The Sugar Bowl

This is what just happened:

MADELEINE: (pulling the spoon out of the sugar bowl) Mom?  Can I stir this for just FIFTY-FIVE minutes?
ME: No, you can't.
MADELEINE: But Mama.  You always say I can JUST stir it.

(No, I don't.  But Madeleine decided to defy me and start stirring the sugar in the bowl anyway, then launched into a pretend-play discussion with the sugar.)

MADELEINE:  "Oh, what are you doing today?"  "I'm the one who sugars all the OTHER sugar."  Um...um...Mommy?  I was sugaring the sugar ALL over the other sugar inside the cup!
ME: Madeleine, why are you stirring the sugar?
MADELEINE: It's because...you need to do it when you're in CLASSICALS.  And I'm in classicals today.
ME: Classicals?  What are classicals?
MADELEINE: It's called: you have to sugar the sugar all over the sugar inside the little cup, and then stir it after you do it.  And then when you're DONE, you can stir it.
ME: Uh.  Okay. 
MADELEINE: (resuming her stirring) You can also sugar all the YAY sugar.
ME: What's the yay sugar?
MADELEINE: THIS sugar, that I was already stirring for a little bit.  (Talking to herself and/or talking as the sugar again) "Sugaring BACK and FORTH."


I mean, really, why even buy toys at all?  This kid can launch into pretend-play land with nothing but a sugar bowl and spoon...