Tangled with Will & Morgan Konsler

Trimming the Christmas Tree 2010

One of our favorite activities when trimming the tree together as a family is to play The Carpenters in the background and look at the ornaments from when the girls where babies. Leia ALWAYS enjoys putting her special ribbon curl around her pinkie and making her "baby bunny" face via her bunny ornament. Oma and Papa give Leia and Annie a special ornament every year to symbolize that year, ... Annie is pretending to "eat" the "grapes" that she truly chewed from our pretend food basket when she was a baby. It is also a Leia-inspired tradition to make a "Kitty Tree" from the top of the tree we trim off so that our angel will fit. Leia always uses a cut paper roll as the stand. The girls make their own ornaments. I saved a few of these this year! A couple of new things was letting the kitties kiss under the mistletoe, ... and sitting in the light of the tree listening to "The Night Before Christmas" as told by our special Aunt Cassie bear.

Shoal Creek Tree Farm 2010

A Pre-Christmas Puppet Show

In Thanksgiving for My Girls

Thanksgiving 2010: Meat from the BONE!

Evidence: Annie Still Needs a Nap

I love this pic of a pre-dinner, no-nap, totally exhausted Annie! SO very tired that she can't even keep her thumb in her mouth! LOVE this little one!

Ollie the Bunny, ... on the Wii?!!?

Mountain Sun Montessori Music Jam

Today the parents were invited to Mountain Sun for a music jam session! This was so fun and informal, ... and the kids just loved to dance and play music with all of us! (And don't get me wrong, I was dancing, too!) When the kids were given out "rhythm sticks," guess what Annie used them for? Yep, bunny ears!!! (See below.) And finally, I had to share Annie & I's lovin with "T" is for Turkey. : )

This activity made me think a whole bunch about all of our Artgarden Montessori music jams as well, such as this post: http://leiaandannie.blogspot.com/2008/02/artgarden-concert.html

A New Daddy Game: "You Stinker!"

Just a little something I wanted to record as a special nighttime Daddy game Annie plays with Daddy. (Daddy's always more wild with the girls when he puts them to bed than I am.) In this case, the game revolves around putting Annie's snuggle sack on. (Annie still needs to wear a snuggle sack in the winter because she twists and turns too much in bed to keep any covers on.) The game begins by Daddy pulling Annie down to the foot of the bed while saying, "Okay, Annie, let me bring you down to this side of the bed. Okay. Now let's put your snuggle sack on." Annie then deftly moves to the pillow side of the bed and laughs as Daddy says, "You stinker!"

"H" is for Hug

A New Tradition: "Ooooooo" Swinging

"Mamma, Put These Leaves in Your Mamma Drawer!"

Leaf Sledding 2010

Annie's Bunny House, Kitty House & Critters