Forever 21 Wish List

My experience with Forever 21 is that you head into the dressing room with about 50 items, and then come up with about 2 that are workable. So here's what I'm on the lookout for next time I head over there...I'm particularly excited to see #7 in person. Sooo pretty!

{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9}

My Li'l Troy & Gabriella

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Too much time on my hands, apparently!

{Thanks, Cammie! That is too funny!}

Let's Get Funky

I'm pretty much in love with Mini Boden's Funky Print Dress. How to choose? I'd like one of each please, for the girl. And what do you mean they don't come in my size?! Bummer.

She's Batting A Thousand

In the past 2 days Maya has...

• Whacked Mason in the face with a shovel (on accident, of course).
• Knocked my Mom completely down in the hall at church (Making it the 2nd time Mama has gone down at church...the first time NOT the fault of any of my children, thankfully.)
• Been the "responsible party" when Simon rolled off the bed (Which actually makes it MY fault, since we all know 5-year-olds are not ever the responsible party...which makes ME the responsible party.)

If you see her coming, watch out! She's on a tear...

{And also in tears. If someone else is hurt and crying, especially at her hand, Maya makes it a point to cry even louder. Fun times.}

He's Oso Special

Have you tuned into Special Agent Oso with your kiddos? It's super cute! It's probably geared toward littler ones - Mason absolutely loves it, but Maya enjoys it, too. He teaches the kids how to do simple things (brush teeth, wash dishes, play hide and seek) in "three special steps". It helps that Mikey does Oso's voice, and that each episode has a Bond-esque title and coordinating theme song ("Hide Another Day", "To Grandma With Love", "Live and Let Dry"). Oh, those clever folks at Disney. Good times.

My New Motto

{The Keep Calm Flikr stream is really fun...}

My Husband Is My Favorite

Chris won another eating contest at work...this time Krispy Kreme doughnuts. (There has been pizza, wings and milkshakes, I think...) If you skip to about 3:50 in the video, you'll see Chris and the riveting doughnut eating action.

Some fun facts:

• He ate 18 doughnuts.
  
• He didn't eat for 24 hours afterward.
• And, excuse the TMI, his favorite part, in his words: "It turned my turds blond." Nice.

He's a lot of fun. Of course, his heart will likely be giving out any time now, but still. Fun while we got him! :)

She's A Goodie

Today, for example, she ask me to give her Mason's punishment instead of giving it to him, because "It's all my fault - I was wilding him up". Her little voice was quivering and I could tell that she was trying very hard to be brave. She's starting to get into bigger girl stuff - starting with a High School Musical obsession, I suppose. Today she very solemnly came to me and told me that she wants to start watching Hannah Montana. (I remember having a similarly serious conversation with my Mom about wanting a pair of stirrup pants when I was little...) She's just growing up and turning into such a great little girl. And mighty pretty too, in my completely unbiased opinion! :)

From The Anthro Clearance Rack

I love browsing the clearance room at Anthropologie, elbow to elbow with all the other bargain shoppers. Here's a pretty li'l thing from the online clearance rack. Perfect for summer. And a great price.

Turkeys

I won't even begin to tell you about the songs I had to make up in order to get those smiles out of them. They may have had something to do with poopy diapers. Oh, the things a mother will do...

My Boy Is A Rascal

To the nth degree, no lie. His naughty streak has really come out lately. Lucky for him, there's lots of sugar to go along with all that spice. But that's not to say that his Cars aren't confiscated on a regular basis. But the "you can't get any new Cars back until you earn back all your old Cars" rule is really saving me some money! His "passive aggressive disobedience", as I think of it, is very different from Maya's fit-throwing style at his age. I've had a hard time figuring out how to deal with it, but "nose to the wall" time outs seem to be the most effective. Oh, that boy. He's a funny little dude.

Boyfriends...And Lots Of 'Em

How lucky am I to have so many good looking boys in my life? Bunch o' cuties!!

Tbags

I'm not familiar with the brand Tbags, but if all their clothes are as pretty as this dress, I may be about to have a new favorite...

The Gristmill

We had quite the excursion last week. We hit San Antonio (temple), New Braunfels, Gruene (twice, thanks to the lost blankie) and San Marcos in one day. Shopping, eating, touristy stuff, etc. etc. Good times. One of the highlights was a stop at the Gristmill Restaurant in Gruene. What a fun place! It feels like you're eating in the tops of the trees - very cool! I should also point out that blankie makes an appearance behind Maya in the largest picture. That is where blankie was left and miracuously found later on. I guess it's not that miraculous. I'm sure no one wanted to touch that dirty rag to steal it. They were probably waiting on a biohazard team for removal. Har har. Just kidding. I love that dirty rag.

"It's Part of My Training"

After she got ready for bed the other night, Maya volunteered to help me get Simon ready for bed. "Hold on a sec and I'll change his diaper", I told her. "I have to do it, Mom! It's part of my training!", she replied. She's such a good girl.

I love that it's my job to "train" her. And although I'm sure it has very little to do with me, I have to say that she's really, really coming along. She's a pretty fabulous little girl.

They Call Me Mellow Yellow

I'm really into the feminine look right about now. Which isn't necessarily super-Natalie, normally, but I'm finding myself drawn to floral print dish towels, scallop-y dishes, ruffles and gauzy fabrics. Oh, and I love love love the satiny-blue bow on this lovely mellow-yellow top. Perfection.

Things I Want To Do

I went to see Janice Kapp Perry speak on Saturday. {JKP is famous in the Mormon world for her "pop-ish" religious music, which, though sometimes corny, is classically Mormon and was a big part of my world growing up. Even more importantly, though, she wrote many of the best children's hymns in my church - I love them, my kids love them, they're catchy and they teach important principles.} I wasn't really expecting her to be anything specific, I don't think, but she definitely wasn't what I expected. (If that makes sense...) She was so funny. And engaging. And inspirational, in fact. She's in her 70s now, and talked about all of the interesting things she's done in her lifetime...most of them things that she never thought she could or would do. She didn't write her first song until she was in her 40s. She never planned on being a songwriter. But now, 30 years later, she's written hundreds of songs, including some of the most important songs in our church, some of my personal favorites.

I felt very grateful to her. That she hadn't said "I'm not a songwriter!". Or "I'm too old to start writing songs!". Or whatever. She encouraged us to write down some things that we might want to do in our lives. Not that we needed to do them all now, or even start working on any of them now. But to be open to the potential that we can do lots of things in our lives...and that we just might have untapped talents. Maybe we won't start to use them until we're in our 40s...or even later in life. And she encouraged us to be open to the possibilities that exist in life. So I'm writing down a few, what the heck:

• Learn to ballroom/partner dance. At least one song's worth. (Chris and I took ballroom dancing in college, and I was hopeless at it. But everytime I see someone dance competently, I wish, wish that I could dance.)
  
• Sing. (I'm not a great singer. I never have been. But I can carry a tune and have nice tone quality, at least I think I do. So I'd like to sing. No big thing. Church choir is fine by me. When I have more time...ha!)
  
• Play the piano. (I quit as a kid. I worked on it for a while as an adult and quit again. Some day I'm going to play well enough to accompany hymns in church.)
  
• Make a quilt. (I've talked about this recently. I really want to learn! Quilting is the coolest.)
  
• Learn to knit/crochet. (Doesn't have to be anything fancy. Simple baby blanket. Beanie hat. Maybe someday, Granny Squares, then I can make one of those awesome Granny Square quilts!)
  
• Learn Spanish. (I do live in Texas, after all. And it's just not a skill you can go wrong having. I want my kids to know Spanish. So I'd better learn it. And, in fact, my Dad met a lady who teaches Spanish lessons and I'm trying to convince him to take them with me!)
  
• Walk & jog more frequently. (I'm a lazy butt. I know it. I admit it. I'm not one that wants to run marathons. Or half marathons. Or even a 5k. But I see my neighbor out flying with her dog and think - that looks fun. Then I go try it myself and feel like dying. But someday...)
  
• Do the climbing wall at the gym. (Because if Maya can do it, so can I, right? Just another reason to get my buns in gear.)
  
• Learn to ski. (I've never had the desire to learn to ski. I hate the cold. It looks miserable to me. But Chris loves it. And he wants our kids to ski. And I don't want to be the spoilsport sitting back at the lodge sipping her hot chocolate. Or do I...?)
  
• Take swimming lessons. (I'm not a great swimmer. I'm not even a good swimmer. I'm an okay swimmer. But if you threw me out into the middle of the lake, I probably wouldn't make it. And I have little kids. I should probably be a better swimmer than I am.)
  
• Write a family song. (This was something JKP encouraged us to do. She sang us her family song. Which was witty and clever and fun. Naturally, since she's a professional song writer. But I could come up with something simple. And I think it would be lots of fun.)
  

So that's the whole list...for now. But I'm sure they'll be more. And maybe someday I'll even cross some of these things off.

{"You Can Do It! - The Merit Badge Handbook For Grown Up Girls" is a fun book, if you're looking for inspiration.}

Jacquard Skirt

Boden is having a pretty great sale right now. Including this pretty li'l number at half price. I'm seriously considering it, although I'm bigger on dresses than I am on skirts at the moment. So pretty. And classic. Which I'm trying to take into consideration on all of my purchases.

Love Story Meets Viva La Vida

I don't know the Taylor Swift song Love Story (living under a rock, apparently), but Viva La Vida is one of my all time favorite songs, and this arrangement is soooo fantastic! Hope you enjoy!

{You should check out some of his other videos - wow, talk about amazing!}

Almost SIX Months

My baby! With teeth! Trying to crawl! Sleeping in his own room 100 percent of the time. (Yep, I finally cut the cord, and we're all sleeping a little more peacefully, but I miss having him in with me!) So full of smiles and squeaks. Such a good, good boy.

Fashion Week - Natalie Style

I seem to be going through phases in my blogging lately...a deluge of family photos followed by nothing for a week followed by more family photos...followed by the clothes I'm currently obsessing over. Today it's this top. Oh, so lovely. Definitely my style. Wearable in all seasons in Austin. But is it too "trendy" to be worth a splurge?

More to come, all week long. Natalie-style favorites.

Oh, The Goggles

Seriously, there is not a bigger goofball on this planet. Man, I love that kid.

Taking A Vote

I like the top one better, but Simon looks better in the second one. Thoughts?

More fun pics from this session coming soon...

He's Got Gas

He also snores like you wouldn't believe. But he's the absolute best in the whole world, and I'm very lucky to have him. For real.

Gabri Wah Wah

Every time we watch High School Musical 3 (you know, all day, every day), I obsess over Gabriella's dress, pictured below. Ooh, I just think it's the cutest. I figured it was a custom design and, well, it's not exactly well suited for me, so I didn't go searching for it.

But today while browsing Bluefly (my favorite), lo and behold, Gabriella's dress, courtesy of BCBG (and marked down 40 percent!).

I'm realistic enough to know that the dress just isn't going to work for me. But then I came across the top...also 40 percent off. Now this, I might be able to do. Cute, right?

{Mason has a little crush on Gabriella. He calls her Gabri Wah Wah.}

Look, Ma!

{No training wheels!}

She did it! Hooray for "positive peer pressure". I love her "What, he can do it?! Then so can I!" attitude.

Bow Chicka Bow Bow

I love it when I walk into my room and find this fresh-from-the tubby cutie pie snuggled up in my bed living the good life. I really do enjoy that crazy kid.

Lost & Found

I was in San Antonio yesterday morning going to the temple with some friends. Chris met me down there afterward so I could feed Simon, and we took the scenic route back to Austin. First stop: New Braunfels and Gruene, neighboring towns where we'll be hosting the Cottam family reunion this summer. We checked out the hotel. Drove around Schlitterbahn, where we'll be spending a day. Then decided on lunch at the famous Gristmill restaurant in Gruene. (It's awesome, by the way - like you're eating in a treehouse overlooking the river - I absolutely loved it.) After that we headed up the road to San Marcos, where I was meeting my Mama for an afternoon of the best outlet shopping out there, for real. (Is this a dream day or what?!)

About half way to San Marcos, I noticed Mason was looking mighty sleepy, and started to look around for his blankie. But nope. No blankie. We racked our brains - where had we seen it last? We called every place we'd been. Mason was getting weepy, and truthfully, so was I. I'm quite fond of that dirty rag! So Chris dropped Simon, Maya and I off in San Marcos to do some shopping and he headed back to Gruene. I was so thrilled a while later when I received the above picture mail on my phone. Right there on a bench in a park in Gruene. I couldn't believe it.

Mason's assesment? "I love my blankie for all my heart!" He should also add "I love my Daddy for all my heart" to the list. He's pretty much the best Daddy any rascally little boy could have.

You Can Find Me In The Tub

My big kids are getting to that age. I still want to take tubby pics. But I want them to be...you know...appropriate. (No more little bum bum pics, I guess...) Here's what I managed.

More Breakfast In Bed! (And I'll Bring The Paper In Later...)

(...that's a Morrissey song.)

My cuties surprised me with breakfast in bed last week. What could be better than toast + butter and a bowl of green ("your favorite color, Mom!") jelly beans for breakfast? And a cookie for dessert! That girl knows what I like. I love these kiddies.

To Dye For

Our Easter Eggs were rather straightforward and unexciting this year. (Completely unlike Mia's awesome "silk tie"-dyed eggs, I'm so doing this next year!!) But the kids loved it and that's all that matters. We played several rounds of hide and seek the eggs; Mason was crushed when he "broke the yellow one real bad" but it gave us an excuse to crack it open and give it a taste. (I'm not huge on hard boiled eggs, so my kids have never tried them before.) Mason tried a tiny bit of the white, shuddered and spit it back into my hand and then refused to try the yolk. Maya loved the white but decided to spit the yellow into the toilet and flush. Nice.

{This is all the proof I need that I shouldn't be walking around un-showered with no makeup. It's not okay. Of course, this is exactly how I will be looking when I drop Maya off to preschool tomorrow. Because "shouldn't" and "won't" are different things altogether.}

Five And A Half!

Maya turned 5 1/2 last week. What the?! So we do usually do something for half birthdays. Half a cake. A small gift. Something. This year I was feeling forgetful, apparently, and didn't even remember until the day was half over. Then I made a half-hearted effort at making it fun by agreeing to GattiTown for dinner. It's a win-win. I didn't feel like cooking, Monday night is Mom's Eat Free night, I tried my hand a pizza for the first time since Simon's birth and he was utterly unaffected by it (hooray!) and Maya got to party it up on her birthday. Pizza? Check! Dessert pizza? Check and check! Sponge Bob during dinner? Check! Fun and games? Check! Crappy prizes? Check. Good times were had by all.

Sniff sniff. My girl is getting so big.

Things I Love:

- When Maya gets hold of the camera and take funny pics of us.

Things I don't love so much:
- The sound the open camera makes when it hits the concrete. Another point and shoot hits the dust?! "BAR-NA-CAAAAAALES!", as Maya would say.

At least she's keeping us up to date with technology, I suppose.

Big Brother - Big Sister

The novelty has still not worn off. These two are obsessed with their baby brother. I love it. It's absolutely the sweetest thing in the entire world. He's got lots of new nicknames, they're always evolving. I especially like "Simey Slimer Boomer Bloomer". Maya has taken to calling him her "Woo Woo", which, I will admit, is not my favorite. Simon continues to be the most mellow yellow, cool as a cucumber kid. He's a wiggle bug who wants nothing to do with snuggling, but loves to be down rolling around, practicing "the worm". He will definitely be up and going here soon. Which makes me nervous. Our house is so far from baby-proof, it's terrifying. Littlest Pet Shop paraphanalia everywhere! Little tires and marbles all over the place! Holy cow. Danger, danger everywhere. Time to get a handle on that. I still have him sleeping in his co-sleeper through the night. He's in his crib in the evening, I just move him over before I go to sleep. I just like it that way. I'm cherishing this baby boy. He's such a sweetie.

On The Hunt

My friend Stacie & I throw an Easter Egg hunt every year - third annual this year! Okay, so it's at her house. All I really do is send the Evite and help her set up. But we call it co-hosting! :) This year we had a huge turn-out, and it was lots of fun! Tons o' eggs, tons o' food. Good times.

Just so that we remember, this was the year that Stacie's house was being re-tiled during the egg hunt. She's a trooper. Good ol' Juan was hooking up the toilet moments before everyone arrived. Juli accidentally showed up 45 minutes early and ended up cleaning the toilet and loading the drinks into the cooler (not in that order). So it wasn't our most organized year. Actually, it still might have been. But it was fun! It's always fun!

I Heart Camera Phones

It comes in rather handy when you show up to a birthday party (at Build a Bear, no less) without your camera. (Thanks Corrine & Julie! Maya had so much fun!)

It's also helpful in the pursuit of the perfect self-portrait. (Ridiculous, I know. And dangerous, or so it seems. I was at a stoplight, I promise.)

Time to start working out those arms! You know, among other things.

Make-Shift Easter Kids

Anytime you see "Natural Disaster" listed as the status of your UPS package, you pretty much know it ain't gonna happen. So my boys didn't get their Easter clothes in time for Easter. As a professed hater of "arbitrary deadlines" (You HAVE to wear new clothes on Easter? Says who?), I had to bite my lip and deal instead of running out to find something else "new" for them to wear. All in all, I'm satisfied with how we did. My little blue boys were cute as little buttons. And my fancy little southern belle looked just perfect for Easter Sunday. And we'll doll 'em up again next week in their "Spring" outfits.

The Lean Lean Lean Lean

I made everybody do the "lean lean lean lean - a'lean lean" at Easter dinner so I could capture some memories of some of my favorite people! It was a lovely dinner. But really, how can you go wrong with ham? Mmm. Ham.

We Have Three Children

No, seriously. We really do. I know, it's hard for me to believe, too. The funny thing is, the more kids I have, the more I want. I never thought I'd be that way. 3 or 4 max, I figured. But now I've even let myself think about the possibility of 5. Don't tell Chris, though. He'll flip his lid.

Warning:

I just filled the ol' bloggin' queue for pretty much the entire week with family photos and anecdotes. So, if you find that sort of thing annoying/boring/stupid, etc., you might want to steer clear. I'm a journalling machine!! I hope to pop in with some other fun stuff at some point this week, but as of now, it's 100 Percent Cottam, baby. See, it's not just a clever name...

He Lives!

He lives! I believe it. I know it. I'm grateful for it. So, so grateful.

Happy Easter!

Natalie + Christopher

Did you know that Chris & I are part of an Old Navy ad campaign? Oh yeah, baby. We're famous.

Seriously Considering...

Replacing the big ol' red couch in my bedroom with a couple of these pretties. I especially love the first one. Under $300, free shipping and 15 percent off orders over $125. Not bad.

{Via Armelle.}

Customize + Print {Free!}

I just printed up a batch of these free customizable, printable calling cards. They are GORGEOUS! Get your own here.

{Via someone - darn it. I forgot who. Sorry.}