This Christmas, it was really fun to see Natalie noticing and getting excited about all the various parts of the holiday season– last year she was just too young to put it all together.  She can recount the Christmas story and sing Christmas songs.  I think my favorite was today’s “Twelve Days of Christmas/Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” mashup– hilarious!!  She loved driving around looking at lights, reading books, decorating, presents, reindeer, everything.

Every year at the McLaughlin family party there is a Santa, who hands out gifts that each parent brings for their own kids.  In the future we plan on telling Natalie that Santa is not a real person but a fun tradition based on Saint Nicholas, however this year I don’t think she could quite comprehend that.  In any case, she was SO EXCITED.  I thought she was going to be too shy to go up and claim her gift, but no!  She knew just what to do.  Yes, her present was the strangest looking one.  And no, its not a mop.

She loves her pony, who has gone through a variety of names, including Carol, Noni, Pink Mr. Ed, Rudolph and Pink Texas. Such typical Natalie.

Here’s all the McLaughlin cousins.  Nata had such a fun time dancing and singing with the other little girls.  She is very friendly and gets along easily.  She was a little worried that the baby next to her was going to touch her stick pony, though, and kept inching away while we were taking pictures.

I think this is such a cute picture of Natalie with my sister Laura!

We came home late that night, and while we were putting Ben to bed, Natalie made up a little bed for herself and her pony on the couch.  Isn’t that sweet?

Last weekend was a rainy one, so this was a fun indoor activity.  I made the first batch of icing way too thick, it was more like fondant… so it was a challenge to get the house to stick together.   But Natalie didn’t care, she was sooooo excited.

We were halfway done by the time she realize everything was edible,I thought that was funny.

Natalie named some of the candies Mommy, Daddy, Natalie and Baby, and put them in “beds” in front of the house.  She had a whole story going on there, she is quite imaginative.

This was the first year that we did anything on Halloween, since Natalie is finally old enough to appreciate it!  She dressed up as an elephant, her favorite animal thanks to The Jungle Book.  Natalie gets REALLY into character, too.  She makes her elephant noises and if you call her Natalie, she will say, “I not Natalie. I am baby elephant!”

We went Trick Or Treating on Ventura Boulevard, where our church has games and the businesses give out candy.  It was really nice because it was during the day and didn’t have any of the gross or scary parts of Halloween!  It was also hard because that morning I had been on a long run, Andy had thrown out his back, and walking didn’t sound so great.  But it was worth it because Natalie loved it.  She was shy but so amazed that people were putting candy in her bucket.  She would go into each store and whisper “Trick or treat!” and then “Thank you!” in a tiny voice.

The “soccers” (suckers) are her favorite.  I like how the costume is all wrinkly like a real elephant.  Thanks to my mom for finding it!

She refused to wear the hood part of the costume while she was trick or treating, and I can’t blame her– it was 85 degrees out!  There’s a picture of it on in case anyone was wondering. 🙂