Drawings and Scavenger Hunts

Just when I thought Madeleine's artwork has seemed less like the drawings of a possessed person of late, I came across these pictures:

The happy, psychedelic mannequin head that blissfully shoots red lava laser beams out of her firey devil eyes.

Just your friendly neighborhood shadow-demon, out for some happy haunting!


Shudder.


Also, Julia concocted a "scavenger hunt" today, during which she read aloud clues to me and had me traipse around the backyard to discover the locations to which each clue led me.

JULIA: (reading) Number one: "Something that may seem so real, may be harder than steel.  This object is often shown, but it is never alone."
ME: It seems real?  But it's not?  Is it the statues in the garden?
JULIA: No.  But it's NEAR the statues!
ME: (going over to the frog and turtle statues and looking around) It's harder than steel?  But it's not real?
JULIA: Well, actually, is IS real.  I just put that to...I don't really know why I put that.
ME: To rhyme?
JULIA: Yeah, I guess so, but it IS something real.
ME: Is it the rocks along the stone path?
JULIA: Yes!  Good!  Okay. (reading) Number two: "When you seek onto the deck, soon you'll find something that rhymes with hair."

I sought onto that deck, all right.

ME: Is it a chair?
JULIA: Yes!  Okay.  (reading) Number three: "Go down the hill to the shed, then go back up again.  Go to the other clues' places, until you find something."

This one was designed just to torture me.  I had to walk down the steep, slippery back hill in my flip-flops, get to the shed, then truck back upwards with my sore, tired runner's glutes.  Once I had retraced my steps from the first two clues, I walked back up the deck steps.

ME: Okay.  Now what?
JULIA: Okay.  So.  Stand by the deck railing, and tell me if you see anything that doesn't BELONG in the grass.
ME: Is it that cable piece there?
JULIA: Yes!  (reading) Number Four: "Once you find the thing, go to it please."

Wow.  WHAT.  A.  SCAVENGER.  HUNT.  The prize at the end was me retrieving an old, broken cable connecter that had blown off the deck, and then putting it back onto the deck.

As if that wasn't excitement enough, next thing I knew, Madeleine had devised her own scavenger hunt with the help of Julia.  Before long, I was back scavenging the yard yet again.

JULIA: Okay, Mommy, Madeleine made up the clues all by herself, but I wrote them down for her, and I'm gonna read them to you.  And just to tell you: this scavenger hunt is CLASSIC.
ME: Great.
JULIA: Okay.  (reading) Number one: "Find something really really really green and they stick to something brown."
ME: Is it one of the plants growing in the backyard?
MADELEINE: No.  Here.  I'll lead you to it! (leading the way towards the bushes)
ME: But it's not one of the plants growing?
MADELEINE: Well, wait.  Do you mean THIS growing thing? (pointing to one of the bushes)
ME: Yes.
MADELEINE: Oh.  Yes!  You got it!!
JULIA: (reading) Number two: "Go to the garage the way with the rocks."
ME: Do I have to go in the garage?
MADELEINE: No, just walk down to it.

So I did.

JULIA: Okay. (reading) Number three: "Sit in the wooden chairs, both of them please."

As we made our way up the brick steps from the garage towards the back deck, Madeleine managed to wipe out and scrape open her leg, so we had a little delay before we could continue the hunt.  Once all was well, I went and sat in both wooden Adirondack chairs on the deck.

MADELEINE: (delighted) Great, Mama!  You're doing the RIGHT thing!
JULIA: (reading) Number four: "Find something that may be harder than steel.  Two more clues."
ME: Uh...is it the rocks again?
MADELEINE: Nope!
ME: Is it the grill?
MADELEINE: (looking unsure, then turning to Julia to have a whispered conference) It's THAT! (pointing to the grill)
ME: Okay, so it's the grill?
JULIA: (condescending) Why did you say that's harder than STEEL, Madeleine?
MADELEINE: I said "MAY BE" harder than steel.
ME: Okay, it doesn't matter.  What's the next clue?
JULIA: (reading) Number five: "Pretend you're a mouse.  Clue Number five pretend to be a mouse!"
ME: Squeak squeak.
MADELEINE: No.  Mama.  You have to get into the SHAPE of a mouse and the POSITION of a mouse and crawl around.

I think I suffered an utter loss of my dignity as I crawled around the deck making squeaking noises.

JULIA: Okay.  (reading) Clue number six: "Put all these things together and figure it out."
ME: Figure what out?
JULIA: This is really weird, Mom. Madeleine made it something that doesn't make any SENSE.
ME: Uh...put all the clues together?  Is it our backyard?  Is that the answer?
MADELEINE: Nope!
JULIA: You'll never guess it, Mom.  Madeleine made it be something really weird.
ME: Uh...
MADELEINE: Mama.  I'll give you a hint.  Mach....mach...
ME: Uh...
MADELEINE: Machieeeee...
ME: Machine?
MADELEINE: Yes!  You got it!
JULIA: I don't get it Madeleine.  How is "MACHINE" the answer??
MADELEINE: (with utmost confidence) Because Julia.  It's a ROBOT machine!

That does make perfect sense, after all.