little hands that love to bake

How sweet are these little hands? Natalie loves using her hands in play, doing art projects and most of all, BAKING! These hands have sweetened many cakes, cookies and pies. She loves to help Mi Mi make pizza and and chocolate chip cookies. Lately there has been quite a bit of friendship bread baking. So far this autumn season, we have made the bread, a pumpkin pie and our latest... pumpkin shaped cut out cookies. These little hands like to put in the ingredients, stir and pour, but mostly grab little bites and sneak little licks. Her famous line is "can I have a bite now?" Baking with these hands always make double the mess and double the time, but I love it and won't ever bake alone again! These hands will always be a part of baking in our house. The picture shown here is Nat making a pumpkin cut out with a mound of dough...I bet that will be the best cookie in the batch!

Walk to the woods

Last Sunday, Natalie and I took a walk to the woods behind our house. Ok so we didn't walk into the woods, but just out to and along the tree line. We found some really cool leaves and did some exploring. When we came back in the house, we made some cool artwork with them.

Natalie's new haircut

After much debate, I gave in to cutting Nat's hair. It had been driving her and her daddy crazy for awhile. I was so long and just getting in her way all the time. She said she wanted it cut like a little friend named Emma. Well, mama couldn't go quite that short, as darling as it may be. So last Sunday night, she and I went to the salon and I did it. It is not an easy task cutting a child's hair and when it's your own child, you see that haircut everyday and see every flaw. I have re trimmed her hair 3 times and it is finally passing my approval. She looks like such a big girl now. I love it and so does she. She and her daddy want it shorter...I just say, BABY STEPS...

Quote of the day

Go out on a limb, afterall that IS where the fruit is
-Author unknown

So maybe I won't have a quote everyday, maybe on Wednesdays....

It's out...

After bath time, lots of persuasion and tears, I worked that splinter out! It's gone and it took everything in Nat NOT to smile. A few minutes later she said thanks for getting that splinter out mama!

Ouch...a splinter!

Nat came in from playing outside and told me she hurt her finger. As I as I bent down to check it out and give that healing motherly kiss, I saw it! Right on the bend of her little index finger, a SPLINTER! She refuses to let us even try to get it out. She claims it doesn't hurt anymore, but I see her favoring it and looking at it everytime she touches it to something. Gotta figure out a way to occupy her so I can sneak and do it....

Costume Dilemma

Should picking out a costume for a three year old be this challenging? Or is EVERYTHING with a three year old challenging? I mean honestly I really dislike this whole trick or treat thing...I really never liked as a child. I never want to force my child to do something especially something that is so borderline to becoming an evil thing, but she wants to dress up. Now I know she will never go trick or treat, which is fine, but she wants to be BUZZ LightYear! Ok, I can deal with that(even though I would choose something different)...YES ERIN, I CAN deal with it, however, I can not deal with paying $60 for this costume, that I have no clue how long it will be on her little body. I have tried many different options for her. We spent 30 minutes in the costume section at red dot boutique, which went from walking up and down the aisles, to her finding an "ugly Buzz costume, and me saying what about this monkey? Then her saying how about this? THIS=A John McCain mask. Then I said how about this dog outfit, she agreed to be a dog, but it had to be a dalmation. We couldn't find a dalmation, so she went back to the hanus BUZZ costume. I just said we will look some more at other stores, we have plently of time. Needless to say, we left the store with her having a meltdown and me totally stressed out! God, please lead me to a dalmation costume....

Gymnastics

After 3 sessions of swim lessons, which is 12 classes at 45 mintues each, and tears and terror every single class....we decided to try another sport! Natalie did gymnastic at the young age of 18 months and loved it, so we decided to go for it again! Natalie joined Gracie at Midwest Gymnastics in the 3 and 4 year old preschool class. She has the same coach as before, Coach Thad. He is wonderful with the children. Those who know my sweet Natalie, know that she has a touch of stranger anxiety and gets a little nervous in new situations. With that said, our first two classes were slightly challenging. The saying "third time is a charm" fell right into place. Nat's third class was just perfect with the exception of all the children having difficult time paying attention and listening to coach Thad. Anyone with children knows that it only takes one to throw an entire group of children off their game! Oh Coach Thad, bless your heart! I love watching her in her little leotard (even though her little undies hang out and it secretly drives me absolutly insane), and I know this is going to be quite a learning and developing time for her! As soon as Erin sends me some pics she took at class, I will post!

Our Family Addition

Happy Autumn! I decided this year that we would decorate our pumpkins in a way other than carving. As much as I enjoy carving a big ole' gourd and baking the seeds, I thought it would be fun to do something a little different this year. My search for unique ideas began...While taking it easy after my "so called minor" surgery( that's a blog topic in itself) I was reading a home decor magazine and by golly, I found my idea! We curled black pipe cleaners around our little fingers and glue them on the top for "crazy hair". We also glued on buttons and googly eyes as you can see for everything else, No Erin, not Oreos! So our little friends will sit on our porch and welcome our visitors!