Easter

No words.  Just pictures.

She Dreams of Paradise

There’s been a lot going on in Natalie’s world these last couple of months (we really should update this blog more!). Her biggest accomplishment came in early February, when she finally turned the corner and mastered potty training. We even take most naps with just underwear now. I think it’s been quite liberating for all of us! There are still accidents, but for the most part she’s been doing great with it. Nighttime potty training confuses me, but we’ll get there when she’s ready for that.

A few weeks ago, Natalie had her first soccer practice. I’ll have to admit that I couldn’t believe how adorable she looks in her cleats and shin guards. We’re seeing improvement every week, and she’s really enjoying it, especially since her partner in crime, Lily, is on her team. We’re looking forward to the first game! Distractions are a bit of a problem at this point for everyone; as long as a plane doesn’t fly over and Natalie doesn’t start leading the team on a grass-pulling expedition, everything should be fine. In other sporting news, she’s still going to gymnastics for now, and after months of encouragement, she finally mustered the courage to do a flip on the bar—and followed up with a repeat performance the following week! She’s also just realized that she can do a backward roll off the recliner, her favorite discovery of late.

Natalie, Lily, and Coach (Amanda)

I want to capture here a few “Natalie-isms,” including both current ones and a couple we’ve sadly lost. I knew the day would come when she’s stop asking for nammas and ask for a plain old banana, but man, that sure was cute. She’s able to say “th” now, so unless she’s tired, we’ve also had to say farewell to anysing. Our favorite use of this word was when she would be frustrated about being asked questions. (Hey, sweetie, we wouldn’t ask so many times if you’d answer the first time.) Her response if, say, we were trying to get her to choose between a couple of snack items: “No! I don’t want anysing!” Kind of hard to command power when you so sweetly mispronounce a word. A couple of current gems:

 “Whatyousaid?” (Hey, slow down so I can understand, Mama.)

Todeggar (You know, as in “Let’s work as a team and do this todeggar.”)

She’s also surprised us with a few new vocabulary words used in the correct context: sensational, fabulous, and technology. On a related note, we are deeply entrenched in the “why” phase. Mighty inquisitive at this age, aren’t they?

Like a lot of kids, Natalie fixates on a particular song, and for the last few months the song of choice has been “Paradise.” I was playing Coldplay’s latest CD (zip it, Uncle Jason!) and that one just clicked for her. She knows almost all the words and sings it with all her might. She plays the drums along with it if she’s really into it, and she’s always had to dance at the beginning of it (“I’m gonna have to wiggle!”) We recently stumbled across another version of the song, which Natalie calls “African Paradise.” We listen to it at least twice every time we’re in the car, and she loves watching the video as well. As a result, she’s learned her first Swahili word, peponi. Have a look and listen yourself; Natalie loves to point out the cello. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgovv8jWETM

We promise not to make you wait until Memorial Day to see Natalie in her Easter dress.  ~ Amy

We don't always make her do the dishes.

She insists on seeing her bunny tail in the mirror.

"This is my art, Mama."