Natalie's Turn

It's only fair that Natalie gets a turn to be the featured subject of the blog, since her little sister was showcased last week :) So here's an ode to my 8 year old!

'All girl' is the best description of Nat-brat. She might play soccer or basketball or volleyball, but it's only because she can socialize with all of her friends while she's there. The sport itself definitely takes second place. Natalie is the life of every party and it seems like she's invited to every birthday party, play date, or sleep-over in town.

She can be charming. And she can be sarcastic (no idea who she learned that from!). And she can act younger than Anna does sometimes. But she's an amazing big sister. Anna was born when Natalie was 5 1/2 and we thought it might be hard to transition from 'only child' to 'big sister'. Nope. From day one, Nat has been fabulous. We try to make sure she has her own space, but she also will play with and read to Anna for hours on end. She can't wait for Phoebe to come home, and she's already asking about the possibility of a baby brother.

Speaking of reading, this girl is a whiz. Natalie is going into the 3rd grade this fall and she's reading at a 6th grade level. She loves to read. First we went through the Junie B. Jones series, then Magic Tree House. Then she found a series featuring a mouse detective named Geronimo Stilton and read most of those. This week, she's been reading Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary. We encourage her reading habit, since Chris and I are both steady supporters of Barnes & Noble. Her library of young reading material is pretty impressive!

She's a scary combination of 8 year old and 25 year old, party socialite and quiet bookworm. She's still learning just how far she can take her attitude, and where we draw the line. And she is growing up WAY too fast.