Madeleine at the Pool Deck

Last night, while Julia had swim team practice, Madeleine and I hung out in the spectator area.  Madeleine had brought her "Frozen" figurines to play with while we were there.  They entertained her for about half of the hour-long practice, then were dismissed and put into my purse.  Next thing I knew, Madeleine had decided it was high time I put a lid on my book-reading.

MADELEINE: (grabbing my bookmark and shoving it onto the page I was reading) Uh, Mama, let me show you how to be DONE reading.
ME: Oh.  Why? 
MADELEINE: Because.  See the bookmark?  That means you're DONE on this page!
ME: Do you want me to be done reading?
MADELEINE: Uh-huh!  Because I want you to PLAY with me!
ME: What do you want to play?

I mean, need I have even asked??

So I engaged in a pretend-play game of Power Puff Girls, and despite the other adults in the vicinity, I boldly delivered my lines, lay supine on benches awaiting rescue, and referred to my daughter as Bubbles.

Were my efforts appreciated?

MADELEINE: Uh, Mama, uh...I think Julia is BETTER at playing Power Puff Girls than you are, so maybe I should just wait for Julia.
ME: Oh.  Why is Julia so good at Power Puff Girls?
MADELEINE: Uh, because she says the RIGHT stuff.
ME: Okay.  So do you want to play by yourself right now?
MADELEINE: Yeah.  I'm playing "Power Puff Girls Captain Jack Sparrow!"
ME: Boy, you sure love Captain Jack Sparrow, huh?
MADELEINE: Mama.  Of COURSE I do.  I have a CRUSH on Captain Jack Sparrow!
ME: You do?  Are you going to marry him?
MADELEINE: (appalled at my suggestion) NO!
ME: Oh.  Why not?
MADELEINE: Because.  Mama.  I can't marry Captain Jack Sparrow.  I don't know WHO I'm gonna marry, because I don't know who's ALREADY married.  But...I can marry one of my FRIENDS!
ME: That's a good idea.  Which friend are you gonna marry?
MADELEINE: (thoughtful) Maybe Abby.
ME: Oh yeah?  Why?
MADELEINE: Mmm...I just think she'd be a really good MOM.


Well, Madeleine has come a long way from wanting to marry Julia.  She is clearly using logic to determine a good, and available, partner.  She now has the smarts to a) avoid polygamy, and b) assess her future spouse's ability to care for children as part of her criteria.  So for the time being, Johnny Depp is off the table, though given the rate at which celebrity couples divorce, chances are he could me a single man again by the time Madeleine is ready to walk down the aisle!