Julia's Musings

JULIA: (throwing her arms around my neck and climbing into my lap) Mama, I just love you!
ME: I love you too, honey!  I love you so, so much!
JULIA: Mama, I love you so much that it's like... eighty-six THOUSAND in my heart!
ME: I love you so much that it hurts my heart.  Do you ever get that feeling?  Do you ever feel like your heart hurts because you're loving someone so much?
JULIA: No... but... well, Mama, sometimes my stomach starts to hurt when I'm galloping too much!

Yes.  She gets it.  That is EXACTLY the same as what I'm talking about.

And speaking of galloping...

Last night, as Julia was filling up the water bottle she keeps by her bedside, she began chattering away at me about various things she wants on her wish list, thereby distracting herself from the water-filling task at hand and stalling on getting to bed.  A pared-down version of our conversation is as follows:

JULIA: Mom, do you know what kind of bed I really want?  I want a bed that has Cinderella pillows, and a yellow and pink striped thing that goes over the bed that I can sit under like a tent!
ME: You mean a canopy?
JULIA: Uh-huh.  So, Mom, can I put that on my wish list?
ME: You can, but remember that you won't always get every item that's on your wish list.
JULIA: What do you mean?
ME: Well, just because something is on your wish list doesn't mean you're going to get it.  We don't really need a new bed right now.  You have a good bed, and beds are very expensive.
JULIA: Oh.  Well, can we get it this WEEKEND?
ME: Julia, I just told you that you don't need a new bed and beds are expensive.  What makes you think that means we can get a bed this weekend?
JULIA: Well, are pillows and blankets expensive?  Because the other thing I really want is a blanket that's part blanket and part PUPPET.
ME: Well, maybe someday.
JULIA: And Mama, do you know what else I really want on my wish list?  I want a Halloween outfit that's not a costume that I can wear and I want Madeleine to have the exact same one and I want them to be in our sizes which is size 6 for me and size 3 for Madeleine and we can wear them on the same day!
ME: You mean like an orange shirt or something like that?
JULIA: Yes!  And Mama, did you know?  When I'm galloping, I imagine that me and my friends are wearing the same matching Halloween outfits with a witch on the shirt, and we're carrying broomsticks and wearing WITCH HATS?!?

It turns out that's not the only type of outfit she imagines she and her friends wearing during gallop time.

JULIA: And one day we're wearing FRESH BEAT BAND outfits, and another day we're wearing a tank top and shorts, and another day we're wearing AMERICAN GIRL DOLL outfits, and then another day we're wearing those white lace shorts with a TANK TOP.

And speaking of outfits...

It finally hit me this morning.  As I arrived at Julia's school to drop her off, two of Julia's best friends were walking towards the door at the same time as we were.  Looking at the three girls, I suddenly realized that Julia's bohemian outfit of a hot pink Ariel shirt, topped with a short-sleeved white knitted sweater cardigan, with a black lace skirt and purple flip-flops, fit in perfectly with the layered, unmatched, obviously hand-picked outfits the other girls were wearing.  All those days on which I picked out cute, matching outfits for Julia and she resisted them, I was being that clueless, un-hip Mom who was totally unaware of the fashion trend of the other cool kids in school.  Ugh.  How lame.  I was so out of the current style culture.  Matching is OUT.  Bohemian is IN.  No wonder Julia doesn't want me any part of her wardrobe choices!