Flowers in Winter

Today is typical of our crazy weather. A warm wind came through and the snow evaporated, but don't worry, there is still some up in the higher mountains.


Kit, Clara and I went out to play and look what we found!


It's so fun to have flowers bloom in December right after a white Christmas!


Kit complained, "I"m hot!" I told her she was way overdressed, so no wonder!


She headed back in to change, saying, "How was I supposed to know it got warm all of a sudden. Last time I was out here I was sledding!"

Yep! That's our crazy weather. What's it like where you live?

Hugs,
Kiki

Dolly Ski Day

Yay! Today was warm and sunny and perfect for playing outside in the mountains where there is plenty of snow. We bundled up and grabbed skis, sleds and snowboards for some winter fun.


Aleah and Emily took turns pulling Pippa on the sled.


Then the guinea pig got a ride, too!


Clara hit the slopes right away. She is an expert skier!


I'm a snowboarder, and not an expert. lol Whoops!


It's hard to stop when we are having so much fun, but the sun was getting lower in the sky and it was time to go home.


But, that wasn't all bad because we got hot cocoa and cookies when we returned. Yummy!

I love snow! What are your favorite things to do in the snow?

Hugs,

~ Kiki

Christmas Day

Oh boy! It's hard to get photos on Christmas because it is just so busy and exciting. I did sleep a little bit, but woke up early. "Pssssst! Clara, are you awake?" I asked her. "Mmmmm... what?" responded a sleepy Clara. Then suddenly she sat straight up. "Is it Christmas?" she cried. "Yes! Yipppeee!" I yelled as we both started jumping on the bed.

We ran downstairs and were joined by our friend, Aleah, who was visiting for the night.


There were presents for each of us. I got an Apple notebook, Aleah got a pair of Ugg boots and Clara got a new coat. There were other things, too, really too many to remember.

After opening presents and eating a yummy breakfast of Christmas Stollen, we played our new game, Apples to Apples, while the grown-ups were busy cooking the Christmas feast.


YUMMY! I think that sums it up!


We got all dressed up and had a wonderful dinner. Afterward we all sang carols around the new grand piano, which was played by Amanda. I got sleepy after so much food and excitement and hardly remember going to bed.

I have to add that we had a white Christmas this year. The sun was shining on the snow creating the special sparkles and that look like jewels. I think we may get to go sledding tomorrow!

I hope you all had a fun and merry Christmas day.

Hugs,

~ a sleepy but happy Kiki

Merry Christmas!

The house is filled with decorations and the good smells of baking. Old and young alike have a sparkle in their eye, with secrets of the knowledge of presents to be unwrapped. Will Kit like her hand knit scarf? Will Grandpa like the Christmas cake? Did Tía Meli put in enough rum? teehee! Just kidding!

I am so excited I can hardly type! But, as your ace reporter, I have taken some photos and want to share what is going on around here.


Greta has the stove going in the Larson cabin, keeping things warm and to finish a little baking. She makes wonderful Pepparkakor, which are crisp, thin gingersnaps from Sweden, that she cuts out in heart and flower shapes.


Kirsten just came in with a lovely tree and is starting to decorate it.


Carol Ann and Kelly sat still for a few seconds so I could snap a photo of them in their Christmas dresses. Okay, all done babies!


Little Leticia and Latonda are hard to keep still as well. They know "Sannty Claus" is coming tonight!


Nap time! Yay! Peace and quiet for a little while. ;)


I visited some other parts of Pleasant View Doll Town and took photos of Anya in her Christmas dress.


And, here is Amanda in her new dress that Tía Meli just finished. Amanda was a little worried it would not be done by Christmas and she would have to wear one that was old and too small!


Josefina and Esperanza are ready for midnight mass. After that they will eat the biscochitos, a yummy sugar cookie, that they just finished baking.


Fina is out sledding with her new snowman friend. I liked this photo and turned it into a Christmas card.


AND... last, but not least, here are Clara and I by the Christmas tree. We have just put on our pajamas and are ready for bed. I want to go to bed early so tomorrow will come quickly. But, I don't know if I can sleep. I hope I can stay awake long enough to hear the jingle of sleigh bells and the merry "HO HO HO" of Santa Claus, but I never can. Don't forget to leave him some milk and cookies!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY FRIENDS!

~ Kiki

Christmas With Cécile

Today I visited Cécile and Rosalie to see if they were getting ready for Christmas. Well, of course they were! Christmas trees were still a pretty new idea in New Orleans in the 1850's, but Cécile has one. She also has a lovely new dress that Our Person, Tía Meli, made for her. Lucky girl!






Hope you are all ready for Christmas. I need to wrap some presents!

Hugs,

~ Kiki

Christmas in Pleasant View Doll Town

I am beginning my report of the Christmas season around our doll town. There is a lot going on in every home as all the families are busy getting ready for the holidays, each in their own way.
We are enjoying hearing wonderful songs as the singers begin celebrating Christmas with carols. The treehouse balcony makes the perfect spot to serenade their friends. Since our person is a musician, the music of Christmas time is one of her favorite parts of the whole season.

At the rancho, the Montoyas have been decorating and have begun Las Posadas, where the story of Mary and Joseph looking for shelter is reenacted by the town. This will go on every night until Christmas Eve, when everyone will attend midnight mass and then have a fiesta. Esperanza is very proud of her new dress that she made herself, using ideas from fashions in drawings.

Josefina is very glad that it snowed and left a fluffy, white blanket across the normally dry, brown earth.

Las luminarias light the way and sparkle in the crisp night air.
I love visiting the rancho any time, but it seems especially magical this time of year.



¡Feliz Navidad!
~ Kiki

Christmas Time Is A Special Time

Hello, dear friends! Are you as busy as I am right now? I am finishing up school work so I can enjoy my holiday break, and helping Our Person with all facets of Christmas Time! We have have been making decorations, baking cookies, and crafting gifts and every day is filled with music and laughter. I do love this time of year. Everyone seems to be in a jolly, good mood and there is definitely a special feeling of excitement in the air.
Today we learned about something special that fits right in with this magical time of year. An 81 year old woman who lives in a tiny house in a small town has a favorite Christmas book called "Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree." She has been reading that book, which is supposed to be for children, every year since it was published a long time ago. She recreates the story on her front yard and naturally Tía Meli wanted to see it as soon as she heard about it. So, Clara and I hopped in the car with her and we went right out to see the display.

The story is about a man named Mr. Willowby who orders a tree that turns out to be much too tall for his parlor. He asks the butler to chop off the top to make it fit, and the butler decides to give the extra bit of tree to the maid.

The maid uses part of the tree, but has some left over and she gives it to the gardner.

He uses some and then the forest creatures get to have the next bits, and so on... until the tree top gets smaller and smaller and used by seven families.

The final, tiniest bit, is used by a family of mice to decorate their home in the mouse hole.

Isn't that a delightful story? I love how it shows the spirit of sharing and giving. The stuffies that the woman used were so cute, too. We actually got to meet her and she said she collects them from thrift stores throughout the year. Oh! And she thought Clara and I were very pretty dolls and was honored to have us visit.

It was a magical day.

Hugs, A Happy Jolly Kiki

The Nutcracker Ballet

Every year our person goes to see The Nutcracker. She loves that ballet and was in it when she was a little girl. We dolls get to take turns accompanying her and this year it was Marly's turn.


Marly dressed up in her very prettiest dress and Christmas coat. It was cold out, so she wore a hat, too


Outside the theater there were booths selling hot soups and crafts. It was fun to look at the goodies. Just being in the big city is exciting for us dolls.


Marley said she was sitting in American Girl Doll row, because her friend Aleah came along with her person, and a little girl sitting next to them had an American Girl doll, too. That made the show extra fun for Marly

They don't allow photos to be taken of the show, and our person only had her phone along for pics, so that's about all I have to report on the ballet. Except to say that Marly has not stopped dancing since she got home. I guess the magic of the ballet has let her know that she really wants to be a ballerina.

Hugs,
~ Kiki, your trusty corespondent

Ayla Was Right!

Ahhhhh! Such beautiful snow sparkles in the sunlight.


Time for a little snow shoeing.

The Last of November

It's been warm and dry all month, making it very hard to stay indoors. Marly and Ayla decided to go for a walk along the creek.


This time of year the sun is much lower in the sky, and sparkles on the water in new and beautiful patterns.


There are still a few seeds clinging to their pods. I am surprised they have not been blown away by the wind by now.


Ayla listens to a message from the babbling creek. Tomorrow it will snow.


But, today we will enjoy the warm sunshine.

Hugs,
Kiki

Thanksgiving

It's been such a busy day that I have barely have time to post. All of us modern girls got dressed up for a Thanksgiving Day feast. We think of this day as a chance to reflect on what we are grateful for in our lives.

Kit is the pastry chef and if rolling out the dough for the pumpkin pies.


Emily is in charge of the decorations and...


...the turkey!


We are thankful for friends and family, and all of YOU!

Hugs,
Kiki