The Task List, and Surprise Gifts

Auntie Shannon recently made a task chart for the girls in order to help them follow through on some of the household chore promises they have made.  Each task that they successfully complete within a given day gets a sticker next to it.  The tasks include everything from cooperating with Mommy in the morning to throwing their wrappers away after eating snacks:

And speaking of throwing wrappers away, Madeleine apparently had that on her mind as I drove her to school this morning.  She sat in silent contemplation in the back car seat for about half the drive, staring pensively out her window.  The quiet was suddenly broken with this announcement:

MADELEINE: Mom?
ME: Yes?
MADELEINE: I think that we should PAUSE the movie when...when...when...when...when I need to get up to go THROW my wrapper away.  Because...if we DON'T pause the movie, I feel like...like...like I'm left out of the MOVIE when I go to throw my wrapper away.

I assured her that we would, indeed, pause the movie - whatever movie it may be - next time she needs to throw her wrapper away. 


In other news, the girls were recipients of some exciting new gifts today, sent from Blake in New Mexico.  Not only did both girls get a pair of silver and turquoise earrings, but they also received authentic Navajo rattles.  Julia, who loves playing "Native Americans" at school with her friends, was especially excited about the Navajo instrument,  which prompted Madeleine to exclaim, "Boy, Julia, you and Auntie Shannon SURE are into MERICANS!"

Madeleine herself seemed pretty into Mericans, as she delightedly showed off her new shaker to me.

MADELEINE: Mommy!  We got REAL Merican noise-makers!  They were made by REAL Mericans!

Madeleine shaking her Merican noise-maker like a real 'Merican

Shake it, baby, shake it!