Artwork, Artwork

It appears that Madeleine is not the only budding artist in the family.  I was really taken with Julia's art project from school, a self-portrait in the style of Picasso:

I think it's pretty safe to say that both girls have currently exceeded my own drawing capabilities.  And I'm not exaggerating.


Madeleine, meanwhile, drew the following pictures:

This is not a picture of a body being sacrificed at a spiky altar by deformed clown-human hybrids.  It is, in fact, a simple bedtime picture.  The girl standing by the bed is Emma, and her little sister is lying in bed.  The spiky contraption to the left is the lamp on a bedside table.  Emma and sister's mom is standing by the door, ready to leave, although it looks like she'll have to seriously crouch down to fit herself - and her tall bun - out that Alice-in-Wonderland door.

Adventures with Emma and her sister continue in the next picture:

ME: Madeleine, tell me what you drew here.
MADELEINE: Uh, that's Emma again, and her sister.
ME: And who is this king up in the sky?
MADELEINE: No Mama.  That's NOT a king.  That's God and JESUS!

Jesus is pulling off some serious limber flexibility as he floats around up above there.  Maybe the laws of physics don't apply in Heaven.


Julia also started another book, and this one is the real deal, folks.  Julia takes thing to a whole new level with this story about a talking dog:

Chapter 1: Make Belevv

"Hello,' said the dog.  "Ahhhhhhhh!" screem'd the Girl."

Wow.  The Girl has some SERIOUS child-bearing hips going on there.

"Daddy Daddy Daddy thares a talking dog."

There is more than just the talking part that makes this dog unusual.  For one, he has an ENORMOUS head.  How does that head not weigh down his entire body?  Also, his nose appears to come out of the side of his head, and he only has two legs.  Is this just a make belevv dog??

"Thar's no such thing as a talking dog,' said Lila.  'IS TOO!'  'IS NOT!'  'IS TOO!'  'IS NOT!"

I completely love the fact that in the Girl's thought bubble there is a dog saying "Hello" and in Lila's thought bubble the dog is saying "Bark."

"Well I don't belivv in talking dog's!' said Lila.  'Well I do!  For your informashon,' said Dillia.  'NOW!' said Dad.  'Dillia will sho us the talking dog.'  'GLADLY!' she replid."

Ahh.  At long last, the Girl gets a name.  Contrary to how it is spelled, however, the name, according to the author, is to be pronounced "Delila." 

Also, Lila is taller than her dad.

"I STILL WONT BELLIV A WORD YOU SAY!" shoted Lila.

In case the all-caps words don't convince us enough that Lila is shoting, Julia included a picture of her big wide shoting O-mouth.

Chapter 2: Disbelif and not Lissoning.
"But the minnet evryone got outside Lila ran away back to the house.  She  did this very carfolly."

I can see that Lila is running very carfolly, given that she seems to be bending her legs, Gumby-style, and slithering her body along the grass to get inside.

"You know what?  I won't lisson and I don't belliv this ether.'  Than she remember'd the school dance.  She quicly got changed."

Okay, Lila.  What's your problem?  Sure, you say you don't belliv in a talking dog, but if you won't even stay outside long enough to witness Dellia's evidence, then how can you prove there IS no talking dog? 

And, man, just when I thought this was going to be a book about a talking dog, Julia sure threw in a big plot twist.  Now we're off to the school dance!

"When she got thar she told the boy she was dansing with about Dillia."

O.M.G.  IT'S LOVE! 

"I don't belive in talking dog's,' said Lila.  'Nore lissen to what she said too."

Lila's thought bubble perfectly sums up her Neanderthal stubborn attitude towards the whole thing.  Why lissen or stick around trying to hear the dog talk?  TALKING DOG!  NO!


Anyway, the book continues, but I won't spoil it all for you now.  If you want to continue on with the adventures of Dellia and the talking dog and Lila and the disbelif and not lissoning, just ask the author for a peek at this brand new masterpiece next time you're up our way!