Change-a-bel

Madeleine made up a new hand-clapping game, and I was lucky enough to play multiple rounds with her!  In this game, after reciting the chant that Madeleine composed, one player must turn around and count to ten while the other player changes something about her appearance.  The player who turned around must then correctly guess what has been changed.  This is followed by another chant, and then the roles are switched for who counts to ten and who changes appearance. 

I even got it on video.  See it first here!  I know this is bound to become children's hottest hand-clapping game as soon as it goes live!

Fairies and Mermaids

Madeleine decided to make herself a coloring book, comprised of images of fairies and mermaids that she had printed from online:

Apparently, after coloring a particular mermaid or fairy, Madeleine gives said mermaid or fairy a name and important title.

For example:

                                                        Kasey Sparkle, The Tooth Fairy

                                               Petunia Poppy, Fairy of the Magic of Nature

     Alanna Dumbledore, Daughter of Aberforth Dumledore, Fairy of Magical Artifacts

                                                    Lilliana Shells, Mermaid of Treasure

                                    Jessica Caves, Mermaid of the Civil Rights Movement

                                                           Ariel, Fairy of the Mermaids




While Madeleine is busy creating fairies, Julia is busy creating highly intellectual questions.

JULIA: Mommy?  If there was no pee or poop in it, would toilet water be, like, SAFE to drink?

Good thing she's thinking ahead, in case we ever have a severe water shortage over here.

A Week at Hogwarts

Madeleine really enjoyed the Summer Explorations class she took this week, called "A Week at Hogwarts."  The only down side was that she got sorted into House Slytherin, based on a random draw from a hat, but she still got to wear her Gryffindor robes for dress-up day!:

(In fact, she wore the Gryffindor robe again today, even when it was NOT dress-up day!)


Even when Madeleine wasn't at her class, she was playing "Harry Potter" in her mind.  I walked into the bathroom this morning to find out a whole conversation was going on in her head.

MADELEINE: I'm talking to an IMAGINARY Draco Malfoy, and he thinks he's so smart, so I'm like, "Oh yeah?  What's ten times eight?" and he's a Pure Blood, so he's like, "I don't know" and I'm like, "What's nine times nine?" And he doesn't know.

So Pure Bloods are dopes?  Is it because there's too much in-breeding?

If Madeleine had her choice, instead of being in Slytherin at class, she would choose Hufflepuff.

MADELEINE: Hufflepuff is the best.  Their message is about spreading kindness and liking EVERYONE.  Hufflepuffs are all HAPPY and CHEERY.

Well, she may have been sorted into Slytherin, but I think Madeleine is definitely a Hufflepuff at heart.

Throwback Tuesday?

Today's throwback comes from Auntie Shannon, who recently texted me two old photos of the girls.  I think these might be top contenders for "Most Photogenic Kids":

 I told Shannon that this one looks like Madeleine got scared by a ghost while she was mid-poop.

And here we have not just ONE but TWO kids with their eyes closed.  NAILED it!



In recent news, Julia proved that even though she got all A's this year, she's not afraid to miss a beat from time to time.  Last night, as she was showering, she began calling for my help. 

ME: (entering the bathroom) What's the matter?
JULIA: The shower is, like, NOT working.  Something's not right.
ME: What's happening?
JULIA: The water temperature won't change, even though I pushed the cold down so far that it won't go down any farther.
ME: You're trying to get it warmer?  Sometimes you have to wait a minute.
JULIA: No, I pushed the cold all the way down, but it's still hot.
ME: You're trying to get it COOLER?
JULIA: Yeah.
ME: Honey.  If you want to make it cooler you need to turn the cold water HIGHER, not LOWER.
JULIA: (suddenly enlightened) Ohhhhhh!  I got mixed up!  Never mind.  I was just...I just got confused.


#WINNING.

Interview

Madeleine decided to revive the Rowe Family Newsletter, and dove right into a feature interview with her sister:

I hope you readers all feel that you know Julia on a deep and personal level after reading this tell-all interview!

Fourth of July Recap

Well, the Fourth of July has come and gone, and we Rowes enjoyed the town's festivities once again.  On the evening of the 3rd we went to see the town fireworks, spectating from a less crowded location than the main town field.  We still had a decent view of the show; however, Madeleine, who has been a fireworks enthusiast over the past few summers, was quite the critic this July.  Her main complaint was the use of color; or, I should say, a specific combination of colors.  Every time a firework that was red and green exploded, Madeleine would shout reprovingly, "It's! NOT! CHRISTMAS!"  That's right.  Green and red are EXCLUSIVELY patented for Christmas use only.  None of this Fourth of July red and green nonsense.

                                                             Unacceptable fireworks.


Let me point out that this is the kid who STILL whispers "Sparklies yay!" to herself when we drive by houses that have anything festive of ANY KIND on them.  As in:

MADELEINE: (to herself) Sparklies yay!
ME: Madeleine, are you seriously saying "Sparklies yay" about the houses we're driving by?
MADELEINE: (self-consciously smiling) Yeeeahhh...
ME: But there are no Christmas lights anywhere.  It's July.
MADELEINE: But I *liked* their decorations!

So I don't really get it.  If "sparklies yay" can be used to show admiration for completely non-Christmas related outside decor, why can't the fireworks be Christmas colors?  Shouldn't that elicit the greatest of ALL "Sparklies Yay"s?!?

On July 4th itself we went to see our town parade, and thankfully for Julia, there was no band of clowns this year!  Nothing at all to be scared of without clowns.  Musket shots being fired?  No worries.  Fire engine sirens blasting our ear drums out?  No biggie.  Clown band?  TERROR.

                                                               SCARY CLOWNS, 2015


 We enjoyed lots of different parade acts, from a steel drum band to African dancers to Chinese ribbons to an old-timey jazz ensemble:

The parade weather was HOT and the weekend has grown even hotter; that is, until some heavy thunderstorms hit this evening.  Julia and Madeleine were watching "Harry Potter" movie #3 when the storms started, and they only had to run upstairs in a panic two to three times during the movie.  You'd think they were scared of the Dementors or something from the film, but it was the thunder and lightning that sent them fleeing every time.  If only they could "Expecto Patronum!" the storm, all would be under control!

Hope you readers all had a happy and safe 4th and are enjoying the weekend!

Dentist Appointment

Madeleine, on her most recent dentist appointment:

"Well, I *am* looking forward to a BALLOON, and...a new colorful toothbrush.  I really love colorful toothbri.  Get it?  OctoPI, toothBRI?"


She's a genius.  And I really love genii.