Toe Drama

Julia, after spending a bunch of time outside on an unseasonably nice day, came to me with anxiety over the state of her pinky toe.

JULIA: Mommy?  Do you think I have frostbite?  My toe is white, and it feels numb.
ME: (taking a look) I don't think you have frostbite.  It does look white; you probably just need to get your circulation going.
JULIA: (panicked) But what should I do?  Does that mean my toe's gonna fall off??
ME: No. Why don't you just fill the bathtub with some warm water and put your foot in to warm up your toe?
JULIA: Will you come WITH me?  
ME: You need me to sit with you in the bathroom?
JULIA: Yeah, I want you there.

As we headed into the bathroom, Julia became increasingly certain that her toe was going to fall off.

JULIA: Can you DIE from frostbite?
ME: I don't think so.
JULIA: But can't your toe snap off?
ME: It would have to turn, like, black and have SEVERE frostbite for that to happen.
MADELEINE: (helpfully running into the bathroom to give us an update from Google) "Frostbite is an injury caused by freezing of the skin and underlying tissues.  First your skin becomes very cold and red, then numb, hard and pale..."
JULIA: (completely freaking out) MY TOE IS HARD AND PALE! I told you I HAVE FROSTBITE!
ME: Honey. Honey.  Just soak your toe in warm water and you'll get your circulation back.

Upon filling the tub with water, Julia began soaking her toe.  The toe went from white to a purplish color. Julia took the color change with serene tranquility.

JULIA: (in sheer, utter panic) MY TOE IS TURNING BLACK! IT'S PURPLISH BLACK! MY TOE IS GONNA FALL OFF!
ME: Oh my God Julia, it's not-
ETHAN: (who had heard Julia's hysterics through his headphones while he was cooking) WHAT is going on?
ME: Julia thinks her toe looks black and it's gonna fall off from frostbite.
ETHAN: (helpfully) Huh, it does look kinda black.
JULIA: (hysterically unintelligible)
ME: Okay. No. Ethan, tell her that her toe's not gonna fall off.
JULIA: (continuing to be hysterically unintelligible)
ME AND ETHAN: Honey, your toe is not gonna fall off from being outside in 55-60 degree weather for an hour!

Julia was initially inconsolable, but eventually calmed down when I pointed out that her toe had turned from purple to normal flesh-colored. Ethan returned to cooking and I reassured Julia.

ME: See? Now it's back to normal.
JULIA: (a bit sheepishly) It's not numb anymore.
ME: Okay, so why don't you drain the tub now and get some warm socks on?
JULIA: Okay. (Inexplicably turning the shower setting on in the still running tub instead of unplugging the drain and turning the water off)
ME: No, that's the show-
JULIA: (getting fully sprayed by a full shower stream in her clothes and standing there helplessly) AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!
ETHAN: (running back into the bathroom from the kitchen) NOW WHAT IS GOING ON?!?
ME: TURN THE SHOWER OFF JULIA!
JULIA: (frantically scrambling to shut the water off)

Oh my God.  Can you tell we're all a little anxious over here about the rising coronavirus cases and we're becoming a little too easily unhinged?  Deep breaths.  Julia has not, in fact, lost her toe, and is back to having other irrational fears like thinking she has spit cancer because she's blowing too much spit into her flute when she practices.  It's all good.  We're all fine over here!  Nothing to stare at folks!

Is That a Swear?

After Ethan and Madeleine spent hours on the weekend raking the leaves in our backyard, our town had the most colossal leaf dump I've ever seen in a 24 hour period.  Every yard and even some streets were covered in a massive blanket of oak leaves.  It happened to be the day before Veterans Day that this leaf-fall occurred, so Madeleine discovered our oaken lawn on the no-school day following.

MADELEINE: (peering out the back door to the lawn) Jesus Christ, didn't we JUST rake all those leaves?
ETHAN: I know it.  (pausing for a moment) Did you just say "Jesus Christ?"
MADELEINE: Yeah.  Why? (dread slowly coming over her face) Is that a swear?
ME: Well, it's considered sort of a swear when you use it like that, because you're "taking the Lord's name
in vain."
MADELEINE: (standing in silence with an increasing look of angst and embarrassment on her face)
ME: It's okay, honey.
MADELEINE: (in utter despair) No it's NOT!
ETHAN: You didn't know.
ME: And even if you did, it's not the end of the world.  
MADELEINE: I'm BAD!

Despite our protests to the contrary, Madeleine was driven by shame and humiliation to her bedroom, wherein she hid under her blanket to punish herself for her unforgivable crimes.  I attempted to talk her down and finally got her to come out of her room and eat snack, but unfortunately she decided to join the table as Cousin It from the Addams Family:

Madeleine was the only one who found the situation appalling.  Ethan and I helpfully couldn't stop breaking into laughter over the fact that the child who "mreer!"s over words like "fool" and "dumb" outright exclaimed "Jesus Christ!" over the backyard leaves.  

Cousin It remained with us for quite awhile, but I'm pleased to report that Madeleine has completed her self-inflicted penance and has deemed herself henceforth acceptable to return to society.

Falling Things

MADELEINE: (excitedly) I'm gonna have LETTER crackers! (reaching for the container of letter crackers and somehow knocking it off the counter.)  
JULIA: Pick it up! Hurry!
MADELEINE: (standing in shock, looking at the brand-new, now empty container on the ground and the kitchen floor strewn with letter crackers everywhere.)

And because there's not germs EVERYWHERE right now, I wisely recommended Madeleine just pick up all the crackers and put them back in the container and proceed to eat them.  Let's not waste a brand new, full container of snacks, girls.

Later on, Julia and I were recording a flute duet we've been working on, and we had our own falling object to distract us.  Watch the video closely, and you will see the piano lamp in the background suddenly fall off the piano, as if a phantom had just knocked into it.

So, we're eating dirty kitchen floor letter crackers and ignoring the hijinks of our very own Phantom of the Opera over here, just like any normal old day.

Renaissance

JULIA: I feel like it would either be really cool or really terrifying to see life in the Renaissance.
ME: Probably both.
JULIA: Yeah. 'Cause there'd be, like, armor, and...
ME: And plague...
JULIA: Yeah, and plague, but there would also be CASTLES.
ME: Right.
JULIA: Were there REALLY jokers?
ME: ...You mean jesters?
JULIA: Oh!  Yeah.  Were there really jesters?
ME: Yeah, I think so, I think they were a part of the King's court.

                                                                                Joker

Discussing Trump

 Discussing Trump, in which Madeleine is totally with the program.

JULIA: Isn't Donald Trump's last name really Drumpf?
ETHAN: Yes.  Drumpf is German.
JULIA: (mock gasp) He's German?  He's not even AMERICAN!
ME: Well, his Dad was from Germany, for real.  But Trump was born here.
ETHAN: And even if he was born in Germany, if you get citizenship, you're a real American.
JULIA: I know, I was-
ME: I know.  You were saying that because Trump is so anti-immigrant.  
JULIA: Right.
ME: I think European immigrants are okay by him.  He just doesn't want immigrants from Mexico. After all, his wife is Eastern European.
ETHAN: She got her citizenship suspiciously fast, though.
ME: She got a "genius grant." For her modeling. 
JULIA: She's not even pretty, though.  She looks like a CAT.
MADELEINE: (who has been sitting around the table with us this WHOLE TIME) Who looks like a cat?
JULIA: Melania Trump.
MADELEINE: Oh!  I thought you were talking about ELSA.

Yes, that's right.  This whole time we were not talking about the #1 pressing subject on our minds (for once, the election has slightly edged out the usual #1 subject of COVID-19), but about the characters from "Frozen."

BLM Article

 MADELEINE: (showing me an online headline over a photo of two people) Mommy!  This couple lived in a town called "Trump Country," and they got EVICTED from their apartment because they had a "Black Lives Matter" sign.  Isn't that TERRIBLE?

Well, you know how it is in the town of Trump Country.  

I explained to her what the term "Trump Country" means, which gave her more clarity on the whole story.  I guess at first she just thought: a) it's weird that Trump already has a town named after him after only 4 years as President, and b) How ironic that the town of "Trump Country" turned out to be as racist as Trump himself!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from these Rebel Girls!

We made it only until 6pm because it was so cold, but hey, we weren't even sure if Halloween was gonna happen at all!

Hope you all had a fun and safe evening!

Leaping Crystal

 I walked into the dining room to find this on the table:

ME: Someone decided to paint a rock?
JULIA: Madeleine did.
ME: Okay. Why?
JULIA: (laughing) She wanted to make a Leaping Crystal like in "Keeper of the Lost Cities."

Of course she did.  Who *doesn't* spend their Sunday morning painting rocks?

The Scent of Hair

Last night: 

JULIA: (giving me a hug, then sniffing my hair) Your hair smells like DISNEY WORLD!

This morning:

MADELEINE: (smelling my hair) It smells like PRESCHOOL.

Those are two totally normal descriptions for what hair can smell like, right?

Creative Doings

 So, the latest thing that the girls are into doing is creating fake Instagram accounts for fictional characters.  Not only have they made accounts for the characters in Shannon Messenger's "Keeper of the Lost Cities" series, they have made American Girl doll accounts, and OF COURSE accounts for the characters in Madeleine's own "Timeline Barrier" series.

Curious to know what the "Timeline Barrier" folks post about?  Take a look at Silareah's Instagram page and one of her recent posts:

Madeleine and Julia spend hours doing this sort of thing.  For instance, this afternoon:

JULIA: Hey Madeleine, wanna go outside and make more Instagram posts for the "Keeper of the Lost Cities" characters?
MADELEINE: (delighted) Yeah! I'll be right there!

Instagram pages aren't the only things the girls are creating on the subject of "Keeper of the Lost Cities."  They have both been busy writing fan fiction about the characters, and Julia's piece de resistance is her merging of the movie "O Brother Where Art Thou" and the "Keeper" series, writing a fan fiction piece with a parody of the song "Man of Constant Sorrow" from "O Brother," sung by "Keeper" characters. Curious?  Take a look for yourself: (and somehow Madeleine appears as a character in the "Keeper" world, so there's that too...)

Keefe took a deep breath, then started to sing to the tune of “Man of Constant Sorrow” by the Soggy Bottom Boys. Madeleine played the flute and Ro stomped in the background, because they were feeling a little extra.

“I am a teen deep in love! 

I’ve crushed on you all my days!

I bid farewell to Alluveterre, the place where I first crushed on you!”

“The place where heeeee first crushed on you!” Madeleine and Ro chimed in.

Sophie’s eyes were wide. Keefe’s palms started to sweat, but he knew this was the only way he could convince Sophie that they were right for each other.

“I felt your heart emotions! 

You’ve loved meeee for years and years!

You only like Fitz for his looks!

But he treats you like a piece of poop!”

“He treats you like a piece of poop!” sang the accompanying girls.

“And I will treat you well!

I’ll always be here to comfort you!

We are so right for each other!
I hope you’ll love me like I love you!”

“He hopes you’ll love him like he loves you!” Ro and Madeleine sang

At least I know that the pandemic hasn't dulled my girls' creativity in the least!

The Ritual Hiding of Earl Carries On

Madeleine takes the cake when it comes to her most recent Earl hiding spot:

Nestled among Julia's American Girl doll collection, Earl appears to be emitting a ghastly rasping cry from his skeletal face, as the dolls sit by in wholesome innocence. Luckily Julia spotted him before actually settling into her bed for the night, or else a glimpse towards her open closet might have scared the daylights out of her!

New Routine

As if Madeleine's good-bye/good-night routine couldn't get any more ridiculous, there is now a new element to the whole ritual that she has added, even typing it in text messages.

To back up a moment, here is her FORMER routine, when saying good-night to us, or saying good-bye as we are leaving or she's being dropped off somewhere.

MADELEINE: I love you! (blowing an air kiss) So muchy moo! (blowing air kiss). (Blowing a kiss from one palm towards us.) (Blowing a kiss from the other palm towards us.) (Waving at us with both hands while smiling at us.) (Leaving.)

So now it's this:

MADELEINE: I love you! (blowing an air kiss) So muchy moo! (blowing air kiss). (Blowing a kiss from one palm towards us.) (Blowing a kiss from the other palm towards us.) (Waving at us with both hands while smiling at us.)  SAFETY!! (Leaving.)

The addition of "SAFETY!" seems to correlate with the fact that COVID numbers have been on the rise in our area.  Apparently cheerfully announcing "SAFETY!" at us will keep us safe, despite the fact that if Madeleine actually had COVID, blowing air from her mouth towards us would probably infect us as well.

Happy Birthday, Madeleine!

 Happy, happy birthday to this unique, loving, warm, creative human being!:

We had pancakes to celebrate this morning, before the girls headed off to their second day of in-person school (before being back to remote learning next week, while the opposite cohort of kids go in person.) Madeleine was showered with gifts, including a Pop Socket for her cell phone from Julia.  

Cell phones.  Eleven year-olds.  How did my kids get so big?!?

So, in some well-known-to-the-Rowes classic Madeleine lingo,  here's a birthday message:

Hearts to you!  I love you! (blowing a kiss) So muchy moo! (blowing another kiss.)

Happy birthday, Madeleine!

2020

MADELEINE: People don't even need to SWEAR anymore.  They can just be like, "What the 2020?!"

I couldn't agree more on how nefarious the term 2020 feels.

And speaking of swearing, Ethan and I have been sharing a beloved tv show with the girls, "Schitt's Creek." The kids are loving it so far, but have trouble referring to the show because for some reason they can't allow themselves to say the title, even though it's a person's name, not the word "shit."

Madeleine has, surprisingly, FINALLY come around to calling the show by its title instead of "Mreer Creek."  Julia, however, can only refer to it as "Sk-a-hitt's Creek" so as to avoid even SOUNDING like she's saying "shit."  Interesting that both girls can refer to a beaver dam without finding creative ways to avoid saying a word that sounds like "damn." 

Maybe we can clear things up by deciding that "shit" ONLY means "Schitt" and from now on when someone really means "shit" they'll just say 2020.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

So, Netflix cancelled Madeleine's favorite tv series, "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance" after one season.

This leaves things on quite a cliffhanger for the hordes of you following the adventures of Deet, Rian, Brea and the rest, but guys: DON'T WORRY.  Madeleine is already writing the next season herself.  Taking matters into her own hands like a brave Gelfling, she's got us covered and we can breathe easy knowing we'll get some resolution to the arcs of our favorite characters.  WHEW!

Feel What You Love

Because Madeleine is dreaming BIG with her "Timelime Barrier" series (think franchise), she has not only planned for the books and the movies-made-after-the-books, but she has composed a theme song AND a lullaby to be sung by one of the film's characters.

I was pretty enchanted by this sweet little lullaby, and even more enchanted by this sweet kid singing it for me:

Here are the lyrics (also written by Madeleine), just in case you couldn't make them all out:

“My sweet darling, don’t you cry.

Mama will not ever let you say goodbye.

Now remember, whenever

Times feel dark

Just open up your heart.

And when the lights are all out,

Feel what you love.”

Now, before I get too sentimental, I just learned that this lullaby is sung to the main character, Silareah Sound, by her Earth Mother, Eliza Sound. NOT sung by the mother character named after me, Courtia (recently edited to Couria), the somewhat negligent "Starblaze" mother who actually raises Silareah. So, like, seriously, what the heck? Not only is the Courtney-inspired character kind of a dud of a mom, but she doesn't even get to sing?!? HARSH.

Panic and More

Last night, as we were leaving for swim practice, I was suddenly subject to a barrage of panicked questions and remarks from Julia.  It seems she was having a total internal melt-down about climate change, politics, and pretty much everything else.  Our conversation started as we got into the car and continued on our drive to the pool.

JULIA: Massachusetts is gonna flood and we'll be TOTALLY underwater.
ME: That's not something that's going to happen in the immediate future.
JULIA: But it's too late for us to save the world from climate change.
ME: Some things are irreversible at this point, but there's still a lot we can do to prevent worst case scenarios.  Hopefully we can get our country back to agreeing to combat climate change.
JULIA: But Joe Biden didn't vote for the Green New Deal!
ME: Yes, but I think he would re-enter us into the Paris Climate Accord.
JULIA: But Donald Trump is just gonna win again.
ME: Well, if he does, then we'll have to work really hard as individuals to reduce our impact.
JULIA: Mommy? Do you think he'll win again?
ME: I really don't know what to think.  The polls were so wrong for the last election.
JULIA: But Mommy? I've been reading all this stuff about dictators, and I read that Trump is acting like Hitler did in Nazi Germany.
ME: But in the United States, we have a democracy, so people are allowed to speak out against Trump without getting thrown in jail. We're in a much better situation to fight against any attempts to create a dictatorship than the Germans were.
JULIA: (distraught) But I realized we're basically living in a Nazi world because our country has Neo-Nazis.
ME: But we also have the ability to speak out against them.  This country has checks and balances, so even if Trump tries to become a dictator, there are systems in place to prevent that.  
JULIA: (becoming increasingly more distressed) But what if he loses and he refuses to leave?
ME: Well, that's why we have institutes like the Supreme Court, to help uphold the rules.
JULIA: (reaching panic) But Brett Kavanaugh is just gonna vote for anything Trump wants.
ME: Look. Ruth Bader Ginsburg won't vote for that. Elena Kagan won't vote for that. Sonia Sotomayor won't vote for that.

During this conversation, Julia and I kept getting text notifications on our cell phones, but since I was driving I couldn't check.  It turns out Ethan was messaging us with some breaking news.  As Julia was reaching her pinnacle of despair, she happened to check her phone.

JULIA: (on the verge of hysteria) RUTH BADER GINSBURG DIED!

Okay. Crap. Any attempts to calm her down at this point were futile, and the way we left things was Julia going into the pool building and texting me, "I'm in and I'm scared." I can't say I blame her.

Madeleine's practice was just ending, so when she got in the car, I gave her the news about RBG.  We then discussed the other members of the Supreme Court and their political leanings during the remainder of the car ride.

This morning, the girls had swim practice yet again.  Ethan did the drop-offs, and I did the final pick-up shift, getting Madeleine from her practice at noon.  When she got in the car, she cheerily told me about her workout, then fell silent for a moment as she scrolled through her phone notifications.

MADELEINE: (in shock) Ruth Bader Ginsburg DIED?
ME: Honey, we talked about this last night.
MADELEINE: I remember you telling me about SOME Democrat, but I didn't know you were talking about HER.

Who's surprised that Madeleine doesn't remember me telling her about this last night?  Anyone?

The Final Chapter

School starts tomorrow for the kids (remote only), so Madeleine was determined to finish "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" today.  See, in Madeleine's eyes, it doesn't count as "summer reading" unless she: A) started the book AFTER the last day of school in June, and B) finished the book BEFORE the first day of the new school year.  So despite everything I tried to tell her to reassure her that she didn't need to FREAK OUT about finishing her book before tomorrow, Madeleine was bound and determined to make it a done deal.

She read several chapters throughout the day today, and announced this afternoon that she was on the final chapter.

MADELEINE: Mommy? I feel like, for the final chapter at bedtime tonight, I should wear, like, an ALL BLACK outfit.  In honor of the DEAD.
ME: Um. Okay.

Unfortunately, Madeleine does not possess such an outfit, let alone in a pajama set.  So this evening she donned a navy blue pajama top with pink patterned pajama shorts.

MADELEINE: Mommy? Does THIS (gesturing at her pajamas) seem APPROPRIATE for the last chapter?
ME: Yes.
MADELEINE: Okay. (sighing) Poooor Dumbledore.  This is gonna be the most STRESSFUL year of school yet.

It's as if she hasn't already had the book read to her and watched the movie ten thousand times, she's having such a visceral reaction.  I guess you're really living in the book's world when you're dressing the part of the mourner at Dumbledore's funeral.  I guess I should be prepared for when she reads the next book in the Unicorn Quest series, because we may need to break out a horn for her to wear while she reads.

Book Repair

 Madeleine is currently reading "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Ethan read it to her a few years back, and our copy of the book had been read multiple times prior to that, between Ethan and Julia. By this point, the outer cover has been worn down and ripped. Don't worry, though; Madeleine fixed it! You can't even tell it even had any cosmetic work done!:

Little Einsteins

 Look, I don't mean to brag about my kids, but when they have smarty-pants moments like this, it's hard not to share:

MADELEINE: (playing a game on her phone) Oh, thank you, fifteen left!
JULIA: (galloping by) Who's Vivian?
MADELEINE: 
JULIA: Who's Vivian?
ME: Who said Vivian?
JULIA: Madeleine did.
MADELEINE: No, I said "fifTEEN."
JULIA: (leaning over Madeleine's shoulder to peer at her game) Oh! I think Sadie has this game. Is it called "Best Finds?"
MADELEINE: No, best "fee-ends."
JULIA: It's pronounced "finds."
MADELEINE: No, it's "fee-ends."
JULIA: (laughing at Madeleine's ignorance) No, Madeleine, it's pronounced "FINDS."
ME: Do you mean "FIENDS?"
JULIA: Oh!  Yeah.  "Fiends." I knew it was either pronounced "fiends" or "finds."

Good think school has gone all-remote for the month of September, because I'd be afraid of my kids running circles around their peers if they got the advantage of in-person school!

Welcome, September

September is here and summer vacation is in its last few weeks.  If you thought school might be foremost on Julia's mind today as we turn to September 1, you would be wrong.

JULIA: Mommy!  Today is Lilly Mintz's birthday!

Yup.  The Mintz are still around.

Speaking of birthdays, I was spoiled with all sorts of thoughtful gestures on my birthday yesterday, from a beautiful recording and slideshow that Ethan created for me (which caused me to sob all over my computer keyboard) to an Amazon gift card Julia got for me ("I knew you were sad that you didn't get an Amazon gift card from your students this year, so I wanted to get you one!") to several thoughtful and homemade creative gifts from Madeleine.

One of Madeleine's gifts to me was a hand-made book of brain teasers/riddles.  Not only did Madeleine type this up herself, but she thought of each riddle and its answer all on her own!

Sometimes getting into her head space proved to be a bigger brain teaser than the riddle itself.  For example:

ME: (reading a riddle) There are twins, but were born in completely different towns in their state. How is this possible? Hmm.  Was one born before they could make it to the hospital, and the hospital is in the next town over?
MADELEINE: Nooooo.
ME: Are the twins both born from the same mother?
MADELENIE: Yes.
ME: Was one born at home but then they needed to get to the hospital to get the other one out?
MADELENE: Nooooo. Do you want me to just tell you?
ME: No, let me keep asking questions.  Are they humans?
MADELENE: Yes.  So Mommy.  It's like: one is THIS, and one is THIS.
ME: Huh?
MADELEINE: Like, one is THIS, and one is THIS.
ME: Are they both alive?
MADELEINE: Yes!
ME: And it wasn't like, the mom had to give birth to the first twin in the car on the way to the hospital?
MADELEINE: No. Here, Mommy.  Think of the W's.
ME: Uh...okay, where were they born?
MADELEINE: It doesn't matter!
ME: Was one born right before midnight and the other after so they were born on different days?  And the town got re-named overnight?
MADELEINE: No. Think of the W's!
ME: Who, what, when, where, why?
MADELEINE: Yes. Okay. Say one was born at 2:40.  When was the other one born?
ME: Uh, 2:48?
MADELEINE: Okay...do you want me to just tell you the answer?

This one turned out to be too much of a stumper for me, so I finally had to look at the answer.  How could I not have figured this out?!?

Q: There are twins, but were born in completely different towns in their state. How is this possible?
A: One was just later than usual.

ME: Wait, Madeleine, I don't get it. How does that make them born in different towns? 
MADELEINE: I don't know! I was running out of ideas for riddles.  My BRAIN just wasn't really
able to THINK of anything else!

That was riddle #11 of 20.  I'm scared to see how random the answers become as I move along down the rest of the page...

Last Pool Visit

 Yesterday was Rosemary Pool's last day of its abbreviated summer season, and we Rowes had claimed a time slot to get one last visit in:

  We were all sad to have the season come to a close, but no one moreso than Madeleine.  The weather was beautiful for sitting outside, but a bit chilly for swimming.  Julia, Ethan and I bailed after about 20 minutes and sat on the edge, warming up in the sun, while Madeleine kept at it for an hour.  Gleefully doing somersaults, swimming around under the water, and sprinting around the pool to catch the goggles Julia threw for her, Madeleine was a happy little dolphin.  When she finally got too cold to continue on in the water, she got out and we all sat in the bleachers to dry off in the sun.

ME: Should we warm up for about 10 more minutes and then head home?
MADELEINE: (sighing) I just wanna stay here FOREVER.
ME: I know.  I love Rosemary Pool too.
MADELEINE: Mommy? I think Rosemary Pool is my favorite place.
ME: Oh yeah?
MADELEINE: Yeah.  It's just so MAGICAL.  Like, the sparkling water...and I remember how after Sharks meets we would sometimes have pizza, and we'd go into the pool just for fun.
ME: I know.
MADELEINE: Mommy?  The one BAD thing about my plan to live in Nice when I'm a grown-up is that I'd miss Rosemary Pool.
ME: I know, you'd be really far away.
MADELEINE: Hey, wait a minute, I have an idea.  Maybe I could visit your house for the whole SUMMER.
ME: Yeah, you could.
MADELEINE: Yeah, and I could, like, work from HOME...well, it really WOULD be working from home, because it IS my house.
ME: Right.

So it's a plan.  Rosemary Pool for life, even when Madeleine is grown-up and living on the Mediterranean.  

'Til next season, Rosemary Pool!

Side Yard Port-a-Potty

 We had our front steps re-done last week, and the masons set up a port-a-potty on our property.  Although the steps were finished by Friday, the port-a-potty has sat in our side yard throughout this week.  At long last, a truck arrived today to pick it up and take it away.

ME: (looking out the window) Oh, they're finally taking the port-a-potty away.
MADELEINE: (eagerly running to the window to see) Oh, PHEW!  (wistfully) Aww.  I'm kinda gonna miss our old friend. (blowing a kiss out the window)
ME: Did you just blow a kiss to the port-a-potty?!?
MADELEINE: Yeah.  Actually, I'm gonna watch. (returning to the window and staring out in rapt attention.)
ME: Okay.
MADELEINE: I'm not stalking.  I'm only watching in a CURIOUS manner.
ME: Okay.
MADELEINE: (narrating the proceedings of the truck loading the port-a-potty and driving away) 
ME: (half listening)
MADELEINE: Okay, it's going now. (full of nostalgia) Good-bye, old friend!

I guess the social isolation of this pandemic has really gotten to us, if Madeleine is feeling plaintive about the removal of a port-a-potty.

Revising and Editing Woes

 Madeleine is in the midst of revising and editing her novel, "Founder of the Timeline Barrier," and is finding it tedious.

MADELEINE: Writing a book is so FUN, but revising and editing is so boring. 
ME: Yeah?
MADELEINE: Wait, I think I have an idea.  Maybe I can get lots of people to read it and post COMMENTS on things I should revise and edit.
ME: That's a good idea.
MADELEINE: Yeah, like I could have Julia read it, and Shannon and Caitlyn, and Nana, and Daddy, and...Mommy?  Are you good at CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM?
ME: Yes, I am.
MADELEINE: (relieved) Okay.  'Cause, you're, like, the NICEST person I know, so I wasn't sure.

Mkay.  Does she realize I'm a teacher?  Constructive criticism is kind of our thing.

Exciting Weekend

 Madeleine was beyond thrilled this weekend to finally get her very own cell phone!  Although she feels like she was unfairly the only one in the household without a phone, the truth of the matter is that she got a cell phone a year earlier than Julia did.  Since we no longer have a land line, we figured it was best to get Madeleine her own phone so she could get in touch with us if need be when we were out.

EVERYTHING about this phone has delighted her.  Whether it's the screen protector, the phone case, the camera options, or the apps she downloaded, she is out of her mind with joy over her new gadget.  I sent her an email to the new address Ethan set up for her, and she responded from her phone with the gleeful: "Thanks!  I am having so much fun!"  I've been shown countless panorama photos of things like Julia's bedroom, Madeleine's bedroom, the backyard, and more.  Today Madeleine set up her own modeling photo shoot using the timer app on the phone.  This is the BIG LEAGUES, guys.

At first, Madeleine was asking permission before downloading any apps, to which Ethan replied, "It's your phone, honey.  You can download whatever you want."

Shortly thereafter, Ethan had to eat his words.  After the umpteenth parent notification of something Madeleine had downloaded, Ethan remarked, "Okay, I'm gonna have to tell Madeleine that's enough downloading stupid stuff."  I don't know if it was the Disney app or the Gymnastics Star that put him over the edge, but enough was enough.

The other exciting piece of news this weekend is that the girls have a new baby cousin!  Auntie Caitlyn went into labor yesterday and my new niece Ellie was born, much to the delight of everyone in the Rowe household.

As I drove Madeleine home from her swim clinic this morning, she reflected upon the excitement of the weekend.

MADELEINE: Mommy?  This has been, like, a GROUND-BREAKINGLY good weekend.
ME: Because of your phone?
MADELEINE: And because of Owenia.*
ME: I know!
MADELEINE: (sighing in adoration) That little bundle of SWEETNESS.

*Owenia is the default name we were giving to Caitlyn's baby-in-the-womb, knowing she was the female sibling-to-be of cousin Owen

We all can't WAIT to meet the bundle of sweetness in person, but for now we have to satisfy ourselves with the COVID-friendly fawning over photos of baby Ellie!

More Timeline Barrier

 Madeleine has continued writing up a storm, moving on to Book 2 of "The Timeline Barrier" series.  Sometimes her head gets so jumbled with words and ideas that she loses her grasp of simple English.

MADELEINE: (looking up from typing) Why can't I remember what that thing is called?  The thing on the DOOR that makes it go "ding-dong?"
JULIA AND I: Uh, a doorbell?
MADELEINE: Oh, yeah!

Even though this book series is still in early stages, Madeleine is assured of its future domination in pop culture.

MADELEINE: Julia, you know what makes me sad?
JULIA: What?
MADELEINE: When "Founder of the Timeline Barrier" gets made into a movie, all the people are gonna  think the characters look like the ACTORS that play them, not like how *I* picture them.

That's right, folks.  It's not an "if," it's a "WHEN," and if that's not the way to confidently take the world by storm, I don't know what is!

Health Survey

 Yesterday, I was filling out an online National Survey on Children's Health as part of the US Census.  I had to answer basic health questions about one of my children, namely, Madeleine.  I could answer most questions off the top of my head, but when it came to height and weight, I realized I knew how tall she is but not how much she weighs.

ME: Hey, Madeleine, can you go downstairs to the bathroom scale and tell me how much you weigh?
MADELEINE: Okay!  (trotting downstairs and then shouting up to me) Nine hundred and two!
ME: Um...90.2?
MADELEINE: I dunno, it just said nine zero two.

And common sense told her that 902 was a realistic weight for a 10-year-old scrawny swimmer?!?  Needless to say, I entered 90 on the form.

Book Party

Madeleine had BIG NEWS yesterday: SHE FINISHED WRITING THE FIRST BOOK OF "FOUNDERS OF THE TIMELINE BARRIER!!!!!"

She's now going to review and edit it six times, so there is still work to be done, but the bulk of the creative work is complete!

Madeleine decided we were having a party in the evening to celebrate.  She put together a play-list of music and we had a dance party.  Ethan and I started out strong, but both of our respective 40-something knees began to give out.  Julia claimed to not know how to dance and refused to partake, although she did humor us with a "Cotton-Eyed Joe" contest against Madeleine.  I declared Julia the winner, much to Madeleine's outrage, but to be fair, Madeleine crashed into the wall TWICE during the dance, and you've got to take gracefulness into account as a judge.

By the final song, we lamers were all pooped, but Madeleine still had a fiery energy to her and carried dancing with her bad self:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeDmBo3SaRc&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR34kl4vCaUJugzYMDWxQRPbEpFuxPZjKkwRnX6ZIr_1g4bsJ1Jwr1cGfgY

We finished the evening with a family game of Drawasaurus, per Madeleine's request to do one other family activity as part of the celebration.  

I can't wait to see what kind of party we have when Madeleine becomes a famous published author!!

Drawasaurus

Hairstylist

Madeleine styled my hair this weekend and man, it's a shame that all gatherings are on hold, because here I was, all dressed up and nowhere to go:

I was ready for the gala, but instead I read my book on the couch, cause corona. At least we have the photos to show off my elegance!

A Trip to the Dentist

The girls had dentist appointments yesterday, and man, was it an adventure.

First off, the appointment was originally scheduled for 1:45 for Julia and 2:00 for Madeleine.  With COVID and whatever else, the appointment times got changed, so when I received a request to confirm appointments this week, Madeleine was listed at 2pm and Julia at 2:30.  Julia also had a swim practice in Wellesley at 3pm, so I called the dentist to ask if I could switch the order of the girls to ensure Julia was done by 2:30.  The office informed me that they would have both girls come in at the same time, but would have Julia's cleaning done first.

The protocol for this appointment was strict.  I was to arrive 15 minutes early, having already received at text from the office 15 minutes PRIOR to arriving.  Upon arriving, I was to respond to the text and then wait in the car with the kids for further instructions.

1:45pm

ME: (texting "5" to indicate I had arrived to the parking lot)
MADELEINE: Can I roll down the window?  I'm afraid I'm gonna get really hot in the car and they'll think I have a fever.
ME: Sure. (opening all the car windows)
JULIA: Well aren't we gonna wait inside?
ME: No, it says we have to wait in the car for further instructions.

1:50pm

JULIA: But how will we know when to go in?
ME: They're supposed to text me, I think.
JULIA: Well, did they text you yet?
ME: Not yet.
MADELEINE: Mommy, maybe you should check.
ME: I did check. I haven't gotten a text.
MADELEINE: Well, Mommy, remember you might not be able to hear it.
ME: I've got my phone right here.

1:55 pm

JULIA: But aren't we supposed to start at 2?  Maybe we're supposed to go to the door.
ME: It says to wait for further instructions.
JULIA: (drops both her retainers on the bottom of the car floor)
ME: Uh oh, you better pick those up.
JULIA: (wrangles herself around both her pool bags to try and get at the car floor)
MADELEINE: Any text yet?
ME: Not yet.
JULIA: But I'm going first, right?  Because I have to leave?
ME: I called to make sure they'd put you first.  If they have you get your teeth cleaned at the same time, I'll be able to drive straight from here to swim.  If they do Madeleine AFTER you, I'm gonna text Daddy and he'll come pick you up and take you to swim.
JULIA: But how will we know when Daddy's here?
ME: He'll text me.
JULIA: (drops both her retainers on the bottom of the car floor)
ME: Again??
JULIA: It was an ACCIDENT!

2pm

JULIA: Maybe we should just go wait by the door.
ME: It says to wait for further instructions.
MADELEINE: Just keep checking your phone.
ME: They haven't texted yet.
JULIA: But we're supposed to start at 2.
ME: They're probably running behind.

2:07pm

I received a text saying to come to the side door.  We made our way there, to find it locked.

JULIA: Why don't you knock?
ME: I think there's probably someone coming to open it for us.
JULIA: Just text them and say we can't get in.
ME: (texting to ask how we should get inside)
JULIA: Text them again and say the door is locked.
ME: I already texted them.  Let's just wait.
JULIA: But -

The dental hygienist opened the door and let us in.  We were led to a table at which we were all given hand sanitizer, and I was given forms to fill out.

JULIA: Mommy? I dropped my retainers under the table.
ME: Julia! Seriously?
JULIA: It was an ACCIDENT!

I looked under the table to see Julia's retainer case open with her lower retainer sitting on the dentist office rug.  EW.  And this is SO not how we're supposed to be doing safe hygienic dentist visiting.

Julia had to crawl under the table to pick up the retainers that she for some reason could not seem to stop dropping.  Another hygienist came out and reprimanded me for not waiting outside until she came to get me.  Apparently the hygienist who had let us in was actually supposed to be with a different patient.  The hygienist assigned to US sent Julia off with another hygienist to get X-rays, made Madeleine hold Julia's retainers (thankfully, since Madeleine managed NOT to drop them every two seconds) and gave me forms to fill out.  I sat down on the bench and was reprimanded for sitting down and had to stand back up to fill out forms.  They hygienist told me she would walk me out and I would have to wait in my car.

When I got to the car, I realized that since I was banned from the building I wouldn't know when Julia was done, and therefore wouldn't know whether or not Ethan needed to come and drive her to swim.  I called the front office.

OFFICE: Dental Associates, how can I help you?
ME: Hi, my daughters Julia and Madeleine are both in there right now having a cleaning.  I wanted to know if they're getting cleaned at the same time or if it's one after the other?
OFFICE: They're doing one after the other.
ME: Okay.  I had called a few days ago to make sure Julia could go first, since she has a swim practice, so when she's done she can just walk out to the lot.  My husband will be here to pick her up and I'll wait in the lot for Madeleine.
OFFICE: Did you communicate this to the hygienist?
ME: (thinking: "no, because she was too busy reprimanding me and shooing me out") Uh, no, it was really rushed.  But I called the other day and they said they'd make a note to be sure she went first.
OFFICE: Okay.  Let me pass this along.

A few minutes passed and my phone rang.  It was the dental office.

OFFICE: Hi, unfortunately it wasn't clearly communicated that Julia needs to leave early, and they've already started on Madeleine, so Julia won't be finished until at least three o' clock.  I don't know...can you take her late to her practice?
ME: Uh, well, I think I'm gonna have to.

I then got to sit for 45 minutes in the hot car in the hot parking lot on a 95 degree day.  The girls came out together at 3pm and I immediately started up the car, only to be told by Julia that the hygienist needed to talk to me.  I got out of the car, put on my mask, and listened to all the extra appointments I need to make for sealants, orthodontics, and a tooth-pulling, then herded the kids into the car to drive Julia to swim, arriving late despite my best intentions.

I don't even want to think about the hoops we'll all have to jump through to manage the three other appointments I have to schedule!

Turtles

Last night, we saw my faithful blog-reader Lily and her family, (from a social distance) and Lily's brother and Madeleine were discussing turtles (from a social distance.)  Madeleine began what seemed to be a rambling and meandering story that took a sudden, unexpected turn:

MADELEINE: One time, I was out on a run, and, like, there was this truck parked on the sidewalk, so I had to cross the street, and, like, I crossed back and forth a couple of times, and I was like, running, I don't know, maybe like, crossing the street again, and, like, I ran by...I, like, thought I saw something, so I turned my head, and it was a TURTLE that had been hit by a CAR-

ALL OF US: (gasping)

MADELEINE: And, like, its shell was broken, and, like, it was SQUASHED and its GUTS and BRAINS were FALLING out all over the place!

Oh boy.

This was NOT where I had expected a story about Madeleine running to go.  But then again, I suppose I should know that with Madeleine just about any subject can contain a sudden dark twist!

More Classwork

More of Madeleine's classwork from this past year: her ideals if she were to become President:

I am all for getting us back in the climate change agreement thing!  And I admire her push to stop putting immigrants in jail or Juvi.  Madeleine for President 2020!

Classwork Collection

I'm finally going through Madeleine's bag of classwork we picked up in June, and I came across this:

I'm not sure how I feel about getting a blank box.
Madeleine claims she ran out of time. Good thing she made sure to write a box full of superlative compliments about her own self, though.

Music Challenges

I have been emailing the kids musical notation challenges for the past few days to see if they can name that tune. 

Here are a few examples:

Today's challenge proved insurmountable for both kids, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY BOTH SIGHT-SANG IT PERFECTLY.

I video-recorded Julia singing it and had her listen to it to see if it rang a bell.  Still nothing.  I mean, she could not have been singing it more accurately, but she had NO idea what it was.  Neither did Madeleine when she performed the same feat.  Maybe you readers will be able to Name That Tune!:







*******SPOILER ALERT****************


I mean, come on kids.  Our own LAST NAME is featured in this song.

More Musical Escapades

So, living in a household with FOUR musicians means hearing a LOT of musical practicing.  At any given time you might hear someone singing, playing the piano, playing the flute, singing WHILE playing the piano, playing the flute while someone else plays the piano, and so on.  Some days both girls decide to practice their flutes at the same time, in their own rooms, and I get to hear this:






I wouldn't change it for the world, as cacophonous as it can sometimes get. Without everyone's efforts to practice, we wouldn't get put small ensemble pieces together while we're social distancing from the rest of the musical world.

This weekend, Ethan, Julia and I attempted to make a recording of the only remaining not-yet-videoed movement from the Handel Triosonata we've been working on.  At first, I had Madeleine holding the camera, but Julia just COULD. NOT. HANDLE. IT.

ETHAN, JULIA AND I: (performing our music)
ETHAN: Wait, stop. We're off.
JULIA: (snapping at Madeleine) Madeleine, can you STOP doing the thing where you MOVE THE CAMERA ALL AROUND?
ME: She's just trying to make sure she shows all of us on the video.
JULIA: Well, it's too DISTRACTING and it's making me MESS UP.

Sheeeeeesh.

I put the camera tripod over the rung of a chair instead.  You can see how well that worked as you watch the video below.  At least the sound remained consistent!





Nothing the world needs more than a video of feet set to music, right?

Reading "Renegades"

Madeleine asked for a snuggle while she was reading this evening.  I slid next to her in her bed as she was reading the book "Renegades."

MADELEINE: Mommy, you know what BUGS me about this book?
ME: What?
MADELEINE: Like, everybody's NAME, like, MATCHES their ability.
ME: Oh yeah?
MADELEINE: Yeah.  Like, "Red Assassin" is Ruby: well, her grandmother was a jeweler, or something, so everyone in her family is named for jewels, like she has a sister named Emerald, but, like, all the jewels were stolen, and there were only rubies left, so she just picked up the rubies and ATE them-
ME: Did she poop them out?
MADELEINE: No.  And, like, "Queen Bee" is named Honey.
ME: Yeah, I can see how that's a little annoying.
MADELEINE: And "Captain Chromium" is Hyoog, and, like, "hyoog" sounds like "HUGE"-
ME: Where does it say Hyoog?
MADELEINE: (pointing to "Hugh Everhart")
ME: That's "HYOO."
MADELEINE: (indignantly stunned) WHAT?!?
ME: It's pronounced "Hyoo."
MADELEINE: It IS?  But I've HEARD of "HYOOG" before.
ME: No, honey, Hyoog is not a name.


I mean, maybe it is, but if it is, I've certainly never heard of it.  Maybe she's thinking of Hugh Grant, whose name *might* sound like "Hyoog" when eliding it with his last name?

The Scarn

The girls are big fans of "The Office" and have recently discovered a video of character Michael Scott's home-made movie "Threat Level Midnight."  Their favorite part of the movie is a dance called "The Scarn."



This morning, Julia and Ethan recreated the Scarn for the world's enjoyment:






Rowe Household's got TALENT!

Drawing and Role-Playing

Ethan introduced the members of the Rowe Household to an online game called Drawasaurus.  It's pretty much just Pictionary, without teams.  Instead, players accumulate individual points based on how many correct pictures they can guess.  We four Rowes were all able to play a game together from our own cell phones or computers.

In order to play together, we had to create a private room and then join, under our self-appointed Nicknames.  I mistook "Choose a Nickname" for "Choose a Nickname for the Drawasaurus App" and so I typed in Drawasaurus.  Then I was in a Private Room with my family and these were our names:

Eth
Maddog
Juliaaaaaa
Drawasaurus


Whoops.  Turns out it's not even an app anyway, just a website you can go to to play.  But I couldn't figure out how to change my name so I was stuck being Drawasaurus the whole time.  Perhaps the most amusing moment of the game was when I chose the word "drawing" to draw.  At the end, when the site revealed the answer, the top of the screen said: "Drawasaurus Is Drawing Drawing!"

Drawasaurus as a name came in handy when Madeleine designed a mandated family Role-Playing Game.  She even sent us a Google Form to fill out before the game began.  We had to create a character and enter a Code Name for our Character.  Mine was, OBVS, Drawasaurus.  This evening I got to join Serenity (Code Name "Interstellar"), Cadence (No Code Name), and Special Daddybot (Code Name Unclear, but the actor role-playing as Special Daddybot referred to himself as "Tony the Pirate.")


Madeleine decided that a part of the adventure our characters would embark upon would be finding four keys, hidden around the house or yard.

MADELEINE: So, I'll make the keys, and hide them, and then we'll have to wait, like, THREE days while I *force* myself to forget where I-
ME: Why don't we each just hide one and we can look for any key but the one we hid?
MADELEINE: (brightly) Oh!  Yeah, let's do that!

Madeleine made the keys this evening, so we LUCKY DUCKS got to role play this evening!


Madeleine was ALL-IN with her character.  While Tony the Pirate, Cadence and Drawasaurus sat around shooting the breeze, Interstellar was hiding around doorways and performing martial arts moves.  The rest of us rookies weren't really sure how to proceed in this game without its creator, so we finally managed to get Interstellar to join forces with us.  Our problem, laid out for us by Madeleine before she turned into Interstellar, was that there were certain objects being touched that then disappeared.  Or the person who touched them disappeared.  There were varying interpretations on this, but either way, we needed to SOLVE THAT PROBLEM!  Part of the problem also seemed to be the fact that some sort of invisible object on the fireplace was blocked off by four chairs, so we couldn't access the invisible object and use it for some unknown purpose.

Interstellar did not offer up any solutions for these problems, so I thought maybe I'd kick-start the action a little bit.

DRAWASAURUS: I have a feeling that we need to find FOUR KEYS in order to get past those chairs!

Madeleine was not a fan of my cutting to the chase, but it was too late, I'd spoken up, so before I knew it, we were hunting around the house for four cardboard keys cut out of an old granola bar box.

It took a long time for us to find them and we had to give increasingly more obvious clues to each other until they were finally all located.  Then we used the keys to unlock the chairs, and we were FACE TO FACE with the invisible thing on the fireplace.  I'm not really sure what the thing was.  Interstellar did not make that clear.  All I know is that we needed to find some way to vanquish the thing.  Interstellar first tried dragging an asteroid down from space and throwing it at the thing.  Next she tried pulling a black hole out of space, but that didn't work either.  Tony the Pirate tried sitting on it and burned his butt cheeks and he and Cadence went off to sit down and make jokes and get into shenanigans while ignoring this whole VERY SERIOUS MATTER.  So I, Drawasaurus, took matters into my OWN hands and used my musical powers (which weren't allowed to be real magical powers, even though Interstellar and Tony the Pirate were allowed to have magical powers) and sang to the invisible thing.  Whatever the thing was, it was gone when I was done singing, and I SAVED THE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel so seriously super accomplished now.  DRAWASAURUS OUT.

Heads Up

Last night the girls and I played Heads Up, the game in which a player must guess the word, name, or action on a cell phone held up to her forehead, based on clues given by the other players.  Here are some of our most amusing rounds of guessing:


ANSWER: FRUIT OF THE LOOM
Guesser: Me

JULIA: Oh, I think they make, like...baby stuff...
ME: Pampers?  Babies R Us?
MADELEINE: Uh...you EAT a PLANT...
ME: Huh?  Gerber?  Baby food?

TIME UP

JULIA: It was Fruit of the Loom.
ME: Oh.  Honey, they make underwear, not baby stuff.



ANSWER: AUGUST ALSINA
Guesser: Julia

MADELEINE: (blank look) Uh...
ME: Um, my birthday month.
JULIA: August.
ME: Yeah. And then...a weird sounding last name that I've never heard of.
JULIA: ...
ME: ...
JULIA: Um...
ME: Just skip it.



ANSWER: NBA
Guesser: Me

MADELEINE: Oh!  Baseball!
ME: Major League?
JULIA: No, Madeleine, that's BASKETBALL.
ME: Wait, what?
JULIA: Never mind, just skip it.



ANSWER: Tylenol
Guesser: Julia

ME: It's like Advil, but a different brand.
JULIA: Oh, um, Aspirin?
ME: Another brand.
JULIA: ...
MADELEINE: It's kinda like..."Ty..."
ME: Honey, you can't say part of the word.
MADELEINE: It's kinda like the name "Ty..." Ty's a name, right? Is it a name?
ME: It is, but you can't use that as a clue because it's part of the word.
JULIA: I have no idea.

Even with that much of a giveaway, Julia failed to guess Tylenol.



ANSWER: Hip-hop
Guesser: Me

JULIA: Hamilton is this...
ME: Musical?
JULIA: And rap...
ME: Music?
MADELEINE: Eminem, Jay-Z...
ME: Rappers?
JULIA: (jutting her hip out and pointing at it)
ME: Butts?

Renegades

Madeleine started reading a new book this week, called "Renegades."  It's a book I ordered for her, per her request, from her school's Virtual Book Fair.  So far she's really enjoying it.

MADELEINE: Mommy, "Renegades" is SO good!  I'm already on page 42!  I'm hoping that maybe "Renegades" can be my NEW thing to be obsessed about, instead of "Keeper of the Lost Cities," because...obsessions can get really TIRING.

If Madeleine is getting tired of her own obsessions, um...think about how the rest of us in the household feel.  Not that I didn't enjoy playing "Keeper of the Lost Cities Hide and Seek" the other night, mind you.  I'm just not sure how successful Madeleine will be getting over this particular obsession, given that she spent ALL morning yesterday in eager anticipation of the unveiling of Shannon Messenger's new cover art for her upcoming "Keeper" book.  It was such an agonizing wait until 1pm when the cover appeared on Instagram that Madeleine went to ridiculously great lengths to pass the time.  One minute I was reading peacefully on the couch, the next minute I was dodging Madeleine as she snaked her way around the coffee table with one dish at a time to take the most circuitous route possible whilst unloading the dishwasher.  Lifting my legs from the table every few minutes as she slithered by with a bowl or a plate was not distracting at all.

Luckily, we got a new American Girl catalog in the mail yesterday, so that has given Madeleine something un-Keeper related to peruse.  This catalog was a source of some serious stress for Julia, given how JAM-PACKED our days of sitting home doing nothing have been.

JULIA: (at 5:48 pm) Oh, I forgot, I was gonna practice my flute!
ME: Do you wanna practice with me and I can give you a flute lesson?
JULIA: Sure, but I also wanted to watch tv and then I was gonna look at the American Girl catalog, so I'm afraid I'm gonna run out of time. (with disappointed resolve) I guess I just won't look at the catalog.

Good choice.  I don't think she could have possibly fit in flute, a tv show, AND catalog viewing in the 4 or so hours before bedtime.

We're living in a fast-paced environment around here for sure.

Hamilton Viewing

Yesterday, the girls and I settled in to watch Hamilton on film:

Julia and I went to see Hamilton onstage in Boston a few years back, but Madeleine has never seen nor listened to it.  Let me tell you: it was a HIT with her! 

Clapping with delight after each song, Madeleine really lived up to her virtual audience potential.

Here are some highlights of the viewing:


MADELEINE: (anytime King George came on) Oh, good!  It's the creepy king!  I *love* the creepy king!

***

LAFAYETTE AND HAMILTON: Immigrants: we get the job done!
JULIA: One time in elementary school, at recess, me and Lily were doing that part, and we missed each other's hands like five hundred times.


***

ME: This Eliza Schuyler is a lot better than the Eliza we saw, huh, Julia?
MADELEINE: Wait - it's not the same people?!?

Oh, yeah, no biggie, Lin-Manuel Miranda and the original cast are just permanent fixtures at every performance.

***

ME: So, Madeleine, what was your favorite part?
MADELEINE: Uh, the THRILLING part!

Oh, that part.  Got it.


***

ME: Madeleine, can you believe you used to think you hated Hamilton?
MADELEINE: No!
ME: Turns out you're really into it!
MADELEINE: Yeah.  Well, I guess fourth grade is just the HAMILTON grade.

I'd like to point out that she's technically a fifth grader now, but whatevs.



Anyway, I'm glad it was enjoyed so thoroughly by both girls, although Madeleine has made a promise: "I really LIKED it, but I'm not gonna be like Julia and get, like, all OBSESSED with Hamilton."

That's a relief, because if there's anything we don't need, it's yet ANOTHER obsession for Madeleine.  I'm barely keeping up with her, between Harry Potter, The Dark Crystal, Keeper of the Lost Cities, and her own creation, Founder of the Timeline Barrier!

Message for the President

Madeleine asked me if she can send this to the President.  If anyone has in an in at the White House, let me know, because I'm sure he'd personally take the time to read it.

Hi world. My name is Madeleine Rowe, and I am here to demand change. I’ve noticed that our planet, especially the United States of America, is going through a lot of hard times recently, and even right now. So can everybody please just dial back on the hate already?

First of all, I find it undeniably unfair to be treating people differently because of their race or the color of their skin. If you think about it, the United States literally had a whole war over a color. Why? What’s wrong with a certain color? Don’t tell me about the meanings behind the colors, because humans came up with those, and that means they’re not the real meanings of them. Humans weren’t even the first living beings to walk this planet. But since we are human beings, and we’re walking right now, how about we make our world be actually equal? We are all the same species, so why can’t we act better than animals?

I would also like to inform this planet that another need for change still rises upon us. A climate change. Scientists have given the exact information we need to know that climate change is real, and we need to cool temperatures down if the human race is going to survive for a long time. And I am completely, one-hundred percent sure that scientists are made up of all different parties. So can we please listen to them and try to at least create less plastic waste?

I know there are plenty more changes in the world that need to be made. But for now, that is all I am writing in this to say. So please, listen to me. Listen to the world. What does the world want? Make that change.