Annie's Book of Rhymes

Here is Annie working hard on her self-titled book called "Annie's Book of Rhymes." (Yes, I plan to do both an alphabet book and an opposite book with Annie this summer, . . . but this child has SUCH a love of rhyming words, that we just HAD to make this book!) Annie couldn't wait to start this project and (due to the intensity of it and due to the fact that Mamma decided to make there be two rhymes on most pages) it is still a work in progress. I had to laugh when I read the description at the end of Leia's alphabet book that "she got a bit tired of it at the end, but was VERY proud of it." Yeah, it's the same here. : ) It's actually a totally different process than the other two books (alphabet = taking pictures of items, opposites = finding magazine photos to cut). Whenever Annie thinks of a rhyme, I write it on our "rhyming list" and then whenever we have time to work on the book, we head to the computer to find images of the word. Annie picks the one she wants, we print it out, she cuts it, she colors it, she glues it, I write the rhyming words. It's a labor of love! Annie's very favorite rhyme?!? (The one we included last, but actually did first?!?) "Mamma! Honey rhymes with bunny!" Oh, and how Annie loved that picture of that bunny! : ) Annie would finish the book on June 2, . . . and happily show off her newest petshops as a reward! : )

Evening Fun

These late spring days contain lots of fun for us after dinner in the evenings. Many nights the girls and I will don our dress-up clothes and dance wildly to Cyndi Lauper. On other nights we go outside and do the "spider" on our three-story tree-swing. These are the times to remember!

Baby Goat Day at Mountain Farm

Today we went to pet the baby goats at Mountain Farm on Baby Goat Day! After doing a lot of petting, it wasn't long before we found the room where they take the goat milk soap out of the molds, the newest newborn baby goats, AND the angora rabbits! Annie was THRILLED! Unfortunately, the angoras were more skittish than our Peri, so Annie just kept reaching for them as they skittered around the cage. Annie even found a stick with two prongs, put it on top of her head and said, "Look, Mamma! I'm a goat!" : ) Then it was time for milking! Leia went first and did it like a pro, . . . and then it was Annie's turn. As soon as Annie was reassured she wouldn't get messy, Annie did it, too! : ) Just look at how lovingly Leia Rose helps her little sister. I was SO proud of both of my girls! And after milking the mamma goat, it was time to feed the baby goats their mamma's milk from bottles. : ) Then we frolicked around the farm, looking at the sheep and even the lavender labyrinth which wasn't quite in bloom yet. Brian looked at the first ridge of the Smokies in the background and said, "That looks just like Hawaii!" That brought our memories back to our honeymoon, . . . so we took a few pictures. : )

A Butterfly at Oma's

Annie's First Sin

Learning to be a good little Catholic girl is so very hard! Poor little Annie! This is just something I had to record, . . . it's the first time that Annie did something that she knew was wrong, and knew it was against what Mamma wanted, . . . and did it anyway. Her first real instance of disobeying. : ( Here is the story: Mamma was in her room folding the laundry and Annie came in and asked, "Mamma can I have this snack?" It was a pack of pop tarts. I said, "Absolutely not, Annie. You are not allowed to have ANY snack right now. As soon as I am done folding this laundry, I am making dinner." Annie got mad and slammed the door. As if that wasn't enough, she went immediately to Leia Rose and asked her to open the pack. Five minutes later, when I was done folding, I came out to find Annie chomping on those pop tarts. She had disobeyed her Mamma, . . . and she went right in the corner. Someday, before her First Reconciliation, I will remind her of this so that her first confession will be a "real" one.

Scuffletown

I never thought, when I went country dancing at Scuffletown all through Furman, that I would be able to take my girls here someday! : ) I can't tell you what a joy it was to do this! Now, even though the place has changed, . . . in that the dance area is only the back part that was opened at the end of its heyday (and the front part is now an antique store and general store), the dancing is still the same. : ) They open it only once a month now for this special dance. Perhaps it will become a new monthly tradition, at least for Leia and I. We especially loved the big moose on the wall that you can see above the girls in the first picture. : ) Scuffletown was always famous for its antique and farm-related memorabilia hanging all over the dancing barn, . . . like a Cracker Barrel gone wild. Today's Scuffletown is no exception. : ) And as always, they had line dancing lessons at the beginning. THREE line dances! Leia Rose and Annie participated in the first two, and then Mamma and Daddy tried the third (harder) one. Then the music started and it was all the same with people two-stepping around the edge and folks running to the middle to start whatever line dance they wanted to. Leia and Annie were especially proud of their homemade cowboy hats that Mamma helped them with. And, yes, Annie brought her beloved "Peri," that she brings everywhere now. Peri is the white bunny (now gray) that Auntie April gave her this Christmas. AND by the end of the night, Leia Rose had met a real cowboy (who asked her to take a picture with him). Her comment? "Now HERE'S a boy I could fall in love with!" LOL.

Fun with Painting

"Mamma, I'm so expensive!"

Bunny Bakery: Immaculata Recess 2010

Almost every day this year, . . . every day, that is, when recess has been outside at Immaculata Catholic School, Leia Rose has played "Bunny Bakery." From what I understand, Bunny Bakery involves Leia, Morgan, Alexis (and sometimes Logan, if Leia can convince him) getting together at a particular "island" of the parking lot and making little "Bunny Cakes" made of mud and/or mulch. They allow these to dry and then they get a thrill out of seeing them "dried" the next day (that is, if one of the other kids doesn't squash them). Sometimes they make the cakes on these little leaves, . . . but Leia has spent hours and hours making these special cakes with her friends and often Leia comes home telling her Bunny Bakery stories. : )

Annie in Spring

Cutting: Annie's Favorite Learning-Is-Fun Time

Annie has such an affinity for cutting these days! In fact, if I don't give her something to cut, she'll FIND something to cut (like the numerous little clippings of Easter grass I've found recently). Our main Learning-Is-Fun book has some great cutting activities that teach over/under, on/off, top/bottom, etc. Annie feels such a sense of accomplishment when finishing each one. And then today she wanted to do a dot-to-dot as well, . . . the main reason was because, completed, . . . yes, it was a bunny. : )