MMMMMMMMMMuppy!!

All of my blogs start with exclamation marks!!! So, Madeline has this ABC baby video that is super simple and goes through the alphabet with an object for each letter. It is about half an hour long and has classical music. It is really funny because it is the only TV she'll watch because there is very little going on. Regular TV must seem really complicated. So, I'm trying to get her excited about letters and words so for example as the video plays I'll say "Aaaaaaaaaaaaa Apple, Yea!!!" Madeline's favorite letter is "B", not that she knows what it is, but she loves to say it. She's also recently learned the word "puppy" which sounds like happy. So, for just about all 26 letters I say the new letter like "Zzzzzzzzz, Zebra, Yea!!!" and Madeline responds the same for each letter "Bbbbbbb Uppppy, Yeaaaaaaaaa!!!!" and she jumps around and giggles (which reminds me, I must be a very enthusiastic mother because Madeline has started saying "yea!!!" a million times a day when she does ANYTHING!). I'm glad she's happy about learning! Raymey and I have a favorite response from Madeline. For "M" there is this monkey that pops onto the screen from different directions and Madeline gets really really pumped. I think the monkey is her favorite character on the video. Yesterday we were watching the video and I kept trying to emphasize the "mmmmm" sound in Monkey.
Me: "m, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmonkey"
Madeline: "baby!!!!"
Me: "no, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmonkey"
Madeline: "Uppy!!!"
Me: "no, MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMonkey"
Madeline: "mmmmmmmmmmmmm-Uppy, yea!!!!!!!!!!"
So our little Madeline thinks a monkey is a puppy or a baby but you say an "mmm" sound. We love watching her learn.
Also, in other news, we did make a trip to Nashville last weekend. We took a TON of laundry and also returned some things home that we won't need for the rest of the summer. It was so nice to be in our comfortable apartment-we love that place! I think Madeline enjoyed looking around the strangely familiar surroundings. On the 4th we went to our friends' home for a BBQ and had a blast. It was so nice to see friends from our Nashville ward and for Madeline to have so much room to run around in the yard. We're a little torn because we've had a really good experience in the ward (well now Spanish branch) here and everyone has been so friendly and kind here so it is too bad that just as we're getting comfortable that we'll be leaving. On the other hand it will be so nice to return to Nashville where there is always something going on in the ward. I'm excited to attend the play group this fall because now Madeline isn't such a lump-she plays! I'd love to attach some pictures-we have a lot, but our "borrowed" internet connection isn't strong enough to upload pics-darn.
P.S. I was one-upped in my last blog because I was whining about our queen sized bed. I have been sufficiently shamed and will try to accept my bed.