Once upon a time there was a wonderful princess named Madeline. She was wacky and funny and most of all zany. She had a fantastical Queen Mommy who liked cookies and reading and sleeping and would get very cranky when Madeline danced in her sneakers on the counter. "Zany Madeline, I have told you a thousand times that only flip flops are to be worn when dancing on the counter."
Princess Madeline also had a funny King Daddy who liked the Green Bay Packers, the Chicago Cubs and crab legs. He loved to watch Princess Madeline do cartwheels. "Oh, imagine that. More cartwheels. I never can see enough cartwheels."
Princess Madeline had a younger sister, Princess Abigail. Princess Abigail was funny and silly and loved to talk. Princess Madeline also had a baby sister named Isabelle. Isabelle lived in Heaven, but she was always close to Princess Madeline's heart.
It was a boring Sunday afternoon and Princess Madeline was laying on the couch. She was bored and annoyed that the Queen and King insisted on watching football. Football was so dumb. What she really wanted to do was play the Dance game and learn some new moves so she could win when she finally got the chance to play against Queen Mommy.
"Mommy, can I go outside?"
"Sure, boots and coat, stay in the back."
Princess Madeline put on her blue boots and puffy pink coat and went outside. It was snowy and cold and no one else was outside. She had the whole backyard to herself. She ran and ran and ran until she was breathing really hard. And she walked backwards trying to stay in her own footprints. Not very easy. Now her ears were very cold and so were her fingers.
She walked into the garage and up the wooden ramp to the door, but her fingers were so cold she couldn't turn the doorknob. She tried to knock, but her fingers were too cold to be very loud.
So she turned around and went back outside, but now there was no snow. The ground was covered in purple grass and the trees had leaves and fruit and flowers. It was sunny and it wasn't cold at all. Princess Madeline closed her eyes and kept them closed for a long time. She must have imagined it. It was January, it should be cold and snowy, and grass is never purple, never.
She slowly opened one eye and then the other, still purple grass. Very strange, one might even say, zany. She turned around, to go back inside, but her house wasnt there any more. Instead there were hills and trees and flowers in the brightest colors from the rainbow.
"Hello, is there anyone else here?" called Princess Madeline.
She listened carefully but no one answered. She walked across the purple field and stopped to pick a pink bunch of grapes from a nearby pink flowery tree. She knew she wasn't supposed to eat things from outside without washing them first, but they looked so good. She chewed carefully, and they tasted like cotton candy, so they must be okay, nothing that tastes like cotton candy can be bad.
Princess Madeline walked a little further and came to a twinkling turquoise pond. There was a unicorn drinking quietly from the pond, it lifted it's head and said, "Hello, zany girl, are you lost?" in a very proper and grown-up voice.
"Well, I'm not lost, I am in my back yard, but this isn't my backyard, I wanted to go inside from the snow but I couldn't open the door and my mom wouldn't open the door, she's probably busy watching stupid football, and she never lets me do what I want, and I wish I had a new mom, and wait, how do you know I'm zany?"
Princess Madeline also had a funny King Daddy who liked the Green Bay Packers, the Chicago Cubs and crab legs. He loved to watch Princess Madeline do cartwheels. "Oh, imagine that. More cartwheels. I never can see enough cartwheels."
Princess Madeline had a younger sister, Princess Abigail. Princess Abigail was funny and silly and loved to talk. Princess Madeline also had a baby sister named Isabelle. Isabelle lived in Heaven, but she was always close to Princess Madeline's heart.
It was a boring Sunday afternoon and Princess Madeline was laying on the couch. She was bored and annoyed that the Queen and King insisted on watching football. Football was so dumb. What she really wanted to do was play the Dance game and learn some new moves so she could win when she finally got the chance to play against Queen Mommy.
"Mommy, can I go outside?"
"Sure, boots and coat, stay in the back."
Princess Madeline put on her blue boots and puffy pink coat and went outside. It was snowy and cold and no one else was outside. She had the whole backyard to herself. She ran and ran and ran until she was breathing really hard. And she walked backwards trying to stay in her own footprints. Not very easy. Now her ears were very cold and so were her fingers.
She walked into the garage and up the wooden ramp to the door, but her fingers were so cold she couldn't turn the doorknob. She tried to knock, but her fingers were too cold to be very loud.
So she turned around and went back outside, but now there was no snow. The ground was covered in purple grass and the trees had leaves and fruit and flowers. It was sunny and it wasn't cold at all. Princess Madeline closed her eyes and kept them closed for a long time. She must have imagined it. It was January, it should be cold and snowy, and grass is never purple, never.
She slowly opened one eye and then the other, still purple grass. Very strange, one might even say, zany. She turned around, to go back inside, but her house wasnt there any more. Instead there were hills and trees and flowers in the brightest colors from the rainbow.
"Hello, is there anyone else here?" called Princess Madeline.
She listened carefully but no one answered. She walked across the purple field and stopped to pick a pink bunch of grapes from a nearby pink flowery tree. She knew she wasn't supposed to eat things from outside without washing them first, but they looked so good. She chewed carefully, and they tasted like cotton candy, so they must be okay, nothing that tastes like cotton candy can be bad.
Princess Madeline walked a little further and came to a twinkling turquoise pond. There was a unicorn drinking quietly from the pond, it lifted it's head and said, "Hello, zany girl, are you lost?" in a very proper and grown-up voice.
"Well, I'm not lost, I am in my back yard, but this isn't my backyard, I wanted to go inside from the snow but I couldn't open the door and my mom wouldn't open the door, she's probably busy watching stupid football, and she never lets me do what I want, and I wish I had a new mom, and wait, how do you know I'm zany?"
This is the first written version of a story series that I make up at bedtime for Madeline. She wanted me to write them down, and this is the start of one. I'm not sure where we're headed, but I can tell you that the unicorn's name is Lavendar.
ReplyDeleteLove, Love, LOVE!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, this is so wonderful! Do write them down! My dad used to make up stories for me when I was little, but he never wrote any of them down, so now we still remember the main characters, but the actual stories are lost... :(
ReplyDeleteYou are the most awesome mother!!! If I manage motherhood only halfway as good as you do, Elise will be a happy little girl!
Rica
WONDERFUL, FABULOUS, AWESOME!!! I wish I could write like you Niki!
ReplyDeleteHolly
Love it! Ill will be coming back tomoro night for more! Ur an amazing woman Mrs mommy Duffy! Miss ya!
ReplyDeletePatti