A Little Bit of Melodrama

Last night, as I was getting into my pajamas before heading into Madeleine's room to read her some bedtime stories, I heard her pulling books from her bookshelves in a frantic search for a particular story.  A few moments later, she burst into my bedroom, hanging her head forlornly.

MADELEINE: Mama.  It's NO USE!  I just CAN'T find the book I'm looking for.
ME: What book were you looking for?
MADELEINE: (turning to the back cover of "Where is Baby's Pumpkin?") Uh, THIS one here.  (pointing to a picture of the toddler flap book "Toes, Ears and Nose.")  I know that we HAVE it, but I just can't find it ANYWHERE!

Oh, gosh DARN it.  Madeleine was totally right.  We DID have that book.  And then I did a recent book purge to get rid of any of the toddler, lift-the-flap books that we have outgrown.  The sole exception was "Where is Baby's Pumpkin," because, being a Halloween book, we were still regularly reading it.  So much for out of sight, out of mind.  Of COURSE Madeleine would suddenly recall this book and desperately want it. 

She was finally able to settle on a different book, though she informed me that "Toes, Ears and Nose" is on her wish list.  Just what we need!  A brand new copy of a toddler lift-the-flap book, for our 4-year-old!

This morning, Madeleine was in better spirits when I went into her bedroom to say good morning.

MADELEINE: Mama!  (throwing her arms around me)  I was WANTING Mama!  And Mama?  When you WEREN'T in here with me, my mouth was pointing DOWN.  But...NOW it's tipping UP!
ME: Should we go see if Julia's awake?
MADELEINE: That would be WONDERFUL!

Madeleine's happy mood didn't last the whole morning, however.  As soon as it was time to leave for school, Madeleine decided she absolutely needed to wear her pink hoodie sweatshirt over her regular shirt.  Unfortunately, this same sweatshirt was in the wash, having been worn for finger-painting yesterday afternoon.  Madeleine simply couldn't handle the fact that the sweatshirt was unavailable.  MAN, was her mouth pointing down over it.  Sobbing and tears galore.  Life's hard, folks.  Doesn't matter how much you've got going for you; if you have to wait a few hours to wear the pink sweatshirt you want, it's enough to just break your spirit.

Thankfully, the melt-down was over by the time we started walking Julia to school, and once we got into the car to take Madeleine to preschool, the incident was more or less forgotten.  I had turned the car on to warm it up, and as we walked around by the exhaust pipe to get Madeleine into her car seat, she was back to her usual self.

MADELEINE: (talking to the air) Don't worry, Thackery, that's just smoke coming from the CAR.

Thackery Binx is invisible.  Madeleine talks to him a lot.  He's the older brother of Madeleine's beloved Emily Binx from the movie "Hocus Pocus."  Because he's invisible, I sometimes have trouble understanding whether Madeleine is talking to me or to Thackery.  Therefore, we often have these kinds of conversations:

MADELEINE: So, guess what?
ME: What?
MADELEINE: No!  Mama!  I'm not TALKING to you!

At any rate, Madeleine and Thackery rode happily to school, and it seemed the sweatshirt crisis had passed.

Now, you may remember that a few days ago, when I picked Madeleine up from school before Lunch Bunch, she was in tears over not being able to stay.  You may also remember that she informed me that my decision to just sign her up for lunch every time made her mouth tip up. 

Well, guess what?  Not so today.  She was once again in tears when I picked her up from Lunch Bunch today.

ME: Madeleine, what are you crying about?
MADELEINE: 'Bout you.
ME: What about me?
MADELEINE: I wanted Mama.

So, apparently staying for Lunch Bunch did NOT make her mouth tip up this time.

Julia will hopefully have something to be happy about at school today; that is, if her teacher has returned from a few days of absence.  Julia can totally handle having a substitute, but it's just not the same wonderful school experience for her when her beloved teacher is not there.

JULIA: Mama?  When, like, my teacher is there, it's so much fun, and the day, like, FLIES by, but whenever we have a substitute, the day just kind of, like, CREEPS along.

We all have our fingers crossed that Julia's teacher is well enough to return today.  After all, it would be nice if at least ONE of my kids has her mouth tipped up when I pick her up from school today!