American Girls at School

Despite the fact that it's Sunday, the American Girls are at school:

And it's a *really* exciting day:

JULIA: Mommy? Today the American Girls' teacher is bringing her BABY to school!
ME: Oh, really?  Which doll do you use for the baby?
JULIA: No doll. 
ME: Oh, you just pretend?
JULIA: Yeah.  It's an invisible baby and an invisible teacher.

Wait a minute.  All along, I thought Julia was the teacher whenever she plays American Girl doll school.  After all, isn't she the one who writes on the blackboard, and corrects the spelling tests, and delivers the lectures?  I had no idea that Julia was merely lending her voice to the invisible presence of the invisible teacher.

Julia has made sure to fill me in on all the details throughout the morning.

JULIA: Mommy?  Elizabeth FORGOT that there was school today, and Ivy was trying to wake her up, and Ivy was like, "Wake up, wake up Elizabeth!" and Elizabeth said, "Why are you waking me up so EARLY??" and then she was like, "Oh, yeah, there's SCHOOL!"

JULIA: Mommy?  Felicity and Samantha are missing.  Felicity is SICK, and Samantha's on a trip.

I guess Samantha's just too cool to meet Mrs. Shelling's invisible baby.


JULIA: Mommy, come here!
ME: (standing at her doorway)
JULIA: Are you wondering why some of the dolls are sitting in different seats?

That is EXACTLY the pressing question that is on my mind right now.

ME: Yes.
JULIA: (barely containing her excited anticipation at revealing the answer to the mystery) Because it's SCIENCE time now, and they're sitting with their SCIENCE groups!
ME: Ohhhh, now I get it.


JULIA: Mommy?
ME: Yes?
JULIA: Well, actually, it wasn't the teacher's baby, it was the teacher's kid, like, she was a TODDLER.
ME: Oh, okay.

Whew.  I'm so glad to know that Cecily is an invisible TODDLER, not an invisible baby.  I would have been imagining it all wrong if Julia hadn't set me straight.

JULIA: Mommy?  Come here.  Look: Cecily drew on the blackboard, and she made that smily face and that's how she tried to write "Little Cecily."
ME: Oh, that's so cute.

This is one busy school day for the American Girls! 


While Julia is busy creating this imaginary school world, Madeleine is proving she's with the program, as always.

MADELEINE: Mama?  I might need some help down here!
ME: Should I send Julia to help you?
MADELEINE: Uh, Mama, I can't go pee-pees right now, because I'm cleaning up.

Yup.  Going pee-pees is totally related to what I offered her.  Makes perfect sense that she'd answer in that way.

Now, American Girl school and play-room clean-up time must come to an end, as I have to take my real girls to real Sunday school.  Maybe there will be an invisible toddler there too!