Lots of Car Conversations

This morning, when we Rowes left the house to bring Ethan to his church choir rehearsal, it was incredibly foggy out.  Julia seemed fascinated by the fog, while Madeleine was not impressed.

MADELEINE: (fake coughing when we went outside into the foggy morning) EW!  Fog tastes DISGUSTING because I was DRINKING it in my MOUTH!

Man, I hate it when I accidentally drink fog, don't you?

Madeleine wasn't quite done on the subject of her fog-drinking experience.

MADELEINE: Yeah.  Because...tasting fog is EASY.

Ethan decided to riff upon Madeleine statement and began singing the words "Tasting fog is easy" as we drove along down the road.  Julia found it hilarious, asking him if what he was singing was a real song.  Since he was singing Madeleine's words to the melody of one of the movements from Handel's "Messiah," the answer was both no AND yes.  Ethan explained where the melody had come from, and then demonstrated the actual words for Julia.

ETHAN: (singing) His yoke is easy, and his burthen is light...
ME: Are you saying "burthen?"
ETHAN: That's how it's written in my music.  "Burthen."
ME: I always thought it was "burden."
ETHAN: It says "burthen" in my music.
ME: That's weird.  I've never seen it like that.
JULIA: Well, Mommy, people can have different ways to SAY WORDS in different RELIGIONS!

Oh.  I see.  That must be it.  What other explanation for the fact that the score Ethan has at home says "burthen" and the one I used to sing "Messiah" in college said "burden"?? 

After we had dropped Ethan off, I headed back towards our house with the girls.  Julia had a sudden thought after we passed an Aly Raisman sign denoting the border line to our town.


JULIA: How come we didn't have the Olympics this summer?
ME: Because they only happen every four years.
JULIA: What?  Why only every four years?
ME: That's the way the Olympics work.  That's why it's so exciting when they're happening, because we had to wait four years to see them.
JULIA: Really?
ME: Yes.  But this winter, we'll be able to see the Winter Olympics.
JULIA: The Winter Olympics?
ME: Yeah.  Events like skiing, and skating, and hockey.
JULIA: And when are the FALL Olympics?
ME: There are no Fall Olympics.  Only Winter and Summer.
JULIA: And besides, Fall Olympics would probably have events like the Fastest Trick-or-Treater or the Fastest Pumpkin Picker, and it would be PRETTY EASY to pick out your pumpkin really fast!

Yeah.  We all know nobody plays fall sports.  I mean, who cares that I ran cross-country in the fall, or that Ethan was once a fall soccer player?  Those sports don't matter.  Pumpkin picking and trick-or-treating are the sports that REALLY represent the fall season, and those sports kind of lack the hard competitive edge that events like ski racing or gymnastics do.  No WONDER there are no Fall Olympics.

We Rowe girls went home and got ourselves ready for church, then headed back out again to attend our Liturgy.  After the service had ended, Madeleine and I stood waiting by the stairs to the church hall while Julia ran back to the Sunday school classroom to grab some leftover artwork.  Madeleine suddenly noticed the church's trophy case and exclaimed, "Look, Mama!  ARTIFACTS!"

ME: Artifacts?!?  Those are trophies, honey.
MADELEINE: Oh.  They're sooooo beautiful!

Artifacts.


Our drive home from church was about twice as long as our drive there, thanks to overwhelming traffic.  Madeleine helpfully conked out in the back seat, while Julia attempted to boost my morale with her brightly optimistic assurances.

ME: Ugh.  It's taking FOREVER to get home.
JULIA: Well, Mom.  I'd rather be stuck here for the whole DAY than be stuck here for the whole WEEK.

or

JULIA: It's 2:02.  Well Mom.  At least we're not getting home at 2:02 in the MORNING!  That would be even WORSE!

or:

JULIA: Well Mom, maybe it's just because there's so many YARD SALES that the traffic is this bad!

Is it just me, or are my kids just FULL of astute logic today?

At any rate, I am thankful for my cheery little backseat motivational speaker for helping me to keep sane as we made our slow, plodding way home.  At least we didn't get home at 2am, right!?!