Mr. Monk and Jupiter

Did anyone else see the Monk episode a few weeks back..the one where Natalie made Monk investigate a stolen bicycle and in the process of the investigation Monk got shot in the leg and was confined to a wheelchair?? I think it was the best Monk episode I've seen in a long time. One of my favorite parts was when they dragged Monk off to the scientists house and he was trying to get out of the car. He kept whining..."I can DO it!!!" and trying to get out himself, and then going "I can't do it." But as soon as the others tried to help him, it was right back to "I can DO it!!!!" And I said, "Whoa, it's Jupiter!!" And he blamed poor Natalie for absolutely EVERYTHING, and complained about everything, and Natalie was pushing him up and down the hills of San Francisco in the wheelchair (while he sat under a sun umbrella and drank bottled water through a straw) and STILL he complained.
It may be I identified a little with this episode. I saw a lot of Jupiter in this particular Monk. At the end of course, Monk was able to see it wasn't Natalie's fault that he got shot. (and then, it being a TV show, Natalie herself did accidentially shoot Monk in the other leg). And I'm sure at some point today, Jupiter is going to figure out today is the day we were supposed to go to the Children's Museum to see the preview for The Magic Flute, and the fact that we did not go will be my fault. (Still coughing and runny nosed and the snot had blood in it for awhile this morning. So no, we're not going to the Children's Museum.). And on Friday I said she couldn't go to school so she missed her Valentine's Day party. Yes, my fault too. It's tough being 5 sometimes.

Yesterday, Jupiter said something nice to me. We were painting, and I am not, in any sense of the word, an artist. And I said something to the effect of not liking my painting, and she said "It's beautiful."

Whoa. I wondered if she was just being polite...but then again, tact and politeness are not high on her list of priorities. If she thinks your painting is ugly...she'll let you know. So maybe she really meant it.

Today she's been playing the keyboard with her toes....very talented!!