Natalie checks out the new children's museum

Last week I stayed home with Natalie on Wednesday and because the day was on the chillier side, we decided to visit the Glazer Children's Museum. I was there when it opened in September, doing a volunteer shift for Junior League. I knew Natalie would love it but I wanted to wait until it had been open for a little while longer (and I knew I did NOT want to be there on a weekend). And I was not wrong! Natalie thoroughly enjoyed herself! I think her favorite spot was the giant water table on the main floor. She splashed around and made friends with a large rubber ducky that I feared might end up coming home with us (thankfully, she left it downstairs without a fight) and also had fun in the dance floor area (see the video). The best thing about the museum is that there really isn't any way for a kid to get into trouble. It's designed to be very hands-on and I think as Natalie gets older, she'll love it even more. They have a lot of really cool things there and thanks to Grandma, who is getting us an annual pass, we will be able to enjoy many more visits to the GCM.

I've also included a few pictures that I took prior to our holiday photo card shoot at Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa (coincidentally, the GCM is located there as well) and a photo of Natalie and her "big sisters" Katie and Cloe who dropped by for a visit over the weekend. Natalie had so much fun seeing them. She spent a lot of time with them and their mom, Kelly, when I first went back to work. They are beautiful, sweet girls who are so kind to Natalie. It's such fun seeing all three of them together.

As another year winds to a close, we want to wish everyone a happy holiday and a fantastic 2011! Time sure does fly...

I'm not afraid of Santa!

Our visit to Santa was much more successful this year. Dada waited in line for about an hour while Santa was on his lunch break (or, as the elf told us, "feeding his reinder") and Natalie and I went and had lunch at Chick-fil-A with our friends. By the time we were done eating, it was time to meet the big man. Natalie clung to me a little at first and I feared a repeat of last year when we all had to be in the picture, but I was able to pry her off and sit her on Santa's lap without any trouble. Santa said she didn't say much to him, but we were happy to get a smiling picture. That was good enough for us!

Thanksgiving etc.

After a fun Thanksgiving with Grandma and Grandpa at our house, we're now in the thick of the holiday season. Our Christmas tree and lights are up (a little early this year) and we are going to light the menorah Wed. night - and maybe have some latkes, too. Natalie seems to be enjoying the holidays a little more this year. We are talking to her about Santa and hoping that she won't be scared when she goes to visit him at the mall, um...the North Pole.

But back to Thanksgiving. Grandma made a wonderful meal of turkey, dressing and squash casserole, among other things. We all enjoyed it immensely, though Natalie didn't want try any of the traditional food, instead opting for ice cream. Hey, the pilgrims ate ice cream, right? She did love having her grandparents around and impressed them with all her new words and skills. We enjoyed having some extra help and being able to go out Saturday night without having to pay for a sitter.

Enjoy the pictures!

Halloween cheer

It's been a busy few weekends for Natalie and thankfully, I had the camera to document the best moments.

Last weekend, I took Natalie to see the pet costume contest in Hyde Park. She enjoyed seeing the pumpkins and the doggies (especially the two Boston terriers we found near the fountain), but she really loved the inflatable ghost. She gave him hugs and it was hard to get her away from him. She ain't 'fraid of no ghost!

This weekend was Halloween and Natalie had a lot of fun. We kicked things off with a Saturday morning trip to the park for some swinging, and then we hit the Bay to Bay Stroll, a shopping event held nearby. I picked up a cute owl necklace and Johnathan ordered Natalie an applique elephant t-shirt that even I approved of! Then it was off to lunch at Chick-fil-A and home for a nap because that afternoon, Natalie and Dada had tickets to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live! It was Natalie's first "concert" and from all reports, she had a good time but seemed a little puzzled/skeptical about why the characters from her favorite show were now standing before her. Dada got her some cotton candy and she also enjoyed that.

It was a good way to kick off Halloween, that's for sure! Last night, we went to a party at the home of our friends Tara and Dave and their daughter Cameron, who goes to Natalie's school. We trick or treated with them last year and had so much fun. This year was even better as they invited more friends over and had a great spread of food and drinks. Natalie enjoyed playing on Cameron's swingset/playground and checking out the inflatable Frankenstein. One thing that she didn't like was the crystal ball with the talking and floating head inside that was sitting on the food table. It seemed to scare her and you can kind of see her looking warily at it in some of the pictures. Doesn't she look cute in her costume? She did a little bit of trick or treating but seemed a little overwhelmed at times. She enjoyed going up to some of the houses with Cameron and the other big kids but seemed mostly content to ride around in the wagon, which was the opposite of last year when she just wanted to run down the street. The other parents (all of whom had kids older than Natalie) assured us that next year will be better! All in all, she brought in a pretty good haul of candy that Dada and I will have to try not to eat.

And now it is November and I'm sure the stores are chomping at the bit to get their holiday merch on the shelves. Soon we will be posting about Santa and Christmas lights. Where has 2010 gone???

Enjoy the pics!!!