Wobbly Eyes and Crumby Nose

Madeleine's cold is slowly but surely improving, although the congestion is lingering enough to still cause her discomfort.  I have noticed lately that she's frequently squeezing her eyes shut so that she's blinking forcefully, as if trying to clear some debris from her eyes.  I attempted to get to the bottom of what was bothering her, but she has yet to provide a sufficiently coherent answer.

Earlier today:
MADELEINE: (blinking forcefully, repeatedly)
ME: Madeleine?  Are your eyes bothering you?
MADELEINE: (nodding)
ME: What's bothering you about them?
MADELEINE: They're all MELTY.

In bed this evening:
MADELEINE: (blinking violently)
ME: Madeleine?  What's bothering you about your eyes?
MADELEINE: They're all WOBBLY.

Later on during the bedtime snuggles:
MADELEINE: (still blinking violently)
ME: Honey?  What is it that's bothering your eyes?
MADELEINE: They're all WOBBLY.  (exasperated)  Remember I already told you that the LAST time?
ME: What do you mean they're all wobbly?
MADELEINE: (groaning in frustration) Agh, now they're getting all DRESSY.
ME: What does that mean?  Dressy?
MADELEINE: Dressy means ALIVE.

Even later on during the bedtime snuggles:
MADELEINE: (blinking so violently that my face, snuggled against hers, kept jolting around)
ME: Madeleine, honey.  Are your eyes WATERY?
MADELEINE: Uh-huh.
ME: Try to just calm down and keep them closed.
MADELEINE: Well Mama.  One day at the pool my eyes were all wobbly and dressy and crumby and wobbly and WATERY.

Yeah.  I'm still lost.

It turns out her eyes aren't the only things driving her crazy.  The film of crusted mucus around her nose is a source of aggravation as well, which she also addressed while we snuggled in bed this evening.

MADELEINE: (digging away at her nostrils) Mommy?  There's still some CRUMBS on my nose.
ME: Well, honey, try not to pick at your crumbs.  If you keep picking at them, you'll wind up irritating your nose skin.
MADELEINE: Mama?  WHAT did you say?
ME: I said if you pick at them too much, you're going to irritate your nose.  You'll get dry skin.
MADELEINE: Well, Mama, I'm leaving some on.
ME: Oh.  Okay.
MADELEINE: (reflective) Mama?  I didn't say I'm leaving THEM on, I said I'm leaving SOME on.  Because...(pointing to one nostril) This one is more SKINNY.  And...(pointing to her other nostril) This one is more CRUMBY.

Got it.

And in other Madeleine news, she has really enjoyed having her big sister around for three days straight, given the long MLK-Day weekend.  Julia and Madeleine have had lots of play time together, and while their play still descends into bickering on a regular basis, they have also had plenty of giggles (or sometimes raucous, screaming laughter) and lots of imaginary play fun together.  As they sat coloring at the table together, cracking each other up with goofy nonsense, I reflected on how much Madeleine loves her big sister.

ME: Madeleine, I have a question for you.  (leaning over to whisper in her ear)  Do you just love your sister SO MUCH?
MADELEINE: (looking at me earnestly) Okay, Mama, now I have a question for YOU.  (cupping her hands around my ear and leaning in to whisper to me) Yes I do.

I think that might be the BEST QUESTION EVER.