Merry Christmas!

Santa Who?

Explanation: We went to the Zoo last weekend to see the holiday lights, and Santa was visiting in the restaurant. Natalie got to sit on his lap and tell him that she's been good and what she wishes for for Christmas. And no, she wasn't that scared of him, the picture just came out funny that way. Here's a more natural one:

Santa and Natalie.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

The gingerbread house

Some of our good friends gave Natalie a ginger bread house kit for her birthday / Christmas. Last weekend, we spent a fun morning assembling it (and sampling the goodies a little, too...)

Let's see what's inside!

Yes, that's green frosting on her finger - what else could it be?

Putting frosting on the house...

... And sampling the candy.

The final result. Very yummi!

December!

This month has been so busy, it's hard to remember that it's December!

But it must be December, because Natalie is enjoying her "Christmas Calendar":

December first - getting the first present!

We have an old tradition in our family - we call it a Christmas Calendar (some people around here call it an advent calendar). Every day from the first of December until the 24th, Natalie gets a little present. Actually, she gets three, because she gets one from Grandma, one from her Aunt and Cousin, and one from us.

Traditions can be so much fun.

Natalie's birthday party

Natalie's best friend, Aubriella, came over for Natalie's birthday party. And she brought her family too. Natalie had such a great time (as did we). Natalie had asked for a Dora the Explorer party, so of course the basement was decorated with Dora, and the ice cream cake was a Dora cake with purple frosting!

Admiring the cake!

We had one of the same party games as last year - the packing chips in the water table where the girls could dig for "treasures". Except this year it was a Dora party game, because the bags for the treasures was a Dora bag, of course!

Look what I found!

The kids had a blast, and as always, they played so well together. Later, when we moved upstairs, they took turns pulling each other in the car:

Go, Natalie, go!

But I think one of the best parts of the party was the dancing - because what is a party without dancing? The kids danced to Christmas music in the basement. And then Natalie got her present from Aubriella - a CD with songs that included her name. She thought that was the best thing ever! So, the kids kept dancing to that one, too:

Dance party!

Happy 4th Birthday, Natalie!

On Natalie's birthday, she woke up to a special breakfast table:

Birthday breakfast - M&M muffin!

She was a little tired...

Sleepy-head...

And yes, tootsie rolls are totally a breakfast food when it is your birthday - and only when it is your birthday!

She liked her birthday card, though.

Listen, Dora is singing Happy Birthday!

After daycare, I took Natalie to Walmart to pick out a cake. The lady behind the counter was so nice, writing on it with purple icing (Natalie got to choose the color), and she gave us two big butterflies to decorate it with.

After the cake, it was time for presents. Natalie took her time, unwrapping each present and playing with it a little before moving on to the next one. Here's one of her favorites:

A purple unicorn pillow-pet!

I guess I should write the obligatory "where did the time go". And really, those four years went by very fast. But what amazes me most is what a beautiful, funny, smart, curious, stubborn, caring little person she has become. She has her own opinions, and she loves to learn. She wonders about things and notices the tiniest little details at times. She's got her own personality, and it's a great one.

Happy Birthday, Natalie.

The Elmo show

Just like last year, we went to an Elmo show. Last year Natalie had her first Icee. This year, she opted for the cotton candy:

Cotton candy - as big as her head!

She really enjoyed the show. The music was great (even for us grown-ups), and of course, Elmo is always a hit. Baby Savanna also really liked it:

Enjoying the show!