Did anyone call for some snow?

I woke up this morning to a blizzard outside. It's trash pickup so in order to get my garbage can out to the street I had to shovel the driveway. (Zack is out of town so it was up to me or Natalie.)

I bundled her all up (minus snow boots b/c I didn't think I needed them yet) and out we headed. You can see from the first pic that Natalie wasn't to sure about it. Then everytime I would ask her where the snow is she would wave her hand back in forth. Like "duh mom, its all over".



She didn't want to come back inside. When I would ask her to she would run down to the end of the driveway shaking her head.

Trick or Treat

Zack came back from a trip this week and had a surprise. He brought home a giant sucker from Dylan's Candy Store. Natalie took one look at it and I swear she was in heaven. She would cry so hard when we would take it away since obviously we couldn't let her finish it all in one sitting.
Anyway, last night we got Natalie dressed up for Halloween. She needed to wear all black under her costume and once we put her black top and leggings on we both looked at her and thought "She looks like a little Thespian". No offense Denise.



We went to Jordan Landing to trick or treat at some stores with my Mom. (Charles came for dinner only afterwards.) She was so cute. She wouldn't crack a smile. She just wandered around staring at everyone and held on to her little candy bag. Every once in a while she would try to sit on the ground to get some out.



Below is her twirling her bag around- What a cute puppy!!!

Sick again???

Natalie has been sick for over two weeks with the runny nose and cough. Just when I thought she was getting past it all....she has a fever. She was super sleepy and not her usual energetic self which was my first clue. Whenever she is like this I know something is up.

I spent last winter with her sick every other week it seemed. (Or maybe its b/c their symptoms last forever.) So here we go again, yet another winter of the sniffles. I shouldn't even be saying this since now I have attracted it into our lives- damn that law of attraction! (j/k)



On another note my sister Denise just called to inform us that although she just got her new apartment in NYC, she doesn't technically have a bedroom. In her 2 bedroom apartment (with 3 roommates counting her) her bedroom just happens to be a section of the living room. She did inform me that there will be a "curtain" up by the time we get there for Thanksgiving, dividing her room off.

Now Zack and I don't really care where we sleep since we love NYC and any sacrifice is worth it. However, I don't think Natalie will feel the same. When she goes to bed at 7 with a curtain as a barrier, she is bound to wonder what party she is missing out on as I am sure curtains aren't sound proof.

Well not to worry, since Denise has a closet in the corner of the living room that is big enough for Natalie to fit in and sleep on the floor. Her own private bed in a dark, scary closet. I am sure this will go over well with her the first night. (I can just imagine her thinking "um mom, you just shut me in a tiny dark room to sleep on the floor, are you planning on letting me out?)

No really, I think it will all work out (wink wink) and these kinds of situations are what make life so interesting!!! Bring it on. I am sure we will laugh about it for years.

Baby graffiti

So Aunt Candice brought some side walk chalk to my house. I wasn't sure if Natalie was old enough but one day we went out front to try. Natalie loved it and didn't try to suck on it! It has to be one of the cutest things she says, cause every time she makes a mark she says " a whoaaaaa". Natalie puts "a" in front of everything lately. Well today she went around and marked up all the walls and rails in the front of our house. It looks ridiculous, luckily no one ever really comes over so I don't have to worry about it.



Hey whatever keeps her from throwing tantrums. I don't know who coined the phrase "the terrible two's" b/c I am pretty sure it starts at 1 1/2. Natalie will tell me no and shake her head defiantly when I ask her just about anything. It's not her favorite thing to say or do either (b/c if she does want something she will say "okay"), its just her being, I hate to say it, a brat.

I crown thee Princess Natalie

Natalie has been showing some pretty cute girly behavior lately. We never put her in dresses, or at least not real girly ones. But the minute we bought her dress for Candice's wedding, she picked up the sides and swung side to side in it. It was so cute! Then during the wedding she would twirl her dress and look in the mirror. She thought she was hot stuff. Well, I have a leftover tiara from Candice's bachelorette party when we dressed up as princesses to go karoking. I put it on Natalie and she starts twirling back and forth today. I asked her if she wanted to see herself and when I gave her the mirror she put it all the way to her face. It was so funny, she then says Hi over and over or Whoa into the mirror.

Pumpkin pie anyone?

For anyone who attended Candice's Bridal Shower, you know that the pumpkins that were given to everyone had a simple pumpkin pie recipe on the bottom. We joked about using it and then blogging it. Well, here is my adventure. Zack was my photographer as I sliced open my pumpkin (poor little pumpkin- he was small and cute).



I baked it for an hour and a half as instructed, whipped the other few ingredients together and voila...I made my first ever pumpkin pie (not to mention my first pie ever). I felt so proud that I did not use canned pumpkin but, then I remembered I bought the crust. Oops, I guess it wasn't 100% home-made. Baby steps I told myself. Maybe on Thanksgiving I will be put in charge of pie duty and test my crust making skills. Below is my pie once cooked- Zack didn't barf so it must have been okay.

I'm going to the chapel, and I'm gonna get married...

Well, Candice sealed the knot on Saturday October 4th (rain and all). Obviously the best photos will be the ones her photographer took however, here are a few highlights I was able to snap. Above is my sis Denise getting Abbie's hair ready. (She was the flower girl.) The other is of my hairdresser Nicole. She came to Carmelle where the wedding was to do our hair.



Natalie thought some primping was in order for her as well so she dived right into our make-up bags. You know with any major events you always forget something. Well I happened to forget Natalie and I's dresses and thank goodness I noticed soon enough that Zack was able to run 20 minutes home to get them and back. Did I add that Natalies dress was also with mine...here she is hanging out in tights and shoes waiting for her dress. (She wasn't very happy about it!)



I love this photo Zack took. He stayed up on the brides balcony with Natalie during the ceremony since I was a bridesmaid and couldn't. There was a few times you could hear her...but we were all pretty focused on the wedding couple so it was no biggie.



We attempted a family photo but Natalie wasn't giving in...this was the best we could get. Below is her giggling with her aunt Denise. And then there is Zack and I....how sweet.



Did anyone call for a princess drool. It's a good thing her dress was white since it didn't show the drool marks as bad. Anytime you asked Natalie to twirl her dress she would...that's the ugly face she was making to go along with it.



Natalie has so much fun and spent 2/3 of the reception sleeping in a closet in the brides room.



And where did Charles and my Dad spend their time during the reception...not on the dance floor like the rest of us....nope, they were relaxing in soft chairs while my poor feet were getting trashed in heels keeping the party alive. I was literally pouring sweat so bad from all the dancing that I had to keep going up to the brides room to fan off. My hair became plastered to the sides of my face. I can't wait to see the wedding videography.