Nightmare at the movies

So we went to a local town hall last night where they show movies for a couple of bucks. The Tale of Despereaux was playing, and Melody was really excited to go. It was a 7:00 movie, so a little late for a restless toddler, but it's a really relaxed atmosphere, so off we go. We get there, buy our popcorn and soda, find a seat in the back, and Melly's really excited. She's calling, "Despereaux... where are you?" She was obsessed with kicking the seat in front of her (it was empty, but still not appropriate), and she was getting awfully angry and irritable when we were trying to teach her proper movie etiquette. So finally, after what seemed like hours, the movie starts, and she becomes motionless in the seat. Phew! She's really into the movie, loving it.... for about 20 minutes. Then she remembered the seat that looked like it needed kicking. The soda that she kept trying to steal sips from. Her shoes needing to come off. Throwing her stuffed dinosaur. Singing very loudly. Trying to touch the people in front of us. We were exhausted! We had to pull the ultimate threat... "Either you sit and watch the movie, or we have to leave." That straightened her out for about another 5 minutes, then right back to being "that" kid in the theatre. So, we tell her we have to go. That's when the siren went off. For those that have heard Melody scream, you know how deafening it can be. For those that haven't heard her... picture a horror movie scream, at full volume, at an excruciatingly high note, for an unheard of amount of time. This kid definitely has her Daddy's singing voice, and she can do a scream like I've never heard. Well, now the entire movie theatre has heard. So we take her out in the lobby, and she's just freaking out. We give her the option to try and go back in, but she starts screaming again. We say that we have to go home, and she starts screaming about that. I feel bad, because I'm trying to work with the kid, and she's being so very 2. So after only a few moments of this indecision, Mommy's the bad guy, and I make an executive decision, and say, "WE'RE LEAVING". Well, we drag her out into the parking lot, kicking and screaming. We have to wrestle her into the car and into her seat. And she screamed, and screamed, and then screamed some more the entire 4.5 miles home. Man was that a long drive!
We get home, and I have to fireman carry her into the house while she's screaming. Then she starts freaking out in the house, throwing stuff, etc. I put her in her room and let her cool off in there. It actually took a long time for her to calm down. Talk about one stubborn and determined kid!
Finally my sweet little girl returned, and apologized for what she did. She was able to talk to us about why she got so mad, and we told her ways she could have done things different. I'm sure it went in one ear and out the other, but hopefully at least a little bit will stick in that brain of hers for the next time!

Naked time

Apparently Melody caught the naked bug. The other kids in our play group have already been enjoying the naked time and their parents not enjoying the endless lectures on appropriateness of being naked. I'm not sure if it's a developmental stage, or if Melly was listening as the Mom's were chatting about it, but she is now in the club!
I found her standing on our bed last night before bedtime, with her underpants around her ankles, her shirt stuck around her waist (she was trying to take it off her the wrong way), and she was yelling, "I want to be naked!" So I helped her out of her clothes, giggled some, and told her when it was appropriate to be naked. She then looks at me and says, with a really devious smile, "I want to be naked FOREVER!" Rob looked at her and quite calmly said, "I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

Chores vs. dirty house

I had a few days of running around everywhere, and I had to spend one morning catching up with the housework. So as I'm vacuuming, Melody keeps coming up to me and asking so sweetly, "Mommy, please come and play with me!" It broke my heart, but after I finished vacuuming I would have been done enough to play. So I explain all that to her. Melly, however, keeps asking to play. I take a minute to explain chores to her. "Melody, sometimes you have to do things that you don't want to do to keep things clean. They're called chores." I then try some analogies about her putting her dirty clothes in the hamper, and picking up her toys (the only chores she has at the moment). She thinks about all that I said long and hard, she looks up at me, then she says, "Mommy, I think I like the house dirty. Can you come and play with me?"

You let everyone know when you're done!

I had to go to the dentist yesterday, so Auntie Carol came up to watch Melody for me. They went to a store to hang out for a bit. Now, I don't usually put potty things on here, but this one is cute. She's been having trouble using the potty for #2 (Melly, not Auntie Carol), so after smelling some bad air, Carol asked Melody if she needed to be changed. Melly answered, "No, I'm still pushing out a poopie". OK... fair enough. So a little bit later, Carol asked again. She got the same response. So Carol asked, "Do you know about how much longer you'll be?" Melody simply answered, "Hmmm.... about 3 hours."

Hissy Kiss

This is what Melody calls a Hershey Kiss, which would be her new favorite treat. We just like hearing her ask for it!

Going on 3, going on 13

Here are some of Melody's favorite things to say these days. She sounds more like a teenager than a toddler. I'm not sure she knows what they mean, but she sure says them like she does!

1. No Mommy, go away!
2. That's not fair!
3. Oh my God!
4. I want to go home!
5. That looks stupid (thank Beauty & the Beast for this one)

Sharing

We were at the mall with Kerri & Ashley the other day, and the two girls were just playing so nicely so we decided to have lunch. The Mommies enjoying orange chicken, and the girls some chicken nuggets. We all know how little Melody eats, and Ashley is the opposite of being a fantastic eater (very well balanced). So Melly ate a few fries, maybe 1/2 of a nugget and then started playing around. Ashley finishes off her nuggets, and asks Kerri for some more. Kerri says no to the nuggets, and offers some other healthier snacks. Melly, without us prompting, takes a few nuggets from her container and gives them to Ashley.
Now, I wonder how much she would have shared if they were M&M's....

What a nose!

I gave myself a mini manicure complete with lavender vanilla hand lotion while Melody was napping. I go in to get her when she wakes up and she looks at me funny and says, "Mommy, your hands smell different." I tell her that I put on some lotion. She sniffs my hands and says, "I think you put too much on!"
She wouldn't stop telling me I put too much on, so I had to wash it off.

Sledding when its 60

With today's forcast hitting 60 we had to get an early start. Before 10:00 AM Mel and I were on the hill sledding, but by the time we were done most of the snow had melted. Even "Pisnocio" our snowman was disapperaring before our eyes. We had lots of fun.

Melody the tomboy

I got an email this morning from a friend of mine inviting our Mom's group to a Princess Tea. I asked Melody if she wanted to go (which I didn't think she would want to, but it really sounded like fun to me), and she kept saying "NO!" I tried a bunch of different ways to try and get her to go. She had the same response. So I asked her why she didn't want to go. She looks at me and says, "It's just too hard for me to be a Princess."

Golilla

No, I didn't have a typo. That is the new magical animal that Melody has made up. I asked her if she meant Gorilla, and she said no. It's a Golilla. He's friends with the Gorilla though. At first I looked admiringly at my daughter and thought how great it is to have such an imagination. Now, as it's about an hour later, and she has been running around the house yelling, "Golilla, Golilla.... my Golilla" non-stop, I'm about ready to put this imaginary creature on the endagered species list.

All grown up

So I am putting in this entry, because I have something that I'm not used to having. Time. Melody's friend Ashley is over for a few hours while her parents have some things to do, and I'm not needed! I'm practically beside myself as I hear them playing, making up games, yelling down the hall out of Melody's bedroom, "No Mommy's or Daddy's allowed". So now I sit here, not sure what to do. I feel as if I should be hovering playing the games with them, but I am faced with one of the most difficult tasks a parent has... letting go.
My little girl is just that. A little girl!

Paging Dr Melody

Melly was playing last night and we found her Doctor kit. She took all the honey off the Bee's wings so he could fly again. She took the stick out of snake's eye so he could see better and gave him a lollipop. She was "being" dinosaur as Dr. Mommy helped make him better.