Madeleine's Song

Madeleine's Amazing Song:

She came up with this masterpiece while giving me a cuddle on the couch this morning.

(To the Tune of "Deck the Halls")

Deck the halls with boughs of Mommy, fa la la la la, la la la la!
'Tis the season to be Madeleine!  Fa la la la la, la la la la!
Don we now our gay Julia! Fa la la, la la la, la la la!
'Troll the ancient Yuletide Daddy!  Fa la la la la, la la la la!

Fa la la la laaaaa, la laaaaa...(jumping up a 5th) LAAAAA....FAMILY!


I think she could make some serious money as a lyricist.  Or a poet.

Locker Room Book Ideas

I'm nearing the end of a really good book I'm reading, and I was in the middle of one of the last chapters while in the locker room after Madeleine's swim practice.  Madeleine had gone into the shower, but clearly still needed my attention.

MADELEINE: (from the shower) Mommy?  Now I have a NEW book idea!
ME: Mmm-hmm?
MADELEINE: (from the shower) So Mommy.  Can I tell you my new book idea?
ME: Sure.
MADELEINE:
ME: (reading)
MADELEINE: (opening the shower curtain) Are you COMING, Mommy?
ME: Oh.  You need me to come in the shower with you?
MADELEINE: (as if it's obvious) Yeah!

I then put my ear inside the shower curtain and continued to read while Madeleine chattered at me over the sound of many showers running. 

MADELEINE: And I thought of "Dyslexia Alexia."
ME: Mmm-hmm?
MADELEINE: (continuing to chatter incessantly)
ME: (reading)
MADELEINE: So can you think of any names?
ME: Mmm-hmm.
MADELEINE:
ME: (reading)
MADELEINE: So Mommy.  What ARE the names?

Uh-oh.  Busted.  I had no idea what she was talking about.

ME: Wait.  What names?
MADELEINE: Names that rhyme with DISEASES and stuff.

Wait, what?  My child wants to know names that rhyme with diseases - why?  That's a bit morbid.  I started thinking through various diseases trying to come up with a name that rhymes.  Tuberculosis.  Tetanus.  Diptheria.  Mumps.

ME: Uh, do you mean, like, diseases that can be cured or that people can live with?  Or, like, serious ones?
MADELEINE: Like, diseases or disabilities!

I suddenly remembered "Dyslexia Alexia" and started trying to think of comparable disorders.  Hearing impairment.  Myopia.  Autism.  Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  Nope.  No names coming to mind.

I finally gave her "Diabetes Archimedes."  That was the best I could do.  And I never did get to finish my book, but there's always tomorrow!

Sparklies

Around this time of year, I start to get really desperate for any Christmas linger-onners to take down their holiday lights so that I can get a respite from Madeleine's running "sparklies!" commentary on evening drives.  This Christmas, as I had mentioned in December, Madeleine changed her exclamation to "Sparklies Yay!" and it shows no sign of slowing down, despite the reduction in houses bedecked with lights. 

Today, on our drive home from church:

MADELEINE: (quietly and repetitively reciting something to herself in the back seat)
ME: Madeleine, what are you saying back there?
MADELEINE: I'm saying "Sparklies Yay."
ME: To what?  We're on the highway.  I don't see any Christmas lights anywhere.
MADELEINE: I know, but I just like saying it anyway.
ME: Okay.  That's not weird.


Reader, I fear I may be stuck with "Sparklies Yay" for life.  Help me.

State Fair

Today was the long-awaited Third Grade State Fair!  Madeleine has only been anticipating this event since the very day the kids got their state assignments.  Not only did each child present a diorama and paragraph about the state he or she studied, but the entire third grade put on a presentation of songs and facts about the United States.  Among these songs was "Fifty Nifty," and I definitely could have sung along with the kids after hearing it about five thousand times a day at home.  Madeleine enjoyed testing the limits of my tolerance by doing things like singing the song on a repeated loop for the entire morning before heading off to school, or asking me to time her to see how fast she could sing the entire thing.  Today she got it down to 30 seconds, which made the 2+ minutes of performance seem downright lesiurely:

Madeleine also got her moment of fame reading a fact about her state, Virginia.  While every other kid adjusted the microphone to his or her height, Madeleine opted to just tower over the mouthpiece with her whole body bent down:




It's just too bad the kids didn't get to perform this patriotic hit as well.


The kids were instructed to wear red, white and blue, and Madeleine made sure that everything from her hair to her nails embodied the national colors:

The second part of the State Fair took place in the cafeteria, wherein all the children sat with their dioramas of an important landmark in their state.  Madeleine's diorama was of Bacon's  Castle in Surry, VA:

Madeleine even decorated the back of her diorama box:

She did a great job entertaining the passers-by with facts about Bacon's Castle, reading tid-bits from the paragraph she had written about it.  She even ad libbed a bit.

MADELEINE: (to passers-by who stopped to admire her diorama) Would you like to hear why it's called Bacon's Castle?
PASSERBY: Sure.
MADELEINE: Because in World War II, Nathaniel Bacon used this building as a fort to hide out in.

Close.  Off by a few centuries.

From Wikipedia: "The house became known as "Bacon's Castle" because it was occupied as a fort or "castle" by the followers of Nathaniel Bacon during Bacon's Rebellion in 1676. However, contrary to popular folklore, Bacon never lived at Bacon's Castle, nor is he even known to have visited it."


I am so glad I had the day off from work so that I could attend the State Fair!  Bravo, Madeleine!  And I expect to have "Fifty Nifty" in my head for at least the next few days....

Random Julia Comments

Julia is less...shall we say...off on another planet than Madeleine, but that doesn't mean she isn't a total oddball at times.  Let's just consider some of the random responses Julia has given over the past few weeks upon being told "good-night."

ME: Good-night, honey.
JULIA: I'm a Mesopotamian.

OR:

ME: Good-night, honey.
JULIA: I'm a goat.
ME: Wait, you're not a Mesopotamian anymore?
JULIA: I am a Mesopotamian, AND a goat.  I'm also a king I can't remember his name Gilgamesh!
ME: Oh.  Great.


So, yeah, both kids are...um...extremely original.

My Kids Are Geniuses

MADELEINE: (gasping) Oh my God, Daddy!
ETHAN: (alarmed) What?!?
MADELEINE: Oh.  Sorry.  I didn't mean to scare you.
ETHAN: It's okay.  What is it.
MADELEINE: I just realized something.  Owen says a word ALL THE TIME.
ETHAN: What?
MADELEINE: (in a sing-songy "Clueless" voice) DUH!
ETHAN: Well, in order to really say a word, you have to actually mean what it is you're saying.  I don't think he means to say "Duh" the way you mean it.

A few seconds later.

MADELEINE: Julia, is Owen a baby?
JULIA: He's a half baby and a half toddler.  (silent for a moment) He's a BODDLER.


I don't think my kids could be more astute if they tried.

Farmer Bob and Farmer Jeff

So, some sixth graders girls might hang out and talk about boys when they get together, but I doubt many sixth graders sit around and literally pretend to BE boys.  Or, more specifically, Farmer Boys who only speak in rhyme.  Julia and one of her best friends compose these Farmer Bob and Farmer Jeff poems when they hang out, and today we were treated to a performance.  I only took a video of one of the 5+ poem acts they performed, but trust me, they are all um...unique.

A Book Review

Madeleine's mid-book review of her current reading material, "Connect the Stars" by by Marisa de los Santos and David Teague

MADELEINE: Mommy.  My book STUNNED me.
ME: Really?  How come?
MADELEINE: Like, it makes you really think about things that are DEEP.
ME: Oh yeah?  It sounds good.  Maybe  I should read it when you're done.
MADELEINE: Yeah.  And Julia should.  But then she'd be like (in an annoyed voice) "This book is YOUR level, Madeleine."
ME: Well, I think I'll have to read it when you finish it.
MADELEINE:  Yeah.  It's REALLY good.  Like: if your SOUL was a breakfast cereal, this book would cut RIGHT into the middle of it.


Okay, well then with THAT endorsement, I'm definitely calling dibs to read it next!

Graduation

Today, Honorary Rowe Household member Auntie Shannon officially left our house to start her new job in Chicago.  Madeleine gave her a ceremony.

MADELEINE: It's her graduation ceremony!  She's graduating from the ROWE HOUSE!

I'm not crying.  YOU'RE crying.

Saturday Morning Baking

So, the kids decided to bake this morning, right as Ethan and I sat down to have breakfast and coffee.  They assured us that they would do everything themselves and clean up afterwards, but it wasn't long before we were heavily involved.

Rather than working together to collectively bake something, the girls opted to each make their own flavor of cupcakes.  Julia had decided on confetti and Madeleine on red velvet. 

They did a really great job of doing everything independently.

MADELEINE: Mommy?  Do we have sugar?
ME: We should.
MADELEINE: What kind of sugar should I use?
JULIA: Confectioner's sugar.
MADELEINE: Is that the really messy kind?
ME: Yes.
MADELEINE: Uh, maybe I won't use it...
JULIA: (carrying the granular sugar to the counter) You can't skip ingredients.
MADELEINE: Can't I just use that kind of sugar, Julia?
JULIA: This IS confectioner's sugar, Madeleine.
ME: No, it's not.

Madeleine then began reciting every ingredient she needed, asking me if we had it.  I encouraged her to check for things, and she totally aced it.

MADELEINE: Uh...white vinegar...
ME: You have to look for it.  I don't know if we have any.
MADELEINE: Julia?  Do we have white vinegar?
JULIA: Here's apple cider vinegar!
ME: No, you can't use that.
JULIA: White wine vinegar?
MADELEINE: Wait.  WINE?  So we're putting ALCOHOL in our cupcakes?

After Madeleine had gathered her ingredients, she was prepared to start throwing things together willy-nilly.  Ethan had the nerve to suggest she read through the entire recipe instructions first.

MADELEINE: Okay: combine cocoa powder, boiling water, and buttermilk.
ETHAN: So think through that for a minute.  After the water boils, will it stay boiling for long?
MADELEINE: No.
ETHAN: So what does that mean?  Where should the cocoa powder be when you pour the boiling water into the bowl?
MADELEINE: Um...I'm getting Shannon.

A few minutes later, Auntie Shannon came upstairs, telling us Madeleine had gone to get her to help.

AUNTIE SHANNON: Madeleine came down and said: "Daddy's making everything COMPLICATED by making me GUESS what ingredients should go in when."

Pretty soon, all heck had broken loose in the baking arena.  Julia started to come unglued when an egg rolled off the counter and cracked open on the kitchen floor.  Demonstrating her strong sense of perserverance, Julia determined it was time to give up entirely.

JULIA: AGGGH!  Forget it! I'm not gonna bake.

Auntie Shannon wisely pointed out that not following through was a waste of my ingredients, and convinced Julia to clean up the egg and carry forth. 

Meanwhile, Ethan nearly stepped on the scissors Madeleine had moved from the table to the floor (along with her box of art supplies and piles of artwork) and things deteriorated further.

ETHAN: Madeleine.  Nothing about this is okay.
MADELEINE: (scooping up the piles and moving them into her art basket)
ETHAN: Wait.  Put the scissors where they belong.
MADELEINE: (succumbing to her martyrdom and woundedly carrying the scissors out of the room)
ETHAN: This is not safe.  You can't put scissors on the ground.
MADELEINE: Then how come YOU always put stuff-
ETHAN: Madeleine.  None of this is okay.

Madeleine decided to respond like the mature 9-year-old that she is and hide in her room under a blanket.

Julia then began freaking out because there wasn't enough granular sugar left for her recipe, and then, to top everything off, she accidentally dumped the measuring cup full of sugar all over the kitchen floor.  Naturally, it was time to give up again.

JULIA: AGHHH!  ForGET it!  I'm NOT BAKING!

Before long, both kids were pouting in their rooms and Auntie Shannon was stuck finishing Julia's cupcakes.  Ethan wound up having a long talk with Madeleine in her room, and they emerged committed to finishing the red velvet cupcakes together.

I'm so glad that Ethan and I got our relaxing Saturday morning breakfast time together.  And never fear, Madeleine is not at all deterred by her morning's obstacles.

MADELEINE: Mommy?  If I ever get on "Kids' Baking Championship," then: Yay, me!, because I already figured out everything I can do if something goes wrong!

I can imagine it would all go without a hitch.

Family Fun Night

Tonight was Family Fun Night at Madeleine's elementary school, so we Rowes headed over for the annual loud and crowded affair.  Julia was bored to tears being stuck back at an elementary school gathering, but luckily, she persuaded her friend Lily to show up and keep her company.  Madeleine, on the other hand, lived the night to its fullest, dancing with joy like nobody was watching:





You can see that she's wearing her New England Championships swim shirt.  I think she made the right call in sticking with swim rather than dance.  And I wish I could live every day with the joie de vivre that this kid embodies!

Nagging

Oh, how I love to be a nagging presence in my kids' lives!

Today, during the flute lesson I was giving to Julia:

ME: Okay, can you play a chromatic scale starting on G?
JULIA: (playing the scale, making mistakes going both up and down)
ME: Okay, let's try it again and see if you can fix the spots where you made mistakes.
JULIA: (playing the scale the EXACT SAME way)
ME: Do you know where your mistakes were and what you did?
JULIA: Yes.
ME: Okay.  Let's try again.
JULIA: Can this be the last time?
ME: We'll see.  Let's see if you can correct the mistakes.
JULIA: (playing the scale again with only one mistake on the way down)
ME: Okay, it's getting better.  Let's do it one last time and see if you can make it perfect.
JULIA: (glowering at me) I *can't* make it perfect.
ME: Let's just see if you can fix the one mistake.
JULIA: (beginning to play, messing up, then glowering at me again)
ME: You almost have it.
JULIA: Practice makes PROGRESS, MOMMY.  NOT PERFECT.

Ugh, how dare I?  I'm the worst.


Also today, after Madeleine's friend went home from playing at our house.

ME: Okay, Madeleine, it's time to do your homework.
MADELEINE: Oh!  Yeah!  (running upstairs to grab her math worksheet) But Mommy?  Can I have CHIPPIES?
ME: Yeah, I guess so.  Just do your homework.
MADELEINE: (reaching up to grab the bag of corn chips) Well, MOMMY, I have a FEELING that eating chippies will help me do my homework FASTER!  Mainly because I can't stop thinking about eating them.


A long while later


MADELEINE: (running back upstairs with her math worksheet) Done with my homework!  Sorry it took so long, Mommy.  I discovered that it was too DISTRACTING to try and eat chippies while I did my homework, so I decided to just eat my chippies FIRST, and THEN I did my homework.


I didn't even bother to lecture her on the value of duty first, reward second because I was just so darn glad I didn't have to nag anyone else about anything else - for the next hour, at least!

The Solar System

During Writer's Workshop today, Madeleine and her classmates each gave a presentation on subjects they know about.  Madeleine did a presentation about astronomy, and although I didn't get to see the live version, she re-enacted it for me (and for you viewers) as closely to the live presentation as possible:





And although I'd love to take credit for her amazing fashion sense, that explosively colorful outfit choice was all her own.

Madeleine Being With the Program, as Usual

This evening the girls had swim team practice; Madeleine's group swam for the first hour, and Julia's group for the second hour.  Julia came along with a book to read during Madeleine's workout so that I didn't have to drive back home to get her and bring her back to the Y.  As Madeleine's group was swimming, I took a break from my own reading to watch through the viewing window.

It took me a moment to spot Madeleine because she was repeatedly going underwater while the rest of the team hung on the lane lines to get instructions for their next drill.  Once I spied her, I wondered if she was paying the least bit of attention to what was going on, but since she's a pretty seasoned swim team member, I gave her the benefit of the doubt.  I then watched as all 30+ members of her group began swimming laps of freestyle, as Madeleine launched into breast stroke.  Several laps in, I looked around to see if anyone else was doing breast stroke, but, nope, it was just Madeleine.

ME: (turning to Julia) I think Madeleine's doing the wrong thing.  All the other kids are swimming freestyle but she's doing breast stroke.
JULIA: (looking up from her book) The coaches might've told her to focus on breast stroke for this drill.  Sometimes they do that.

See, even Julia gave her the benefit of the doubt.  But nope.  Turns out she was just spacing out because she'd been off in la-la land before the drill began.  I watched Madeleine reach the wall after another breast stroke lap, pop her head out of the water and smack herself, saying, "Oh, FREESTYLE!" and then launch into the correct stroke.  When the drill was over, I caught her eye and mimicked breast stroking, and she got a look of chagrin on her face and mouthed "Sorry!"

Well, at least that shook her back into reality, right?  Wrong!  Near the end of her practice, when Julia had gone out to the pool deck to get ready for her own group to start, Madeleine pulled another...well, let's just call it another "Madeleine."  I suddenly noticed Julia cracking up and gesturing frantically to me through the viewing window.  I looked out at the pool to see the EXACT SAME THING.  All 30+ swimmers doing freestyle and Madeleine doing breast stroke.  AGAIN.  Didn't this already happen!?  And once again, Madeleine stopped at the wall, smacked her head like a dolt, and corrected herself.  Only this time, the addition of Julia as witness added some extra embarrassment.  I watched her shoot Julia a laser beam death glare as Julia openly folded over laughing near the pool lanes. 

Maybe this means she'll be more with the program at practice tomorrow.  But...then again...that might be a lot to expect from a kid whose brain is practically exploding with imagination.