Happy 5th Birthday!!!!!

About 5 months ago Natalie turned 5.  Maybe someday I'll get back to keeping this blog caught up, but I doubt it.  My girl just keeps me too busy.

Natalie had her 5th birthday party at the Museum of Discovery again and like last year she chose to have a safari party. This year the animals she chose were an albino corn snake, a chinchilla, a black rabbit, an insect from Australia called a prickly stick, and I think the other animal was a lizard of some sort.

There were 20 children in Natalie's Pre-K class, but we didn't have space for all of them.  I let Natalie choose who to invite and she cracked me up by making her choices based on how the children behave in school.  Two children were eliminated because "they don't listen to the teacher".  Another was mean to other children.  Natalie is usually a rule follower and she wants others around her to do the same.

Everyone had a wonderful time.  Natalie was a very happy birthday girl!

Natalie is fascinated by snakes.  Her favorites are King snakes and Rattlesnakes.

Natalie wasn't scared to touch this big prickly stick.

Petting a chinchilla, the animal with the softest fur in the world.

Happy Birthday Precious Natalie!!

Natalie and a sweet friend check out the dinosaur bones.

One of Natalie's favorite friends. 

Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair.

Surprised face when she got one of her favorite gifts, a Sofia the First schoolhouse.

Wearing her birthday crown that she got at school.  She got special privileges all day, like being the line leader.

Natalie dressed up like the Fairy doll that she got for her birthday.

Modeling one of her birthday presents, an Elsa dress complete with an Elsa side braid

Flashback to Family Gathering

I just realized that due to my recent erratic pattern of blogging I forgot to post pictures from my grandmother's 96th birthday.  Natalie and I made a 2 1/2+ hour drive to a little town in SW Arkansas.  When we arrived Natalie followed her usual pattern of being withdrawn from everyone there for the first few minutes.  I commented to my Aunt D that when Natalie grows up I predict she will be a fashion designer or a director.   Within 10 minutes of our arrival Natalie had dropped all of her barriers and was engaging every single person in the house in an elaborate game of her creation.  Natalie had all of the adults very happily doing her bidding.  As we watched Natalie issue command after command, all of which were promptly followed, Aunt D said, "I see what you mean about Natalie being a director".  It was so nice for me to sit back in a corner and relax while watching the whole scene unfold with Natalie and her loving Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles.

Playing paper dolls with Aunt D and Grandmother

Feeding the birds during a light snowfall with Uncle R and Uncle D

Goofing around with Grandmother

Playing with the marble toy that has been used by generations of children.

Natalie and her GreatGrandmother, the 96 year old beautiful birthday girl

Natalie and Granddaddy are ready to eat

The whole crew


Sad to say goodbye to Grandmother and Granddaddy

Natalie is 4!!!!

The Saturday before Natalie's birthday party one of her friends was celebrating their birthday at the same Museum as Natalie's party.  The pictures below where Natalie is wearing a purple shirt are from the other birthday party. The first pic is of her with her best buddy Jack.  When a little girl sat in the seat to Natalie's left Jack got very upset because he wanted to sit next to Natalie.  We quickly grabbed a chair and squeezed it in on her other side.  It warms my heart to see how much Natalie's friends like her.  

Natalie is cute from the back too :) Her hair is getting long which thrills her to no end.  I think she dreams of having hair as long as Rapunzel.

Jumping a week ahead now to Natalie's Birthday Party.

I explained to Natalie that her party was taking place a few days before her actual birthday.  She must have understood exactly what I meant because when some friends at the party said, "How old are you now Natalie?" her response was "Still Three!"

Natalie was a natural at hostessing.  As each of her guests arrived she ran up to them squealing their name with delight and throwing her arms around them in a giant bear hug.  She was so happy to be with her friends.  It was the best birthday ever!

Natalie and Jack, together again :)

Natalie got to choose 5 animals to visit at her party.  Her first request was an owl, but the Museum didn't have one.  Her second choice was a snake.  We got to meet and pet a gorgeous Scarlett King Snake aptly named Scarlett. (video to follow soon)

Next Natalie requested an alligator - quite a surprising choice from such a frilly little girly-girl.  I was surprised that the museum actually had an alligator.  His name is Peanut and he is 2 years old.  We got to pet his tail.  He didn't seem to mind the attention.  The only time he got upset was when they put him back in his little carrier.  He didn't like that AT ALL and let them know it with a lot of hissing and thrashing.

Next we saw a beautiful orange parrot.  We didn't get to pet him because he bites!  Then we saw a very friendly blue-tongued skink.  And last, but not least, we got to meet the only cuddly animal of the bunch a super sweet ferret.

Listening to the animal handler talk about each of the animals.

After the animal visit, we all sang happy birthday to Natalie and ate cupcakes and ice-cream. Then the kids were let loose to explore the section of the museum that was designed especially for children 6 and under.

Natalie was a bit sad the previous week that she never got a chance to wear the ladybug dress from the children's theater pictured below.  I made sure that she got a turn on her birthday.  She was thrilled!

Playing on the pirate ship with her friends.

Chillin' at the "beach" with a couple of friends.

Back at home after the party Natalie got to open all of her presents.  It was like Christmas all over again.

It was the Happiest Birthday Ever!  The gifts were wonderful, but the best part for Natalie was getting to be with all of her friends.  I was so proud of her for being such a sweet, gracious hostess.

A New Tradition: Half Birthdays

It drives me a bit crazy that Natalie's birthday is so close to Christmas.  If I was a child I would rather have my presents more spread out, so I decide to informally celebrate her half birthdays.  For Natalie's 3 1/2 year birthday I surprised her with a horse and carriage to transport her cherished princesses around the house.

The Birthday Movies

The Birthday Girl's Big Day

When Natalie turned 2 last January we hadn't been home from China very long, so we had a quiet family birthday party. This year we decided to do something special to celebrate her 3rd birthday. We invited all of Natalie's friends from school to a party at the zoo.

The day started out a bit chilly.  We piled the cake and presents into a wagon and off we went to the Jungle Party Room.  Natalie brought her hedgehog in honor of the animal of the day.


On our way to the party room we saw a some spider monkeys huddled together to try to stay warm.  After the party the temperature was much warmer and the monkeys were playing and having a grand time.

At first Natalie was very nervous and wanted to hold on to either myself or Gary at all times.  She kept saying "I don't want to go to school!"  I think because all of her little school friends were there she thought we were going to leave her.

For a couple of weeks before the party Natalie had been carrying her little stuffed hedgehog around in anticipation of meeting a real hedgehog at her party.  When the docent brought the hedgehog out the first thing Natalie did was hold her hedgehog up and put it nose to nose with the real hedgehog.  I guess she thought they might like to meet.

The docent told the children to pet the hedgehog with one finger in the direction of the quills and to keep their fingers away from its mouth.  Natalie is really good at following and remembering directions.   Every time we talk about our hedgehog experience she reminds us that we should never put our fingers near their mouth.


We received an unexpected visit from a bonus animal.  A beautiful and very friendly tortoise was petted and much admired by all the children and adults.

We were supposed to ride the carousel, but it had broken down the day before the party.  Instead we got to ride the zoo train.  Natalie sat beside her Daddy and instructed me to sit on the seat in front of them because there wasn't room for me on their seat.  She really enjoyed the train ride and talked animatedly the whole time.  When we got back to the Jungle room she was completely relaxed and in full party mode.

Natalie's Ni Hao Kai-Lan cake.  We bought her a Ni Hao KL lego set for her birthday and I used the figures and boat from it on her cake.  After we sang Happy Birthday to Natalie she blew out 2 of her 3 candles (I had to help with the 3rd).


Natalie took the Kai-Lan toy back to the table with her.


A very rare moment of eating unhealthy food.  Yummy!




Along one wall were some of Natalie's favorite adults:  Papa, Marm, Donna and Mitch.  She kept going over to chatter with the four of them excitedly about various party events.


The pink backpack Natalie is holding below was a gift from the zoo.  Natalie is really getting into Dora the Explorer, so she was so excited about getting this backpack.  I'm sure it will go with her on many future expeditions.

Her birthday dress and shoes were a gift from Marm and Papa.  Of course our little fashionista was thrilled to have a "bootiful, just like Cinderella" dress to wear.


The kids got great goody bags that contained these fun masks.  



Papa holds Natalie up so she can pet the gorilla's nose.




Back at home opening her presents


Kitty cat card from Grandmother and Granddaddy


Her favorite gift was from Neal and Sissy.  Her reaction was "Wow! Wow! WOW!!"


The whole gang from Ni Hao Kai-Lan


Papa and Natalie playing with a puzzle