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A little while after that conversation, Natalie was wondering who gave Santa his presents. I thought it was a good question.

The next thing we talked about this morning was her Advent calendar that we just put up and started using. Natalie was asking about the numbers on it, and I was explaining again how we use it. She decided that she would like to do all 24 at one time.

A little while later, Natalie was playing with her toys. She found a Christmas stocking that we had not put up. Natalie proceeded to fill it with some of her toys. Then, she sat in a chair and stated that she was Santa and that someone had to sit on her lap. When you “sat” on her lap and told her what you wanted for Christmas, she would pick out a present from her stocking and give it to you. She had fun doing this for quite a while. Natalie told Nate that he had to sit on her lap too.

Later this afternoon, we were going to the store to get her boots and warmer gloves to play in the snow. While we were on our way, she said that she wanted to make snowballs and throw them at our head. What a sweet little girl!

Thankfully, this was the extent of the gross part of my day.  I didn’t stray too far from her today…just in case she needed my help.  By the evening, she was almost begging for food.  We did get some liquids into her, and a piece of toast stayed down too.  Hopefully, Nate will have a little girl who is on the mend since he is working from home tomorrow.

On Thursday morning, while we were watching the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, I made a comment about seeing Santa and the reindeer.  Natalie thought for a moment, and then stated, “Uncle Gary and Uncle Mark were looking for reindeer.”  She made the connection that these two uncles were “looking for deer” when they went hunting a couple of weeks ago.

While were were eating our pie for dessert on Thanksgiving, Natalie asked everyone sitting around the table, “Is everyone’s pie okay?”  She sounded like she was the hostess for the evening.

Friday, we had a nice day of traveling as we went to see Nate’s side of the family for Thanksgiving.  Natalie had a fun day in the back of the van with her two cousins Nicholas and Hannah.

Breakfast with Santa was on Saturday.  Natalie wasn’t as willing to sit on Santa’s lap this year - even though she knew what she wanted to ask him to bring her (a baby doll with all the accesories - crib, car seat, high chair, clothes, etc).  Nate finally convinced her to stand with him and talk to Santa…so we still have a picture with her and Nate near Santa.  Natalie had another great few days with her cousins - Zach, Ella, and Caden.  It is so fun to watch all of them interact.  We can only imagine the fun they will continue to have as they get older.

I was walking into the bedroom this afternoon to talk to Lynn.  Natalie was right behind me.  I walked around the bed to go sit in my chair and Natalie kept coming right behind me.  I stopped and she ran right into my butt and then bounced off of the bed, giggling the whole time.  I jokingly said to her “you’re a moron”.  She replied back with “you’re a moron”.  Now I know, it’s not a good thing to call your kids dumb or moron, but she knows when I’m goofing with her, even at two.

Next story.  We were getting ready to go to the park and Lynn sent Natalie in the kitchen (where I was) with her coat and hat, presumably with instructions for me to help her put them on.  Natty handed them to me and I proclaimed “I don’t want this crap”.  She immediately bolted down the hallway to the bedroom where Lynn was getting ready and handed the stuff to her saying “Daddy doesn’t want this crap”. 

This morning she told me that she had to go potty, so I took her in the bathroom and sat her on.  I then proceeded to roll up her shirt so it wouldn’t hang down too far hence getting dirty.  She asked what I was doing, and I told her I was rolling up her shirt.  She says to me “rolled it up like ham?” (I gave her some lunch meat rolls for breakfast this morning).  I was laughing very hard at this point.  So later today when she was on the potty, we have our little joke with rolling up her shirt, like ham.

Last story for the evening.  Earlier this afternoon, we were all sitting together in the living room.  Lynn was on the couch and Natalie and I were on the floor wrestling.  Natalie started getting worked up as she is prone to do, and I was laughing at her as I am prone to do.  I stopped harrasing her just as Lynn yells “why do you two get each other going so much”  Natty stops cranking and looks at her and says “Daddy was just being funny!”  I about hit the floor laughing.  The two year old gets it. 

 

Natalie and I also got a chance to hear all about Grandma and Grandpa’s travels to see Uncle David and Auntie Rhoda.  It is always fun to play with the castle at their house!

Tonight, Nate and Natalie had some more quality time together.  Nate explained what they’d be doing, and Natalie seemed quite excited.  A special treat for Natalie is when Nate inflates our camping air mattress, sets it up in the middle of the living room, and Natalie gets to go nuts jumping from the couch to the mattress.  She did this fun activity for at least an hour tonight.  I think we started this madness after we came back from our trip to Minnesota this past summer.  She loved the outdoor trampoline that we all had fun jumping on.

Totally unrelated to the last story, is how Natalie has been wired at about 8pm, the last couple of evenings.  Monday evenings, I tutor until 8pm.  Typically, Natalie has been put to bed and is asleep by the time I get home.  Last evening, I walked in the door, and Nate saw a flash of purple run past him and into the kitchen.  Natalie was excited to hear me come home.  I thought it was pretty cute, so I put her back to bed in a couple of minutes once I got myself settled.  An hour later, after singing and talking and giggling in her room, she finally went to sleep after some stern warnings from both Nate and me.  Tonight was quite similar in her wind up mode once we put her to bed the first time.  She was telling us funny stories from her bedroom, being very goofy, and making us chuckle…even after we told her it was time to settle down and go to sleep.  I believe she may finally be asleep now.  We’ll see…  Hopefully, this wind up mode will not continue to be part of our nightly routine.