Tales of Sunday Morning

This morning, before church, Madeleine asked me to play a round of "Spot It!" with her.  After soundly beating me, she suddenly began questioning the validity of her ability to play.

MADELEINE: Mommy?  I don't remember how old I was when I first played this, but I was NOT seven.
ME: No, you were like four, I think.
MADELEINE: (pointing to the cover of the game container) But it says ages seven and up!
ME: That's okay.  You're a smartie.  You're pretty advanced.
MADELEINE: But it's against the SAFETY LAWS!


Hold your horses, Madeleine.  This isn't like the "Contains Small Parts.  Not for children under 3 years" warnings.  The only effect of playing "Spot It!" under age 7 might be that your brain develops a little more.


The Rowe girls headed to church this morning and the kids came up to the choir loft with me.  Normally they sit with the Sunday School teachers, but due to the Greek Independence Day Parade in Boston happening today, church was very poorly attended and there were neither teachers nor other kids in the pews.  Similarly, there were only regular choir members there to sing.  I was the only soprano at choir today, so I had to be totally on the ball all morning, as there was no one else to carry the melody.  Naturally, the girls had a lot of urgent questions to whisper-ask me right as I was in the middle of singing.

A sampling of these important questions:

-Why do those kids both have blonde hair if their parents both have brown hair?
-Is it some kind of special holiday today where people wear fancy dresses?
-Is Annacassia a Greek name?
-Why is Madeleine drawing a picture with her left hand?
-Did you see what I wrote on Madeleine's picture?


My answers, in order:

-One finger held up to signify "hold on."
-Shaking my head
-Nodding my head, even though I've never heard the name Annacassia in my life.
-One finger held up to signify "hold on."
-A thumbs up sign


I had thought that having Julia sing along to the choir music and giving Madeleine a pen and blank paper to draw with would keep them occupied enough, but I guess these kids are just too full of profound questions to keep totally quiet.  But at least we got this cool piece of artwork as a result of some of their questions:

For some reason, Julia decided to write "Texas is awesome!" at the top of Madeleine's drawing of various girls and floating severed heads.  Julia also labeled the girls and disembodied heads as Madeleine dictated their names.  This caused a debate after church about the proper spelling of "Annacassia."

MADELEINE: Julia?  But can you spell Annacassia with a "c?"
JULIA: I spelled it with a "k."
MADELEINE: But *can* you spell it with a "c?"
JULIA: Uh, if you want.
MADELEINE: Yeah.  I like it with a "c."  But is that a real way to spell it?
JULIA: Madeleine, Annacassia isn't even a REAL name.
MADELEINE: Julia!  Mommy TOLD me it IS!

Yes, my nodding-while-singing was proof enough for Madeleine that this is a legit name.  Guess I inadvertently helped create a creative new girl's name that's sure to catch on like crazy!