Double Digits- Natalie's belated birthday post

Natalie's 10

Natalie in 2004 while visiting cousins in Utah. She didn't want to come down from the stairs...

Touchdown!!!! At Ben and Holly's wedding.

Natalie goofing off on the computer with the web cam....


After the scooter incident, wherein she flew over said scooter and bit the pavement face-first...



Where does the time go? It's seems cliche' to say but time really does fly! Today my eldest child is in double digits. In keeping with a tradition I've tried to stick with I thought I would dedicate a blog post to her.

Right now Natalie loves: Stuffed animals, red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, reading, playing on the computer, playing outside, reading, playing with her friends, riding her bike/scooter, reading, her teacher Mr. Gabler, and giving talks in church.

Her favorite food is probably homemade mac and cheese and she is loves helping me cook and bake. She is a very good friend and always doing the right thing. She has a lot of friends and is really good in school. She is also in advanced math now. She's been working most of the year for this and is very excited to have finally reached it. She loves to read and her testing in school for reading, and reading comprehension are way above average. Her lexile is 958 and average for her age and grade level I'm told is about 400-500. Her teacher tells me basically she about 2 grade levels above average. A fact I'm proud of but can not take credit for. Yes, I'm a proud Mama!

She LOVES science and is always doing extra reports and experiments in that area. Once the family made a volcano and she loved that. Now shes a bit more advanced than that but her love of science hasn't diminished. In fact she just did an extra credit report on ants complete with pictures, it was fantastic. She wrote it all herself and copied nothing, it was all from memory. She told jokes about ants in it and everything. I'll have to post it if I have time. She is a perfect student and her teacher wishes my permission to clone her and place her clones strategically in the class to help with the other students....oh and she got an A on the report. She loves it and I have to say that I love her teacher. He has picked up on Natalie's love of science and math and encouraged her to do better and she has. (Of course he also offers her Hershey's kisses if she or any of the other kids in class will help put up chairs and clean up after school....she stays after everyday.)

Natalie is also very responsible and very kind. Like her Father she is often one step ahead of me in daily tasks and responsibilities. She has a sweet personality that is compassionate and always worried that people get treated fairly....much like her mother. She has her ears pierced and loves to wear earrings and have her hair done... She is a bit taller than average and has braces. Last year we also found out that she is nearsighted...or whatever it means when you can't see far away and can see close up. She has some adorable pink glasses which she loves because now she can see things she couldn't before like the leaves on the trees. That first day with her glasses walking to school was a new day for her.

I just got her test results back from ATS here in the Sacramento area. It's a Cal State University sponsored program that looks for talented children and tests them to see what areas they are strongest in and offers summer classes that helps challenge them in areas they are strong in and strengthen them in areas they are less strong in. Natalie is testing in the 80th percentile nationally for verbal meaning language arts, social science and life sciences, and 57th in math which includes computer science, engineering mathematics, and physical sciences). Basically what the teacher says is that she excels in one catagory and does well in both. Her strength, (based on my observation, and this test) seems to be that she learns best by hearing things. A trait she no doubt picks up from her father. Enough of the bragging proud Mommy stuff. Here are some pictures of my sweet 10 year old girl.


This picture was when I was expecting Ethan and the girls wanted to play "Bella Dance-arella". They were supposed to be cleaning their room. And me doing Bella Dance-Arella prego was not a pretty thing....

Play time with Daddy!

First day of first grade with Mrs./Sis. Fullmer, one of Natalie's all time favorite teachers!

One of Natalie's best friends.... Natalie W.

SISTERS!

At recess you will find Natalie playing on the monkey bars or doing tricks on the parallel bars. Her favorite though is creating cheers/dance routines to popular songs with a team and performing in competitions in said groups. She coordinates the teams, makes up the dance/cheer moves, assigns the parts and organizes the practices during recesses. She also coordinates what all the girls will wear for the competitions and on what day to wear them. She is like that with her things on and in her dresser too. It looks messy to me but she has a spot for everything and can usually find something if I ask her for it. (That she gets from me.) She is also fairly creative and artistic as well. She likes to draw and is good at it and painting as well. She got some yarn and knitting needles from her Grandma Goodman and will be learning that art soon. No doubt she will pick it up quickly.

She is really good at helping with the younger kids and doesn't usually mind when I ask her to do something. She loves playing on the computer and networks with other kids (on games I approve of) to play. She does chores (almost always) when I ask and is great at explaining things so that I or others can understand. (Much like her father) Some of her chores currently include but are not limited to: unloading/loading the dishwasher, feeding the dog, feeding the chickens, cleaning her room, folding laundry, putting away clothes, setting the table for dinner/clearing the table after dinner, and helping to clean the living room. There are others but these seem to be the consistent ones.

She has lots of friends and includes her younger sister in nearly everything she does. She is a great big sister and Nate and I love her and are so proud of her! We love you Natalie. We are so glad you are part of our family!!!

Natalie made this mask and was being Barbie as a Muskateer here while decorating the Christmas tree! Classic Natty!
Love you Nats!