Names and Crazy Hair

While I lay cuddling Madeleine before bed last night, I was assaulted with the usual barrage of "why" questions.   As many of you likely read on facebook, one of these questions was concerning my own name.

MADELEINE: Mommy?  Why did YOUR mommy decide to name YOU "Mommy?"
ME: She didn't.  Yiayia named me Courtney.
MADELEINE: But WHY?
ME: Because Courtney is my name.  "Mommy" is what you call me, because I'm your mom, but Yiayia and Grandpa named me Courtney.
MADELEINE: Because Courtney is your favorite name?
ME: No.  It was THEIR favorite name.  My favorite names are Julia and Madeleine.

I guess this topic must have been weighing heavily on her mind throughout the night, because this morning when I went in to check on her, she stirred, and upon fluttering her eyelids open, the first thing she said to me was: "Mama?  I know your name is really Mommy.  But...me and Julia just CALL you Mommy, because you're...you're...you're...you're...you're me and JULIA'S Mommy."  Then she took things a completely logical step farther.  "Mommy?  You're my mother.  You're my GRANDMOTHER.  Mommy?  You're my FIRST GRANDMOTHER."

Wow.  What an amazing insight.  She REALLY gets it.

Meanwhile, I spent much of the morning helping Julia get ready for her next alphabet-themed kindergarten day: C(razy Hair) day.  I had braided her hair into about ten individual little braids last night, so that when we took them out this morning she'd have a nice big 80's style crimped 'do, to which I added a super-high little ponytail:

As we drove her into school this morning, her hairstyle seemed to have the desired effect on Madeleine.

MADELEINE: Why does Julia's HAIR look funny?
JULIA: Stoooop, Madeleine.
ME: It's supposed to look funny.  It's Crazy Hair Day!
MADELEINE: But...why is Julia's hair BUMPY?
JULIA: Maaaaadeleine.  Stop it!
ME: It's bumpy because I did a bunch of braids in it, and then she slept with the braids in, so that her hair would be all wavy and bumpy today.
MADELEINE: (delighted) Julia!  Your hair looks like a big LAKE!
JULIA: (irritably) STOP IT, Madeleine.

Yeah.  How DARE Madeleine comment on how crazy Julia's hair looks??  How DARE she confirm that we had done the job well in our efforts to render crazy hair??  Madeleine, just close your mouth before you do something REALLY outrageous like tell Julia she's wearing a hat on Hat Day.

Since Julia has been at school, Madeleine has had lots of opportunity to share her sage wisdom on all things with me.  For instance:

MADELEINE: (pointing to a lower case letter in her "Dora Discovers" book) Mama?  Is this letter "E" or "G?"
ME: Uh, what picture is it next to?
MADELEINE: It's next to EARTH.
ME: Then it's an "E."
MADELEINE: No, Mama.  I said it's next to EARTH.
ME: Yeah.  So it's "E."  "E" for Earth.
MADELEINE: Well Mama.  "E" actually rhymes with APPLE.

Ohhh.  I see.  I was too dense to realize that "E" rhymes with "apple," because that has simply everything to do with whether the lower case letter next to the Earth was an "e" or a "g."

Then we had another interesting discussion after Madeleine pooped on the potty.  As I wiped her, she started telling me all about her apparently invisible friend Ellie.

MADELEINE: Mama?  Ellie and me were FIGHTING about was I done yet.  Because...Ellie said SHE was done first, but I said that I was done first.
ME: Oh.  Who's Ellie?
MADELEINE: (pointing into thin air) She's right THERE!
ME: Oh.  Okay.
MADELEINE: Yeah.  But Mama?  Why is Simba really the King?

She really knows how to keep a conversation on topic, wouldn't you say?

I don't know.  Maybe invisible Simba was in the bathroom with us, too.