Christmas Eve

We had Christmas Eve on Dec. 23 so we could accomodate travel schedules. It was the traditional Keal event with fantastic lasagna. Morgan was really struggling with a the new people and the excirement. At one point whe put herself on time out just to have some alone time.

Christmas Eve link

Minnesota Blizzard 2010 Video mashup

I know it's not about Morgan and it's not mine - but I thought it was funny. I'm convinced the 2 surfers in the beginning are my friends Randy and Drew who almost obsessively surf Gitchigumee.

It's purple!

Over Thanksgiving break Jim started the process of re-doing the 'red' room and turning it into a little girl's room. Last weekend Morgan moved in!

Iceskating!

On my birthday we headed outsdie - YEAH, and iceskated for the first time this season. In grand midwest tradition, there is a great outdoor rink next to the elementary school that Morgan will someday attend.  The warming house was supposed to open but somebody didn't get the memo - so kids were out shoveling the hockey rink, the figure skating rink was covered with snow and kids shoes were lined up on the bench.

Remembering Christmas 1 year ago

Winter Air

Her hair is still so fly-away that even the slightest drop in humidity sends it up into the air.

Remember this look? This is just about 2 years ago

For Stella part 2

Well the previous posts pictures were from Sunday afternoon. Since then 10-12" have fallen!

For Stella part 1

Hi Stella - Grandma has lots more snow than we do...

New Jewelry

Grandma shared a pretty necklace and Morgan wanted to show it off.

She's still a screwball though...

A weekend of Firsts

1. Friday morning Jim and I went to our first Parent/Teacher conference. In this particular Montessori school in January kids move to upper levels if they are academically, emotionally and socially ready to do so. This way if any child is ready they all move at once and no one is singled out. January will also see Morgan turn 3 so she may move from the Toddle program out to the preprimary room with kids aging 3-5. Morgan's teacher, Miss Julie, and the program director, Miss Delynda, feel very confident that Morgan is more than ready academically, but socially/emotionally maybe not. So, she visited with the preprimary class she would join and will continue to visit through December when everyone will make a decision. Morgan is incredibly shy, reticent and cautious at school. Miss Julie says that French class really shows how Morgan is at school. She sits, listens and they are convinced absorbs everything and whispers every answer, but when pressed to say her answer louder and again so her classmates can hear Morgan tucks her chin and hides.

2. We all went to an open casket visitation Friday night. Because there were so many adults around, Morgan opted to ride in her sling. She glimpsed the body - but we didn't stay in the chapel long enough (hopefully) to scare her. We did talk a lot about the fact the Roberta died and that everyone is very sad. I think all the emotion that she witnessed had a much greater effect on her than the body.

3. Morgan went to her first Birthday Party! Well, the first one that a friend invited her to specifically. Julia (friend in multiple posts) turns 6 this month and had a gymnastics b-day party. Luckily Morgan had been in gymnastic lessons this summer and was nonplussed by the equipment or crazy running 4,5 &6 year old friends. She LOVED the running trampoline and quickly figured out how to jump the length, climb the mats, slide off, climb the slide and slide into the block pit all be herself. Many times Jim and I would be talking with other parents and have to look around wondering where on earth she had gone to! She also whole heartedly played birthday-noodle tag and ran herself silly with the older kids. This behavior juxtaposed to school...

Sunday Funnies

She discovered the cartoons in the Sunday paper...

She must be a newspaper junkie
These were taken Augest 9, 2008

High 5

no further explanation necessary

Halloween

Call us old fashioned, but we didn't make a big deal of Halloween this year. She can't eat most of the candy she'd get and is still totally freaked out by the costumes she's seen. So - we'll make a big deal when she's ready.

She did have a party at school and she dressed up in a costume. She said she was going to be a pum-kin, so she got one on her shirt. The bummer of 2 parents who work full-time - we didn't actually get to see her in the costume. Here's a pic of it without her in it- get it? The staff at school thought it was pretty 'smart'.

(she was a smarty-pants)

She also had a little fun carving pumpkins with her dad. Unfortunately I had given her a flashlight she'd gotten in one of her treat bags and she was enamored with having her own flashlight (Daddy has one in his bag that she gets to play with sometimes).

Workout

She had SO much fun setting up her strings and jumping over just for the camera

A least she hangs it up

Morgan came in the house and hung up her coat...
on the easiet place to hang

The door to the garbage

Home Work

Miss Julie (Morgan's teacher) asked us to have Morgan start practicing putting on her snow gear so when it finally does snow she can do a majority of getting dress on her won. Thus allowing more actual time outside.
I thought it would be a good idea to have a full snowsuit so she doesn't have to worry about actually putting zippers together and doing it mostly on her won.

It's mid-October!

These are from October 11th and we had the house wide open and Morgan went to school in shorts!

New Pajama Fashionista

She loves the leggings so much that she slept in them for multiple nights before going back to her regualr bottoms.

Now that's some style!


At least she still lets me pick her clothes in the morning

Lots of Leggings

I had ordered a few pair of leggings and Morgan just loves them - so much so that she tried them all on!She actually has 4 different pairs on

Chasing seeds

Morgan found a seed in the grass and we had just read the Eric Carle book, A Tiny Seed, so she wanted to make sure it could continue on its journey

New Leggings - yes we're back to the '80s

Instead of struggling with tights I got Morgan some Babylegs leggins to wear under dresses.

Morgan was showing off some dance moves and bowing as her French teacher showed her how to do.

Out to the Farm Today

It's another mind-blowing gorgeous day! 80+ degrees; luckily I had kept a few short outfits in Mo's drawer.

This year we were involved with a CSA - Community Supported Agriculture. We had a 1/2 share are on week 19 of 20 for boxes of produce. Every Wednesday I run down to the church 2 blocks south and get my re-usable box which is 16"x12"x12" or 1.5 cubic feet. We've had an abundance of leafy greens, cucumbers, zucchini, onions, potatoes, corn and chickens! I also ordered a 1/2 share of chickens. I picked up my first bunch 2 weeks ago and baked one right away. It was 8 1/2 pounds!! It was a small turkey!

Part of the CSA is getting to go to events at the Farm - unfortunately this was the last event for the season, but the first we were able to go to. We picked our pumpkins: 4 big carvers and 4 gourds, which Mo calls baby-pumpkins. Then we headed to beets and I now have about 20 lbs to process; then red potatoes, and I think we brought home about 30 lbs; yellow onions - again about 10 more lbs and last carrots. We didn't get lots - maybe 5 lbs, but enough to freeze for a few meals.

Morgan loved the tractor!

She helped me pick beets

Picking carrots

Rubbing all the dirt off to leave at the farm

Jim and Morgan heading across the field to start picking potatoes

Bluebird Gardens is the name of the farm and for all intents and purposes is organic; they are just choosing not to pursue the organic label due to the cost and red-tape involved. Side note for a great reading reference on non-organic, organic farming read "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life" by Barbara Kingsolver.

We didn't get to SEE any chickens today - I think they butchered what they had and are getting ready for a new variety. Follow the chicken link to see pics from the farm and how they grew.