Goldens Perform Again

The Goldens put on another concert yesterday afternoon, debuting some of their newest compositions. This time, it was Madeleine who was desperate to steal the attention away from her sister as I videotaped the big performance:







When she's not performing her latest hit songs, Julia is busy poring over her new-to-her American Girl purses book. Handed down to us by one of my piano students, the book portrays various dolls on each page, along with paper purses and instructions on how to assemble them. Julia takes time every day to point out her three favorite dolls to me, obviously assuming I must be forgetting which ones are her favorites when I wake up the next morning, hence her need to re-inform me. She has also made it clear that she would like to add these three to her Christmas wish-list, so I guess she wants to be absolutely sure I don't goof up.

"Mom?" she asked me today. "Which American Girl doll is your favorite? You can have three, or two, or one."

After I picked out my two favorites, one of whom is also among Julia's three favorites, she once again pointed out her preferred dolls to me. She has even dubbed them with her three favorite names: Elina, Lizzy, and May.

"Mom, I like TALKING the American Girl dolls in this book. THAT'S what I'm going to do," she announced to me, sitting down on the couch to flip through the book and have each doll announce her name and talk about her purse.

"Hi, I'm Elina and I love this bag. My friend Lizzy does too. Hi, I'm Brizhanna, and I like this bag. Hi, I'm Lizzy, and I love this bag. My friend ZaTATA does too."

I have a feeling that when it's not Elina, Lizzy, or May, Julia is stuck coming up with the dolls' names on the spot. Either that, or I'm way out of the current name trends loop and didn't realize names like Brizhanna and ZaTATA are the up and coming baby names.

Or, perhaps they are names of girls who hear the bells in the Russian night.