Aug 1, 2008

Where do I even start?

I'm sorry my updates haven't been as frequent lately. In all fairness, with it being summer, neither have your visits or comments. Which is fine, enjoy the sun and water! I know I complain some about it being winter. However, these pictures were taken on Thursday and I am afraid they are going to expose me as the big fake that I am. We've had some nasty days, but usually it is nice and sunny and pretty warm here too. There are blossoms everywhere and everything is green and flowering. It is a nice place to winter...

But still, summer is about more than nice weather. For me, summer is a feeling. It's like, even though I am not in school anymore, summer still means freedom and fun like it did in the school days. Anyway, it's fine, just remember how much I was missing the summer when it is a blizzard up there and I am lounging by the pool.




So we've been busy and sick this past week, but have still managed to squeeze in some fun. Here are the kids after Laine's dance class. I think I mentioned that it was in a clearing of a Reserve and is really beautiful. Having the park there is great too.



Gabe has been busy being his usual mix of fun and destruction. He is such a crack-up. He has now decided to refuse to wear clothes. I knew this day would come, it's been building up the last few months. The other day he had a bath and then refused to get dressed all morning and ended up taking his nap just in his diaper. He had just woken up by the time it was time for dance and still refused to get dressed. I finally threw him in the car and brought the clothes along. I had an appointment with a friend during dance and got lost and had to pull over and ask a woman for directions with my naked baby in the back. By the time I got to my friends he still refused, and let me tell you how 'classy' it is to pull up to a friend's for a visit with your naked, snotty-nosed baby. I finally had to wrestle him to the ground as he continued to arch his back and cause a scene. Then of course the next minute he is sweet and then funny and making you laugh and smile... typical.

So. Laine has decided she wants to call us by our first names... exclusively. It is something she has done off and on since she was two, and every one has gotten a huge kick out of it. But now that she does it exclusively it makes me a little worried. She makes me feel like a step-mom! I'm sure that is what people have to be thinking when say says, "Natalie! Watch me slide! Natalie, can you catch me? Natalie, can you help me climb this?..."

In other news of days that I knew would come, she has started developing her Aussie accent. I was intrigued by the thought that my kids would have one, but now that the day is here, it is weird for me that she doesn't sound like us! So far it is only the EE sounds like 'mommay' and 'dadday' -though that is a poor example since we haven't actually heard those words, but you get what I mean. Perhaps it will be different when her transformation is complete.

This is the best, it's Laine's new Eeyore hunching walk when she is 'depressed'. I'm not quite sure you get the full feel of the sulking. For some reason, all emotion she expresses I simply find hilarious, especially negative ones. Then again, there is the possibility that I am just a bad Mom who lives to laugh at my kids.

Here it is again in better form. DRAMA queen! I love to laugh at her to show her not to take herself so seriously. She usually responds well to it actually and it makes it fun for me.

Okay, I have 2 other posts I will do this week but I just need pictures so stay tuned, I will try to be better.

19 comments:

Andrea said...

What is up with the 4-year-old hunch? Skylar just started doing this a few weeks ago, and like you, it cracks me up. I can't even figure out where she saw it (I promise I don't still do this, although I feel like it sometimes) and what she thinks she's going to obtain by doing it! Silly girls. LOVE, LOVE the picture of Laine in the dance!

RufflesAndFringe said...

The pictures are so cute. Little Gabey is such a handsome boy. He is getting so big. Is he bigger than Laine yet?

pop pop said...

Cute kids, good to see Gabe is keeping the manpree family tradition going. Soon he will be calling them clam diggers I am sure. Dad

AnneMarie said...

Your kids are so cute! I love Laines drama! Cai just turned 7 & fortunately he wears clothes (now), but underwear is another story so, good luck with that one!

Nick and Leila said...

I love the ballerina pictures and the drama! She will love to see those one day!

Hayley Nelson Potter said...

Your posts are so entertaining, I have to stalk your blog just to get a laugh. Your little girl sulking is the best. It should be in a magazine, SO funny!!

Jeanine said...

Your kids are so cute! I love your stories! Your blog always brightens my day, and gets me a good laugh!

Stacey Lau said...

Love the pictures, they are so adorable. Christian doesn't have a hunch, but I like to call him Eeyore quite often when he acts like the world is crashing in because everything isn't going exactly his way.

Natalie Que said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gaengy said...

What a cute post...love the pics of the kids. Love Laine in her ballet dress...is she related to her aunt Hannah with the eyeore routine? Give her a sqeeze from me. She is gorgeous! And little Gabey is so cute!

Phipps Family said...

I can't believe how big Gabe has gotten since you moved. What cute kids you have.

The Wells Family said...

Those photos of the kids are beautiful! I really cute frame them as art work. :) I love hearing about your crazy kiddos...it just makes me want to meet them more. Gabe is such a hunk...and Laine is so beautiful (just like her mom). You should tape Laine's "new voice"...I would love to hear it. Yesterday I happen to be at my parents home when my dad was releasing a missionary and he had just returned from Australia (Perth) and we totally knew where he had served with his accent BEFORE we even knew. It is funny how you just pick up things. :)

PS...Rob is not done with school. Ugh. He got a job offer with the firm to be a student associate and they will pay for his school (whew). Rob has transferred the rest of his schooling at Georgetown. He is thrilled. I am adjusting. I am currently on anxiety/antidepressants since the news and I haven't even moved yet. Can you tell how much fun I am having? If I was moving out of the country...I might need to have some intravenous valium or something. :)

Kristine L. said...

They look so cute! Loved the pictures. I also loved that Laine was wearing her new shoes! Were they a hit? Is she refusing to wear anything else? ... that is kinda what I was going for.

And right when I saw Gabe's manprees, I knew that Dad was going to mention it. I think it is because he isn't as tall the 3T pants... but that little gut forces him to wear the bigger size!

Kate said...

Oh they are so cute! Yeah and I knew that Dad would be loving the manpree, aka clamdigger! And I loove that Aussie accent you need to record her talking about her Penk, Spaacesuit

Nicole said...

Cute pictures! Sorry I have been one of those people who have not bee commenting. I have been staying up on your posts, I promise!

Natalie Que said...

Sorry Pop Pop, they aren't manprees. Since Gabe inherited the Gildea extra-long torso and squatty legs, it only APPEARS that they are man-prees, but they aren't. So sorry for the confusion. I am not opposed to the MP though, so if you see some on clearance at TJ or Ross, you can get them for him. I prefer Wu Wear brand or anything else "gangsta".

Thanks!

Courtney ♥ said...

I love your pictures.

*natalie said...

Guilty as charged on my lack of comments recently. For a while I was reading updates using bloglines which was nice but then I couldn't comment unless I went into the actual blog. That was just TOO MUCH work. But then blogger came out with that cool widget that lets you know when people have updated. So I am getting better on commenting.

Love the pictures! Looks like you are getting used to your camera (your food pictures on Hot Garlic look fab as well). Now I really want to hear Laine talk like an Aussie. Oh and Gabe is so adorable! Any chance you want Kennedy as a daughter-in-law?

Rileys said...

Wow Nat...thanks. You make it sound as though being a step-parent is about the worst thing that you could encounter in this life. Kind of like getting paper cuts in the webbing between everyone of your fingers and about twenty of them on your thenar eminence (sadly I DIDN'T have to look up what that is). Classy sis. So tell me, why do you hate step-parents? Anyways, I know what you mean. Aniston gets used to Ave and Ry calling me Jesse so much that she will sometimes say it and it is kind of a bummer.

 
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