Natalia turns SEVEN!

My dear sweet seven year old.  What a year!!  You have continued to amaze me day after day.  You are the kindest, bestest big sister a kid could ask for.  You are so good to both Lydia and Quinton.  Mommy couldn't have asked for a better first born to help out.  This year you completed first grade, our first year of all day school, and you rocked it.  Smartest seven year old I know!  I'm so so thankful that my love of reading has seemed to rub off on you, because you seem to really love it too.  So much so that you are reading WAY above grade level.  Awesome!  You kicked butt in spelling and language tests this year too.  Go kiddo go!  you made lots of new friends at school and I'm so grateful for how kind and friendly you are.  You are a total goof ball (sounds familiar) and just love to have fun and be silly.   You are still my little fish and love to swim.  Beanie boos are the newest obsession, and your love for princesses is slowly fading.  Although I think Mulan will always have a special place in your heart.  ;) You don't like cheese, but love McDonalds cheeseburgers.  Pizza (which has cheese!)  is just ok to you, but you LOVE tacos like daddy and can scarf three like nobody's business.  Still my creative little artist, always wanting to make things.  You lost your first tooth and the grown up tooth came in before you lost your second one!  So now big gap smile for you!  This year when I took your end of the year photo I couldn't believe how grown up you looked compared to your first day photo!  And then we did birthday photos and it was all about being silly and goofy... who knows how much longer those will last.   What started out as wanting a pirate/fairy party turned into a Panda party because I couldn't find the right decorations... and I think it turned out pretty darn cute.  She still wanted her family birthday party, but this year asked if we could invite a friend to her birthday dinner.  She had gone with her friend Molly and their family on Molly's birthday and loved it so she wanted to do the same. She requested chocolate chip muffins for breakfast instead of the usual cinnamon rolls and Subway for lunch. Then I got to go into her class after lunch and have her hand out some goodies to her classmates.  They loved the bubbles and released their butterflies that day so they were able to play with their bubbles then too.  

Birthday photo shoot:

We saw a baby bunny, and a couple of other big bunnies.  Lots and lots of geese and geese poop.  And you were a total goof! 

The best photos were with her little racoon, otherwise her smiles were fake ha ha

can't really see it, it blends in, but she's holding grass up behind her head

Just reliving her itty bitty-ness the day we brought her home from the hospital 

The sass in this two year old!  Incredible.  And of course the day we met, the day you made me a mommy seven years ago! 

Her birthday table ready to go!  I filled the tote with goodies to take to her classroom to share with her classmates. 

Singing happy birthday with her chocolate chip muffin (I held it together!) and opening gifts! 

Brother stole her muffin when she wasn't looking!!

I got to go to school and have lunch with her for her birthday! Always a fun time, and such a special treat! 

Hanging out with Molly for her birthday, we went to dinner at Panda Express, which I think the only reason she requested that place was for the fortune cookies... because she wasn't a fan of her food.  ha ha ha.  Then we all went to USwirl for some frozen yogurt! She scored big time with two more beanie boos from Molly! 

We did her birthday party with the family the Saturday after.  Lots of Panda decor as usual.  She scored again in the beanie boo department... yikes.  The kids had a blast playing and then running through the sprinklers.  She requested the noodles with the white sauce, chicken, broccoli, and carrots for dinner.  So I made a HUGE batch of it... and decided I really like ordering food for such a large crowd and not cooking ha ha.  We went to Dairy Queen and she got to pick her design on her cake since they didn't really have anything Panda.  But then her friend from school Ezra gave her this cute little people panda and we stuck it on her cake and it was perfect.  

To prove that she may be the sweetest big sister ever....
Sunday night after her birthday she asks me if we can go back to the book fair to spend some birthday money.  I say sure, thinking there are worse things she could be spending her money on!  We had gone before her library day in class (where they usually make their wishlists) and so she wanted to go back for another couple of books.  Then she tells me she wants to buy Quinton and Lydia beanie boos, because she feels bad she got so many for her birthday and they don't have as many as her now.  Seriously. My heart just about burst.  So after school Monday we went back into the book fair and she picked out two new books.  Then we went to a store and they each picked out new beanie boos that she then paid for with her own money.  And, she still had $20 to put into savings.  This kid.  My heart was the proudest mommy heart when I took this picture.

**AND THEN. We were at Michaels getting some craft supplies and they of course wanted to go look at Beanie Boos.  I said we weren't buying any but agreed to go look.  Of course, they fell in love with some... and she asked if she could spend the rest of her birthday money to each get them their toy of choice.  Seriously kid.  Best kid ever.  I used my 40% coupon on one of them to help her out a little because I was just so proud of her again.

We were watching some old videos and came across this one.  I BAWLED.  She has grown up so stinking fast.  Her little voice in this has got to be the most precious thing.  "fly like a unicorn with me daddy, paweeeeease!" ha ha ha.  SO CUTE.

Happy happy birthday big girl.  I wish time would slow down just a bit.  I'm so proud of you and think you are just the greatest!!

LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK! 

Oh and her questionnaire for this year: 

1. What is your favorite color? Green

2. What is your favorite toy? Roxy-zebra beanie boo

3. What is your favorite fruit? honeydew

4. What is your favorite TV show? ponys

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? mcdonalds

6. What is your favorite outfit? pjs

7. What is your favorite game?hide and seek

8. What is your favorite snack? Wheat thins

9. What is your favorite animal? zebra

10. What is your favorite song? Dynomite

11. What is your favorite book? Magic Kitten

12. Who is your best friend? Lucy

13. What is your favorite sport? baseball

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Jump on the trampoline

15. What is your favorite drink? Root beer

16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Beanie boos

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? muffins

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? White noodles with chicken and broccoli/carrots

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? artist

21. What makes you feel sad? switch

22. What makes you feel happy?  Beanie boos

23. What is your favorite thing to do with Mom or Dad? Color

24. Name one thing you do really well? Art

25. What do you wish for? More beanie boos