Gymnastics and Baby-Sitting

Even though they didn't watch the movie yesterday, the girls still have McKenna on the brain.  Last night, when Ethan suggested a dance party in the living room while our Talking Heads CD was playing, Julia decided to perform her graceful gymnastics moves rather than actually dance.  Next thing I knew, Madeleine was stripping down out of her clothes and insisting I put her pink leotard on so that she could dance along.  I didn't realize how deeply embedded Madeleine's brain was into her character until I dared to ask her for a kiss.

ME: Madeleine, come here.  Can I have a kiss?
MADELEINE: Uh...Mama?  Did you mean MCKENNA?
ME: Oh.  Yes.  McKenna, can I please have a kiss?
MADELEINE: Oh, SURE!

Julia generally likes to play the role of the title character from her favorite movies and books, but in the case of McKenna, she actually prefers to be one of the minor characters, McKenna's team-mate Sierra.  Unfortunately, I forgot this when she was questioning me on which character she most resembles, and provided a totally unacceptable response.

JULIA: Mama, WHICH person from "McKenna" do you think I look like the most?
ME: Uh...I think McKenna, because she has curly blonde hair like you.
JULIA: Uh...but...what about SIERRA?
ME: Oh.  Yeah.  Sierra too.  You look like her, you're right.
JULIA: Well, but which one do I look like the MOST?
ME: Well, I guess you look more like McKenna, because you have the same hair.
JULIA: Well...what about when I wear my hair STRAIGHTENED?  Then do I look more like Sierra?
ME: Uh, yeah.  (No.)
JULIA: Well, Mama, I just like to pretend I'm Sierra.

This morning, Julia clearly still had McKenna on her mind, because she decided to to draw a picture of McKenna and her friends.  After a rocky start, resulting in a double-sided picture with a single blonde head that did not look enough like McKenna to satisfy Julia, she started anew with a fresh piece of paper and was able to complete her masterwork:

"Mama, do you want to know WHO IS WHO in this picture?  That's McKenna, that's Toulane, that's Sierra, that's Josie, and I made the balance beam, the floor, the bars, and the vault, and I wrote J J for GYMNASTICS!!"

I did not have the heart to correct her on the actual first letter of gymnastics.

Madeleine got busy coloring in a different vein.  After she asked me to trace both her foot and her hand, she decided to decorate them in her signature fashion, giving her foot and hand an acute case of gangrene:

Meanwhile, in other pretend play, the girls are still caring for their toddlers and babies.  In fact, Julia insisted that May and Elina come to church with us today, though like a top-quality caregiver, she left them in the car while we attended the service.  At least she was concerned with seatbelt safety while we were driving, though:

On second thought, maybe no seatbelt would be better than the choke-hold she's got around Elina's neck...