"I'M A PRINCESS?"

"I'm a princess?" that's what Natalie said when we got back home after the pageant when we were putting her crown back on her while getting out of the car. I loved it. We keep telling her that she was now officially a princess. She loved her crown and she loved running around wearing it. YES, NATALIE WON THE PAGEANT!

This image was before the pageant when she was running around before the pageant...when her Mimi was very nervous...wanting Natalie to calm down and sit down and wait her turn.

She did sit down for a little while.

The performance begins.

Pucker those lips and throw some kisses to those judges!
And don't forget to smile at them too.
"work those judges baby"
the line up of all the girls
one last chance for them to perform
a closer view of the girls charming the judges
And as you can see, she charmed them!
A proud Natalie and a proud Mimi
thumbs up for Daddy

I love this one. It looks like she is reading and is very proud of her new title.

Natalie and her proud parents
again
Nonna was proud too and needed a quick photo to go show off her little beauty queen.
But as usual Natalie didn't want to be still for a photo.

To those of you who don't know this, Cari (my daughter, Natalie's aunt) competed in pageants for years (8 mos -- 6 1/2 years). I didn't expect this pageant to be of the caliber that we competed in, but I did prepare somewhat like it would be. I bought a decent pageant dress, worked up a photogenic photo from files that I already had (I didn't do a new photogenic photo), and practiced walking on the X's and looking at the judges (minimum practicing) and at the last minute two nights before and the next morning before I practiced hair and make-up. The first competition was the night before (3-11 age group). I wanted to see if I could get an insight of this new pageant system. I quickly realized that this wasn't the typical kind of pageant that we did and that our pageant hair and dress were not that big of a deal for this one. So that night I decided that I wouldn't worry about finishing the alterations on the pageant dress and that all my efforts worry about hair was all in vain. I did do a little make up (that was probably worn off before we left the house). She wore the yellow Strasburg dress as you can see and I just washed and blow dried her hair and put in a simple white bow. It wasn't a pageant that really went on clothing or hair...personality was what they were looking for (at least in the younger age groups this seemed to be the case). And as you all know Natalie has tons of personality...not always the best personality, but lots to go around. She loved the stage and wanted to "do pageant" again after she had her turn.

When I was stressing out over which hair style to do, I quickly remembered why I was glad to finally quit doing pageants with Cari. So have no fear...I won't be picking that habit back up. Winning was fun. Watching Natalie have fun was fun, but all the stress beforehand was not fun at all.

I know she is beautiful, but what I desire for is her to be is beautiful through and through. And always be the loving child that she has become. I still often see her as our little baby, but as I look at these images, I realize that she isn't a baby or even a toddler any longer, but our sweet little girl (well she's sweet when she wants to be or when she is "rewarded" enough...I mean encouraged enough). In all fairness, she really is sweetest and most loving child I know.

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

PAGEANT HAIR

Okay, it's sort of pageant hair. I have lost my touch. Though I must admit, I was really never that great at pageant hair and for the most part I paid people who did "pageant hair" to do Cari's hair at the pageant that we competed. Hair or clothes could really make a difference at those pageants.

Not exactly a "Texas" puff...that's what they called it in pageants if you had a really big puff.
Since I had trouble with my poufs, I tried to just pull it back and curl up the back. As you can see I wasn't too sucessful at this either.
Okay, this is still cute, but not nearly worth the trouble I went through to get it and all the coaxing that I went through.

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

CINDERELLA HAIR

Isn't this a pretty do for Natalie. Doesn't she look like Cinderella?

the side view of this "do"

This is one of the styles that I came up with when I was practicing "pageant" hair for the upcoming pageant. An "up-do" like this is something that Cari would have worn with her pageant dress when she was about the same age. I told Natalie it was her Cinderella hair. You really have to think of really cool ideas to keep a child excited about things like this.

Another view...and yes, she does have on make-up. I need to practice this too. Wasn't this a beautiful style for her. I think this was the style I was planning to go with...that is until I saw that it wasn't necessary. I did the above style w/o roller all over...only a few of the pieces on top. It was the easiest style of the two I practiced...which was the why I was planning to go with it. This is her in the rollers so that I could try the other style and I tried it next.
She's even cute with rollers, uh?

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

A SMALL TIME CIRCUS COMES TO A SMALL TOWN

Last Saturday, March 29th, this little small time circus came to "our town". We had intended to take Natalie to the Shriner's Cirucs in Monroe earlier this month, but since it was the weekend after Memphis and so much else was going on, we decided to wait until next year. When I saw these flyers for this at local busnesses, I knew we must take her. It was quite the "small time" circus (no animal acts, only one clown, and only a few people doing it all). I can't say the people who put this on weren't good at what they did, but I was disappointed in much of this cirucs...it was much more about making money during intermission with pony rides and balloon jumping, etc. But Natalie had fun and we made some more fun memories. So I am glad that we took her, but I think the next one we take her to will be a "real" circus.

I love, love this images of Natalie and her Poppa with the circus tent in the background. It's a great intro to our little story about our day at the circus, don't you think?

We brought Emma with us too (Emma is Natalie's aunt. She is Brittany's six-year old sister). Poor Emma had to Cari my camera bag so that I could capture them walking up to the circus.
the first act we saw
Randy and Emma watching while Natalie is devouring the cotton candy!
They all seem entranced now.
How do you like this cheezy, blue, cotton candy smile?
another act...
This girl had awesome balance. She is also a talented artist. She is the face paint artist too.


ABOVE IMAGE: You don't see the clown and the rabbit in this act. The clown is dressed as a magician and the rabbit keeps playing drinks on him (hiding, etc). This is Nalalie asking "where is he?"

BELOW IMAGE: This is her looking back at me laughing and telling me how funny it was.
More awesome talent. This girl was talented, but her fearlessness really scared me. She would swing out literlly over the audience (no nets under her)...to dangerous in my opinion.

Chico the clown autographing the coloring books. Emma wanted an autograph for hers. Natalie has no clue about autographs. She's just watching.

The $4.00 pony rides. I counted (4 times around). Oh well...the girls had fun!

Their expressions made it worth it!

Face painting...

Natalie waiting in line for her turn checking out this girl's newly painted design.
Natalie watching Emma.
Natalie cheezing for her Mimi.
Natalie's turn.
I guess I got them out of sequence order. Emma got the horse. It looked great on her.

Natalie sat very still for this.

Natalie picked the pretty flower.
Both girls showing off their designs.
It was a very expensive circus for it to be so simple, but I think the girls had ball and Randy and I had fun watching them!

~~Natalie's Mimi~~