a PONYTAIL over there.  And...I think it's a GIRL.

Or,
MADELEINE: Mom!  Kia SOUL!  Mom?  Do we have a Kia Soul?
ME: Yes, we do!
MADELEINE: No, we don't.  Mom.  No we don't.  We don't, Mom.

As I said above, I think she's a G E N I _ S.
(What's missing?)