Natalie

Our New Blog

2010-03-13T15:52:00.001-08:00

Since there will soon be four of us instead of only three, we are changing up the blog and going from the focus of ME to US.

Check us out at http://www.themarianofamily.blogspot.com

We may post a little bit more here before the baby comes, but once she is here we will probably just post on the family blog. This one will still be there for archives.

Putting Babies to Bed

2010-03-11T16:24:00.000-08:00

Look what I did while Mommy was folding the laundry...

...my favorite thing to do these days is put all my babies & animals to bed. Good think I am very good about cleaning up when Mommy tells me to, otherwise there would be blankets & pillows everywhere!

Humming While I Work

2010-03-07T16:36:00.000-08:00

I am almost always singing (or humming) these days & sometimes I even make up my own songs. Here I am humming as I fix dinner for my babies in my play kitchen.

Sunny Sunday

2010-03-07T16:31:00.000-08:00

We spent all morning outside soaking up the sun. Making silly faces

Catching Up

2010-03-03T15:28:00.001-08:00

Mommy is very sorry to have neglected the blog this long.
Here is a quick update on some things we have been up to & we will be much better at posting regular updates again!

On Valentine's Day, Daddy took his two girls to the park & to lunch. It was a sunny day in between rain storms so we definitely needed the fresh air and fun. Katie & I are pretty much best friends. She stayed with us for a long weekend while my Nana & Papa took a little vacation and she got to sleep on my bed. I hug her and give her kisses and am pretty nice to her most of the time. Katie is a very good sport about all the love I give her.

Just being cute...

We've been getting things ready for the arrival of my new baby sister. Daddy painted her room this past weekend and I got to help a little. I was very excited about it as you can see.

Daddy even got brave & let me use the roller a little.

Wish List for Baby Sister

2010-01-24T17:59:00.000-08:00

Click here to see our wish list for the New Baby!

Fun with the Twins

2010-01-24T17:54:00.000-08:00

My cousins Emma & Ava turn one year old this week. So I got to go to their birthday party this weekend. (Click on their names if you want to see more pictures of their birthday party!)

Here we are in our matching outfits from Grandma Coyle.
Me & Mommy

Being silly!

Testing out one of the baby's presents... a pony!

Wish List for Baby Sister

2010-01-23T17:55:00.000-08:00

We don't need too much for the new baby, but since we have been asked many times what we do need, we created a list. Most items below can be clicked on for links.

Crib Bedding
We chose a cute birdie theme for the new babies room :)
This pattern isn't avaliable in stores, but I think JCPenney.com also has it.

Towels & Washcloths

Nursing Cover

Infant Travel Bed
(We know someone who has one of these and thinks it is worth it's weight in gold)

Fisher Price Soothe and Glow Seahorse
(another recommendation from a friend)

Rattles & Hook on toys

Swaddle Me
(loved these for Natalie & only had one)

Clothes Hamper - Pink

Receiving Blankets (big 30x40)

Infant Spoons

Bowls

Baby Clothes Hangers

Pampers Swaddlers Newborn & Size 1

Christmas Part 2

2009-12-26T16:09:00.000-08:00

Since we have a big family, we get to spend a couple of days celebrating Christmas. Here we are at Great Grandma & Grandpa's on the day after Christmas for our second major celebration.

Here is me in my Christmas outfit which was very cute but didn't last very long. Here's the whole gang (except my Daddy because he was taking the picture).

Helping Emma & Ava open their presents since they are still new at this :)
"I make the rules..." so appropriate since Mommy wanted me to stay in my Christmas outfit, but I decided to wear this...

Opening my presents.

Taking a break after all that present opening.

Even though I was really tired because I only got a short nap today, I still had enough energy to "play my game." This is the Fisher Price Computer Cool School and let me tell you, it is COOL. Mommy did a lot of research on learning games and this one was supposed to be good. It is because I love it!

You can see this is going to keep me busy for a long time

Christmas Day

2009-12-25T08:03:00.000-08:00

I woke up to find a few big presents from Santa waiting for me under the tree. I got a new baby cradle and carrier for my babies... ...and an art easel. You will probably see lots of pictures of me doing this in the near future because I love it so much and they can barely pry me away from it.

I had to put on my princess dress and take a picture with my babies in front of the tree.

Good thing, because when it was time for the group picture in front of the tree, I wasn't in the mood anymore.

But, I was a good sport at dinner that night...

...and this one is especially for Nana & Papa G... Our group picture with our hats. They even got me to wear mine!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T07:44:00.000-08:00

Decorating Cookies

2009-12-24T07:45:00.000-08:00

Today we decorated cookies for Santa. I really liked adding the sprinkles.
But I think sampling the frosting was my favorite part.

Delloso Farms

2009-12-23T08:01:00.000-08:00

We went to see the mile of Christmas lights at Dell Oso farms. They were pretty good. Afterwords we walked around to see what else they had to do there. We found the bouncy pillows and I LOVED it. I laughed so much! Mommy was a good sport and climbed on the pillows and bounced with me. It was a really fun time!

Tubes from Wrapping Paper

2009-12-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

...are so much fun!

Before Christmas

2009-12-22T07:52:00.000-08:00

Here are several different things we did before Christmas...

I got to play cars with Jonathan at Auntie Corinne's party.
Mommy & I made beaded necklaces with Christmas trees and snowmen.

I was a little sassy when handing out presents.

So Goofy

2009-12-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

I am singing "I like 'em big... I like 'em chunky; I like to move it, move it!" from the movie Madagascar.

Mommy's Little Helper

2009-12-19T15:04:00.001-08:00

Mommy & I made cheesecake pops for Auntie Corinne's party tonight. I got to help!

I put the sticks in... ...and put lots of sprinkles on...
...and of course I had to taste to make sure they were yummy!

Enochs Christmas Party

2009-12-16T15:01:00.000-08:00

An annual Christmas event at my Mommy's school is the Kids Christmas party. I had a lot of fun doing all of the activities that the kids planned.

My favorite was cookie decorating... ...but my favorite part about that was eating the cookie :)
We made Christmas cards...

...and a gingerbread house.

Little Princess

2009-12-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

Paper Plate Snowman

2009-12-11T14:58:00.000-08:00

Since I seem to be taking after my Mommy in my love of crafts, she came up with some fun projects for us to do during our count down to Christmas. One I loved a lot was making paper plate snowmen. We couldn't stop at just one because I was having so much fun, so we made one for Nana too.

Gluing on the cotton balls.See how much fun this was!
A toddler with a bottle of glue... dangerous!

The finished product!

Christmas Tree Lane

2009-12-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

We took our annual visit to Christmas Tree Lane on it's opening weekend. We went for soup and sandwiches first to help get us warmed up. It was very cold and very crowded, but we really enjoyed all the lights! I got to be snuggled up under blankets in my stroller! I had a great view!

Window Clings

2009-12-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

... are some of the easiest ways to decorate for a holiday. Mommy got me some snowmen, penguins, and snowflakes to decorate the windows. This was a very fun activity for me!

My HAND Made Wreath

2009-12-05T14:54:00.000-08:00

Countdown to Christmas

2009-12-03T14:50:00.000-08:00

Until Mommy has time to make this or this...
she made this for us to count down to Christmas. Each day has an activity for us to do or special treat for me. We will try to show you some of the fun things we do to count down to Christmas!

Thanksgiving on the Beach

2009-12-02T20:16:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was such a nice day in Monterey that we were able to go for a walk on the beach.

Headed for the beach... ...waving "hi!"
Nana & Papa walking to the beach

Mommy & I waiting for Papa to get our jackets because, although it was sunny, it was COLD!

Playing in the sand...

Trying to take a family picture... against my wishes!

But then, they got my blessing :)

Random Silliness

2009-12-01T20:13:00.000-08:00

One day at Nana's, Daddy & I grabbed the camera and had some fun taking self portraits...

Nana took our picture on her new bean bag chair...

and then Daddy took one of Nana & me!

Twinkle, Twinkle

2009-11-30T15:48:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving in Monterey

2009-11-29T15:20:00.000-08:00

Everyone in our house needed some real relaxation, so we headed to Monterey for Thanksgiving break to do just that.

I found lots of things to keep me busy at the condo.

I used Great Grandpa's magnifying glass to explore shells. Sometimes I just found comfy spots to relax.
I played with the "bird watchers". Does it go this way...

...or this way?

Thanksgiving was a beautiful, sunny day in Monterey. We spent lots of time outside listening to the waves and soaking up the sun. And, playing the "kissing game" and laughing.

Daddy & I found lots of creative ways to take naps during our trip.

In bed with a movie...

...and curled up together on the couch.

We did some shopping and lots of playing. We found a park we have never been to before in Pacific Grove. I really liked this new park!

We are all relaxed and healthy now and ready for the three, busy weeks until Christmas!

Best $2 Ever Spent

2009-11-29T14:39:00.000-08:00

These only cost $1 each but they are so much fun and keep me so busy!

Singing & Dancing

2009-11-28T14:37:00.000-08:00

...is what I love to do!!!

Happy Thanksgiving from Natalie

2009-11-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

Mommy & I made these handprint turkeys a few weeks ago. We didn't get any pictures of the process because our hands were pretty busy and it happened very quickly. Here is the end product. Wishing all of our friends & family a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Getting So Big

2009-11-20T16:18:00.000-08:00

Lately, I want to do everything myself and, I love to count everything I see.

Being Silly with Daddy

2009-11-10T16:14:00.000-08:00

That is pretty much what we do. We are silly together! Daddy comes up with the funniest things to do so we can make Mommy laugh.

First, he helped me put some of Mommy's socks on and dance around the house. This was pretty funny because her socks went up to my knees.

Then one morning we put my jammies on some of my animals friends and climbed into Mommy & Daddy's bed. SO SILLY! Mommy said there were five monkeys in the bed instead of just one (next to Daddy).

Big Girl Bed

2009-11-05T16:11:00.000-08:00

It was time for a big girl bed. I was just growing too tall to fit in my little bed anymore. Daddy let me help him put the bed together. Here is what my room looked like before.

And, ere is what my big girl room looks like now.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T16:07:00.000-08:00

We didn't get the best pictures of Halloween because Daddy was not on top of his game, but here is what we have.

For Halloween we had a fun night. We just trick-or-treated a few houses on our street and then went home and had dinner and ate candy.Papa brought silly teeth to try to scare me. It didn't work. I just laughed!

Daddy & Snow White

Here's a close up Mommy took after Halloween while I was playing in my princess costume.

Dancing Snow White

2009-10-31T21:44:00.000-07:00

Singing the ABC's

2009-10-28T09:38:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch Fun 2009

2009-10-17T16:02:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch 2009

2009-10-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

Even though it was foggy and humid today (but not at the same time) we decided to go to the pumpkin patch. Actually, Mommy & Daddy decided to take me so I would stop asking :)

First we got to go visit all of the animals. There was a new baby cow that was only 2 days old. We also saw some neat white donkeys. I loved the chickens.

We tried to pose in the fun picture things but my attention span wasn't long enough for that.

Then I found the corn pit.

There are tons of pictures of me jumping into the corn for two reasons. 1. I jumped for a REALLY LONG TIME! They had to bribe me with something to get me to leave. 2. Daddy can't resist action shots. Especially when they are of me!

Nana & Papa loved the show!

...and Nana G & Papa G did too!

"Look at me!"

Then I made a corn angel.

More jumping! This time on mattresses covered in tarps. Who knew that would be so much fun?

Finally I picked my pumpkin!

Hungry Hippos

2009-10-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

On one of her many stops at Target, Mommy got me the Hunry Hippos game. I love to play it, but mainly by myself. I get to be all of the hippos and that way I always win ;)

Playing Outside

2009-10-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

Watch me Paint

2009-10-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

Spinning with Daddy

2009-10-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

Painting

2009-10-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

Mommy bought me finger paints to try since I really love painting. It was pretty fun getting a little messy but I still really like using a paintbrush.

Hanging with the Babies

2009-10-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

We went to Great Grandma Coyle's for a pizza night and I got to see Emma & Ava. It has been a few months since I have seen them, but they remembered me and were really happy to see me.

Three girls + a whole bunch of toys = fun!

Wish List

2009-10-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

Baby Bedding for #2

http://www.target.com/Bananafish-Love-Bird-4pc%20Crib/dp/B0025YQ4UE/ref=in_de_display_children_2?ie=UTF8&altString=Bananafish%20Love%20Bird%204pc%20Crib%20Set

Letters & Numbers Puzzles

http://www.landofnod.com/family.aspx?c=3143&f=2149

Matching Colors Game

http://www.landofnod.com/family.aspx?c=3143&f=4406

Artist Easel

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3559768

"I'm a Princess"

2009-10-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, this phrase has entered my vocabulary :) One day at Ann's I dressed up like a princess and then she let me borrow the princess barbies to take home to play with. Anytime I hear music or when I am wearing a dress, I twirl and say, "I'm a princess." So fun to be a girl!

On another note, Mommy is sorry for the lack of posts in September. It was a busy month with back to school and me being two and a half and wanting to be very independent & stubborn. Anyway, October will be different, we promise!

Haircut & Library

2009-10-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

It was time for a haircut today so Mommy took me while Daddy did chores around the house. I sat perfectly still the whole time and had a serious look on my face. But I enjoyed my sucker as a treat afterwards. My hairdresser blew my hair dry and you will be able to see why Mommy & Daddy have chosen Snow White as my Halloween costume. After my haircut we went to the library to get some new books and play with the puzzles. It was a fun day!

Santa Cruz

2009-09-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

We headed to Santa Cruz for the day because Stephanie was visiting and we all wanted an outing. I got to go on the Kiddie Rides and I really had fun.

Riding on the whales

Riding in a plane
Papa, Nana, & Steph enjoyed watching me.

Riding in a dinosaur

Then Nana & Papa took me on the carousel.

Papa rode his own horse.

"Cheese!"

Nana helped me on my horsey.

We also went to the beach and Daddy & I played in the water for a long time. I had so much fun!

When we got out it was cold so we snuggled in towels.

Santa Cruz Beach Fun

2009-09-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

Whale Ride @ SC

2009-09-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

Time for my Mani & Pedi

2009-09-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

A Big Puddle

2009-08-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

Here's what happened when Daddy drained my pool and I found the puddle that was left behind.

Painting

2009-08-23T12:53:00.001-07:00

My new favorite thing to do!

Last Days of Summer

2009-08-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

Mommy tried really hard to make the last few days before she had to go back to work really fun. Here are some of our adventures.

Playing in the Dirt

2009-08-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

There isn't much in life that is more fun than playing in the dirt...

Car Ride at the Fair

2009-08-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a cute video of me on one of the rides at the fair.

BUSTED!

2009-08-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

Two reasons why Mommy shouldn't trust me with Nana:

Cheetos!

and stickers!

But I have SO MUCH FUN with Nana!!!

Fun at the Fair

2009-08-04T16:01:00.000-07:00

Papa thought it would be fun to take me to the fair to ride the rides and see the animals. It turns out, he was right. We all had a really fun time at the fair.

I loved riding the rides, especially ones involving cars!
Daddy was a good sport and went on some rides with me!

I requested to have my picture taken by this piggy, but once Mommy got the camera ready, the sun was in my eyes.

The spinning swings were really fun!

Then, Nana treated me to a pony ride. No one was quite sure how I would do, but I loved it!!! And, my pony's name was "Princess." I know that will make Auntie Corinne happy!

Beach Fun

2009-07-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

This video is kind of long but it is a montage of lots of our favorite moments from the beach.

Throwing Rocks with Nana

2009-07-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

Lake Tahoe -- Day 7

2009-07-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

For our last day, we packed up the biked and hopped in the truck to go explore some new ground. We stopped and saw Emerald Bay. It is beautiful!

Then we found a great bike trail all along the lake. It was even better than the one that we found & loved earlier in the week. We stopped to throw rocks in the lake.

Mommy chose our lunch spot. It was a great outdoor restaurant with a view of the Trukee River coming off of Lake Tahoe. It was awesome! Good food too!

Nana & I were best friends this week!

Feeding ducks on the Tahoe Dam bridge

Last family picture of the trip.

Being silly in the backseat on the way home!

Lake Tahoe -- Day 6

2009-07-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

Since Nana & Papa golfed while we went to the beach, we decided to take them. We had a lot of fun playing in the sand...

...and in the water.

We even had fun in the shade.

Then we went out to dinner and I wanted to take a picture with Betty Boop.

Pool Fun

2009-07-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the loud background on this video. Part of the pool was indoors and there were a lot of kids having a good time :)

Lake Tahoe -- Day 5

2009-07-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

We took a gondola ride to the top of the mountain for a great view of Lake Tahoe. The ride up was about 12 minutes long. I enjoyed looking out the big windows and seeing the trees and the big rocks.

It is a long way down...

Nana was a little nervous but she did very well!

The view from the top...

...of course I was "bird watching."

Papa took lots of pictures.

More "bird watching" :)

Going down was even more fun than going up.

Later we played at a park. We always find swings by the beach!

Daddy helped me with the monkey bars

First Ice Cream Cone

2009-07-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

Lake Tahoe -- Day 4

2009-07-20T00:38:00.000-07:00

Nana & Papa went to play golf, so Mommy & Daddy took me to the beach. We played in the sand...

...and Daddy tried to take a nap with my hippo as a pillow. "Silly Daddy"

I loved playing in the water, even though it was pretty cold.

The Tahoe Queen (a big paddleboat) left from the marina by our hotel. I loved watching and hearing the boat. I called it the "choo choo boat" because it had a loud horn that blew before it left the dock.

Burrying Daddy's feet in the sand...

...and then he buried mine.

Snuggling with Mommy to get warm.

Later, we took Nana & Papa to the pool after their round of golf.

I really love swimming in the pool, especially with my hippo.

Then Papa BBQ'd for us. We had a neat view of the BBQ's from our room.

Then, we went to this cool ice cream fountain across the street. I enjoyed my first ice cream cone very much.

Sorry that there are so many pics. Mommy tries to just choose the best ones. She really does narrow it down a lot. But I am so darn cute, that I make it hard for her :)

Playing in the Lake

2009-07-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

Lake Tahoe -- Day 3

2009-07-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

On this day we went for a really long bike ride. I waited with Boots in the back of Papa's truck while Daddy & Papa loaded all the bikes for our trip. Here are Nana & I kinda cramped in the back of Papa's truck, but loving it.
During our ride we stopped and had lunch on the beach. I had to take Boots everywhere with me on this day.
I enjoyed the ride from my comfy spot in my trailer (w/ Boots, of course).

Here's Mommy & Daddy at our lunch spot.

And, Nana & Papa.

The ride was beautiful. Sometimes we were riding through the trees and sometimes we were right next to the lake.

We saw some geese on the beach. I was fascinated by them.

And, Papa took me for a walk on the beach.

Later that night, Papa caught us all in bed looking at the pictures we had taken so far.

Lake Tahoe -- Day 2

2009-07-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

We had a laid back 2nd day of our vacation. It started with me jumping in bed with Nana & Papa. Papa, Kitty and I watched TV while Nana got up to make some tea. Here's our view on the 2nd morning. No more rain!
I found a phone with a cord. Never seen one of those before. It was fun to push the buttons...
...and to pretend to call Nana & Papa G.

We loved looking hanging out on the balcony and checking out the scenery. See! We told you we had the best room!

I loved going in and out of the door.

Nana brought the binoculars and I always said I was "bird watching."

We took a bike ride to explore.

And, we went to the pool.

The best thing about this day was the Riva Grill. It was a great outdoor restaurant with an awesome view and very good food. Here I am bird watching... (actually boat watching)

...and licking my plate clean.

Bird watching Daddy...

and Nana.

I just didn't feel like posing...

but later they convinced me to.

Then we took a walk on the beach and Nana played in the water with me...

...and we got all wet :) It was fun!

Lake Tahoe -- Day 1

2009-07-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

We're back from our big vacation of the summer and we took A LOT OF PICTURES! We will probably just post one day's worth of pictures at a time so that you aren't overwhelmed from looking at them and neither are we from posting them!

The traditional "on the way there sleeping" picture.Here's our hotel. We had one of the three best rooms in the place! What luck. We were on the top (6th) floor facing the lake. It was awesome!
Unfortunately, it rained right when we got there. So Daddy & Papa had to bring our luggage and all the bikes in in the rain :(

But here's how it looked later...

We had something to eat and walked around the shops at the marina near our hotel. I found this cute hippo floatie and begged Mommy for it. Even though they already brought me some water toys, they gave in when they found out this was only $3. They say it was the best $ spent on the trip. I LOVE this hippo! I even wanted to take it into the bath.

So fun!

2009-07-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

Not sure how we did it, but we forgot to post this cute video from the 4th of July! Enjoy!

Swimming!

2009-07-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this video of me swimming with Auntie Corinne on the 4th of July!

Naps

2009-07-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

This means quiet time for Mommy! Sweet!

More 4th Fun!

2009-07-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

After a nap, we got to go to Aunt Corinne & Uncle Todd's house for a BBQ & 4th of July party.

Aunt Corinne let Jonathan and I play with Uncle Todd's old cars. The only thing patriotic about this meal is the star plate it was served on :)
Mommy colored macaroni for the kids to play with. Looks like Daddy enjoyed the craft too.

Jonathan and his dad taught me how to do "poppers."

Then I got to swim in the pool with Auntie. I LOVED it!

Saying "Hello" through a pool noodle.

Kicking

Sitting in a floatie

Pulling Jonathan around in the floatie

After dinner & swimming we got to watch fireworks!

I loved snuggling with Papa!

We hope you all had a wonderful 4th too!

Parade Video

2009-07-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

Look at me waving my flag and hear me cheering for the floats!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

We started celebrating by going to the parade this morning. We got a great spot on the curb in the shade!

We walked around a little in front of the Gallo Center until the parade started.

Since I wouldn't wear my cute headband, Mommy wore it instead! Here comes the parade!

Papa bought me a flag to wave!

Picking up candy thrown from the floats.

I love dum-dum suckers!

Minnie Mouse Backpack

2009-07-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

Mommy & Daddy brought me a few little things back from Disneyland. One of them is a Minnie Mouse Backpack. I LOVE IT!!! I will not leave the house without it now and I always find lots of stuff to put in it before I leave. Here are some pics of the first time I saw it. I pranced around the house with it on.

Mommy & Daddy's Anniversary trip to Disneyland

2009-07-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

Since Mommy & Daddy don't have their own blog, they decided to share their Disneyland pictures on my blog. But they brought me good presents from the trip, so I guess this is a fair trade off!

Look at this cool licence plate they saw on the way down. At California Adventure lots of people pose with the letters in the California sign. This was perfect for Daddy. (He is the O if you couldn't tell ;)

Since there was not an "S" or "M" Mommy chose the "O." Still cute even though it doesn't symbolize anything.

Enjoying the sights at C.A.

Ready for California Screamin'

Looks like they had fun & they definitely screamed!

I hear you can't miss the Electrical Parade. Someday they will take me to see it!

Taking a break and eating a Mickey Mouse ice cream. Oops! They bit the ears off before they thought to take a picture.

In case you are wondering, I had a great time with Nana & Papa while Mommy & Daddy were celebrating in Disneyland. I will share some pics & video of my time with them soon!

Bubbles with Daddy

2009-06-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

On Father's Day we had a nice, small family BBQ at our house. The food & company were great! Daddy and I had fun playing with bubbles together.

Toddler Bed

2009-06-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

Daddy & I converted the crib to a toddler bed this morning and today I took my first nap in there. As you can see, that was pretty successful. We will see how it goes tonight! I am such a big girl now!

Adventures in Potty Training

2009-06-20T16:09:00.000-07:00

Well, there are no pictures of this, but we wanted to share with you how potty training is going. I am still wearing pull-ups until I decide to start telling everyone when I have to go potty, but for the most part, I am keeping them dry all day and all night long. I even went potty in a public place yesterday without my potty seat! Everyone was very proud of me!

"Ready for the Beach"

2009-06-20T16:05:00.000-07:00

Mommy: "Natalie, where are you going with all that stuff?"
Natalie: "To the beach!"

I keep saying that I am "Ready for the beach." Mommy & Daddy don't really know how I got this idea into my head, but I am being very persistent. Lucky for me they were already planning to take me there soon!

Being Crafty

2009-06-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

Mommy bought me this neat kit to make paper bag puppets. Today, we started with the birdie. (Surprise, surprise!) Bek, one of Mommy's students that just graduated, was over to visit and she helped me make the birdie.

Using glue stick for the first time. I liked to put glue on everything.
Hiding the finished product.

"See!"

Here it is!

Playing Piano

2009-06-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Playing piano & singing to the musical cards. One is "Happy Birthday Princess" the other is "Frosty the Snowman."

Sidewalk Fun

2009-06-18T15:35:00.000-07:00

Washing MY Car

2009-06-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

This morning while Daddy washed Mommy's car, I washed mine.

Then I dried it off.

And, I didn't want my picture taken while I lounged in my car after all of that hard work.

At the Cabin

2009-06-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

We went to the cabin to help clear the lot of pine needles before fire season. Great Grandma Coyle has lots of toys left up there from when my Mommy was a kid. I found some Leggos and convinced my Uncle Raymond to play with me.

Playing Leggos is serious business.

I liked exploring with Daddy.

All the guys, cleaning up the lot.

I had a very important job as stick collector.

I got to watch Disney movies with Daddy and eat mac & cheese on the couch. We watched Jungle Book. I hadn't seen this one before but I really liked it.

Then I sat with Grandpa and watched Great Grandma make ice cream.

Mommy took me out pinecone collecting.

"More pinecones"

Helping Grandpa open his Father's Day presents.

Ready to go home!

Riding my bike, hanging with Daddy, & Babysitting

2009-06-12T14:23:00.000-07:00

I have been up to lots of different, fun things since Mommy has been off of work. We play outside a lot everyday, especially since the weather has been so nice lately. I have been practicing on my trike and on my Dora bike and I am getting pretty good. Hopefully we will have video of that soon!
My favorite things to do outside are chalk and bubbles and hopscotch. I love skipping too.

Before Daddy leaves for work we snuggle on the couch and I get to dip my finger in his whipped cream (on top of his coffee). So cheeky!

This week we babysat my cousins Emma & Ava. We had a pretty good day. The babies are really easy and I wasn't too jealous.

Here is Emma

and this is Ava.

Aren't they cute?!?!?

A Sign of Things to Come

2009-06-06T16:47:00.000-07:00

Mommy is officially on summer vacation now so there should be more frequent blog updates in our future! I know that excites our readers :)

Playing Outside

2009-05-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

Here is what happens when a 2 year old puts on her own shoes. Even with shoes on the wrong feet, a girl can still have a lot of fun outside. I say "taking baby walk."

And, giving baby a ride on the swing...

Here's what happens when Mommy says it's time to go in and take a bath.

And, here's what happens when I get too hot.

Looks like lots more hot days are coming!

More of Mother's Day

2009-05-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

We had a nice BBQ and honored all of the Mom's. I got to play on the swings a lot because there were so many people to entertain.

Mother's Day morning

2009-05-10T14:00:00.001-07:00

When Mommy & Daddy picked me up this morning I was full of energy. We had a nice Mother's Day morning at Nana & Papa's and everyone got to enjoy watching me play!

Peek-a-boo! Growling like a dinosaur
Being cute...

and cheeky!

Fun with Nana & Papa

2009-05-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

I got to stay the night with Nana & Papa! They took me to dinner and to Funworks. We had a great time! I played in the ball pit (my favorite) and played air hockey and skeet ball with Papa. Nana didn't get too many pictures because we were so busy having fun!

The Nite-Nite Game

2009-05-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

Lately I am loving playing with babies. I take them everywhere in my shopping cart. But, my favorite thing to do with them is play nite-nite. I put them to sleep by covering them with blankies and putting pillows under their heads. I kiss them and say "love you" just like Mommy does when she puts me to bed.

I make Mommy & Daddy & Nana play nite-nite too. They don't seem to mind much. Maybe it is because they get to lay down and be tucked in and I always give them kisses and say "love you" too.

Power Wheels

2009-04-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

We have new next door neighbors and they have a little girl that is just a little older than me. We get to play outside together sometimes. She just got a pink Cadillac Escalade power wheel. It is a blast! We cruise down the street and listen to the radio. Sometimes we just get in and out of it a million times. And, sometimes we take our babies for rides too. What fun!

Playing

2009-04-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

I have missed my buddies Alex, Alyssa & Andi so much that their mommy brought them over to play. I got to show off my new swing set.

We made a choo-choo traing out of my chairs.

And, we played with musical instruments.

I will be back with the kids this week since mommy has to go back to work.

Watch out below...

2009-04-18T21:28:00.001-07:00

for video overload! Mommy & daddy finally got around to uploading a bunch of cute videos from the last couple of weeks. Enjoy them below!

Playing with cars with daddy

2009-04-18T21:27:00.002-07:00

Testing the swings

2009-04-18T21:27:00.001-07:00