Melanie Update

Above is a synopsis of our trip to Purdue, Mel's weekend with me gone for three days (including naps BOTH weekened days!) - and some silly pictures, including her favorite pasttime of jumping on the bed (complete with singing "no more monkeys jumping on the bed").  Melanie is getting close to being able to fully dress herself - she still struggles with her shirt.  So the picture of her putting her pj shirt on captures a time she got fully dressed on her own.  We'll ignore the fact she slept with her shirt on backwards that night - I couldn't burst her bubble.  The picture of her in our bed (without sheets) was Sunday, Jeff was cleaning up in the kitchen, and came in to check why she was being so quiet. He found her asleep in our bed of her own accord. 

A couple of verbal highlights of the last few weeks....Melanie spent her time at Purdue searching for Purdue Pete's hammer.  She has a book where we search all over campus for his hammer, so she decided to spend her time there doing some investigative work.  She found it in a couple of places, and was very proud of herself.  While watching TV with her Daddy over the weekend, the Old Spice commercial came on (complete with a very attractive man).  She said "Daddy, I want to touch that boy."  Uh-oh.  I always tell Melanie that I love her "to the moon and back."  She has started saying it to me, too, which is awesome.  I recently asked her if she knew how much I love her - she usually has the correct answer.  I was prodding her on, by asking, "Do I love you to the wall?" to which she corrected me with the right answer.  Now, she says that I love her "to the moon and back and to the wall."  Mel recently told me "Shut your mouth, I'm talking!"  I think she got the clear message that this was not okay - after school that day, I asked her if she remembered what she said that morning.  She responded "I will not say that again, Mommy."
When I returned from my weekend away, there was nothing better than a big hug and an "I missed you, Mommy."