Rhode Island adventure

We spent yesterday afternoon and a good part of the evening visiting friends in Rhode Island, and the kids loved every moment of it. From camping out on the living room floor with snacks to watch a video:



to listening to live Christmas carols, it was an evening full of kiddie excitement.



Our lovely kiddie audience was so full of energy over our performance that they could hardly contain themselves. I mean, who DOESN'T hear stalwart Lutheran chorales and tender renditions of traditional carols and just want to get up and shake their booties?:



Leaving Rhode Island a good hour past the girls' bedtime, Ethan and I optimistically assumed they would fall asleep in the car, and prepared accordingly by getting them into pajamas and providing Madeleine with binky and Cowie, her faithful bedtime companions. Unfortunately, the kids were of their own mind, and had no interest in going to sleep. Every time I would turn around to glance at Madeleine, she'd smile broadly at me and exclaim "I see you!" I resolutely determined not to turn and look at her, and hoped that the boredom of the car ride would put her to sleep. The silence coming from the back seat was extremely promising, and as we turned off the highway and, shortly afterwards, onto our road, I began mentally preparing how I would transfer her sleeping body from carseat to crib. That is, until I heard a delighted cry of "I see some SPARKLIES!" as Madeleine pointed out Christmas lights decorating the hair salon near our house.

So, needless to say, the kids were a bit on the cranky side this morning. Madeleine seems to have dimmed her wits a bit too with her lack of sleep, as we had the following conversation:

MADELEINE: (pointing at a girl in her book) Mommy, that's a GIRL!
ME: That IS a girl.
MADELEINE: That's a girl, and I'M a girl! And Julia's a girl!
ME: How about Daddy? Is Daddy a girl?
MADELEINE: (delightedly) Yeah!! She's a GIRL!
ME: No, he's not.
JULIA: (condescendingly) Daddy's a BOY, Madeleine.
MADELEINE: Yeah!! She's a BOY!

After her afternoon nap, Madeleine was thankfully less cranky and back to her usual playful self. What better way to show it than by deciding to hang out in an LL Bean bag?:



She's still sitting in it, by the way. Watching "Dora Christmas Adventure" in the living room. Must be comfy.