Melanie - 3.5 years

Breakfast for Dinner!

Melanie went in for a mid-year checkup so the doctor could continue tracking her height & weight.  I thought that it would be a good time to review the things Melanie is currently enjoying!

Mel loves working on her letters - tracing letters everywhere she sees them, spelling them out, working with her Leapfrog toys on writing them, etc.  She can spell a few words from memory - cat, dog, Marsh, Mel, Joe.  She likes me to write out her friends' names so she can identify them.  Usually, when asked to spell a word, she will first say the Pledge of Allegiance, with a "Thank you, God" at the end of it - and then spell the word she's been asked for.  At the library earlier this week, she saw flags all over a Christmas tree, and stopped to say the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a prayer.  She'll thank God for everything from Joey to our refrigerator; she's a very thankful little girl!

She LOVES to sing songs - Bible songs.  Bible songs include actual Bible songs, as well as "open shut them, open shut them, give your hands a clap," among other Biblical favorites.  She loves to sing her ABCs, count, and she still enjoys playing "teacher" with her babies, putting them all down for a nap, and not letting us turn any lights on.

Since Joey has been in such a bad mood lately, Mel has picked up the slack, and has been behaving pretty well.  Her ways of lashing out include licking me when she's angry (that was this morning's antic), and screaming for Daddy.  She definitely has a favorite!

She's been a pretty good eater lately - one of her favorite dinners is Cheerios.  But hey, at least she's eating!  She is a good helper, getting Joey's shoes on and off him, trying to change his diaper, entertaining him at bathtime, etc.

She's very picky with her clothes; she has to pick them out, and they don't always match.  She gets a favorite outfit and wears it multiple times throughout the week.  She is allowed to wear clothes to bed on Fridays, and that's a personal favorite of hers.  She's been sleeping pretty well (save for her sicknesses and the crazy wind we had for a couple of nights - which moving her bed back across the room helped with as well).

She took her second field trip with school this week - to see Pinocchio at Beef & Boards.  She seemed to really enjoy it, and sat through it longer than she sat through the last production at Beef & Boards, when she went to see Little Mermaid with Gigi, Aunt Julie, and Molly.

She has the memory of an elephant, and it never ceases to amaze us the things she comes up with that she has observed, heard, or put together on her own.

She's still less than 30 pounds (I can't seem to find the notes from the doctor's visit!) - but pretty tall.  The same day she went to the doctor, she also went to the dentist - so both doctors encouraged her to stop sucking her thumb by Christmas.

She's wearing 3T clothes, size 8 shoes, and is VERY much looking forward to Santa's visit on Jesus' birthday!

Sick Days, Continued

I was trying to capture Joey's sick face.  But he saw the camera and immediately "cheese"d

You know Mel isn't feeling well when she doesn't move from the couch all night.  She was in bed by 7:15 this night (Thursday)

Joey passed out on Daddy before 7pm on Thursday

Mel and Joey are still feeling less than 100%.  Joey was running a low-grade fever for three nights in a row; during the day, he was fine, so he continued to go to school, until Thursday evening, daycare called and said his temperature was about 100.7.  When I picked the kids up that night, Mel also complained of not feeling well.  I assumed she was saying this because she knew Joey was sick - but, lo and behold, her fever was over 102.  She wolfed down her food that night and laid on the couch all night.  The next day (Friday), they both stayed home from school, and Joey went to the doctor - to simply be diagnosed with a cold.  They had the weekend to recover, and throughout the week they were still a little under the weather - Joey's was evidenced by the foul mood he's been in for over a week - Melanie's by her incessant cough.  On Tuesday night, she was coughing so hard she vomited several times.  Some honey at bed and naptimes, coupled with Vick's plug-ins in her room, worked to make the cough much better throughout the week.  Joey's foul mood is still being worked on.....

Trick or Treating!

The kids are ready to head to the parade!

Mel was very excited to get the evening's festivities going

Mel is standing on the side of the road yelling "I'M A CARE BEAR!!!!!"  and also pointing out people who were driving too fast

Joey's ready for some parade action!

Come on, Mom, let's go!

I love this picture because Mel is so excited to go get the candy from the firemen she actually wasn't worried about Mom & Dad.  While this might be concerning for some, it shows she can finally leave our side :)  She has Grace in the orange hat running beside her

Joey made sure all the dogs knew he was boss

After a lot of costume drama, Melanie decided to be a Care Bear like Ellie.  While the costume was too small, it solved our problem, and she had a great time!

Someday, Joe is going to love the attention from Melanie and her friends (Ellie, Aya, Gracie)

Wasn't shy at all about going up and getting treats!

She claims she always said "Thank You."

Joey really enjoyed the cheese balls Mel scored at one house.  He's covered in them.

After the parade and trick-or-treating, the real fun came when Mel got to hand out treats to the rest of "her friends."  She was only scared by one set of costumes.

Halloween Party - without the camera

The pictures aren't great, but Melanie and I went to a great Halloween party at Aya's house.  Mel, for whatever reason, decided to NOT dress up; but at least I got her in her pumpkin shirt.  It took her a little while to warm up so she could play by herself/with her friends without me.  She would jump in the bouncy house, watch movies, go back and forth between the two - but she wanted me to stay in eyesight the whole time.  But, by the time Grace got there, she was on her own and had a great time!

Pizza time w/ Grace & Aya!

Watching a movie

Cake Time!

Pumpkin Path

Getting ready to head out on the "Pumpkin Path" - redesigned from the "Prayer Path" at ZPC

They're pretty excited for Trick-or-Treat, Round One

He's not really sure what to make of the whole situation - but he was a great sport!

Just strolling through the woods...

Mel in her classic "Joey, give me a hug!" pose

Finally showing Aunt Julie some love.  He's just lately been stopping and offering his hand up for some guidance.

They were having a very serious conversation in the parking lot.  And then there was a fight.

Sick Days in the Worzala House

It all started two weeks ago, with the previously-reported stomach bug.  Joey had it on Saturday, Mel and i got it on Sunday and missed work/school on Monday.  Jeff ended up with it on Wednesday (missed a half-day of work).  Then, Joey got double pinkeye and stayed home with Jeff one day.  Then Melanie woke up with a crusty eye, we treated it and sent her to school, where she rubbed it, told the teachers she had pinkeye, and got sent home (where we thought she looked fine, and the doctor said, over the phone, that it sounded like a cold symptom).  We thought Joey had an ear infection, so I combined his well-visit check with an ear check.  We all four have been coughing a lot.  Molly had bronchitis.  Over the weekend, Jeff's eye swelled up, and he's been treating it as if it's pinkeye. As of 10/31, I officially had had enough of the coughing, so took myself to the doctor, assuming I'd be dismissed with a "take some cough drops and call me in the morning."  However, I was just exhausted - despite having it several weeks, it only seemed to be getting worse, and I felt the worst today than I had yet, despite two straight days of 9+ hour sleep.  Well, the doctor did some listening, and said I have bronchitis, bordering on pneumonia (as in, if I wouldn't have treated it now, it would have turned into pneumonia).  Now I'm on a Z-pac and an inhaler, and hoping it gets better quickly.  As I was at the doctor, I got a text from my mom saying she just got out of the doctor and she has pinkeye....Jeff went to the doc; his cough is fine, but she renewed the pinkeye meds....

  Despite all of that, I had a fun girls' weekend; Friday night to Cooper's Hawk Winery with Lida, Angie and Amanda, Saturday to brunch & shopping at Chica Boutiqua, and on to see Amanda deliver a message about her battle with breast cancer at a fundraiser at Villagio restaurant in Zionsville.  Peppered in with Halloween festivities, it was a good weekend, I just am not feeling rested after the weekend!

Random Pictures

Mel and Joe making pancakes for dinner

This was the night they went through both their Happy Meals, nearly two turkey sausages, ice cream, and who knows what else.  By the end of the night they were both saying "My belly hurts."

Joey's just excited to be outside in October!

Joey lately has been gravitating not only to his one and only "binky bear," but also to any blankie that is fuzzy.  Sometimes this hinders his walking; but it makes him happy.   He's even been known to latch onto the corner of the rug, and try to carry it around.

Happy kiddos

Joey's kissy-face.  Not sure what that Mel face is.