Things We Said (and Did) Today

Here are some conversations we had today:

MADELEINE: Mama?  If somebody built a house on Mount Everest...they COULDN'T, because...it would be on a POINT!
ME: Oh, yeah, you're right.
MADELEINE: Yeah.  Because the top of Mount Everest is a POINT.  But...up close, they make it look ROUND.  But it's REALLY supposed to be a point.
ME: Oh, I see.
MADELEINE: Yeah.  It's a POINT.  And...Mama?  Mount Everest isn't REAL.
ME: It IS real, honey.
MADELEINE: Uh, no, it ISN'T real.

Huh.  I guess I've been believing a myth all this time.  Madeleine knows best, right?

And now onto our knock-knock joke session:

JULIA: Mommy.  Why did the chicken cross the road?
ME: To get to the other side.
JULIA: Right!  Madeleine.  Why did the chicken cross the playground?
MADELEINE: (earnestly) Uh...because he wanted to PLAY on it??
JULIA: (unimpressed with her sister's dunce-hood) No.  Madeleine.  To get to the other SLIDE.

Oh, Madeleine.  You're such a knock-knock joke novice.


And here are some things that happened today:

The girls played an elaborate game of "store."  Julia was the store clerk first, sitting at the dining room table with her play computer as a cash register.  Madeleine came in with a shopping basket full of play food, which Julia rang up (while making the following sound: "Boop!" as she scanned the item, then "Nrrrrrr!" as she made the item run down an imaginary conveyer belt.)  Julia had given Madeleine a dollar, as well as a gift card to Orange Leaf, which was to be used as a credit card in this case, so that Madeleine could "pay" for her groceries.  Julia subsequently bagged them up in the plastic bags she had put beside the table, then gave Madeleine a receipt which she had dug out of our paper recycling bin, and had Madeleine write her name on the receipt. 

When it was Madeleine's turn to be store clerk, things went a little less smoothly.

JULIA: (walking up to the "cash register" with her basket of items.)  Hello.  Do you take cash or credit?
MADELEINE: (staring blankly at Julia)
JULIA: Madeleine.  You have to answer!  Do you take cash or credit?
MADELEINE: Uh, Julia, tell me what the answer is.
JULIA: No!  Madeleine!  You have to tell ME.
ME: (interjecting) Madeleine, just say: "we take both."
MADELEINE: We take both.
JULIA: Okay.  Here are my items.  Uh, Madeleine.  Aren't you going to ring them up??
MADELEINE: Oh!  Sorry.  Boop!  Nrrrr.  Boop!  Nrrrr. Hey Julia!  Guess what I got stuck in my head?  "Boop!  Nrrrrr!"
JULIA: (handing Madeleine her "credit card") Here you go.
MADELEINE: You're welcome.
JULIA: No.  Madeleine!  You don't say "you're welcome!" 
MADELEINE: Well Julia-
JULIA: No, Madeleine, I just gave you my credit card and you said "you're welcome."  You're supposed to say "thank you" and then swipe my card!

Despite the rocky start, however, Madeleine was able to bag Julia's groceries and Julia signed her own receipt, heading off to put her groceries away before switching back to being the cashier for the next round of "store."


And the final thing that happened today:

Madeleine accidentally dropped Julia's "My Little Pony" pet duck, which Julia named Ducksina, into the toilet after she had pooped.  Before she had flushed.  So poor Ducksina was just floating along atop a turd as Madeleine shrieked hysterically for us to come help her out.  Ethan rescued Ducksina, but tossed her in the garbage, much to Julia's dismay.  It was a lot of tears, folks.  Over a tiny plastic duck smaller than my pinky finger.  Sorry, Ducksina.  It was fun while it lasted.