Sort-of Superheroes

2 Hour Delay this morning due to snow.  Perfect opportunity to fit some extra big sister criticism into the day!

MADELEINE: So, Mommy: I'm writing a new book.  It's called "Sort-of Superheroes."  It might even be a series!  And it's called "Sort-of Superheroes" because it's like: well, so YOU were born with the ability to do beautiful music.  Julia and I were born with the ability to swim-
JULIA: We weren't BORN able to swim, Madeleine.  We had to LEARN.
ME: But she just means you were born with a natural talent.
JULIA: But we weren't BORN with the ability.  We-
ME: She just means you had the talent, honey.
JULIA: But-
ME: Julia.
MADELEINE: So, Lavender-Lilac can, like, help people with things that can hurt them from gardens, and she loves gardening.  Sky, she can fly, and, like, she's really good at making stuff.  Ocean has extra heating in her body and can hold her breath for a really long time and she's really good at swimming.  Star, she can, like, navigate in the night to help people and stuff.  Andromeda, she can like go out into space, and can go through crazy stuff like wormholes.  Savannah, she can, like, run really fast, and go in hard terrain.
JULIA: Madeleine, Savannah means, like a PRAIRIE with lots of flat, open space and dead grass.
MADELEINE: But I just mean-
JULIA: Savannah is NOT-
ME: Julia.
MADELEINE: And Ocean has a tech suit, and I made these designs-
JULIA: Madeleine, a tech suit does NOT have designs.  It's ONE color.
MADELEINE: Well, this one has designs-
JULIA: Madeleine, you do NOT know what a tech suit is.
ME: Julia.  It's her book.  It's fiction.  She can make her tech suit have designs.
JULIA: But she doesn't KNOW what a tech suit is!
ME: She can make it however she wants in her book.
JULIA: But she's not making her book REALISTIC!
MADELEINE: It's fiction, Julia.
JULIA: But-
ME: Julia.

Two minutes later they were STILL fighting about the tech suit.

ME: Julia.  Come here.
JULIA: (grudgingly walking into the living room to sit on the couch with me)
ME: It is HER story.  It doesn't matter if the details are exact.  She gets to decide.  She's writing it.  She can write it however she wants.
JULIA: But I don't want her to write it however she wants.  I want her to write it however *I* want- (recognizing the ridiculousness of her comments and breaking into laughter.)


At least she came around.