Julia, An American Girl

So, as some of you saw yesterday, Julia took the plunge and decided to get her hair cut.  Abandoning her long-time dreams of having hair as long as Rapunzel's, she instead fell under the influence of different kiddie product, the American Girl doll.  She has fallen in love with one of the dolls in the American Girl catalog we recently received, deciding she wants to have hair and outfits just like this doll:

This is one of the create-your-own dolls; rather than one of the dolls from a particular period in history, who come with names and back stories, this is one of the "Just Like Me" dolls, in which the child can decide upon the type, color, and length of hair as well as the color of skin and eyes.  Although this doll does not resemble Julia in any of the above categories, she nonetheless has decided she wants to emulate this particular American Girl.  This doll does not come with a pre-set name, although Julia has already decided upon the perfect name.

ME: Julia, what's the name of your favorite American Girl?
JULIA: Uh, well, Mama, I don't know what her name is, but if I had her, I would call her LIZZY.

I remember that as a kid I was obsessed with Josie and the Pussycats, and I desperately wanted to get a short bowl cut like Josie had.  I can also remember the elation I felt the day my mom took me to the hair salon to get that particular cut.  So of course I had to offer Julia the same exciting experience, and after school yesterday, we headed to Supercuts.  Here she is, showing off her new do:

Note that both outfits featured above are hand-picked by Julia herself.  I think I'm starting to grow fond of the boho chic look.

After the haircut, Julia, Madeleine (who had almost as much fun as Julia at the Supercuts, getting to watch the whole ordeal and spin around in the barber's chair) and I went to CVS to use the money Yiayia Megali had given to the girls to buy toys.  Julia returned home the proud owner of not only a new haircut, but of a Moxie doll that came with the name Avery.  Madeleine returned home with her first ever, very own My Little Pony.  Needless to say, the girls were chomping at the bit to get their toys out of their packaging and get playing.  Julia had initially wanted to call her doll "Carissa," but after learning that it came with the name "Avery," she decided it would be totally inappropriate to come up with a new name.  (Who is this kid?!?  This is the child who had no problem naming her Little People Cartacarizza and Project Daddy...)  Madeleine's pony came with the name Cherry Pie, although this name kept slipping from her memory.

JULIA: (marching Avery over to Cherry Pie) Hi!  I'm Avery!
MADELEINE: (holding up Cherry Pie)  Hi!  I'm...I don't know what my name is.

Cherry Pie also came with a little mouse pet, and this is where the whole naming-the-toys thing came to a head.  Madeleine began, very logically, calling it "Mouse."  Julia, who had, unbeknownst to us, named one of her My Little Pony's mouse pet "Mouse," found this completely unacceptable.  Gently prompting (forcing) her sister to instead call this new mouse "Mousina," Julia was able to get over her fear of her own mouse's identity being stolen.  That is, until Madeleine slipped up and accidentally used the wrong name.

MADELEINE: (Holding up Cherry Pie)  Hi!  I'm... I don't know what my name is.
JULIA: It's CHERRY PIE, Madeleine.
MADELEINE: Cherry Pie!  And I'm (holding up Mousina)... Mouse!
JULIA: MAAAAAADELEEEEINE!  STOP CALLING HER MOUSE!
ME: (firmly.)  Girls.  That's enough.
JULIA: (whining) Well, Mama, I TOLD her that she has to call her mouse Mousina, because my pony's mouse is already NAMED MOUSE!!  Fine, Madeleine, if you're going to keep saying Mouse, then I DON'T WANT TO PLAY WITH YOU!

Wow.  Seriously.  Way to blow it, Madeleine.  How DARE she accidentally call her mouse "Mouse?"  WHAT a faux pas.

The result of this ridiculousness was me sending Julia to her room, while Madeleine ran to the steps to await her sister's release.  As Madeleine sat on the steps outside of Julia's door with Cherry Pie and Mousina, Ethan, who was working from home, commented, "Madeleine, I like your mouse."  Madeleine, fiercely loyal to her big sister, informed him, "But... I think her name is MOUSINA."

Today Madeleine is able to remember both Cherry Pie and Mousina's names, and she has decided that she absolutely cannot go anywhere without both of them.  (As well as the suitcase that came with Cherry Pie.)  The problem is that she keeps "forbetting" one thing or the other, or losing one of them, and then the whole household is put on hold while we have to help her recollect her missing item.  As in:

ME: Okay, Madeleine, it's time to go up to nap.  Do you want to bring Cherry Pie?
MADELEINE: Uh-huh!  (suddenly desperate) Oh no!  I forbot Mousina!  (running off.)  Oh, I got him.
ME: Okay, let's go.
MADELEINE: Oh no!  I forbot her SUITCASE!  (running off to get it.)
ME: All right, time to go upstairs.
MADELEINE: OH NO!  I FORBOT Cherry Pie!
ME: I have her, Madeleine.  Let's go.
MADELEINE: (traipsing up the stairs to her room and getting into bed.)  Oh no!  I FORBOT to put them in my toy bin!

Thank goodness she at least remembers their names now.  Julia would clearly not forgive her if she FORBOT Mousina's name again.