Company picnic 2009

A couple of weekends ago, my company had our yearly picnic at the local amusement park. We had such a great time:

Such a little girl, looking up at the BIG trees.

The (temporary) tatoos were a big hit!

So were the boats!

And the ladybugs!

And the merry-go-round!

And there were more ladybug-like rides. That's so much fun that it is time for some silly faces!

Open windows

Every time we go for a drive, Natalie wants her window open. We usually let her, as long as it isn't raining, and we aren't on the highway. It reminds me of how I used to do that all the time, too.

Nowadays, when I leave home in the morning to go to work, I often turn on the radio or at least start to mentally prepare for the workday ahead. But the other morning, I decided to follow Natalie's example instead. I opened my window and tried to really see, really listen.

It was a beautiful morning with blue, sunny skies. The morning dew was glittering on the grass, looking like lots of little faries had been there just moments before, leaving shimmering fairy dust behind. There were many, many flowers in the ditch, in blue and yellow and white.

The birds were singing. At the stop sign, there was a truck. I could hear it go vroom-vroom, and I could imagine Natalie saying "That's a BIG Truck".

I could smell the freshness of the morning. You know, that smell of flowers and dew and trees that gives so many promises for the new day.

I used to drive with my window open. Lately, I've been doing it a lot again. It's just one more thing I've learned (or re-learned) from Natalie.

End of season

We've been to "the beach" several times this summer. Here's why: Who can resist that smile?

We were there last weekend. That was the last day this summer that the place was open. Which is probably a good thing, because the water was getting pretty cold. Amazing what a couple of cold nights will do. But boy, what a lot of fun it was!

The Children's Museum

Natalie and I went to the Childrens Museum again last week:

She's a very healthy shopper!

Doctor Natalie?


Of course, the tomato-celery slide is always a hit!

The playhouse

Last week, Natalie got a new ("new to her") playhouse: Peek-a-boo!

What can I make for you in my new kitchen?

After a while, she started bringing her toys out to the playhouse, one at a time. Here's how it went:

I love how she ends with saying "And the I need another..."

A nice ride

The other night, Natalie went for a ride with Daddy: She was so excited!

The pool

Natalie got a new backyard wading pool last weekend. It was definitely "Natalie approved"! She played for hours just in the first day!

That grin says it all!

And it even has a slide!

Look, Mom, I'm on top of the world (or at least on top of the slide).

Here's a little video - that laughter sure is contagious!

Another day at the Zoo

A few weekends ago, Natalie and I went to one of our favorite places - the Zoo:

Playing at the playground

The Zebra-thingie is always fun

And Natalie really, really wanted to ride on the merry-go-round on "the big peacock" (I think it's supposed to be an emu, but never mind such details...)

A favorite hiding place

Natalie loves to hide from us. She'll say "I wanna hide from Mommy" or "I wanna hide from Daddy", and then make a run for it. Usually, her hiding spot is in her bed, under the comforter. And here's how she looks when we find her: Peek-a-boo!