Blizzard Nemo

Blizzard Nemo is upon us!  Even though the snow didn't begin in earnest until near noon today, school was cancelled, much to Julia's disappointment.  Madeleine found something completely different to be disappointed about: she simply felt that life was not worth living if she couldn't watch "Tinkerbell: Secret of the Wings" as soon as we were up this morning.  Since we start EVERY weekday morning with "Sesame Street" and breakfast, I went with the regular routine this morning, not realizing that Madeleine was going to come apart at the seams with her shattered heart.  Even though she would occasionally forget her sadness and become absorbed in "Sesame," she would inevitably turn to me with tear-filled eyes after a few minutes and wail, "Mom I want the Secrets of the Wiiiiiiings!"

Julia, however, was fine with "Sesame Street," and settled down to watch it, although she did decide to spice things up and wear a basket on her head:

After breakfast and tv, I decided that we Rowe girls would ALL benefit from getting a chance to run around before becomig cooped up indoors all weekend.  We headed off to the Y, where the girls got to play in the play-room with all the other kids who had been dropped off for baby-sitting, and I got outdoors for a good run.  It had begun to snow during my run, and when I picked the kids up from baby-sitting, they were both squealing delightedly at me, "Mommy!  It's SNOWING!"

As we drove home, the view out the window looked something like this:

MADELEINE: Mom?  When is it going to snow again?
ME: Uh...it's snowing right now, Madeleine.
MADELEINE: (obviously annoyed) No!  Mooom, when is it gonna snow on ANOTHER day?
ME: Uh, I don't know honey.  I can't predict the weather.
MADELEINE: Well Mama, what do you MEAN?
ME: I mean I'm not a weather person.  I'm not a meteorologist.  A meteorologist is someone who knows the science behind what makes certain kinds of weather.
MADELEINE: (as if talking to a dunce) Well Mama.  You have a WINDOW.

I see.  I am apparently supposed to be able to LOOK OUT THE WINDOW and not remark upon the current weather, but instead MAGICALLY SEE INTO THE FUTURE and tell Madeleine EXACTLY which day in the coming weeks will once again bring snow.  Piece of cake.

Since we are now all cooped up indoors, the girls and I have kept busy with all sorts of activities.  We worked together to whip up some chocolate chip cookies:

(Julia, regarding the dry mixture: "Mama!  It's kind of like...what's going on OUTSIDE!")

In addition to baking, the girls played My Little Pony: kindergarten, had a big fight with Barbie dolls in which the dolls (and children) were beating each other up, and made some sparkly headbands and bracelets together:

And it's only 2:06pm.  This is going to be one long house-bound weekend...

Madeleine also killed some time by having a marathon poop session.  She had to be forcibly removed from the toilet after a half hour+ because Ethan needed a turn.  While Madeleine was taking her sweet old time, naked on the potty with the door closed, she became suddenly, heatedly outraged by the fact that Julia was singing made-up songs while flipping through her "The Night Before Kindergarten" sticker book in the dining room.


MADELEINE: (shouting from behind the closed bathroom door) JULIA!  Who are you TALKING TO?
JULIA: I'm talking my kindergarten people!
MADELEINE: (shouting) Well Julia, can you STOP?
JULIA: (singing) Sheeee's plaaaaying a guitar in the deseeeert!
MADELEINE: (shouting from the bathroom) JULIAAA!  Can you STOP SINGING?  JULIIIIAAAA!  (rising to a high-pitched squeal) STOOOP SINGIIIIING! 
JULIA: (singing) I'm dancing in the deseeeert, and playing the xylophooone tooo! 
MADELEINE: (shouting from the bathroom) MOM!  Can you CLOSE JULIA'S MOUTH?
ME: (opening the bathroom door) What are you asking me?
MADELEINE: (perfectly polite and reasonable) Um, can you please tell Julia to CLOSE HER MOUTH?

Yes.  Like I said.  It's going to be one looong weekend... 
Wish us luck!