Natalie's summer

Natalie's had a good summer... she has no idea how lonely she's about to be when the kids go to school.  She was a trooper tagging along to swim team practice every morning.  She and I played in the pool while the older kids did their 'workout'.  

At the beginning of the summer she was afraid to put her head under the water.  Now, she still doesn't like putting her head under.... but she'll do it once if I insist (and I do).

Random playing.  She either plays famously by herself or is clinging to my legs.  There is little in between for her.  She pulls my skirt down if I'm busy and I make her wait/ignore her (and I do).

Natalie has established a uniform.  She wears a T-shirt and one of two dress-up skirts nearly exclusively.  The day she doesn't is the one they are both in the wash.  For a week we had trauma because one skirt was missing.  I went crazy tearing the house apart looking for it.  I begged the kids to help me.  Finally one day I was coming down the stairs and looked at a light fixture... 

I don't know how it got there or why I didn't see it the hundred other times I passed by.  I should have at least noticed it during my daily dusting... (which I do....)

She also thinks it's fun to dress up in Miles' costumes.  She still won't let me do her hair.  That drives some mother's crazy, others have given up a long time ago (and I did).

Natalie's love of shoes has never waned.  She still tries on anyone's shoes that come into the house.  Grandma left her socks available as well (which I don't).

She has grown to love Hannah Montana.  They're never to young for those Disney marketing geniuses - and we don't even have cable. It also doesn't help to have an older sister who loves her.  We went to the Hannah Montana movie (which wasn't near as dumb as I thought it was going to be) and Natalie was dancing in the aisles.  Her favorite song is Nobody's Perfect. In case you can't understand Natalie, the words she is singing are below.  They aren't the exact order as on the real song.  In fact they're quite backwards. She wasn't performing, she had no idea the camera was on her.  She just breaks into song all the time - until she realizes someone is watching and then she stops immediately.  

Nobody's perfect

I got to work it

again and again til I make mistakes

There's Natalie's summer in a nutshell.  At least all the parts I took pictures of.  I wasn't sure if I could cram it all into one post (but I did).