Holidays are here!

We spent yesterday, taking Natalie to do some Christmas shopping at the mall and they had quite a line to ride the Choo Choo train! She just loved it and said choo choo! everytime the horn tooted. She really enjoyed that the seats were so low that her feet could touch the ground. Then we ate gingerbread cookies and passion tea on our way to Lane & Sanson. A tradition with mom and pop, we always buy one tree ornament from the tiny little shop that you have to squeeze your way through just to stop and look and all the decorations packed onto each tree! Natalie enjoyed looking at everything!

Natalie is enjoying her time at school now, yet she still cries a bit when we drop her off, but is so happy to see us when we pick her up! I signed her up for a library card last week and can't wait to take her one day on our way home from school. She LOVES books that have popups or texture that she can touch. We really do read everyday and sometimes read through a sticker book and she is happy to place the pictures where she wants. Never a day passes that she doesn't color. Her strokes begain light and big, now they are bold and swirling. She's even exploring tight close together coloring.

We did take Natalie and Buzzy for pictures with Santa, but Nat was afraid of him and cried then Buzzy didn't want to sit with him either, so I'm unsure what the final will look like. I'll post a copy here when they are returned :P

Is It Just Our Daughter?

Of course it can't be, but Natalie is amazing! She tells me what words she'd like to learn for the day and reviews all the words she knows before bedtime; shoe, sock, nose, mouth and on it goes. In the morning it starts all over, shoe, sock...during the day she'll ask "that?" I'll say FLAG, she repeats Flag? Yes, I say and then flag is added to our list. Our fridge is covered with words and pictures. She'll pick one up and say "clock!". I reinforce "clock!" Then she hums happily and picks another. Wow, at 21 months! And I thought I was doing a good job teaching her new things everyday, but she is so anxious to start communicating that she has taken the initiative on this one! She is enjoying the holiday season and just loves looking at the Christmas Decorations. She is allowed to turn on the Christmas Tree lights every morning and loves playing underneath with the kitties and the packages. She is in for a big surprise on Christmas morning!