Natalie's Name letters (so far)

They're not completely decorated, but they're covered in paper with a few added touches. Hopefully they'll be done soon and up on the wall.

Name Project

 

Natalie decided she'd like to get some letters for her name and decorate them for her room. We went to Diana's house yesterday to get started. Natalie helped during the entire project, painting the sides of her chipboard letters and then helping cut the paper to cover them. They're all covered with paper and now we're just working on making decorations for them. So far they look pretty cute and the colors will go nicely in her room.

Tennis and Tumbling

Natalie has had a whirlwind summer already! Between VBS, her Tennessee vacation, and her classes she's having a blast and staying busy! Yesterday she went to tennis class. It was 105 degrees outside during her class - miserable! There were six boys who showed up (not sure if the heat had more to do with low attendance or the fact that it was Father's Day) and they were all about seven to eight years old. I guess all the younger ones stayed home! Natalie did a good job keeping up with them and didn't let any of it get her down. It was pretty exhausting being out there in the heat - even for me and I was in the shade!

Today Natalie tried out a tumbling class. Tumbling has always been her favorite part of her ballet, tap, and tumbling class at dance, but they don't get very much time to work on their tumbling skills. They've got a lot to squeeze into an hour, there are a lot of girls in the class, and just one teacher and a helper. They've only worked on somersaults, backbends, and handstands that I've seen.

At her tumbling class today (at a different location than her dance class)they were really physical and active the entire class. (Part of the problem at dance is that they spend a lot of time on the wall waiting for a turn. Down time equals messing around time and trouble!) They worked on somersaults, cartwheels, backward rolls, backbends, and balance and coordination activities. They even had a rotation of activities they had to go through. There was no down time which really made a difference. They even got to jump on one of the big trampolines which is built into the floor.

Natalie and her friend Kamryn tried out the class together and they were both exhausted afterwards! That never happens at dance! I signed Natalie up and she's really excited to get back in there and work on her new skills. In fact, when we got home she was tumbling all over our upstairs. I'm glad she's found an activity she really enjoys that will keep her fit!

Drying Off

 

Cooper and Natalie drying off from the pool in the sun.

Frozen Yogurt

 

Natalie and Cooper enjoying frozen yogurt together. This picture made me want frozen yogurt too, so yesterday Mark and I tried a new frozen yogurt place. You serve yourself, add your own toppings, and have it weighed. The price is based on weight. It was delicious!

Straight Hair

 

There's nothing Natalie loves more than getting her naturally curly hair straightened. She'd been talking about having it straightened by Aunt Stephanie before she even left on her trip. Her wish came true. Her hair was straightened and she put on lip gloss and lotion.

In the Pool

 

She's been doing a lot of swimming on vacation.

Natalie's Vacation

 

Natalie is on vacation, visiting cousins in Tennessee. She's also spending time with grandma, Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Ben. I'd be with her except I don't have permission to fly. Natalie seems to be having a great time! Here she is with her cousin Abby helping her walk.

Ready for Tennis

 

Natalie loves her tennis lessons!

Snow Cones

 

Natalie just got a snow cone maker so we tried it out today. It's a great little contraption and fun to use. It'll be nice to eat on these hot summer days!

VBS Fun!

 

Elaina has made Natalie and Kamryn's week at VBS so much fun! They love her!

Loving VBS!

 

It's Vacation Bible School week and Natalie is thrilled to be attending for her third year in a row! She and Kamryn are going together each day this week and are having a blast! They love their leader, Elaina, and she's giving them all kinds of bracelets each day for good behavior. Today they sat on Elaina's lap and asked her to carry them around. Elaina seems happy to accommodate their every whim, so of course they love her! Both girls have made another good friend named Summer. They're looking forward to the rest of the week!

Tennis Lesson

 

Natalie went to her tennis lesson today and loved it! They did some balance and coordination activities and practiced having a tennis ball bounced to them and swinging at it. She really did a great job out there today, especially in the 100 degree heat!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Forget Christmas! The beginning of June is the most wonderful time of the year! School's out and it's time to relax a little! Natalie is looking forward to her dance recital later on this month. She's also starting tennis lessons tomorrow! She got a new pair of tennis shoes today to get ready for the big day. This month she'll also get to visit her cousins, Cooper and Abby, in Tennessee, attend Vacation Bible School, and go to a couple of birthday parties. Looks like her schedule is booked for June!

Last Day of School

 

Today was Natalie's last day of school and she was kind of bummed about it. She'll miss her teacher, Ms. Jennifer, and her friends a lot!