Mellany #11!

Every year when it comes time for this post, I just can't believe she's another year older! How she is already 11 I don't even know. This has definitely been one of the biggest years of change and growth for Mellany. She's really becoming quite the young lady! 

Here's a little bit about our Mellany:

• Mellany's favorite subject is still art! She loves anything to do with art: drawing/coloring/painting, sewing, rainbow loom, bracelet making, air dry clay.....But it is her drawing skills that really continue to impress us! She even just won the Cargill Calendar Drawing Contest (again!) and won 4th grade grand champion in 4H for her drawing she entered! All of her papers from school have drawings all over them and previous teachers have said they miss getting her drawings and her 2nd grade teacher even has one hanging in her closet still!
• One of Mellany's strongest subjects in school is math and her least strongest continues to be reading. Though she will take any opportunity to read a graphic novel! 
• She still loves outer space and wants to be an astronaut when she grows up
• She really loves staying home by herself whenever she can.
• Mellany is really responsible and independent. She doesn't really need help getting breakfast/ready in the mornings anymore and after school she tackles her homework and getting ready for bed mostly by herself.
• She loves having one-on-one time with John and I. Even though she's 11 now, she still loves to snuggle and just needs a hug every now and then. 
• When she goes to bed she wants one of us to scratch her back.
• She loves to cook. Her specialty is (still) pumpkin chocolate chip muffins-she can make them all by herself now (including putting them in the oven and taking them out)
• She really loves when her brothers let her "lead/help" them. She loves playing with the boys, but most of the time she can be found playing/drawing by herself in her room. (with the music blaring)
• She is soooooo good at trying new foods! You can usually tell when she doesn't like something but she does a great job at trying to keep it to herself that she doesn't like it when in public or at friends houses. 
• Her favorite sport is dance! She made the StudioB Spotlight Dance Team this past summer and we are so proud of her. The team will walk at the Lafayette Christmas Parade, perform during halftime of a women's basketball game at purdue, perform in a competition in the spring and the recital as well. She has two classes each week which is perfect for our schedule. She has really enjoyed the "step up" in dance and I have loved the balance we can still have as a family. 
• She can now ride "shotgun" in the car and is constantly taking over my radio. 
• She continues to earn a monthly allowance by helping around the house and maintaining her room and she is quite the saver. 
• She still enjoys playing with her Barbie's, American Girl Dolls and LOL Dolls. (Especially with our neighbor Maddie) I have a feeling she won't be much longer though.
• Mellany is one of the most friendly, caring and kind 11 year olds I know. She has a true love for people. She will talk to anyone, is really good about noticing if someone might be feeling left out and truly cares about others!
• Mellany loves her yoga pants, tshirts and oversized hoodies. It is really pretty hard to get her to wear anything else.....and honestly, I can't blame her! She is now wearing some adult XS/S clothing so some things we can even share. She has grown into a women's size 10 shoe, so we can't share those! 
• She is about 50% homebody and 50% extrovert and loves to get out....She loves to go shopping, go to the movies, paint at our local pottery place, eat out....but at the end of the day, she wants to come back home (just like her mama!)
• We get the occasional attitude but as soon as I point it out, it goes away. 
• Her current favorite movies are the Harry Potter Movies, but she is also starting to watch more adult type movies like Hocus Pocus for example. 
• While Mel is very social and loves being around others, she definitely has her moments where she'd rather just be alone and have some quiet time. 
• She's so helpful--and even does things without me asking her to help.
• She loves to accessorize, especially with her earrings. I'm pretty sure she wears a new pair every day. The dangly earrings are her absolute favorite. 
• Gammy let Mellany drive her car from the garage to the barn and Mellany was ecstatic, and actually did a pretty good job. She has asked just about every other day since then if she can drive. 

I may have snuck into the school to put a few decorations in her locker on her birthday. 

On her actual birthday, we celebrated by opening presents, eating her dinner of choice: Olive Garden, and having more cookie cake. Her wrist fracture from her birthday party required a cast, which she got that day! 

11 Year Wellness Exam

Height: 5' 3.78"

Weight: 97.4 pounds

Mellany's 11 year checkup went great! Dr. Fahler asked her about her wrist, school, eating, friends/neighbors, screen time, athletics, nose bleeds, personal hygiene and they could have chatted forever. She got 3 vaccinations and a baseline blood draw and we were out the door. Overall, Mellany is completely healthy and we are beyond thankful for a clean bill of health!

Charlie had his checkup on the same day....Mellany loved giving him an eye exam while we waited. 

Celebration!

For this year's party, Mellany really wanted to roller skate with the entire neighborhood and all her school/church friends. Since we hadn't had a big party for her before, we decided to let it happen. We rented out the rink and invited just about everyone we know! I think everyone had such a great time!!! And several friends are asking to skate for their birthdays! 

Of course, it's not a party until someone gets hurt.....and about half way through Mellany fell backwards and fractured her wrist. She was such a trooper for the rest of the party and even got back out there to skate!! But once we left the party, she was asking to see a dr because it was hurting. So the 5 of us went straight to get it looked at. After trying to get into two urgent cares (even though they closed at 8, they didn't accept patients after 7....grrrr!!!...), we ended up at the ER for 3 hours, only to learn early the next morning via a phone call from the ER dr, that she has a buckle fracture in her wrist. We saw Orthopaedics a few days later on her actual birthday and he said she would need to be casted for 4 weeks. Thankfully it isn't longer, (sometimes you can get away with a brace on these types of fractures, but in kids, the dr doesn't want to take the risk of it taking longer than it should to heal), but we are definitely counting down the days till she can take it off! 

I just love this picture!! The sun is in her eyes, but it truly shows her personality! So genuinely happy and loving life! 

The "after party"!

Happiest of birthdays to our sweet, sweet Mellany!! Praying that this next year is full of the happiest of moments!! We love you to the moon and back!