First Day of Preschool

It was Natalie's first day of Preschool, and she could cry if she wants to...



She wasn't crying because she had to be away from Mommy or Daddy for a few hours. She wasn't crying because it was too early. She definitely wasn't crying because she didn't want to go. She was crying because she wanted to wear different clothes...



She cheered up enough to pose with Mommy before leaving...



But then the bottom lip came back out as she headed for the door.



I wish I had pictures of her getting out of the car at Preschool, because from what Kristin told me later, she turned to Kristin and said "c-ya Mommy!" and ran right in to play with the kids. We were thinking that this could be just a one day thing for her, and that she would be sad the next day of school. A few days later, we found out that this was not a one-time occurrence. She asks to go to school, tells us about school, will point to the school when we drive by on our way somewhere else, and when we drop her off, she almost forgets to say goodbye!

I guess each kid is different, but Natalie loves going to school!

Natalie Gets a Puppy!

We started rewarding Natalie for going to the bathroom in the potty. She isn't 100% there yet, but she is getting closer.

Natalie has been wanting a little toy puppy that she had seen in Target a few times, so we bought it for her and told her that if she was able to use the potty so many times, she could get it. Let's just say that she was motivated to play with that toy puppy, and exceeded our expectations quickly.

I must say, it is a neat little toy. It came with a doctor's kit, which Natalie uses to check the dogs heartbeat and blood pressure. They also have a syringe, bone, and bottle. When you pet the dog it whines, and when you pat it on the back it barks.

Natalie named the dog "Blackie" and she will often compare other dogs she sees while riding in the carseat to Blackie. From time to time, I catch her checking Blackie's vital signs in the living room when she is playing by herself.

So, she doesn't have a "real" puppy like her cousins, but this is all she is going to be getting for awhile. We will need to have our own backyard before thinking about getting a dog.

Here are a few pictures of Natalie and Blackie:

Trip to Iowa

Over Labor Day Weekend, Kristin, Natalie and I took a trip to Iowa to see Kristin's parents and relatives. We have been calling Kristin's parents, Grandpa Al and Grandma Terri. Natalie, on the other hand, calls them "Granpa Owl" and "Gramma Terri." At first we thought that she was saying "Al," but it is clearly "Owl." Al has been a good sport about it, and the name has stuck for now.

I had a busy week of work before going to Iowa, so being on the farm for a week was very relaxing. As with any vacation, you forget to take pictures sometimes, and I would put this vacation into that category. We did however take the camera out when we went to a local yearly event just across the border in MN. As a side story, you will notice that the pictures below are a little bright at times. When I went to get our camera out of the bag the lens was broken. Not the glass part, but the focusing function, and I am guessing the aperture adjustment. Good thing I bought the Best Buy warranty...I just have to find time to take it up there.

We went on a Sunday afternoon following church with Kristin's parents and grandparents. Here are a few pictures of Natalie with Grandma Terri, Great Grandpa (Clarence) and Great Grandma (Esther):





I think both Natalie and Terri enjoyed looking at all the animals. They looked at sheep:



They looked at chickens and roosters:



And Natalie even got to pet a pony:



I will leave you with pictures of some unique tractors. Natalie's favorite one was the pink one at the bottom. She even talked about it on the way home. Somehow she thought it was "her pink tractor"...not sure where she got that idea though.