Head Meets Nose

Somehow, after her bedtime story last night, Madeleine managed to whip her giant head around with such force that it smacked me in the bridge of my nose and made a cracking sound. 

As I was literally howling in pain, Madeleine showed no remorse, instead patiently waiting for me to get over my hyperbolic drama and give her the customary bedtime snuggles.

ME: (sternly) Madeleine.  You need to be careful with the way you move your body.
MADELEINE: But why?
ME: Because.  You hit your head into my nose, and it REALLY hurt.  It hurts so much it feels like my nose is broken.
MADELEINE: Let me see.  (sitting up and studiously examining my face.)  Well, Mama.  It looks fine.

There has seriously never been a child as compassionate as this one.

ME: Honey, you can't necessarily see the damage from the outside.  You need to be more careful with your body.  You could have broken my nose.
MADELEINE: Well Mama, you could just go to the HOSPITAL and have the doctors fix it.
ME: Yeah, well, sometimes a broken nose makes your bones crooked, and it costs a lot of money to get surgery to fix things like that.
MADELEINE: Well Mama, if you don't have the money, you could just ask JULIA to give you some.

Yeah, because Julia's $38 dollars that she keeps in a Ziploc bag in her room are going to make or break us, financially speaking.

ME: Honey, surgery costs thousands of dollars. Julia doesn't have that much money.
MADELEINE: Well Mama.  Maybe I could just slide down a RAINBOW, because at the end of the rainbow there's a big pot of MONEY, so I could just slide down a rainbow and then put LOTS and LOTS of money into a bag and-

At this point I cut her off.  I mean, seriously, all she really had to do was say "I'm sorry that I recklessly smashed my gargantuan head into your nose," but instead she's going to feed me some BS malarkey about sliding down a rainbow.  SHEESH. What's a mama gotta do to get a little respect?!?

Harry Potter Sayings

Julia and one of her friends came up with a FANTASTIC idea yesterday during their play-date: create a collection of "Harry Potter sayings" and send them in the mail to J.K. Rowling herself!!

Julia even wrote a sweetly earnest cover letter:

"Dear J.K. Rowling,
I really like your Harry Potter books, so my friend and I (and more friends like your books too!) decided to wright Harry Potter sayings.  I even had a Potter Party with one of my friends!  I hope you like them!
Love, Julia Rowe
P.S. In first grade I was Hermione for Halloween!"


Now, you may be wondering what exactly "Harry Potter sayings" are.  Basically, Harry Potter sayings are little poems that Julia and her friend made up, with heavy emphasis on making things rhyme over making total sense. 

Here are a few of the "sayings" Julia came up with:

"Hermione says, 'in the morning when we here Ron snorring,' Ginny says, 'We find it rather boring!'  They both say, 'We have a new friend, Monnet.  When Ron wakes up, he's in a bonnet!"

When struggling to find a rhyme, simply make up a totally fake, but rhyming, name for a character who is not actually in the books.  Works like magic!  Pun intended.

"Hermione says 'Ginny, oh Ginny.'  Ginny says, 'Oh, I'm so skinny!'  They both say, 'but when you say that you look so grinny!"

Wait.  Ginny and Hermione both say that?  It seems a little weird to me that Ginny would say, about herself, "but when you say that you look so grinny."  Is there a third, unnamed party in the room, who says that with Hermione at the end?  I'm confused.  But hey, it rhymes, and that's what matters when you're writing Harry Potter sayings, right?

"Hermione says 'Good morning!'  Ginny says 'Take Warning!'  They both say 'Voldomort is storming!"

Nice!  I like this one.  It's got a spine-tingling sense of foreboding to it.

"Hermione says, 'Roses, roses, super red.'  Ginny says, 'Voldomort looked so tired I thought he was dead.'  They both say, 'That's why we cursed his bed!"


Mwa-ha-ha-ha-haaaaa!  Hermione and Ginny are going all super dark with the curse-casting here.  They might be spouting sweet poetical sayings like "roses, roses, super red," but don't let that fool you!


Julia is desperately hoping that J.K. Rowling likes her Harry Potter sayings.  I now have an envelope with the fan mail address for J.K. Rowling on it, ready to go in the mail.  Since the fan mail address is to her publisher in New York City, I'm *SURE* J.K. herself will truly be reading these sayings.  Right??


Julia is not the only kid turning one of her obsessions into an extra project.  I discovered, at Madeleine's school, that SOMEONE (can't imagine who) drew and kindergarten-spelled the names of the Power Puff Girls on a big sheet of  
classroom project paper:

That's right, it's Budrcap, Bulsam and Bubls to the RESCUE!

"Mary and Julieta," by Julia Rowe

Julia started writing a new chapter book this week, and so far it's an exciting one!

 MARY and JULIETA

"For my babysitters"

1. Mary's Discovery
2. On Father's Boat
3. The Confessing
4. Swiming with The Sharks
5. Miss Adeline's Performance
6. On Muddy Lane
7. Wordless Winter
8. Tree of Friendship
9. The Ocean Shore
10. Apple Cores All the Way


So, I always wonder if Julia has clear and carefully planned out plot in mind before she comes up with her chapter titles, or whether she thinks up good names for the chapters and then fills in the content to fit the title.  If it's the former, I really wonder what made her think, in contemplating the finale of her book, that "apple cores all the way" would be important.  I kind of can't wait until she writes chapter ten to find out what the significance of the apple cores all the way is in the grand scheme of things!

 Chapter 1: Mary's Discovery
"Mary Anthony did not like her name.  She thought new people at schcool would think her name was Anthony Mary.  But her best friend, Julieta Adelyn, liked her name.  She knew one day she would be famus.  Mary and Julieta were playing by the shore one day.  'Mary,' Julieta said.  'We will each dig a whole.  We must"

Well, that's a big cliffhanger for page one.  What must they do??
Also, I totally feel Mary Anthony's pain.  I'm always worried that new people will think my name is Rowe Courtney.

(from pg. 1 "We must") "find a treasure.  We are old enough to know we won't find one but let's look anyway.'  'OK,' Mary agreed.  'But one thing.  What do we do if we find gold?  Who would we give it to?  And if we kept it what would we do with it?  Wear will we keep it?  Would we use it or not?  and what if someone steals it?' Mary was surprised.  It was not like her to ask so much questions.  'We dig it out and take it home.  We will give it to no one.  We will keep it and we will take a little when we want to buy something.  We will keep it in the bank, we will use it once in awhile."

Yeah, the bank is notorious for accepting gold to set up a bank account, right?

 'Know one will steal it if it's in the bank, and Mary, that was not one thing.  It was six,' Julieta said.  So they started to dig.  They dug for a long time.  It grew hot.  Suddenly, Mary cried, 'I found something...A MAP!  AND, OH JULIETA IT LEADS TO YOUR HOUSE!  LET'S GO NOW!' Mary yelled, and Julieta and Mary set off together, following the map."

Hmm.  I don't think it would be that exciting to find a map that leads to my own house, unless, of course, I have forgotten how to get back to my house.  But let's see where this whole map thing leads.  Or perhaps we will just segue into a completely unrelated plot point...

Chapter Two: On Father's Boat

"Julieta flounced over to her father.  It was warm and summer.  'Father, could I use your boat? I would take care of it.  Mary'll come with me.'  'I suppose.  Is Mary good with boats like you?' 'Yes.  Her father's life is boats.  So is hers.  That's one of the reasons we're friends!"

Yup.  Completely different plot point.  But hey, that's okay, I'm excited to see where this boat thing leads us!

 "They put the boat in the water.  Then Mary asked, 'How far out shall we go?  And what if the boat sinks?  We both can sail but not very well.'  Julieta shrugged.  'We should be alright.  We will do okay, right?'  The girls set sail and talked and laghed.  Julieta stood on the mast.  The boat was not very big.  Mary oured.  Julieta laghed in excitment.  Julieta and Mary danced around.  Mary got back to the oars."

That's exactly the kind of cavalier attitude two children ought to take when setting out in a boat on their own.  Adds and extra thrill to the whole experience!

"and Julieta got back on the mast.  She stepped down to tell Mary something, but she found herself standing in a pool of water.  And to her dismay, she saw a small whole in the boat.  She ran over to Mary.  'Mary!  The boat is leaking!  There's a whole!  Help!  We must get back to land!'  Mary pattled faster, and Julieta grabbed another and started to help.  Julieta remberd with fear that she said she would take care of it.  But Mary did not know that.  'Oh NO!  Julieta, what do you-"

Oh, yikes, this is a serious page-turner.  What is going to happen with the whole in the boat??

"think caused the whole?' Mary asked.  Julieta was to upset to speak.  She had ruined Father's boat and she would have to tell him all about it.  She started to sob.  Mary gently said, 'We're close to the shore, Julieta.  Don't be sad.'  They were close to the shore.  Mary stepped out of the boat.  Julieta reluctently followed her.  'Don't worry, Julieta,' Mary said soothingly, 'The whole's no bigger"

"then my hand.'  'But I told Father I would take care of his boat and I did'nt!'  So Mary let Julieta away.  'You will tell him about it tomorrow,' she said.  'I only will if you will,' Julieta said stubernly.  So Mary agreed and they both went home.  Julieta tryed to wipe her tear-stained face.  Mary ran across the street to her house, her blond hair flying after her.  Julieta tryed to remember that she'

"was ten, and not to worry about it.  But she could not help it.  She would worry about forever."

Come on, Julieta, you're only ten, and your dad let you and your friend, both of whom can't sail very well, out on his boat alone.  It's not your fault there was a whole in the boat.  Sheesh.  Just stop worrying and deal with it tomorrow.  Don't tell him right now or anything.  

 Chapter Three: The Confessing

"Dressed in her best outfit, Mary ran across the street to Julieta's house.  She knocked politly.  'Is Julieta home?' she asked.


Sadly, this is as far as the author has gotten, so we don't yet know what Father's reaction will be to the whole in his boat.  I have a feeling that there are still more calamities lying ahead for Mary and Julieta, but I'm also pretty sure that as long as they have apple cores all the way, things will all turn out right in the end.

Piano Recital 2015

Today was my annual student piano recital, and for the first time ever, all three Rowe girls performed! 

Madeleine played three songs and was the first performer of the afternoon!

Music Box





Persian Market





Frere Jacques





 You'll notice that Madeleine's hair is in a "ponytail that goes to one side," which was her requested hairstyle, because she's a mermaid, and mermaids wear long flowing ponytails that go to one side. 



Julia performed three songs as well, starting with:


Among the Leaves So Green-O




then:
Remembrance





and finishing it off with a boogie:
Saturday Night Boogie





Julia was not a mermaid.  She allowed me to style her hair without specifications.


And finally, I performed a piece at the end with a few wrong notes here and there, because I've never been able to pull off a flawless piano performance:




And although Madeleine wanted to do something goofy in the recital (MADELEINE: Mama, do you think it will be funny if I shout "ONE TWO THHREEEE!" at the end of my song?  ME: No, honey, a recital is serious.  You can't goof around.  MADELEINE: But Mama?  Why can't a recital by FUNNY?), she was on excellent behavior and held off on goofiness until we got home.  Rest assured that as soon as we were in the door, the sillies came out, though:

Bravo on a great performance, mermaid and human girls!

Kids Being Kids

I know it's totally normal for kids to touch their genitalia and what not, but I was not expecting this at all this morning as I got Madeleine dressed:

ME: (holding out a pair of clean underwear) Here, come on, step into these.
MADELEINE: (putting one finger on each labial lip and wiggling them around) Hey, look, Mama!  They're DANCING!
ME: Yeah, let's not do that, okay?


Wowsers.

The Mintz, Again

My student piano recital is coming up, and this year both girls will be playing in it.  Which means that, obviously, the Mintz ALSO have a piano recital in the near future.

JULIA: (galloping back and forth through the living room with a look of rapture on her face)
ME: What are you thinking about?
JULIA: The Mintz at their PIANO RECITAL!
ME: Are all of the Mintz playing in the recital?
JULIA: Uh, no, only THREE of them are, because...the other three are kind of too OLD to be doing piano lessons.


I wonder if any of the Mintz are playing the same songs as Julia in their upcoming recital.


It turns out the Mintz have another situation in common with the Rowes.

Today Ethan's new exercise bike with work desk arrived by UPS, and Julia has been begging to try it out once it's assembled.  Since it currently looks like this,: 

it may be awhile before Julia can actually hop on the bike.  In the meantime, she contented herself with galloping in and out of the room filled with styrofoam, cardboard, and bike parts.

ME: What are you thinking about now when you're galloping?
JULIA: (smiling broadly) The MINTZ!
ME: What are they doing this time?
JULIA: Uh, they have exercise bikes and TREADMILLS!

Seeing as the Mintz seem to do basically everything that we do, I kind of wonder why Julia doesn't just think about her own self when she gallops.

Madeleine's Question

MADELEINE: (out of the blue) And Mama?  How do you even GET that wooden thing that has two sides to even MOVE?

Here, on video, she explains her question more thoroughly:




I have NO idea what she's talking about.