Fashion Designing

Last night, the kids and adults alike had a great evening of company from our friends.  Julia and Madeleine spent their time romping wildly through the back woods (and later on, the living room) with their friends Jovina, Wyatt and Quinn, and even though we let them stay up until 8:00, the girls were STILL not ready to say good-bye to their friends and get ready for bed.

Madeleine was especially broken-hearted about the play-date ending.  After spending this past week stuck home with me while Julia was at school, Madeleine was absolutely thrilled to be part of the gang last night, and she completely fell apart when we brought her into the bathroom to brush her teeth.

I thought I had finally gotten her settled up in her bedroom, after I had read her two stories and was snuggling her in bed.  It turns out Madeleine needed one last cathartic melt-down before she could get herself to sleep, however.

ME: Okay, honey, it's time to go to sleep now.
MADELEINE: But...but...(bursting into fresh tears) Why is it ooooooover?
ME: Well, because it's bedtime, but we'll have another play-date with them again sometime soon, okay honey?
MADELEINE: But...but...(eyes welling up) Why can't we have a play-date with then EVERY DAAAAAAAY??

It has been a tough week for poor little Madeleine.

The girls woke up at their usual bright and early time this morning, despite having gotten to bed late, so, predictably, they are both crankypants today.  Julia, in fact, had a good 15-20 minute sobbing fest because she used up her last one of these:

She had colored on her very last blank model page this morning, and then, bereft, wept over the fact that she had so many more fashions she wanted to draw on the models.

What.  A.  Tragedy.

Don't worry, Mommy saved the day with a brilliant idea: I drew a new model figure for Julia on a piece of blank paper, and all was right with the world!  Ethan then drew another model figure and photocopied it so that both girls have an abundant supply of blank models upon which to draw their fancy fashions.

Here are a few of the new fashions Julia has churned out:

This model is a mom, so Julia drew her little baby, who bears a striking resemblance to Cindy Loo Who in my opinion.  I guess Julia felt the need to draw the child to accentuate the fact that this woman is a mom; it's like the must-have accessory if you're a mom.  Permanent child attached to your hip.

These sassy ladies are lifeguards, and man, are they showing off their high fashion styles at the pool or what??  I mean, sure, they may have to muss up their hair diving into the pool to rescue a floundering child, but still, why *not* put your haute couture personal style on display in the work place?

Madeleine has been working on her own models as well.  Here are a few of her completed fashionistas:

Mrs. Tornado-Hair and her daughter (I took the liberty of naming them myself)

Madeleine named these Katie (mom) and Emily (O-mouthed ghoul child)

Professor McGonnagal
(Man.  Maggie Smith has never looked so SMOKIN' HOT before!)

Madeleine's output has been less than Julia's, in part because, for the first time EVER, Madeleine was actually focused on eating her lunch.  In fact, she decided to challenge us to a lunch-eating race, promising her own victory.

MADELEINE: I'm gonna be the FIRST to finish my lunch!  Because...can I eat ALL of this?  With ONE mouth??
ETHAN: Not all in one bite, but sure, you can eat that all with one mouth.
MADELEINE: (beginning to shovel piece after piece of pasta into her mouth without chewing in between)
ME: Madeleine.  Madeleine.  You have to finish what's in your mouth before you stuff more pasta in.
MADELEINE: Mmmpffff.  (Translation: I'm gonna win!)

And believe it or not, she did win!  One meal of not having to nag her to eat??  I'll take it!

I will leave you with one last model picture, recently completed by Madeleine:

Voldemort, looking FABULOUS.
(He may not be able to vanquish Harry Potter, but the guy's got STYLE.)