Overwhelmed with cuteness

I know people who miss the baby stage and sometimes I admit I miss the tiny infant that was once Madison oh so few months ago, BUT this whole period leading up to the intimidating terrible twos is quite euphoric sometimes.

Madison and I spent the day together today and had quite the time! Here are some highlights of her recent out bursts of cuteness:

• We went to the mall today to get pictures with the Easter Bunny.  We took them last year because I was wondering the mall on a day off and happened to see him and thought, why not? So of course now that the SAME bunny is there I have to get a repeat 5X7 for the baby book if nothing else. I was a bit nervous that she would end up with one of those 'my parents forced me to sit on a strange man's lap in a disturbingly large bunny costume so I screamed my head off' shots.  I told myself if she wasn't open to the idea, we would just walk on through the line and leave.  She immediately signed and said Bunny Bunny Bunny, thank goodness there was no line as she wanted "up up up" immediately.  She had a hard time looking at the camera because she was fascinated with this ever so large rabbit.  The picture was typical mall quality but the experience was fun for us none the less and we got a "little" (said with a high pitch voice and squinted eyes) bunny in a carrot and she made it 'hop' for the next half hour.
• I needed to get her some summer jammies as it is getting warmer and the fleece just isn't going to cut it much longer, so off to my favorite jammy store, Children's Place.  I had no intentions of getting her an Easter DRESS as I thought her little frilly top and cuffed jeans would do, but there it was, the perfect dress, and it was on clearance so we had to have it.  I didn't know what size to get since it seems hit or miss that some 18mo are HUGE and some are too tiny, so I bought both the 18 and 24 months and was told I could bring the other one back once we tried it on at home.  Here comes the cute part:  I had her try one on and she immediately said "mirror" after I did the zipper and went over to the curio cabinet where she can see herself in the back.  I almost started crying when I saw her look in the mirror, say "pretty" and then move her little hips back and forth to make the dress swish side to side. (Keep in mind she has never been in a dress since she started walking - last Easter was the last dress she had on. My thing with dresses is for another post entirely) Then she proceeded to turn around and around, all the while keeping a close eye on herself in the mirror.  I was going to get the video camera and then I decided this visual delight was meant only for me and I didn't want to ruin the moment we were having.  If someone could die from witnessing cuteness I would have fell right over.  Where did this girly girl come from? While she is a definite mimic, she was certainly not exhibiting any behavior she has seen take place in MY home! I don't mind one bit, don't get me wrong, I think it is so adorable I can't stand it, it just cracks me up how some girls are girly and some aren't (me) - (Never was - I have a photo of me in an Easter dress sitting with legs wide open with my hands in between holding it down.)  I haven't mentioned how CUTE the dress looked too! I can't wait for her to wear it on Easter and knock the socks off the 5 people who will get to see her! I will post photos after. (hint - not pink)
• She plays "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes" with Barney sometimes (cute in and of itself) but this story is about a toy soldier.  There is a soldier in one of her books that she reads at Mamo's and when she sees it she 'salutes' by putting on hand on her forehead.  Then when you asked her "what is that?" and point to the picture of the soldier, she touches both shoulders with her fingertips up and down several times. We weren't sure for a while what she was doing and then we put two and two together, Soldier/Shoulder! Man I love this kid! I found one of our books and it had a soldier in it too and I guess I have never pointed it out before but she found it, saluted and then tapped her shoulders.
• She also salutes the flag when we go out front to play. (At half staff today in memory of the fallen Oakland officers) She looks up, says 'fwag' and salutes. She did it while a neighbor was out front visiting and he said "I did that for 8 years when I was in the service" so I knew he recognized what she was doing. (She does it unprompted now. I have a feeling my Dad taught her then as they walk off each morning.) He almost fell over from the cuteness factor too.
• My Dad also taught her to say "Thank you Jesus" when she sees the cross on the wall.  This is particularly special to me because I have not yet ventured to church with her since she was more than a few months old. I am struggling with the idea for some reason and so now when she sees the cross (we have the same one at home and at Mamo's) she says (sometimes signs) Thank You and then says Jesus sometimes.  I love my Dad.

I guess that is about all the cuteness I can stand for one night.