Pirates and More

Only Madeleine can draw a picture of a fairy princess outside a castle that somehow manages to look like a floating bride of the undead coming out to haunt the rest of the kingdom:

 

Despite the fact that she is drawing pictures about princesses, Madeleine was busy acting the part of pirate at our town pool's recent Family Fun Night.  Pirate Julia joined in the fun as well, of course:

Arrrrrr!


While at Family Fun Night, the girls got to participate in a dunking game, in which they stood in line for a turn to throw a water balloon at two lifeguards, who were sitting afloat on a "plank" (really a big boogie board, but that's not nearly as exciting.)  When Madeleine had her turn, she took aim and threw in earnest, only to have the balloon plop down in the water about a foot in front of her, nowhere near the lifeguards.  Good thing she waited so patiently in line to have her turn to COMPLETELY miss the mark.  Julia had more success, hitting the boogie board directly in between the two lifeguards, which was enough to fill her with pride for the rest of the night.

JULIA: Mom?  Do you think everyone was really SURPRISED that I got it so close to the lifeguards?  Well Mom.  What did people DO after I did my throw?  Do you think people thought I had the closest throw?

She doesn't perseverate over her performance AT ALL.  (She is clearly nothing like her parents.)

There was also a scavenger hunt for a treasure map, complete with an "X" marks the spot on which the kids found a bag of candy.  While on the scavenger hunt, the group of kids discovered a skunk hanging out on the pool playground.

JULIA: Mommy?  I wish skunks didn't spray stinky spray, because I think that skunks are so CUTE!
MADELEINE: And Mama?  When I saw the skunk, I was like: (adopting a cooing, gushing voice as if talking to a baby) "Ohhhh, da BOOBOO-HEADY!"

I'm so glad my kids are in love with skunks.  What a practical animal to be drooling over.

MADELEINE: But Mama?  You know what my REAL favorite animal is?: CLARA!

Apparently Clara is the REAL booboo-heady:

As we were leaving the pool, Madeleine repeatedly tried to shout to one of the lifeguards (one of the two who had been on the plank) that there was a water balloon laying on the pavement by the guard shed.  Unfortunately, the lifeguard was in conversation with a group of other guards, so he didn't hear Madeleine's call.  In a last-ditch attempt, as we were turning the corner to exit the pool, Madeleine bellowed out, "I don't know HOW MANY TIMES I have to WARN YOU that there's a WATER BALLOON sitting on the GROUND OVER THERE!"

What would we do without Madeleine doing her due diligence to keep the world safe? 

Today was full of fun adventures for the girls as well, as we attended a bbq in celebration of our friend Wyatt's birthday.  Not only did the girls get to try out a zip line,:

but they got to make the proverbial splash on the Slip 'n Slide:

And, of course, they got to play with their good friends Jovina, Wyatt and Quinn.  Madeleine was so excited to be part of the gang that I think she took to announcing things simply for the sake of talking to her buddies.

MADELEINE: Jovina?  At night, I dream of frosting, just like PINKIE PIE!
JOVINA: At night you dream of what??

Don't even bother to understand, Jovina.  It doesn't really even make any sense and it's also not even really true.

All in all, it was quite the action-packed weekend for our little pirates/zip-liners/slip 'n sliders!