Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Papa and Lala Land
We had an awesome Father's Day weekend with my parents and my mom ended up staying with us the entire next week. What a treat! Natalie got so used to the perpetual Grandma Lala audience that I've had some pretty big shoes to fill the past few days since she's been gone. I'm exhausted! What fun we had. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for making the trip. We love you!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Swimming
A few weeks ago, Natalie was in a two week toddler swimming class at the YMCA. We started off in some pretty rough waters. First, she screamed at the thought of leaving her "sop sops" (flip flops) poolside and getting in barefooted. The girl loves footwear, what can I say? The first week she had no interest in going past the steps, would not entertain the thought of going under or even blowing bubbles and refused to remove her sunglasses the entire length of the class. On day three...or four, I can't remember...the instructor taught them how to climb out of the pool. This was great news to Natalie...she happily put both elbows on the pool deck, started tucking her tummy to bring her right leg up and when I helped heave the rest of her onto the pool deck her frown finally lifted. After standing her soggy self up, she headed for the gate to the parking lot while announcing, "I'm ready to go home now!"
The second week went a little better. The instructor had these floating fish toys that Natalie loved and we soon learned she could be bribed with these little plastic pawns to perform a few basic class rituals...blowing bubbles, kicking, pretending to be a starfish, etc. It worked until the fish ran out.
On the last day of the program she wanted to get out of the pool a little before the class ended. This surprised me because by then she was getting a little into it. I tried to convince her to stick it out a few more minutes and that's when she shouted, "I want to get out. I'm POOPY!" The girl knows how to get her momma moving. The funny part was, she wasn't poopy...she just knew that that magic phrase would get her to the locker room showers. Showering after swimming class was her very favorite part of the whole event.
We wrapped up the 10 day class and I took matters into my own hands after that. We had Mommy/Natalie swim clinic every day at our condo pool and now, I'm proud to say....we have a swimmer! Well, a dog paddler! But, she can keep her head above water for a few seconds while paddling and kicking, will actually get her hair wet and knows to hold her breath! Progress.
Grandma Lala was here last week and was a huge help in getting Natalie comfortable with the water! Thank you, Lala! Here are some pics of our little land mammal finding her fins!
The second week went a little better. The instructor had these floating fish toys that Natalie loved and we soon learned she could be bribed with these little plastic pawns to perform a few basic class rituals...blowing bubbles, kicking, pretending to be a starfish, etc. It worked until the fish ran out.
On the last day of the program she wanted to get out of the pool a little before the class ended. This surprised me because by then she was getting a little into it. I tried to convince her to stick it out a few more minutes and that's when she shouted, "I want to get out. I'm POOPY!" The girl knows how to get her momma moving. The funny part was, she wasn't poopy...she just knew that that magic phrase would get her to the locker room showers. Showering after swimming class was her very favorite part of the whole event.
We wrapped up the 10 day class and I took matters into my own hands after that. We had Mommy/Natalie swim clinic every day at our condo pool and now, I'm proud to say....we have a swimmer! Well, a dog paddler! But, she can keep her head above water for a few seconds while paddling and kicking, will actually get her hair wet and knows to hold her breath! Progress.
Grandma Lala was here last week and was a huge help in getting Natalie comfortable with the water! Thank you, Lala! Here are some pics of our little land mammal finding her fins!
Now she's all about being a starfish!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Let's make a house!
Natalie loves anything to do with houses...maybe it's because architectural plans and building materials commonly surround my computer. She plays with carpet samples, roofing shingles and paint chips quite often and has been known to carry a fan deck of aluminum rain gutter samples in her little purse on a trip to the grocery store. You just never know when you'll be asked to select a gutter color!
Whenever she has a collection of anything on hand...blocks and books(the obvious), hair accessories, utensils, rocks and remote controls (the not so obvious)...she says, "I wanna maka house!" She stacks her building materials or sometimes lines them up either straight or surrounding the little something she's making the house for. The lucky resident in these house creations is often her sweet self, a toy, a flower or an imaginary something. The other day when I asked her what lived in a house she'd made of hair accessories she said, "an elephant!" The imaginary residents are the best!
The backyard in the house we're staying in has some really cool metal sculpture pieces...and the only ones that are small enough to lift have been turned into the "flower house". Natalie sits in the middle of her flower house until she starts to cook on the hot landscape rocks! She'd actually prefer to just stay in there and have us hose her down to cool her off!
Whenever she has a collection of anything on hand...blocks and books(the obvious), hair accessories, utensils, rocks and remote controls (the not so obvious)...she says, "I wanna maka house!" She stacks her building materials or sometimes lines them up either straight or surrounding the little something she's making the house for. The lucky resident in these house creations is often her sweet self, a toy, a flower or an imaginary something. The other day when I asked her what lived in a house she'd made of hair accessories she said, "an elephant!" The imaginary residents are the best!
The backyard in the house we're staying in has some really cool metal sculpture pieces...and the only ones that are small enough to lift have been turned into the "flower house". Natalie sits in the middle of her flower house until she starts to cook on the hot landscape rocks! She'd actually prefer to just stay in there and have us hose her down to cool her off!
The Flower House, it's builder and resident!
She's going to need to add a room if she intends to invite this ball over for dinner!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Boxes and Bags
Those two words pretty much sum up our life lately. If we're not packing boxes, we're unpacking boxes, breaking down boxes, storing boxes or repositioning boxes after rifling through them looking for something we're missing. The bags...well, those come with having a toddler. I carry enough at one time to hopefully be prepared for anything the day (or the daughter) can throw at me. Changes of clothes, swimsuit, sun hat, sun block, sunglasses (both mine and hers), diapers, swimmy diapers, beach towels, work out stuff, snacks, water bottles, etc. The funny part is, Natalie usually has her own bag of swag.
In fact, she carries more with her in a day than I could keep track of. Whenever we're about to leave the house she grabs all she can carry, puts these treasures into some sort of purse, shopping bag, Easter basket or tattered gift bag and only then is she ready to go. Thank goodness I've seen other toddlers do this because or else I would surely think it's her response to the unique nomadic lifestyle that her parents have introduced her to this past year. Part of me still wonders if she takes her beloveds with her just in case we move while we're at the grocery store!
Until we're settled...which we hope to be again someday...the boxes have become a great addition to the play circuit wherever we are living. If ever I can't locate Natalie she's in this box...with as many of her things as will fit!
Only Corey and I would still own a T.V. that fits into a box this size.
In fact, she carries more with her in a day than I could keep track of. Whenever we're about to leave the house she grabs all she can carry, puts these treasures into some sort of purse, shopping bag, Easter basket or tattered gift bag and only then is she ready to go. Thank goodness I've seen other toddlers do this because or else I would surely think it's her response to the unique nomadic lifestyle that her parents have introduced her to this past year. Part of me still wonders if she takes her beloveds with her just in case we move while we're at the grocery store!
Until we're settled...which we hope to be again someday...the boxes have become a great addition to the play circuit wherever we are living. If ever I can't locate Natalie she's in this box...with as many of her things as will fit!
Only Corey and I would still own a T.V. that fits into a box this size.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Happy Birthday, Corey!
Okay...I know we're a few days late with this post...but better late than never, right? We had a nice afternoon and evening at home for Corey's birthday. I made him a rhubarb pie (his favorite) and Natalie opened all his cards and blew out his candles. We bought the rhubarb and the birthday candles on Tuesday and didn't make the pie or light it on fire until Saturday...so, you can only imagine how impatient Natalie got for the whole promised production. Every day when she woke up (in the morning and then again from her nap) she would say, "Natalie bwoh out Daddy's cannels now?" I had to keep telling her that it wasn't quite time yet. Imagine her excitement when the moment finally came.
She was way more impressed with the candle extinguishing than the pie and wanted to light it again right after it went dark. We've been having a very difficult time getting her to sleep these days and most nights we resort to breakfast bribery. That's right...we promise waffles, juice, all the goodies to get her to go to sleep. Well, that night she agreed to go to sleep for waffles with candles! She went to sleep (fairly) easily that night so the next morning she got her very own birthday breakfast. Wish I had a picture...you'll just have to use your imagination.
This picture cracked me up...Corey crossed his hands when he was making a wish and Natalie thought he was praying...she clasped her hands, closed her eyes, bowed her head and waited. She's never seen so many candles lit at one time other than church so it made perfect sense to her!
She was way more impressed with the candle extinguishing than the pie and wanted to light it again right after it went dark. We've been having a very difficult time getting her to sleep these days and most nights we resort to breakfast bribery. That's right...we promise waffles, juice, all the goodies to get her to go to sleep. Well, that night she agreed to go to sleep for waffles with candles! She went to sleep (fairly) easily that night so the next morning she got her very own birthday breakfast. Wish I had a picture...you'll just have to use your imagination.
This picture cracked me up...Corey crossed his hands when he was making a wish and Natalie thought he was praying...she clasped her hands, closed her eyes, bowed her head and waited. She's never seen so many candles lit at one time other than church so it made perfect sense to her!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
The BIG mountain...
Corey has been biking on a mountain very near our house called Piestewa Peak. Natalie calls it the BIG Mountain. We'll pass this stately peak on our drives around town and she'll see it and immediately ask if Daddy's on the Big Mountain.
She's started striking up conversations with people lately (strangers mostly) and this is invariably one of her hot topics. It starts with Natalie saying, "My Daddy went away." The puzzled stranger, with eyebrows raised, is awkwardly silent for a moment trying to avoid eye contact with me while at the same time figure out how to delicately respond. The usual response from said stranger is, "oh, is he at work?". Natalie then says, "No, he went away. He's on the Big Mountain." This is when I usually step in and explain that he mountain bikes a lot while encouraging Natalie to say goodbye to her new friend so we can be on our way. I can only imagine what her new friend is thinking.
Well, Friday night we decided to take Natalie to see the Big Mountain up close. We walked along the trail while Corey biked and she had fun watching him barrel down the hill at top speed. The one mistake he made was telling her about all the rabbits she'd see hopping along the trail. I guess on the average evening he has to dodge them like little furry bullets. Apparently the rabbits are more leery of a toddler than they are of speed demon mountain bikers because we didn't spot one. Natalie kept repeatedly saying, "I wanna see wabbits" as we headed back to the trail head...and she's been asking about them ever since. Maybe next time!
And he's off...
She's started striking up conversations with people lately (strangers mostly) and this is invariably one of her hot topics. It starts with Natalie saying, "My Daddy went away." The puzzled stranger, with eyebrows raised, is awkwardly silent for a moment trying to avoid eye contact with me while at the same time figure out how to delicately respond. The usual response from said stranger is, "oh, is he at work?". Natalie then says, "No, he went away. He's on the Big Mountain." This is when I usually step in and explain that he mountain bikes a lot while encouraging Natalie to say goodbye to her new friend so we can be on our way. I can only imagine what her new friend is thinking.
Well, Friday night we decided to take Natalie to see the Big Mountain up close. We walked along the trail while Corey biked and she had fun watching him barrel down the hill at top speed. The one mistake he made was telling her about all the rabbits she'd see hopping along the trail. I guess on the average evening he has to dodge them like little furry bullets. Apparently the rabbits are more leery of a toddler than they are of speed demon mountain bikers because we didn't spot one. Natalie kept repeatedly saying, "I wanna see wabbits" as we headed back to the trail head...and she's been asking about them ever since. Maybe next time!
And he's off...
Just hiking on a bike trail waiting for Dad to come back.
The poor kid worked up a thirst calling for wabbits.
Natalie would say, "oooooh...hew he comes!"
A view of Piestewa Peak from our drive home.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Water Safety
Natalie isn't a big fan of the water. We're in the process of finding the best swimming lesson option to remedy that, but, in the meantime, she kind of needs to be coaxed into the pool. She loves her arm floaties (probably a little too much) which I hesitantly bought for her hoping it would give her some added confidence in the water and encourage her to want to paddle and kick to travel around the pool. Well, the result has instead been a little confusion about what swimming actually entails.
She was floating the other day and I told her she needed to kick, and always be kicking and moving her arms when she was in the water. As she lazily floated, inflated arms outstretched, she said, "Mommy, I don't want to kick and move my arms...I'm SWIMMING." Hmmmm. Maybe we need to lose the floaties.
After she gets out of the pool, she prefers to keep the floaties on for a while just in case she were to come across a deep puddle or rogue sprinkler on her way to the back door. She "painted" with a bucket of water the other day while wearing her floaties for at least a half hour. She's a safety girl, what can we say?
She was floating the other day and I told her she needed to kick, and always be kicking and moving her arms when she was in the water. As she lazily floated, inflated arms outstretched, she said, "Mommy, I don't want to kick and move my arms...I'm SWIMMING." Hmmmm. Maybe we need to lose the floaties.
After she gets out of the pool, she prefers to keep the floaties on for a while just in case she were to come across a deep puddle or rogue sprinkler on her way to the back door. She "painted" with a bucket of water the other day while wearing her floaties for at least a half hour. She's a safety girl, what can we say?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
