Here is another post from Natalie. She wants to tell about her breakfast with Santa that happened the weekend after Thanksgiving.
1. I went out to breakfast with some of my family.
2. It was really fun!
3. I got to sit next to my cousin Ella.
4. Santa gave me some treats.
5. I asked for a Barbie Diamond Castle.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Christmas Programs
Last evening, Natalie had her annual Sunday School Christmas Program. This year, she had a speaking part - "Look at the baby in the manger. He is so tiny, but He is the Savior of the World!" Natalie did a great job! It was great to have many family members in attendance too!
If you were not able to join us for this Christmas program, Natalie's school Christmas program is coming up in a week and a half. Listening to her practice her parts for this upcoming one clues me in to the fact that we will be able to see another great service to remind us about the birth of Jesus.
If you were not able to join us for this Christmas program, Natalie's school Christmas program is coming up in a week and a half. Listening to her practice her parts for this upcoming one clues me in to the fact that we will be able to see another great service to remind us about the birth of Jesus.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Reading Room
Natalie took her first accelerated reader test today in the Reading Room at school. She was so excited to be one of a few students from her class that get to go into this room to check out books. Last night, she read the book that she chose a couple of times to me. This morning, she did a fantastic job on the follow-up test for this book. Nate and I are very proud of our little girl!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Trick or treat and bathtub gin
So our town does trick or treat the right way....in the evening on Halloween night...this year Natalie is dressing up like a fairy with a pretty pink dress and wings...I'll try to post a picture this weekend. She did mention that she didn't really want to go out for candy though...she just wanted to stay home and hand out our candy....we'll see if that changes over the next few days.
The girls did attend a Halloween party at a friend's house. I didn't go due to them having pets and my allergies, but I guess they had a great time. Except for Pete dressing up like a skeleton and scaring the crap out of all of the little kids...his and my daughter included. :)
One day a week or so ago we were all sitting watching TV when the Toyota ad came on. The saved by zero campaign. Natalie started singing along with the song and then stopped and said..."we're not saved by zero, we're saved by God" Out of the mouths of babes.
Tonight when I came home from work, Lynn was in her office and Natalie was in the tub. I poked my head in the bathroom and said "hi goofball". She replied "you're a goofball" to which I agreed and said the reason I'm a goofball is because I do things like this: and then I tossed a dixie cup of cool water on her. :) She wasn't real happy with that. At that point Lynn intervened and told me to ask Natalie what she's making in the tub.
Me: "so what ARE you making?"
Natalie: "alcohol"
Me: "excuse me?"
Natalie: "alcohol"
Me: "what are you making alcohol for?"
Natalie: "a party"
Apparently it was chocolate alcohol for a party. This is funny because we very rarely drink alcohol or talk about it in the house....an occasional beer for me or glass of wine for Lynn, but very occasional...my daughter is setting up a moonshining operation out of our bathroom. I guess that's how a lot of folks did it during the Prohibition era though. :)
The girls did attend a Halloween party at a friend's house. I didn't go due to them having pets and my allergies, but I guess they had a great time. Except for Pete dressing up like a skeleton and scaring the crap out of all of the little kids...his and my daughter included. :)
One day a week or so ago we were all sitting watching TV when the Toyota ad came on. The saved by zero campaign. Natalie started singing along with the song and then stopped and said..."we're not saved by zero, we're saved by God" Out of the mouths of babes.
Tonight when I came home from work, Lynn was in her office and Natalie was in the tub. I poked my head in the bathroom and said "hi goofball". She replied "you're a goofball" to which I agreed and said the reason I'm a goofball is because I do things like this: and then I tossed a dixie cup of cool water on her. :) She wasn't real happy with that. At that point Lynn intervened and told me to ask Natalie what she's making in the tub.
Me: "so what ARE you making?"
Natalie: "alcohol"
Me: "excuse me?"
Natalie: "alcohol"
Me: "what are you making alcohol for?"
Natalie: "a party"
Apparently it was chocolate alcohol for a party. This is funny because we very rarely drink alcohol or talk about it in the house....an occasional beer for me or glass of wine for Lynn, but very occasional...my daughter is setting up a moonshining operation out of our bathroom. I guess that's how a lot of folks did it during the Prohibition era though. :)
Saturday, October 11, 2008
The Elegant Natalie
Today, we went to the apple orchard in Mukwonago. While we were there, we went on a "horsey ride," and also a tractor ride to go pick the apples. Natalie and Mommy ate apples in the orchard. They were delicious! Daddy picked up a couple yummy pies from the Elegant Farmer store. According to Natalie, the crust was delicious! And after further review, Natalie also liked the apple filling. It was a gorgeous day outside to go apple picking.
When we got home, Natalie ate up a whole yellow apple. There was also a surprise waiting for us. Grandpa Wes and Grandma Julie sent us a special package with lots of neat looking gourds. We are looking forward to hearing them rattle after they dry out.
Natalie is looking forward to playing with her friends again since she was under the weather with the flu this past week. She says that she did not even get to go to school for 4 days. When she finally returned back to school on Friday, her friends were so happy to see her that she could not even get into her classroom.
Natalie enjoyed typing and dictating this post tonight. She wants to thank all of her loyal readers for reading this blog so faithfully.
When we got home, Natalie ate up a whole yellow apple. There was also a surprise waiting for us. Grandpa Wes and Grandma Julie sent us a special package with lots of neat looking gourds. We are looking forward to hearing them rattle after they dry out.
Natalie is looking forward to playing with her friends again since she was under the weather with the flu this past week. She says that she did not even get to go to school for 4 days. When she finally returned back to school on Friday, her friends were so happy to see her that she could not even get into her classroom.
Natalie enjoyed typing and dictating this post tonight. She wants to thank all of her loyal readers for reading this blog so faithfully.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Go, Brewers, Go!
This afternoon, I took Natalie to the Brewers Pep Rally down at the Summerfest grounds. I enjoyed it a lot. Natalie enjoyed the dinner I packed her and the balloon that the clown made for her.
Lately, I have had a tough time sticking to a school schedule for bedtime with Natalie. We have just had too many fun events to go to. For example, last week after we enjoyed our visit with Aunt Joy and Cousin Joni, Natalie and I drove up to Concordia to watch a Women's Soccer Game. Again, I enjoyed the game and Natalie enjoyed pushing her stroller around and her snacks. Afterward, we did enjoy hiking down the bluff to see Lake Michigan and play on the beach.
Tonight, after our fun evening, Natalie was wide awake and singing herself to sleep with the song, "Life is a Highway." Not your typical lullaby.
This past weekend, we enjoyed cousin Zach's birthday party on Friday night with all of the boys from his class in attendance. Saturday, we had a great time at our friend Samantha's awesome Ariel birthday party. On Sunday, we cheered on the Packers and the Brewers at the same time out in Delafield with Nate's family and cousin Paul.
The weekend before, The Big Pig Gig was in full swing. We had fun with our friends as we listened to music, played games, and ate yummy food. On Saturday, Natalie had a wonderful time playing with Grandpa Wes and Grandma Julie. They made some cool cardboard creations that we are still enjoying.
We will try a little harder to get back to our school schedule, but we are certainly enjoying our fun fall.
Lately, I have had a tough time sticking to a school schedule for bedtime with Natalie. We have just had too many fun events to go to. For example, last week after we enjoyed our visit with Aunt Joy and Cousin Joni, Natalie and I drove up to Concordia to watch a Women's Soccer Game. Again, I enjoyed the game and Natalie enjoyed pushing her stroller around and her snacks. Afterward, we did enjoy hiking down the bluff to see Lake Michigan and play on the beach.
Tonight, after our fun evening, Natalie was wide awake and singing herself to sleep with the song, "Life is a Highway." Not your typical lullaby.
This past weekend, we enjoyed cousin Zach's birthday party on Friday night with all of the boys from his class in attendance. Saturday, we had a great time at our friend Samantha's awesome Ariel birthday party. On Sunday, we cheered on the Packers and the Brewers at the same time out in Delafield with Nate's family and cousin Paul.
The weekend before, The Big Pig Gig was in full swing. We had fun with our friends as we listened to music, played games, and ate yummy food. On Saturday, Natalie had a wonderful time playing with Grandpa Wes and Grandma Julie. They made some cool cardboard creations that we are still enjoying.
We will try a little harder to get back to our school schedule, but we are certainly enjoying our fun fall.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Friday Night Review
This afternoon, Natalie was suppose to be "resting" in her room. She was having a tough time going to sleep. I was going to be helpful, and was about to go lay in her bed with her. Natalie decided to come out of her room at this time. I walked in her room and saw that she had been "messing" with one of the broken window shades in her room. She has been "messing" around with this shade quite a few times this past week, and I have told her repeatedly not to do this because I did not want it damaged even more. Well, today Natalie decided to make the rip even larger and hang one of her little blankets from the ripped portion of the shade. At this point, I was not happy at all. I had a little "melt down." After my unhappy episode, she finally fell asleep. When Natalie woke up an hour later, she came out of her room, walked in the living room where Nate and I were, and she politely asked me, "Are you over it yet?" Nate thought this was pretty funny, and I do have to agree that it was cute to hear this from my 4-year-old daughter...even after being so ticked off earlier. Natalie knows how to keep us smiling!
Tonight, we had friends join us for dinner. Afterward, we came home and Nate gave the girls pudding pops for dessert. As Natalie and her friend were eating, they began a deep conversation. Her friend was talking about how she misses her great-grandma who died and is in heaven. Natalie then talked about how her Grandma Christy is in heaven too. She told her friend the story of the day that Grandma Christy went to heaven. From this point, the conversation went on to a discussion about how Jesus is God. Listening to the girls talk was pretty interesting. It is neat to hear young children speak so confidently about Jesus and His love for us.
Tonight, we had friends join us for dinner. Afterward, we came home and Nate gave the girls pudding pops for dessert. As Natalie and her friend were eating, they began a deep conversation. Her friend was talking about how she misses her great-grandma who died and is in heaven. Natalie then talked about how her Grandma Christy is in heaven too. She told her friend the story of the day that Grandma Christy went to heaven. From this point, the conversation went on to a discussion about how Jesus is God. Listening to the girls talk was pretty interesting. It is neat to hear young children speak so confidently about Jesus and His love for us.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Short dresses and poop sandwiches
At the urging of my lovely wife, it's time for me to make an appearance on the blog.
Our stories tonight are not in chronological order, or any other order for that matter. But they all have one thing in common....they show the extremely funny person my daughter is turning into. (Taking after her father of course :) )
The first story involves a trip to the park tonight.
Lynn and I were sitting on a bench watching girly play. She was over by the play structure in the little "drive through" area under it. She asked me if I wanted dessert. "No" was my response. The same to dinner and lunch. She was getting irritated and proclaimed "no, for pretend!" So I acquiesced and said "bring me whatever you want."
She strolled over carrying a pretend plate and handed it to me.
As she was walking over, I thought to myself "Self, lets tease girly and ask her what she brought me and complain that it's not a poop sandwich I was hoping for"
So as she hands me the pretend plate, I ask her "what did you bring me?"
She replies "a poop sandwich!"
That's my girl!
Story 2 was from last week or so.
Lynn was trying on some dresses to see what still fit in an attempt to clean her closet for the first time in like 20 years. :)
She would walk out and model each one and ask if she should keep it.
She walked out in a little black dress that...well...let's just say that it fit a bit better BN (before Natalie).
Lynn opined "this dress used to fit me"
To which Natalie responded very sweetly "Mommy, where did it used to go down to?"
I don't think she was trying to be funny which made it even funnnier.
Story 3 was from yesterday.
As you can see from earlier blog posts by my wonderful wife, Natalie started school on Monday.
I got home yesterday and asked Lynn how it went and she told me that Natalie was becoming a "typical kid" in her responses.
The dialogue went a little something like this:
L: "How was school today?"
N: "Fine"
L: "What did you do today?"
N: "I don't remember"
L: "What was your favorite part?"
N: "Recess"
My favorite part of work is still recess. :)
Our stories tonight are not in chronological order, or any other order for that matter. But they all have one thing in common....they show the extremely funny person my daughter is turning into. (Taking after her father of course :) )
The first story involves a trip to the park tonight.
Lynn and I were sitting on a bench watching girly play. She was over by the play structure in the little "drive through" area under it. She asked me if I wanted dessert. "No" was my response. The same to dinner and lunch. She was getting irritated and proclaimed "no, for pretend!" So I acquiesced and said "bring me whatever you want."
She strolled over carrying a pretend plate and handed it to me.
As she was walking over, I thought to myself "Self, lets tease girly and ask her what she brought me and complain that it's not a poop sandwich I was hoping for"
So as she hands me the pretend plate, I ask her "what did you bring me?"
She replies "a poop sandwich!"
That's my girl!
Story 2 was from last week or so.
Lynn was trying on some dresses to see what still fit in an attempt to clean her closet for the first time in like 20 years. :)
She would walk out and model each one and ask if she should keep it.
She walked out in a little black dress that...well...let's just say that it fit a bit better BN (before Natalie).
Lynn opined "this dress used to fit me"
To which Natalie responded very sweetly "Mommy, where did it used to go down to?"
I don't think she was trying to be funny which made it even funnnier.
Story 3 was from yesterday.
As you can see from earlier blog posts by my wonderful wife, Natalie started school on Monday.
I got home yesterday and asked Lynn how it went and she told me that Natalie was becoming a "typical kid" in her responses.
The dialogue went a little something like this:
L: "How was school today?"
N: "Fine"
L: "What did you do today?"
N: "I don't remember"
L: "What was your favorite part?"
N: "Recess"
My favorite part of work is still recess. :)
Monday, August 25, 2008
First Day of School
Natalie and I both started school today. It was very convenient how both of our schools coordinated our schedules so nicely for us. For the past few weeks, Natalie has stated that she was nervous about going to school. So last Thursday, I took her in to her classroom to look around. Since then, she calmed down and seemed pretty excited for school.
This morning, I was going to wake her around 7:30 a.m. This is normally a pretty early time for my late night and late morning little girl. As I was getting ready and eating breakfast, I heard her up at 7:20. I finished up in the kitchen and then went to look for her. I found her all set, dressed, and ready to go to school.
When we got to school, we hung up her backpack and put her supplies away. She looked as if she'd gone to school before by the way she walked in the room, found where her seat was, and went off to play.
If you ask Natalie how her first day of school was, she will tell you about recess and eating pretzels for a snack. It sounds as if her favorite parts of the morning were going to Extended Care and going to school with her friend Claire.
Tonight, we went out to dinner with some friends to celebrate the first day of school. A good ending to a good day.
This morning, I was going to wake her around 7:30 a.m. This is normally a pretty early time for my late night and late morning little girl. As I was getting ready and eating breakfast, I heard her up at 7:20. I finished up in the kitchen and then went to look for her. I found her all set, dressed, and ready to go to school.
When we got to school, we hung up her backpack and put her supplies away. She looked as if she'd gone to school before by the way she walked in the room, found where her seat was, and went off to play.
If you ask Natalie how her first day of school was, she will tell you about recess and eating pretzels for a snack. It sounds as if her favorite parts of the morning were going to Extended Care and going to school with her friend Claire.
Tonight, we went out to dinner with some friends to celebrate the first day of school. A good ending to a good day.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Family Weekend
We took Natalie to her first Family Day at Lambeau Field on Sunday night. After waiting for the stormy weather to pass, we finally were allowed to sit in the bleachers and watch the Packers scrimmage. It was a fun night. We also had fun at Peter, Missy, and Levi's home in the afternoon. Natalie and Levi had fun playing in Levi's awesome play room.
Saturday, we enjoyed seeing some friends from college that we have not seen in a long time. We had the privilege of celebrating a 4th birthday and an adoption with them. What sweet kids!
Today, we had fun playing with Natalie's cousins down in Delavan. I believe everyone was worn out after all of the fun.
Saturday, we enjoyed seeing some friends from college that we have not seen in a long time. We had the privilege of celebrating a 4th birthday and an adoption with them. What sweet kids!
Today, we had fun playing with Natalie's cousins down in Delavan. I believe everyone was worn out after all of the fun.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Swimming
Today was a great day to go swimming. Natalie and I started out at Wirth Pool with our play group. She really enjoyed the fountains there. From there, we went to see some other good friends. Natalie played in their pool for another 2 hours. On the way home, she fell asleep. I woke her a little after 6pm so she could eat dinner.
Nate, Natalie, and I then headed to Falls Fest which is our town's summer festival. The first thing Natalie wanted to do was go down the big inflatable slide by herself. Then, she did the inflatable obstacle course. From there, she wanted to play mini golf, but Nate convinced her to wait until another day to do that. So, Natalie decided to play a few of the kid's games after that. We walked down the street, and Natalie saw the softball game going on so she decided that would be fun to watch. As we walked back toward home, Natalie said that she wanted to listen and dance to the music for awhile. We had a lot of fun tonight!
Nate, Natalie, and I then headed to Falls Fest which is our town's summer festival. The first thing Natalie wanted to do was go down the big inflatable slide by herself. Then, she did the inflatable obstacle course. From there, she wanted to play mini golf, but Nate convinced her to wait until another day to do that. So, Natalie decided to play a few of the kid's games after that. We walked down the street, and Natalie saw the softball game going on so she decided that would be fun to watch. As we walked back toward home, Natalie said that she wanted to listen and dance to the music for awhile. We had a lot of fun tonight!
Monday, July 14, 2008
VBS
Today, started our week of Vacation Bible School at church. Natalie has been eagerly awaiting this week. She has been asking me when is it going to start for the last few weeks now. Natalie really enjoyed going last year, and knowing that she gets to spend the morning with her friends makes it really exciting to go this year.
We have been in another transition in our house. Nap time is now referred to as rest time. Depending on our evening plans, we as parents decide whether to enforce this time during the afternoon. If we would like an early bedtime without too much hassle, Natalie is allowed to go without this quiet time. Today, I was planning on no rest time in order to put Natalie down early because of getting up earlier for VBS tomorrow. I was overruled by a tired little girl. After a morning of VBS, playtime at McDonald's after lunch with friends, "swimming" in her little kiddie pool, and running through her sprinkler, I believe she was worn out. After we came in from being outdoors around 4 this afternoon, Natalie decided on her own to take almost a 2 hour nap. I had Nate wake our sleeping child...which we do very rarely. I thought we were in for a very late bedtime, but hopefully I am mistaken. We'll see how many times she decides to get up and tell us something important.
Last week, I found out that Natalie really enjoys getting her exercise. She found a show on television that comes on right after her morning PBS cartoon line-up. There is a lady whose name I have been told by Natalie is Mary Ann Wilson. She is the personal trainer for the program called Sit and Be Fit. This exercise program caters to people above the age of 65. On Monday morning, I was in the kitchen with my breakfast as I heard Natalie state that she needed some of her balls in her room. I figured she was going to play with them in the living room. To my surprise and humor, I saw her in the middle of the living room floor next to her chair following along with the program. She did the full 30 minutes of exercises with Mary Ann. We missed the show on Tuesday, but last Wednesday, she was right back at it. Now, I believe Natalie needs to find a show that motivates both Nate and me that well.
We have been in another transition in our house. Nap time is now referred to as rest time. Depending on our evening plans, we as parents decide whether to enforce this time during the afternoon. If we would like an early bedtime without too much hassle, Natalie is allowed to go without this quiet time. Today, I was planning on no rest time in order to put Natalie down early because of getting up earlier for VBS tomorrow. I was overruled by a tired little girl. After a morning of VBS, playtime at McDonald's after lunch with friends, "swimming" in her little kiddie pool, and running through her sprinkler, I believe she was worn out. After we came in from being outdoors around 4 this afternoon, Natalie decided on her own to take almost a 2 hour nap. I had Nate wake our sleeping child...which we do very rarely. I thought we were in for a very late bedtime, but hopefully I am mistaken. We'll see how many times she decides to get up and tell us something important.
Last week, I found out that Natalie really enjoys getting her exercise. She found a show on television that comes on right after her morning PBS cartoon line-up. There is a lady whose name I have been told by Natalie is Mary Ann Wilson. She is the personal trainer for the program called Sit and Be Fit. This exercise program caters to people above the age of 65. On Monday morning, I was in the kitchen with my breakfast as I heard Natalie state that she needed some of her balls in her room. I figured she was going to play with them in the living room. To my surprise and humor, I saw her in the middle of the living room floor next to her chair following along with the program. She did the full 30 minutes of exercises with Mary Ann. We missed the show on Tuesday, but last Wednesday, she was right back at it. Now, I believe Natalie needs to find a show that motivates both Nate and me that well.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Boating
Our family had a good time on the lake today. Uncle Steve and Auntie Barb took us out in their boat. Natalie had a good time swimming and boating. On the first stop for "deep water swimming," Natalie jumped right in without any hesitation. After the cool dip, she took a little more time getting into the water.
Friday, we had a good time at Uncle Gary and Auntie Theresa's for their annual 4th of July party. Natalie was able to catch a few fish on the fishing pole that Grandpa Wes gave her.
We had a good time at the parade and fireworks in the Falls on Thursday night. Thanks to our friends, the Raymonds, we had great seats to watch everything. Natalie had fun oohing and ahhing at the fireworks display.
Friday, we had a good time at Uncle Gary and Auntie Theresa's for their annual 4th of July party. Natalie was able to catch a few fish on the fishing pole that Grandpa Wes gave her.
We had a good time at the parade and fireworks in the Falls on Thursday night. Thanks to our friends, the Raymonds, we had great seats to watch everything. Natalie had fun oohing and ahhing at the fireworks display.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Happy Birthday, Mommy!
Tonight, we went and played at Stonefire Pizza with our friends Dave, Julie, Hannah, and Joshua. Originally, I wanted to go listen to music at the zoo. But with all the storms and threatening skies, I changed my mind and opted to do something inside. We had a fun night.
Natalie wrote out a nice birthday card for me. Not only did I get a cute card from her, she also filled a bag of fun toys for me and wrote out more cute birthday wishes for me. What a sweet little girl!
This past weekend, Natalie and I left Nate to fend for himself for a few days while we went to Madison for a get together with my Dad's side of the family. We had a great time with lots of cousins and aunts and uncles at a fun mini waterpark. Natalie enjoyed everyone, the slides, the "girl's club," jumping in the pool, and "swimming" under water. We can't wait to do it again next year!
Natalie wrote out a nice birthday card for me. Not only did I get a cute card from her, she also filled a bag of fun toys for me and wrote out more cute birthday wishes for me. What a sweet little girl!
This past weekend, Natalie and I left Nate to fend for himself for a few days while we went to Madison for a get together with my Dad's side of the family. We had a great time with lots of cousins and aunts and uncles at a fun mini waterpark. Natalie enjoyed everyone, the slides, the "girl's club," jumping in the pool, and "swimming" under water. We can't wait to do it again next year!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
I Love Mommy and Daddy
This post is dictated by Natalie today. "Let's do this a little bit later," says Natalie. "See you later, Mom," announces Natalie.
Natalie was originally all excited to write her blog tonight. Her attention span lasted about one minute, and then she was off to put on a dress at 7:30 at night.
Now, she's back and ready to dictate.
These are the reasons I love my Mommy and Daddy. 1) Daddy always does my hair, for real and for pretend. 2) Mommy sometimes sings me a song before I go to bed. 3) They give me hugs and kisses before they leave the house. 4) Another reason I love Daddy is because he always says, "I love you" before I go to bed. That's the end. "Actually, erase the end," says Natalie.
Natalie is typing now. I love Mommy and Daddy.
Natalie was originally all excited to write her blog tonight. Her attention span lasted about one minute, and then she was off to put on a dress at 7:30 at night.
Now, she's back and ready to dictate.
These are the reasons I love my Mommy and Daddy. 1) Daddy always does my hair, for real and for pretend. 2) Mommy sometimes sings me a song before I go to bed. 3) They give me hugs and kisses before they leave the house. 4) Another reason I love Daddy is because he always says, "I love you" before I go to bed. That's the end. "Actually, erase the end," says Natalie.
Natalie is typing now. I love Mommy and Daddy.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Happy 4th Birthday, Natalie!
4 years old today! The time seems to have gone by so quickly. We spent the day a little differently than we had originally planned. We were planning on playing at Stonefire Pizza tonight, but since Natalie has just gotten over being sick recently, we thought we would postpone those plans for a later date.
After waking up Natalie shortly before 10 a.m. yesterday, today she made up for lost time by waking up at 6:30 a.m. When I finally got going, we went to her tennis lessons for the second day. Natalie looked like she was enjoying herself a lot today. Yesterday, she was a little frustrated that she wasn't able to do everything as easily as the teachers made it look. I am glad she had fun today.
We had to make a quick stop at Wal-Mart to pick up some special Disney World pictures for Natalie's album. She chose some special chocolate donuts for her lunch time dessert. Because of our crazy week and the original birthday plans, we had opted out of the traditional DQ cake. So I whipped her up her requested banana roll-up for lunch. And for dinner, she chose Applebee's so we had another special birthday treat there. Thank goodness Natalie is rather easy going when it comes to certain things. For example, she wanted lemonade for dinner, but the machine was not working so she opted for OJ. Then, she wanted a corndog for dinner, but wouldn't you know it, they were out of those too. Option number 2 was just fine with her again. I liked her comment to me when I was disappointed for her. She said, "Birthdays are just another day, Mommy."
We ended our evening with a fun time with our friends the Grubers at one of our parks in town. We will be celebrating more birthday with other family and friends as we get together and see them soon.
---------Added by Nate----------
Where have the last 4 years gone? I still remember the feeling of being overwhelmed and unsure of what I had gotten myself into. Natalie, you are a blessing to our lives and I love you very much! I love watching you grow and learn and am looking forward to seeing more. I'm glad you felt better over the last 2 days and were able to have a great birthday. I'm also looking forward to my belated Father's day "Daddy/Natalie" day we're going to do on Saturday!
After waking up Natalie shortly before 10 a.m. yesterday, today she made up for lost time by waking up at 6:30 a.m. When I finally got going, we went to her tennis lessons for the second day. Natalie looked like she was enjoying herself a lot today. Yesterday, she was a little frustrated that she wasn't able to do everything as easily as the teachers made it look. I am glad she had fun today.
We had to make a quick stop at Wal-Mart to pick up some special Disney World pictures for Natalie's album. She chose some special chocolate donuts for her lunch time dessert. Because of our crazy week and the original birthday plans, we had opted out of the traditional DQ cake. So I whipped her up her requested banana roll-up for lunch. And for dinner, she chose Applebee's so we had another special birthday treat there. Thank goodness Natalie is rather easy going when it comes to certain things. For example, she wanted lemonade for dinner, but the machine was not working so she opted for OJ. Then, she wanted a corndog for dinner, but wouldn't you know it, they were out of those too. Option number 2 was just fine with her again. I liked her comment to me when I was disappointed for her. She said, "Birthdays are just another day, Mommy."
We ended our evening with a fun time with our friends the Grubers at one of our parks in town. We will be celebrating more birthday with other family and friends as we get together and see them soon.
---------Added by Nate----------
Where have the last 4 years gone? I still remember the feeling of being overwhelmed and unsure of what I had gotten myself into. Natalie, you are a blessing to our lives and I love you very much! I love watching you grow and learn and am looking forward to seeing more. I'm glad you felt better over the last 2 days and were able to have a great birthday. I'm also looking forward to my belated Father's day "Daddy/Natalie" day we're going to do on Saturday!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Dentist, Doctor, and Daddy
This week has been a tough one. Nate has not only gone back to work after vacation, but he spends his evenings working on our basement. We've continued to get rain, and the basement has gotten wetter. Nate forgot to flip a switch back on, and the freezer defrosted. He spent the evening cooking a lot of food.
Natalie had a good first dentist appointment, and was a great patient. The only difficulty came because the dentist told her she had to give up her thumb. We've been preparing her for this, and were going to work on this when she turned 4 this coming week. But the dentist sped our time table up by a week. Probably not the best week to start it, but I was not going to argue with the dentist. The day was awful. She was sobbing and telling us that it was "impossible". Nate was excellent with her, and held her hand that evening. When he walked out of her room, she told us that it was "hopeless". Ever since that evening, going to bed has gone really well. The problem has been when she wakes up in the middle of the night. She cannot get back to sleep. So that means we've all had very little sleep this week.
Besides the storms and her thumb, Natalie also got sick this week. That means that we have had a lot of time together without seeing any other friends since Wednesday. It has been an interesting week between us. Thankfully, the weather was nice enough today that we were able to get out and play. We enjoyed riding bikes and playing hockey and bocce ball.
We look forward to celebrating Father's Day tomorrow. Hopefully, it will be an uneventful day, and Nate can relax and enjoy some fun, family time.
Natalie had a good first dentist appointment, and was a great patient. The only difficulty came because the dentist told her she had to give up her thumb. We've been preparing her for this, and were going to work on this when she turned 4 this coming week. But the dentist sped our time table up by a week. Probably not the best week to start it, but I was not going to argue with the dentist. The day was awful. She was sobbing and telling us that it was "impossible". Nate was excellent with her, and held her hand that evening. When he walked out of her room, she told us that it was "hopeless". Ever since that evening, going to bed has gone really well. The problem has been when she wakes up in the middle of the night. She cannot get back to sleep. So that means we've all had very little sleep this week.
Besides the storms and her thumb, Natalie also got sick this week. That means that we have had a lot of time together without seeing any other friends since Wednesday. It has been an interesting week between us. Thankfully, the weather was nice enough today that we were able to get out and play. We enjoyed riding bikes and playing hockey and bocce ball.
We look forward to celebrating Father's Day tomorrow. Hopefully, it will be an uneventful day, and Nate can relax and enjoy some fun, family time.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Disney World
We got back on Wednesday night from a wonderful trip to Disney World. We saw a lot of neat shows, ate a lot of good food, rode a lot of exciting rides, and have a lot of great memories.
Why stop the vacation in the middle of the week? We had planned a trip to Wisconsin Dells with some friends before we scheduled our Florida trip. So we did laundry on Thursday and packed our bags again so we could leave on Friday to enjoy the weekend at the Wilderness. What a crazy weather weekend as many of you already know. Natalie learned about what to do when a tornado is sighted nearby when you are at a public facility. I was impressed with the Wilderness' abilities when it comes to their emergency procedures. We did have a great time with our friends. And we even got a little swimming in too.
Today, we were hoping to celebrate Uncle Gary's birthday with him. Unfortunately, our plans changed because when we got home, we found a good amount of standing water in our basement. Nate worked hard to get the majority of the water cleaned up. Thanks to our good friends, the Grubers, I was able to help Nate when they so kindly took her for the evening. We'll have to see if we can keep things under control with all the rain that continues to fall.
Why stop the vacation in the middle of the week? We had planned a trip to Wisconsin Dells with some friends before we scheduled our Florida trip. So we did laundry on Thursday and packed our bags again so we could leave on Friday to enjoy the weekend at the Wilderness. What a crazy weather weekend as many of you already know. Natalie learned about what to do when a tornado is sighted nearby when you are at a public facility. I was impressed with the Wilderness' abilities when it comes to their emergency procedures. We did have a great time with our friends. And we even got a little swimming in too.
Today, we were hoping to celebrate Uncle Gary's birthday with him. Unfortunately, our plans changed because when we got home, we found a good amount of standing water in our basement. Nate worked hard to get the majority of the water cleaned up. Thanks to our good friends, the Grubers, I was able to help Nate when they so kindly took her for the evening. We'll have to see if we can keep things under control with all the rain that continues to fall.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Camping
Yesterday, Nate set up the tent in the backyard. Natalie and Nate spent the whole night sleeping in the tent. I started out with them, but came in after the neighborhood noises kept me awake. Natalie loved hanging out in the tent all day yesterday. This morning they came in looking for breakfast. We decided to call up some friends to meet for brunch. Afterwards, we went hiking at Lapham Peak Park. What a wonderful day we've had!
We have been enjoying biking around the neighborhood with Natalie. Yesterday, we took her out on the bike trail. She did great! I am so happy that she enjoys biking as much as Nate and I both do.
We have been enjoying biking around the neighborhood with Natalie. Yesterday, we took her out on the bike trail. She did great! I am so happy that she enjoys biking as much as Nate and I both do.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Mother's Day Crafts
For Mother's Day, Natalie enjoyed making a neat craft for all of the "Mothers" in her life. It was a lot of fun working with her as she poured out her creativeness into these items. It has been awesome watching how her artistic development has changed over the course of the past couple of months. She really takes pride in her work as she carefully works on whatever the craft project may be. In play group, she painted a cute little butterfly magnet. I think she did a great job...but then again, I am a little biased. :)
We had a wonderful weekend. Friday night, we played with some friends at the park. Saturday, my Mom and I went to a show together so Nate, Natalie, and my Dad had fun at Uncle Mark and Auntie Chris' house. Today, we celebrated both Mother's Day and Caden's 2nd birthday. We had an awesome day playing, laughing, and eating yummy food which included the cake that Natalie baked for Caden's special day.
We had a wonderful weekend. Friday night, we played with some friends at the park. Saturday, my Mom and I went to a show together so Nate, Natalie, and my Dad had fun at Uncle Mark and Auntie Chris' house. Today, we celebrated both Mother's Day and Caden's 2nd birthday. We had an awesome day playing, laughing, and eating yummy food which included the cake that Natalie baked for Caden's special day.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Searching for "lost toys"
Today, Natalie was looking for one of her musical toys. She came into the living room and asked if I could "trace her feet." I didn't understand, so I asked her again. She expanded on what she was trying to say, and I finally understood that she wanted to "trace her steps" in order to find what was missing. Nate and I thought that was pretty funny.
A couple weeks ago, Natalie told me that I was a "professional mommy." I didn't know what this meant, so she explained it to me. Basically, it means that I am a stay at home mom who teaches my daughter. I thought that was a pretty good definition. :)
A couple weeks ago, Natalie told me that I was a "professional mommy." I didn't know what this meant, so she explained it to me. Basically, it means that I am a stay at home mom who teaches my daughter. I thought that was a pretty good definition. :)
Saturday, April 19, 2008
2 more weeks of cute and funny stories - also known as "post or else" ultimatum
I've been keeping track of funny and cute stories that happen with Natalie and me. After not posting for a while, I got an ultimatum tonight. I figured it was about time.
Opinions
One night a couple of weeks ago, Lynn and I were deciding what we were going to do for dinner, when Natalie chimed in with "my preference would be McDonalds". Lynn and I looked at each other and laughed at the ever expanding vocabulary of our little girl.
Four pennies
We were all riding in the car together, Natalie piped up from the back, "Daddy, when I turn 4 will I be 4 pennies?" Neither Lynn nor I could figure out what she was talking about. She kept saying things about 4 pennies. Finally I asked her to expand on it and she said something about a conversation we had earlier in the week.
At that point it hit me. I had talked to her about her age. She would tell people she was 3 and a half. I tried explaining that she was actually 3 and 3/4 (three quarters). Quarters - pennies...close enough to a three year old. I laughed so hard I almost cried. Lynn got a good chuckle out of it as well.
My little girl
I took Natalie with me on a trip to Home Depot for a battery for our backup sump pump. It was raining quite hard. I carried her into the store from the truck. She tried pulling her hood up as I took her in, complaining about her hair getting wet. I told her it wasn't a big deal if her hair got wet to which she replied "but I care about MY hair Daddy, your hair is short so you don't care about yours". 3 going on 13 :)
Singing in Sunday School
Last weekend Natalie sang in Sunday School. She did a great job and was one of the most animated children doing her actions. We told her to sing nice and loud, which she did. :) She loves singing and was extremely excited to sing in front of church.
Emotions
Last Sunday we sat down as a family to watch Disney's Tarzan movie. Natalie is getting to the age where she is starting to enjoy these movies while hiding her face at the scary parts. We were watching the beginning where Tarzan is adopted by the gorillas. He fights with the gorilla pack leader and runs away. At that point the phone rings so we paused the movie. Lynn notices Natalie dabbing her eyes with her blanket and asked if she was crying. At that point Natalie starts sobbing. We asked her what was wrong to which she wailed "he's not going to see his family again". It brought tears to my eyes. My little sensitive daughter. Yet one more area where she's just like me....wearing her emotions on her sleeve. We snuggled with her and told her everything was going to turn out okay, which of course with all Disney movies, it did. :)
Opinions
One night a couple of weeks ago, Lynn and I were deciding what we were going to do for dinner, when Natalie chimed in with "my preference would be McDonalds". Lynn and I looked at each other and laughed at the ever expanding vocabulary of our little girl.
Four pennies
We were all riding in the car together, Natalie piped up from the back, "Daddy, when I turn 4 will I be 4 pennies?" Neither Lynn nor I could figure out what she was talking about. She kept saying things about 4 pennies. Finally I asked her to expand on it and she said something about a conversation we had earlier in the week.
At that point it hit me. I had talked to her about her age. She would tell people she was 3 and a half. I tried explaining that she was actually 3 and 3/4 (three quarters). Quarters - pennies...close enough to a three year old. I laughed so hard I almost cried. Lynn got a good chuckle out of it as well.
My little girl
I took Natalie with me on a trip to Home Depot for a battery for our backup sump pump. It was raining quite hard. I carried her into the store from the truck. She tried pulling her hood up as I took her in, complaining about her hair getting wet. I told her it wasn't a big deal if her hair got wet to which she replied "but I care about MY hair Daddy, your hair is short so you don't care about yours". 3 going on 13 :)
Singing in Sunday School
Last weekend Natalie sang in Sunday School. She did a great job and was one of the most animated children doing her actions. We told her to sing nice and loud, which she did. :) She loves singing and was extremely excited to sing in front of church.
Emotions
Last Sunday we sat down as a family to watch Disney's Tarzan movie. Natalie is getting to the age where she is starting to enjoy these movies while hiding her face at the scary parts. We were watching the beginning where Tarzan is adopted by the gorillas. He fights with the gorilla pack leader and runs away. At that point the phone rings so we paused the movie. Lynn notices Natalie dabbing her eyes with her blanket and asked if she was crying. At that point Natalie starts sobbing. We asked her what was wrong to which she wailed "he's not going to see his family again". It brought tears to my eyes. My little sensitive daughter. Yet one more area where she's just like me....wearing her emotions on her sleeve. We snuggled with her and told her everything was going to turn out okay, which of course with all Disney movies, it did. :)
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Biking
Tonight, we pumped up Natalie's tires and went biking around the neighborhood. I was pleasantly surprised at how much better she has gotten since last fall. After today, I think we will be out on the bike a lot more often.
This weather is great! I've been looking forward to temperatures above freezing and being able to be outside. Natalie and I took advantage of the nice weather today, and walked around the zoo for a couple of hours this morning. The animals were fun to watch and very active today.
This weather is great! I've been looking forward to temperatures above freezing and being able to be outside. Natalie and I took advantage of the nice weather today, and walked around the zoo for a couple of hours this morning. The animals were fun to watch and very active today.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
April Fool's
Today, I was driving in the car and decided to tell Natalie about April's Fools Day. I should have known she would love it. For the remainder of the car ride, she kept coming up with jokes. :) Tonight, we made "the rounds" with our April Fool's jokes. Natalie had fun calling various people in our family with her jokes.
Tonight, Natalie came out of her room to give Nate a kiss good night. As she was walking back to her room, she had to cross a pile of Nate's clothes in our room. She then asked this question of him -- "Why don't you just put your clothes where they belong, Daddy?" Nate replied by saying that "Mommy asks me the same thing, honey."
Tonight, Natalie came out of her room to give Nate a kiss good night. As she was walking back to her room, she had to cross a pile of Nate's clothes in our room. She then asked this question of him -- "Why don't you just put your clothes where they belong, Daddy?" Nate replied by saying that "Mommy asks me the same thing, honey."
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Map
The other day Natalie was watching Dora. For those of you who have watched any of these episodes, you know that to find out where you must go and how to get there, you need the assistance of Map. As Natalie was watching and listening to this part, the repetition was getting old for her. After Dora repeated how to get to where she was going about three times, Natalie said, "Enough already. We know how to get there." It was pretty funny.
Today, Natalie learned a new song in Sunday School - "God's not dead...He's alive!" She sang it for about twenty minutes...actions and all. It was an awesome song!
Today, Natalie learned a new song in Sunday School - "God's not dead...He's alive!" She sang it for about twenty minutes...actions and all. It was an awesome song!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Baking
Natalie and I had a fun day with my parents today. We celebrated my Mom's birthday a week late because she was under the weather last week. Yesterday, Natalie helped me bake a cake for Grandma. She had a great idea to add sprinkles to it after we frosted it. The cake tasted great! I think we'll have to bake some more cakes for birthdays this year.
After lunch today, we checked out a possible indoor waterpark to enjoy later this spring. As we were checking out the rooms, Natalie asked me whether the beds were hotel beds. I knew exactly what she was asking. One of our rules at home is that we don't jump on beds unless they are hotel beds...so I answered "yes" to her question. She had a blast jumping on it!
A couple of nights ago, Natalie was on her cell phone pretending to call Ethan and Logan. She stated that she wanted to see them. Natalie went on to say that we could either come over to their house or that they could come over and play at our house. The next subject that she brought up made me laugh. Some background information.... is that the last time we had plans to see them, they had recently had a bout with pink eye. Natalie obviously was thinking about that as she said that we might not be able to see them because of the fact that they had "red ear"... or she went on to say "pink ear". I thought her interpretation of what they had was pretty funny.
After lunch today, we checked out a possible indoor waterpark to enjoy later this spring. As we were checking out the rooms, Natalie asked me whether the beds were hotel beds. I knew exactly what she was asking. One of our rules at home is that we don't jump on beds unless they are hotel beds...so I answered "yes" to her question. She had a blast jumping on it!
A couple of nights ago, Natalie was on her cell phone pretending to call Ethan and Logan. She stated that she wanted to see them. Natalie went on to say that we could either come over to their house or that they could come over and play at our house. The next subject that she brought up made me laugh. Some background information.... is that the last time we had plans to see them, they had recently had a bout with pink eye. Natalie obviously was thinking about that as she said that we might not be able to see them because of the fact that they had "red ear"... or she went on to say "pink ear". I thought her interpretation of what they had was pretty funny.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Girls Night
Natalie had a great Friday night with her cousins and Uncle and Aunt while Nate and I had a fun night out at a concert. Auntie Chris and Ella stayed over night. It sounds like they had a great night of doing girl stuff like painting toe nails and playing dress up.
We enjoyed the concert so much that we decided to buy the CD. One of the songs is titled Cinderella, and it is about a dad and his daughter. Nate had Natalie listen to the words yesterday. And ever since, the two of them have been dancing around the living room playing the song over and over.
A couple nights ago, Natalie and Nate worked on putting a wagon together that Natalie had received from Grandpa Wes and Grandma Julie for Christmas. Natalie was a big helper. I had to laugh when she was asking to use the "plugger"... otherwise known to most people as the pliers. :)
This morning when Natalie was in the shower, she had her feet up. When I asked her why she was sitting like that, she responded that she did not want her toe nail polish to come off. I thought that was pretty cute!
Today, Natalie and I had a fun afternoon at the high school. The student council put on a "Winter Carnival" for kids. There were all sorts of fun games that Natalie enjoyed. It is fun to watch her trying her best at all the games. We attempted the cake walk a couple of times. Natalie had her attention on the little stuffed Dora on the tables rather than any of the goodies. Dora now has a new home with Natalie. :)
We enjoyed the concert so much that we decided to buy the CD. One of the songs is titled Cinderella, and it is about a dad and his daughter. Nate had Natalie listen to the words yesterday. And ever since, the two of them have been dancing around the living room playing the song over and over.
A couple nights ago, Natalie and Nate worked on putting a wagon together that Natalie had received from Grandpa Wes and Grandma Julie for Christmas. Natalie was a big helper. I had to laugh when she was asking to use the "plugger"... otherwise known to most people as the pliers. :)
This morning when Natalie was in the shower, she had her feet up. When I asked her why she was sitting like that, she responded that she did not want her toe nail polish to come off. I thought that was pretty cute!
Today, Natalie and I had a fun afternoon at the high school. The student council put on a "Winter Carnival" for kids. There were all sorts of fun games that Natalie enjoyed. It is fun to watch her trying her best at all the games. We attempted the cake walk a couple of times. Natalie had her attention on the little stuffed Dora on the tables rather than any of the goodies. Dora now has a new home with Natalie. :)
Monday, February 18, 2008
2 weeks of stories or "are you going to post yet"
Okay..I have a couple of weeks worth of stories that I've jotted notes down on. Hopefully I'm able to do justice to the sheer entertainment Natalie provides on a daily basis..:)
2 weeks ago we went out to a grade school basketball tournament at the school Lynn last taught...we had a great time watching the games. At each halftime they did a "half court shot" attempt for a dollar. The first game we watched, Natalie grabbed my hand and took me out there. I was able to take her up and lift her up so that she was within a few inches of the hoop when she extended the ball. She missed the first shot and then had a meltdown when we said she couldn't shoot again that night. The next day she grabbed my hand at halftime again and dragged me out on the court....I lifted her up again and she through it up and in....the whole crowd (most of the parents and students knew Lynn) erupted in cheers....I set Natalie down and she starting jumping up and down screaming "yes!!! I made it in!!" Sooo cute. This scene was repeated later that day. She ended up picking two little rag dolls as her prizes.
Story 2 brings us to commercial modifications. As most people know, Kay Jewelers has their trademarked catch phrase which they so cleverly put to song in each of their commercials. "Every kiss begins with Kay". Well one night we were sitting here watching TV and that commercial came on. My little comedian looks up at us sitting on the couch and sings "Every poop begins with P". I laughed so hard I thought I was going to bust my guts. Liking the reaction that she got, Natalie expanded her repertoire with "Every toot begins with T." Too funny.
2 weeks ago, I was lying in bed Saturday morning drifting in and out of sleep. Natalie came in and climbed into bed with me. She started talking incessantly like she is prone to do, and when she only got monosyllabic answers from me as I was still waking up she proclaimed "Fine! If you don't want to talk to me, I don't want to talk to you!"
We were all hanging out down in our basement one day. Lynn was biking and I think I was folding clothes. Natalie was playing with some of her basement toys. A Ravensburger 6 block puzzle. She was having some difficulties in putting it together which led her to sigh and ask, "Why is this children's puzzle so difficult?" Lynn replied back that it was probably made for older kids which prompted a follow up question from our little thinker: "Why did you buy it then?" Lynn and I both laughed heartily at that exchange. I then helped my daughter with her puzzle.
A great thing in a parents life is when the child gets to the age where they can figure out how to use the remote and turn the TV on themselves on Saturday mornings. Last weekend, Natalie came into the living room to watch her Saturday morning lineup: Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, Cake and Horseland. During one of her shows, there was a commercial that came on shilling some TV offer order only here, marker thing. Lynn was in the kitchen and heard her get excited about the markers until the end of the commercial when Natalie lamented "awww...I have to be 18 to order" We'll have to watch our credit cards closely. :)
Tonight Lynn went out with her friends while Natalie and I had a daddy/daughter night. Right before she went to bed, we were watching My Dad is Better Than Your Dad, a game show on NBC where fathers and their kids compete at different physical and intellectual tasks. throughout the show, Natalie kept exclaiming to me "you're the best daddy ever!" and "you're smarter/stronger/braver than all of those dads" pretty cute. I tried to use it as a teaching moment and told her that the important part is not that I'm better than any other dad, but that I'm her dad and that I love her and she loves me. I love that girl sooooooo much.
2 weeks ago we went out to a grade school basketball tournament at the school Lynn last taught...we had a great time watching the games. At each halftime they did a "half court shot" attempt for a dollar. The first game we watched, Natalie grabbed my hand and took me out there. I was able to take her up and lift her up so that she was within a few inches of the hoop when she extended the ball. She missed the first shot and then had a meltdown when we said she couldn't shoot again that night. The next day she grabbed my hand at halftime again and dragged me out on the court....I lifted her up again and she through it up and in....the whole crowd (most of the parents and students knew Lynn) erupted in cheers....I set Natalie down and she starting jumping up and down screaming "yes!!! I made it in!!" Sooo cute. This scene was repeated later that day. She ended up picking two little rag dolls as her prizes.
Story 2 brings us to commercial modifications. As most people know, Kay Jewelers has their trademarked catch phrase which they so cleverly put to song in each of their commercials. "Every kiss begins with Kay". Well one night we were sitting here watching TV and that commercial came on. My little comedian looks up at us sitting on the couch and sings "Every poop begins with P". I laughed so hard I thought I was going to bust my guts. Liking the reaction that she got, Natalie expanded her repertoire with "Every toot begins with T." Too funny.
2 weeks ago, I was lying in bed Saturday morning drifting in and out of sleep. Natalie came in and climbed into bed with me. She started talking incessantly like she is prone to do, and when she only got monosyllabic answers from me as I was still waking up she proclaimed "Fine! If you don't want to talk to me, I don't want to talk to you!"
We were all hanging out down in our basement one day. Lynn was biking and I think I was folding clothes. Natalie was playing with some of her basement toys. A Ravensburger 6 block puzzle. She was having some difficulties in putting it together which led her to sigh and ask, "Why is this children's puzzle so difficult?" Lynn replied back that it was probably made for older kids which prompted a follow up question from our little thinker: "Why did you buy it then?" Lynn and I both laughed heartily at that exchange. I then helped my daughter with her puzzle.
A great thing in a parents life is when the child gets to the age where they can figure out how to use the remote and turn the TV on themselves on Saturday mornings. Last weekend, Natalie came into the living room to watch her Saturday morning lineup: Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, Cake and Horseland. During one of her shows, there was a commercial that came on shilling some TV offer order only here, marker thing. Lynn was in the kitchen and heard her get excited about the markers until the end of the commercial when Natalie lamented "awww...I have to be 18 to order" We'll have to watch our credit cards closely. :)
Tonight Lynn went out with her friends while Natalie and I had a daddy/daughter night. Right before she went to bed, we were watching My Dad is Better Than Your Dad, a game show on NBC where fathers and their kids compete at different physical and intellectual tasks. throughout the show, Natalie kept exclaiming to me "you're the best daddy ever!" and "you're smarter/stronger/braver than all of those dads" pretty cute. I tried to use it as a teaching moment and told her that the important part is not that I'm better than any other dad, but that I'm her dad and that I love her and she loves me. I love that girl sooooooo much.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Valentine's Dance
Natalie's cousin, Ella, invited her to a Valentine's Party where she attends dance. The two girls had a great time! Not only did they get to dance the afternoon away, they got to eat sugary, party food, and take home some special party gifts.
Nate, Natalie, and I have had the chance to watch some fun basketball games at the Divine Redeemer tournament over the last couple days. Yesterday, Nate took Natalie on the court to try the "half court shot." Natalie had her eye on a special prize - a big, pink colored ball. When she missed the shot, Natalie was a very sad girl. Maybe, tomorrow will be the day she gets the ball in the hoop.
Nate, Natalie, and I have had the chance to watch some fun basketball games at the Divine Redeemer tournament over the last couple days. Yesterday, Nate took Natalie on the court to try the "half court shot." Natalie had her eye on a special prize - a big, pink colored ball. When she missed the shot, Natalie was a very sad girl. Maybe, tomorrow will be the day she gets the ball in the hoop.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Funny girl this weekend
It is I, the man of the house posting tonight. Mostly because the funny stories from the last few days have happened in direct confrontation with me. I also was challenged by my lovely wife that I wouldn't actually post, so I had to prove her wrong :D
yesterday, we got home after touring schools for Natalie for next year. We normally keep our shoes on a mat in the kitchen. I also had my computer and lunchbox on the mat yesterday. Lynn walked in and around my stuff...Natalie walked in and wasn't watching where she was going, and promptly tripped over my lunchbox and fell. I said to my darling daughter "please be careful and watch where you're walking" (she seems to have the same problem with this that I do)
her reply to me as she was kicking my lunchbox "move your lunchbox, stinkbutt"
even though it was sassy and disrespectful, I had to laugh....it was too funny
story 2 brings us to Saturday morning. Lynn was trying to tell Natalie to do something and she wasn't listening, so I busted into the conversation and in a firm voice told Natalie to do it....she fired back with "You're the boss, you didn't do what's right...you interrupted Mommy!!"
this is funny because she's throwing lines back at us that we're trying to teach her...she was right..I did interrupt Mommy....so I apologized...:D
Tonight we were all goofing around in the living room, and yet again Lynn told Natalie to do something which was completely ignored....I asked her "are you listening!"
"No" she said very matter of factly.
Lynn and I were both rolling at this....if anything she's a relatively honest little girl. :)
As a follow up, I requested again that she do what Lynn had asked her to do.....
"No dear", was the response I got.
I laughed so hard tonight that I almost wet myself.....I can't wait to share these stories with her when she's older.
yesterday, we got home after touring schools for Natalie for next year. We normally keep our shoes on a mat in the kitchen. I also had my computer and lunchbox on the mat yesterday. Lynn walked in and around my stuff...Natalie walked in and wasn't watching where she was going, and promptly tripped over my lunchbox and fell. I said to my darling daughter "please be careful and watch where you're walking" (she seems to have the same problem with this that I do)
her reply to me as she was kicking my lunchbox "move your lunchbox, stinkbutt"
even though it was sassy and disrespectful, I had to laugh....it was too funny
story 2 brings us to Saturday morning. Lynn was trying to tell Natalie to do something and she wasn't listening, so I busted into the conversation and in a firm voice told Natalie to do it....she fired back with "You're the boss, you didn't do what's right...you interrupted Mommy!!"
this is funny because she's throwing lines back at us that we're trying to teach her...she was right..I did interrupt Mommy....so I apologized...:D
Tonight we were all goofing around in the living room, and yet again Lynn told Natalie to do something which was completely ignored....I asked her "are you listening!"
"No" she said very matter of factly.
Lynn and I were both rolling at this....if anything she's a relatively honest little girl. :)
As a follow up, I requested again that she do what Lynn had asked her to do.....
"No dear", was the response I got.
I laughed so hard tonight that I almost wet myself.....I can't wait to share these stories with her when she's older.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Bedtime Songs
Today, Natalie started showing symptoms of the cold that Nate has been battling the last couple of days. I believe it was one reason that falling asleep at nap time took a little longer. The later nap time has also led to a more difficult night of falling asleep.
Nate tucked Natalie in bed about an hour ago. Since then, she has asked us a number of random questions. We have always encouraged her to sing herself to sleep if she is having a tough time going to sleep. Tonight, as Nate and I are sitting in the living room listening to Natalie attempting to go to sleep, we have heard a number of songs coming from her room. The one that really intrigued me was the following song, "Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust." After I heard this refrain numerous times, I asked Nate to go down and ask Natalie where she heard this song. Natalie said that she heard it from one of her religious children's CD's that Nate had her listening to the other day. I think I will be listening more carefully to what is playing on her stereo.
Nate tucked Natalie in bed about an hour ago. Since then, she has asked us a number of random questions. We have always encouraged her to sing herself to sleep if she is having a tough time going to sleep. Tonight, as Nate and I are sitting in the living room listening to Natalie attempting to go to sleep, we have heard a number of songs coming from her room. The one that really intrigued me was the following song, "Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust." After I heard this refrain numerous times, I asked Nate to go down and ask Natalie where she heard this song. Natalie said that she heard it from one of her religious children's CD's that Nate had her listening to the other day. I think I will be listening more carefully to what is playing on her stereo.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Friends and Basketball
Natalie and I have enjoyed our visits with many of our friends lately. The other day, when Joshua was getting ready to leave, his mom made him use the bathroom before they left. Joshua was taking his time, so I had Natalie go down and tell him that he needed to get going. Natalie did as I asked, went down and knocked on the door, and told Joshua the following. "Joshua, your mom is ready to leave. If you don't go with her, you are going to have to stay here, and then you are going to be my brother." Julie, Joshua's mom, and I had a good laugh at this one. :)
We have gone to a few basketball games recently. Last night, Natalie cheered her cousin Nicholas on as he played a tournament at a school nearby. She had fun yelling, "Get the ball, Nicholas!"
We have gone to a few basketball games recently. Last night, Natalie cheered her cousin Nicholas on as he played a tournament at a school nearby. She had fun yelling, "Get the ball, Nicholas!"
Monday, January 21, 2008
Packer Rationale
Natalie watched the end of our 2007 Packers season with Nate and me last evening. Today, she was telling me that she knew the reason why the Packers did not win the game yesterday. Natalie took the blame because she only wore her Packer t-shirt with a Packer G on it. She said that she should have worn her entire Packer outfit. :) What a Packer fan!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Car Seats
Since we have been traveling around a bit lately in the last few weeks, Natalie has taken the liberty to tell me about how she wishes to have a different booster seat. She would really like a booster seat that reclines, but is still very similar to her current seat. Natalie brought this subject up again last night as we were driving home from my brother's house. As she was informing me about her wishes again, she also added a piece of helpful information to direct me where I ought to go and look for a seat with her specifications. She told me to look at boosterseat.com. I thought that was hilarious! :)
Tonight, I wanted to get Natalie out and moving around so we headed up to a place called Ke-West Sports. They have a neat playground that we played on for a little while. Afterwards, Nate wanted to shoot some pool. Of course, Natalie wanted to give it a try too. I tried showing her, but I didn't want to mess her up for her entire life since I've always shot left handed. So Nate let her have fun by showing her the right handed way and also with the use of the bridge cue. Natalie seemed to enjoy her success as she did put a couple of the balls in the pockets. Imagine which color ball was her favorite -- the purple one. :)
Tonight, I wanted to get Natalie out and moving around so we headed up to a place called Ke-West Sports. They have a neat playground that we played on for a little while. Afterwards, Nate wanted to shoot some pool. Of course, Natalie wanted to give it a try too. I tried showing her, but I didn't want to mess her up for her entire life since I've always shot left handed. So Nate let her have fun by showing her the right handed way and also with the use of the bridge cue. Natalie seemed to enjoy her success as she did put a couple of the balls in the pockets. Imagine which color ball was her favorite -- the purple one. :)
Friday, January 11, 2008
Eddie the Raccoon
The nap time routine in our home consists of reading a Bible story, devotion, and library books before it's time to say sweet dreams. Today, Natalie picked out her 2 books. One of them was an easy reader book, and I was so proud of her as she read most of it to me. I had to help her with some of the vowel sounds, but for the most part, Natalie sounded out the words and did a great job.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Happy New Year
We have enjoyed the beginning of 2008. Nate took vacation time this week, so we took advantage of that to travel around and see family and friends. Natalie met quite a few new people, and had a great time playing with lots of new friends.
When we got home yesterday, we had a lot of mail to sort through. Natalie wanted to open the "pretty pink envelope" which happened to be mine. I knew what it was so I told her that it was mail that wanted me to explain why I was not teaching right now. She proceeded to tell me that she knew the reasons. Natalie said that 1) I was taking care of her, 2) I did not want to, and 3) I use to take care of "the boys". I think she can fill out this form for me from now on. :)
When we got home yesterday, we had a lot of mail to sort through. Natalie wanted to open the "pretty pink envelope" which happened to be mine. I knew what it was so I told her that it was mail that wanted me to explain why I was not teaching right now. She proceeded to tell me that she knew the reasons. Natalie said that 1) I was taking care of her, 2) I did not want to, and 3) I use to take care of "the boys". I think she can fill out this form for me from now on. :)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)