Bloggin' Natalie

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T16:23:00.005-06:00

What a wonderful Christmas we had! Natalie actually slept until after 7am, and was very patient to wake everyone up before she went to see what Santa left. She was pleased to see the Jolly Old Elf read her letter and brought her a Bitty Baby!

And then of course she had to call her buddies on her new HSM phone to tell them about her baby. She has named the baby Clara.

I tend to be a "themed" shopper. (Whaaaat? I like for things to match.) Natalie has been a big fan of Barbie and the Three Musketeers recently - so for Christmas she got the movie, one of the dolls (Viveca), a dress-up dress (Corinne's - the skirt converts to a cape), and of course, a set of Nerf fencing swords. Holy Moly, what a huge hit they have been. And by "huge hit," I mean there has been a huge amount of hitting with them.

Below she practices along with the movie, in full regalia.

And for some action shots, see Natalie and Craig in their finest fencing action.

I'll tell you this, she is tough. She thought this was an outstanding game, and she wasn't afraid to take (or give) a few brutal hits (!). Then the two of them ganged up on the "bad guys" (aka our Crepe Myrtles).

She is right this minute giving "fencing instructions" to one of her friends (because of course she is the expert). For the one-hundred-and-fortieth-time Craig and I are reminding them, "Just hit the swords, not each other!!. Oh, dear, what was I thinking????? Now Craig is in the fray and Natalie is trash talking pretty bad. She thinks she is hot stuff. Who knew there was so much giggling in fencing??

Christms Eve 2009

2009-12-26T12:17:00.004-06:00

We had a lovely and quiet Christmas Eve at home. One of the highlights was the long-awaited and much-discussed vegetable soup that Natalie and Pop-Pop made for us. You may have to enlarge this photo to get a good look at the flour on her face, and at the utter happiness on both their faces. And not to be biased toward two much beloved family members, but this was just about the best vegetable soup I have ever had. Plus I didn't have to cook!!

Below are some shots of Natalie prepping for Santa's visit with some cookies. We were a little unclear as to the jolly fellow's preferences - so we left iced sugar cookies (with sprinkles of course), chocolate chip, and oatmeal raisin. (The oatmeal raisin cookies were nearly as good as the vegetable soup!)

Daddy is the king of cookie-making around here, so this was a joint project between the two of them.

And what a great team they made!

Wait, let's get a little closer... aw-wee.... :-)

Soon the cookies were ready, the house was quiet, and Natalie was snuggled and snoring in her big girl bed. I couldn't believe how easily she went to sleep - she was exhausted!

Come on, Santa!!

What a lovely day. Stay tuned for Christmas day activities!!

Traditions and Surprises

2009-12-24T11:50:00.004-06:00

In my mind, a good Christmas experience hits that lovely mix of Tradition and Surprise. For some reason this year has been an unusually rich and fulfilling mix.

I have been off all week, nesting. Baking cookies and banana bread, making homemade spaghetti, wrapping presents and doing a little last-minute shopping.... everything but the laundry... (erg). So as of right now, the shopping is done, the presents are wrapped, the Christmas dinner is bought, and I'm listening to Swingin' Christmas on Pandora and waiting for this storm to blow through, hoping my Mom and Dad are not driving in it. Natalie is watching Eloise for the 100th time, and Craig is getting his grill all prepped to grill our Christmas steaks tomorrow.

Christmas steak is a tradition in my family. We all love a ribeye - this year we'll be pairing it with stuffed baked potatoes, grilled portabello mushrooms, steamed asparagus, and Caesar salad. We are very much looking forward to it!

So that's one tradition - here was one of our Christmas surprises this year:

Snow is rare around here, but it is such fun when it happens! This was actually a few weeks ago. Then below, a new Christmas tradition - Natalie did her Christmas shopping at a fun event at her school. She was glad to meet up with her buddy Mia there.

Another Christmas tradition for a lot of you - but new for us this year - we went to see the Nutcracker. Natalie was very antsy for this performance - I don't know if watching a ballet is her thing or not. I think should would have rather gotten up and danced! But it was fun to get dressed up and go somewhere as a family.

Another tradition we had growing up - Mom never labeled the Christmas presents until Christmas Eve, and that's a tradition I have picked up. So last night after Natalie went to bed (and got up, and went back to bed, and got up again, and went back to bed AGAIN....) Craig and I sat down and put names on all the packages. Natalie can read all of our names, so she had such fun this morning sitting down and sorting them out. Her eyes just sparkled every time she found one with her name on it.

This, in a lot of ways, is the Christmas I have been waiting for. Natalie is old enough to be very excited about Santa and about her presents - but she also has very low expectations. I think I have been able to swing almost everything on her list. She is very much looking forward to making vegetable soup with her Pop-pop tonight, and is off to a movie this afternoon with her Daddy.

So as I have a few hours to myself, and as listed above all the chores are done...I'm going to use this couple of hours to .... hmmm... RELAX? What a concept. Oh, wait, there's still that pesky laundry....

Addendum: Another item I forgot to record for posterity... a possible new tradition. Natalie has been excellent at keeping secrets when it comes to the gifts she knows about. For each of them, she has a made-up name so she can refer to it in code. For instance, "I hope Daddy really likes his new giraffe." Also under our tree, a small fish for Daddy, a flat pancake for Nana, and a gorilla for me. Oh what fun!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2009-12-21T15:53:00.000-06:00

Tidy is Overrated

2009-12-15T17:27:00.000-06:00

Sure, tidy is good. But there is a lot to be said for a family room
strewn with stuffed animals and dolls and tea party and art projects
and makeup kits. It goes with the tree (see prior post). If this isn't
a welcome sight at the end of a long day at work, I don't know what is!

Growth

2009-12-12T12:44:00.000-06:00

If you know me, you know I have a little bit of an OCD thing going on.
I've been known to arrange my French fries by size. I only like to
turn right into parking spots. I want my silverware arranged correctly
on my cafeteria tray. And everyone else's at the table too.

So I cite this photo of our tree as Growth. You'll note there are
almost no ornaments above the 42" mark. And every single candy cane is
hung at a five-year-old's eye level. And I can live with that. At
least I think I can...

Chillin'

2009-12-05T14:09:00.000-06:00

There is so much "coolness" going on in this picture, I don't even
have words for it.

Picture of a Five Year Old!

2009-12-04T08:03:00.000-06:00

Happy 5th Birthday, Nat!

2009-12-03T13:18:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow we celebrate Natalie's 5th birthday.

I think back to this time of year, five years ago. I knew that my baby girl was in China, but I didn't know for sure whether she had been born yet. I had a good idea that she had been, though, and this feeling increased my anxiety about her well being. I thought about her all the time. Wondered where she was, what she was doing, if she were well or ill, or hungry, or being held. I wondered about the dear woman who carried her safely for nine months, who cared enough to give birth to her, who then had to face the heartache of giving her up. My heart still aches for her (for them both, and what they have lost).

I am putting together my end of year photo album for 2009. I love going back and seeing how she has grown this past year, and how smart (and sassy) and independent (and stubborn) and kind (and sensitive) she can be. But at the same time my heart aches to hold, once more, that warm bundle I was holding this time four years ago, when she was finally home with us. I remember dressing her up and posing her in front of the Christmas tree. I think I spent hours on end, those first few months, staring at her and taking pictures. And taking pictures and staring at her.

What a wonder and a miracle that we are family together. I can't believe that I ever even scold, or rush through a moment, or lose my patience. How can I not stagger around every single day, drunkenly grateful for this beautiful gift that she is to us? I know, I'm human. And painfully so.

And so I write about this moment in which I can feel it so clearly, and dearly... I am so blissfully thankful to be this precious child's mom. To be able to celebrate this birthday with her. To celebrate her life. To celebrate our lives together.

We will have a special birthday breakfast in the morning, and take treats to school to share with her friends. We will have sushi dinner tomorrow night and sing happy birthday. And I will try to note those small moments of happy grace, those gifts that are larger than life, to commit to memory how precious and precocious and perfectly lovely she is on this day.

Happy Birthday, Natalie Bei. I love you so much, baby!

Puzzle Me This

2009-11-29T13:53:00.003-06:00

One last couple of beach pictures... Natalie had much better success with her Kai Lan puzzle than we did with ours. But it was fun to all have puzzles to work on.

Shall I admit that a lot of the puzzle activity on the grownup side looked like this? Staring. Staring. Staring. Every now and then, picking up a piece, trying it somewhere, grimacing, putting it back, and wandering off. We actually didn't get much farther than this before we had to pack up and come home.

And it is VERY VERY good to be home. Natalie is having a playdate, I am ordering Christmas cards, and Craig is about to go to the grocery and to pick up our tree. I'm making chicken pot pie for dinner and am oddly excited about it. I'm even glad to be going back to work tomorrow! Vacation is fun, but we are routine people. Glad to be back to it.

Comfort Food

2009-11-29T19:40:00.003-06:00

So, remember that chicken pot pie I was so excited about? (No? You haven't read the previous post yet, then? Go 'head, I'll wait.

...

Ok, you back? That was hardly worth it, all it was, was a mention that I was excited about the chicken pot pie.)

Well... who wouldn't be excited about this?

Yes, I did. I took pictures of dinner. And then I blogged about it.

It's official. I am a certified nutjob. Who needs to get back to work and get BUSY!!!!

Black Friday 2009

2009-11-27T17:45:00.002-06:00

We had another lovely day here on the Gulf Coast. The weather was sunny (but cool). After a big old bacon 'n' egg 'n' biscuit breakfast, we each enjoyed some (much needed) walking or exercise time, followed by some reading and some involved animal charade game that Natalie made up.

After that we cleaned up to go "into town" for lunch at Lulu's, per Natalie's request. We all had a good time (and I recommend the crab melt, btw).

Daddy and Natalie snuggled up while waiting for our food.

Craig, Natalie, and Pop-pop, hanging out here.

Mom and I posed on the other side of the table.

And believe it or not, we actually went to the OUTLET MALL today. Yes, we did. On the biggest shopping day of the year. Of all things. Yes, we went to the OUTLET MALL. We even saw a police chase in the parking lot. But I got the cutest shoes.

We are hunkered down now to put together the remaining 850 pieces of this puzzle and to try to eat up what's left in the fridge so we don't have to take it home. Apparently we have a "leftovers" problem after all...

Thanskgiving 2009

2009-11-26T20:42:00.003-06:00

What a lovely Thanksgiving we have had!!

Our trip got off to an inauspicious start, due to some work constraints and my car being in the shop. This was also the first lengthy drive that Natalie did not sleep a significant portion of (which led to a steady stream of "What's taking so long" coming from the backseat). By Mobile, even I was saying "What's TAKING SO LONG?" Then when we finally arrived on Tuesday night, cranky and road weary, we ended up with keys that would not open our condo door.

BUT.

Once Wednesday morning dawned, things began to look much better!

We were so happy to hook up with our friends Amy and Mia while we were down here. Natalie had some ornate cupcake-decorating plan (this involved a massive trip to Kroger over the weekend), the end result of which was supposed to be a cupcake that looks like a turkey... but to me it looked mostly like girls eating candy.

Do you see the turkey-resemblence?

Today, we had lunch at the restaurant here. They had a nice buffet set up, which we thoroughly enjoyed! (I think we mostly enjoyed the fact that nobody had to cook OR do dishes OR figure out what to do with ten tons of leftovers. Oh, and we loved the scalloped potatoes. And the prime rib. And the shrimp & scallops newburg. And the grilled veggies. And the turtle bread pudding and tiramisu. But I digest....)

After lunch, we hung out on the club balcony and listened to some music. (Allegedly there were Mimosas involved but nobody can prove it.)

Mommy-Daughter love.

Daddy-daughter love.

And more family photo ops....

Nana and Pop-pop were such troopers to drive all this way to spend Thanksgiving on the beach. Neither of them are beach people. But they look to be getting the hang of it.

Later in the afternoon we got some beach time in. There was a shell rescue project involving nets and buckets and wet sandy britches. And squealing. Lots and lots of squealing.

And no Thanksgiving is complete until you have hauled out your Barbie kite.

We have had a quiet evening, in true Sullivan-Orgeron style. Craig made us all some Reubens for dinner and I made some homemade salsa. Now Craig and Daddy are piled up on the sofas holding their books (but they appear to be watching some sci-fi movie more than reading), and Nana and I have a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle strewn out all over the table. Natalie was ready to keel over and she is now tucked in bed snoozing it up. I think I am close behind her.....

Mommy is a Princess

2009-11-24T10:24:00.000-06:00

Natalie drew me as a princess. Daddy will be so proud to find this
likeness on his office whiteboard.

Coffee? Really?

2009-11-18T19:26:00.002-06:00

On the way home tonight...

Natalie: Coffee makes me dead.

Mommy: What?

Natalie: Coffee makes me dead.

Mommy: Did you just say 'coffee makes me dead'?

Natalie: Yeah.

Mommy: Really?

Natalie: Yeah.

Mommy: Coffee doesn't make you dead.

Natalie: Yes it does.

Mommy: No it doesn't.

Natalie: Well then give me some and we'll see.

Mommy: ... (Did she just...?!?)

Natalie: Give me some coffee and I'll be dead.

Mommy: I'm not giving you any coffee.

Natalie: Tomorrow morning when you make coffee, give me some.

Mommy: I'm not giving you any coffee.

Natalie: Daddy gave me coffee one time.

Mommy: Then why aren't you dead?

Natalie: (eyeroll, audible sigh) It doesn't make you dead the FIRST time.

...

I absolutely and positively certify that this is the exact wording of the conversation. What on earth?????

Not Sisters

2009-11-15T14:28:00.000-06:00

No, they aren't sisters. But they sure are good friends. It was neat
to catch them in this moment.

Squeals

2009-11-14T14:10:00.000-06:00

Amanda

It's Not a Pink Cadillac....

2009-11-11T20:00:00.002-06:00

Sometimes in the mornings on the way to school (back before Craig and I swapped carpool duties), Natalie and I would sing our way down the interstate in the mornings.

One of our particular favorites was Pink Cadillac. Don't ask me why, I honestly don't remember. But she loved to sing it (still does from time to time).

So, there you have it. That's what this picture makes me think of. How adorable? (very)

Oh, and nowadays, we are singing either Gitchy Gitchy Goo (Thanks, Phineas and Ferb), or for some reason, For the Beauty of the Earth (one of mommy's top five favorite hymns). Or she's going it alone with Hannah Montana....

Don't you hate it when that happens?

2009-11-02T19:08:00.002-06:00

Yesterday at Five Guys Burgers, we pulled out the handy dandy iPhone to entertain ourselves while we waited on our food.

I thought this was a pretty cute picture. And then I saw the guy sticking out of the top of Natalie's head. And now that is ALL I see. He looks like a creepy uncle of mine. I'm going to have to Photoshop that dude out.

Apples and Trees

2009-11-07T16:49:00.001-06:00

They say they apple doesn't fall from the tree. In that case, Natalie is my little Honeycrisp.

Look at her, prim as she can be, camped out at Lemuria reading a book. But she has better shoes than I do.

The Not So Wicked, Wicked Witch

2009-10-31T10:06:00.002-05:00

The book signing-and-reading was a blast!

Guess who came back?

2009-10-31T08:44:00.001-05:00

This time Craig transplanted him out of the neighborhood....

Kid in a Candy Shop

2009-11-01T08:34:00.005-06:00

Halloween is Great. Especially Halloween on a Saturday, so it can last all day (two days if you count Halloween party at school on Friday)!

We enjoyed Amy's book signing at Lemuria yesterday. It was a great group and a great reading, and good fun all around! After a nap (and a frustrating trip to Kroger on Mommy's part), Nana and Pop-pop came 'round for the Halloween festivities. There was pumpkin carving and costume donning (and somewhere in there a game of broom-golf in the backyard). And a big ol' pot of Red Beans & Rice.

Okay, what we're really all here for, though, is to see the pictures, right? Natalie was a stunning Dorothy.

She and her Daddy carved the pumpkins, with some supreme supervision from Nana.

This was the first year that Natalie could really Get Into the Trick or Treating. A lot of houses in our neighborhood don't hand out candy (shame on you!) but enough do that it's worth walking the block. It took her a couple of houses to warm up, and to understand that you say "TRICK OR TREAT" as your greeting, rather than your salutation. But once she got the hang of it she wasn't stopping until her bucket was full. Even if her teeth WERE chattering.

She ate a little candy last night (and another bowl of RB&R while we watch the MSU game, ahem, GO DAWGS!), but it wasn't until this morning that she truly turned into...

A KID IN A ....

She, uh, organized and sorted all her candy. She weeded out the Wally Warheads (which I was more than happy to take off her hands) and got everything else ready for business.

And here she is. Little OCD entrepreneur.

Cuties

2009-10-29T20:46:00.000-05:00

Nat and Mia were pumped about Trunk or Treat tonight!!

Natalie decided to forgo the Dorothy pigtails and opted for a tiara
instead. Judy Garland should have considered this look.

Girls' Night Out

2009-10-29T07:44:00.000-05:00

Craig has been traveling a good bit recently, so one night this week
Natalie and I treated ourselves to a Girls' Night Out. We had a yummy
dinner at Sal and Mookies, followed by ice cream of course, then
tripped over to Renaissance to the Barnes and Noble. While we were
there, I took the opportunity to indulge in a little retail therapy.
This picture indicates how Natalie entertained herself. She is a born
shopper!!!