Halloween Costumes: Minnie, Dolphin and Fairy

Well, if this post doesn't seem a bit behind then I'm glad you are with me in the slow lane. Nice to have a buddy who is as much of a slowpoke as I am. :)

For Halloween, Libby wanted to be Minnie Mouse. Actually, I finally found some Minnie Mouse-esque polka dot fabric and brought it home. I've had my eyes out for it for two years. Why is it so hard to find? Anyway, I brought home the fabric and showed it to her and then she wanted to be Minnie Mouse. Good girl!

Gracie wanted to be a dolphin. For school, the kids could be an animal, any animal. They had an animal unit and they learned about habitats, what animals eat, all sorts of things like that. She chose dolphin and she would not change her mind. I suggested a hundred other animals that would be easier to sew, but she was determined and so, I became determined too.  I bought a nice blue fleece fabric, but she rejected that right away. It was the right texture, wrong color. Dolphins are gray, they just look blue in the ocean because the water is blue. Ah, ok. Back to the store for a more realistic colored fleece.

Fenna decided to be a woodland fairy. She was on her own though, luckily I didn't have to insist that she make her own costume. She was all over it! She found a youtube video with a tutorial and the costume looked very cute. We shopped for the necessary materials, but that's as far as my involvement went.

For the Minnie Mouse costume, I used a simple dress pattern. I have quite a few that would have worked well so I chose one that I know fits her nicely.  I added ties to the sides, because she's so skinny that she needs to cinch up anything around her waist. The ties also make the big Minnie Mouse style bow in the back of the dress and cover up the little crookedness from my not so talented zipper installation, haha. The polka dot fabric is thin, so I lined the dress. I used a red broadcloth to line the bodice and a white broadcloth for the skirt lining. I sewed on a piece of eyelet lace to the bottom of the white skirt lining so it would show just like the real Minnie Mouse. I decided not to make a collar. I know Minnie has one, but I was in a hurry to finish these costumes and I didn't think Libby would notice the lack of a collar. I got lucky on that too! I did make a hairbow complete with black ears, but she refused to wear it.

The dolphin costume was complicated to even begin to think about it. I researched dolphin costumes online and didn't like anything I saw, which was a limited amount of resources anyway. There just aren't very many kids dressed as dolphins out there. I asked the boss, "what do you think the dolphin costume should look like?" She gave me very specific instructions about the shape of the snout, it has to have a white belly, a tail that looks just so, and fins, don't forget the blowhole!

I had to wing it for most of the dolphin costume construction, but I did use a pattern for the basic structure. I chose an old outdated hooded pullover jacket pattern. Who knew you could get a dolphin out of that?  Gracie provided the rest of the instruction and I googled pictured of bottlenose dolphins for the shape of the fins. Piecing them all together went well and next thing you know, Gracie was the proud owner of a dolphin costume! She wore it all day long at school, it was sweaty when I picked her up. Eww.

Fenna made her own fairy costume. She was a woodland fairy rather than a tinkerbell fairy. She used 12 yards of tulle in various shades of green, brown and  yellow. Then, she cut a Tshirt to get the right neckline (with a tank top under of course), and finished it off with a long leather ribbon around the waist. We searched and searched for white fairy wings to complete the outfit, but they just weren't in stock anywhere this year. We did find several colored wings and some angel wings, but they weren't right. She still rocked the fairy costume without wings. Totally cute!

Things That “Piss” Me Off About Potty Training - 10 “Crap”py Products and Advice Meant to Help Me Help My Child

Guest Blogger today is Audrey, my friend and potty training confidant. We see eye-to-eye on this potty training stuff. She wrote this fantastic blog post and I am happy that she's sharing it on my blog as well. Audrey lives nearby, she is an amazing stay-at-home mama who cooks and gardens and bakes and all of that wonderful stuff that amazes me; she has a 3 year old son in the midst of potty training. You can visit Audrey's blog: Thatrecipe.com

Our first attempt at potty training was an abysmal failure that resulted in a skinned knee (his), some tears (mine) and general frustration (all three of us).  In order to cope I could either complain or make jokes. Or better yet, do both.
So, without further ado, I present the following list of products and advice I have found along this section of the parenting journey:

1. ADVICE: Use the term “toilet learning” instead of “potty training”: my husband and I were potty trained, so were our parents and grandparents (ok technically some of them may have been “outhouse trained”), why did we need to invent a new term? I wish the braintrust that came up with this one would stop wasting time on this nonsense and spend it on really useful endeavors like solving world hunger, curing male pattern baldness, or convincing the NCAA that a championship tournament is needed in football.
2. PRODUCT: Potty targets: A friend told me about this “wonder product” designed to help boys with their aim when they progress to standing and suggested I use cheerios or fruit loops instead.  Good idea, but my son might dive in after the cereal.  When I mentioned it to my sister-in-law in front of her 20-something son, hysteria ensued! He wanted some and wondered if they had bull’s eyes on them so he could keep score, etc., etc. for a good 5 minutes.
3. ADVICE: Don’t tell your baby/toddler that his/her poop “stinks”: Warning! Warning! Political Correctness Overload!!!!  “Oh, no, your lil poops don’t smell, Sweetie. Animal poop smells, every other persons’ on the planet stinks, but not yours, Precious.”  This is EXACTLY what is wrong with some people today – no one has ever told them their excrement is malodorous.
4. PRODUCT: Training Pants that change colors when the child pees: I can only assume the panel for girls is as low if not lower on the pants as it is on boys.  In order to see when the colors have changed the child must bend almost in half to see between his/her legs. Wonder how many heads get banged or somersaults are started using these.
5. PRODUCT: Training Pants that feel cool when the child pees: When the child switches to underwear and it is warm instead of cold, what then? Plus, these are horrid for naptime use.  My Zip Van Winkle finally conked out for a nap only to be awakened 45 minutes later by an icy cold blast to his nether regions.
6. PRODUCT: Training pants and underwear with characters on them: I searched and searched but could not find any tighty whities.  Branded products for kids annoy me on general principle, but c’mon what is this obsession with branding my kid’s behind?
7. PRODUCT: Potty Seats that make noise: I have been blessed with a child that hates toys that make noise. I guarantee that if he sat down and it made a noise he’d never go near it again. Which reminds me of the story of the man that got a toilet seat that played the national anthem and he could never finish his business because he always had to stand up as soon as he sat down.
8. ADVICE: Check your child’s pants frequently to see if they are wet: After the second day, I was nervous that Child Protective Services was going to lock us up for groping our kid.
9. PRODUCT: $55 potty training dolls: These are advertised for use with the 1-day potty training method. $55! For one day’s use?!  Does this come with a money back guarantee to potty train in 1 day?  If I have to spend that much (plus the potty seat and other paraphernalia) this kid can just stay in diapers forever.
10. ADVICE?: The perfect parents that revel in telling me “my child toilet learned in 1 day at 12 months old”:  Be gone, before a house drops on your head!  No really, go back to your perfect little planet and leave me and my kid here in this little place I like to call the real world.

When we do get back to training we will probably use some of these products and advice, but for now all I can do is laugh and keep repeating the best advice I have received, courtesy of my Great Aunt Jeanne: “What’s the rush? He’ll do it when he is ready.”

Memories... An old post

I found this old post and had to laugh. It was just crazy! Was I in? or not? Getting into CSU wasn't easy, but I finally did get in and out with a degree. Whew!  Here is a post from 2005:

8/26/2005 - I think I got into CSUSM, but I'm not sure... I passed my Stats class this summer, but CSU requires a waiting period of one semester (ususally the summer) before transfering in.  Well, they provisionally accepted me, then denied me, then sent me a letter stating that I was accepted but didn't show up to the orientation but I could still sign up for classes.  So, I did.  I signed up for classes and Keith & I went there today and paid my tuition.  Classes start Monday the 29th, so I guess we'll see how long I get to attend before they realize that I didn't wait out a semester and toss me out.  Maybe I'll squeak through.

9/1/2005 Revolving door to CSU -  Well, I got a phone call yesterday from the Admissions office at Cal State and the man said "We're revoking your admission and disenrolling you from classes"  I said "oh, Pleeeeezzzeeeeee let me stay!!!"  He said I could fax my  transcript to him immediately and he'd pass it along to the decision maker.

So, made a quick run to Mount San Jacinto for my final transcript and got that faxed over to CSU.  Then, I waited..   :?

Today, I got a phone call from the same guy.  He says "This is very unusual, but we are officially accepting you and allowing you to remain enrolled.  Have a good semester."

I'm Thankful for...

Thirty things I am thankful for:
 (I will add one each day of November, or a few at a time to catch up or thank ahead cuz that's how I operate, check back!)

This goes without saying since it an always and forever and most sincere feeling of gratitude; and yet I feel compelled to say it because every facebook status I have in my newsfeed says it too: I am thankful for my family and extended family. I am very thankful for my husband and all of my kids, yes, even the dog. Thank you, people, for being my people!

1. I am thankful that Halloween is over. We made it through another successful year of trick or treat! Costume making, decorating, parties, birthday dinner, candy and cake - it's all done! And we did it well I think. I am thankful for all the fun times we had, but I'm thankful to be done with Halloween and move on.

2. I am thankful for my friend, Audrey. Yesterday, she was almost hit by a car. The trailer she was pulling behind her bike was hit. Luckily, her little boy was not in it at the time (she just dropped him off at preschool so it was empty).  I am thankful that she was not hurt, only shaken and inconvenienced.

3. I am thankful for Fenna. She is sharing a lot with us and we are learning and having fun. It is really fun to learn Dutch words, hear stories about how Dutch people do things, and get a new perspective on our American lives.  It's also very cool to see her grow personally. She's having adventures that will forever change her and impact her life decisions. I am thankful that she's such a cool kid.

4. I am thankful that I got to take a nice long hot shower. Usually, I am in a hurry and dealing with crying and pounding at the door, if not an audience right there in the bathroom. Getting a nice long hot shower with no crying audience is not easy around here. What can I say? They love me every minute of the day and cannot bear to have me disappear alone into the chamber of steamy suds.

5.  Friends. I am thankful for friends. I have very nice people in my life and even though I don't spend a lot of time with any of my friends, they are all good people. I'm lucky to know so many! I've got a bunch of online friends from blogging, forums, and other online social spots. They're great and some I've been friends with for 6 years already! I really do consider them to be my friends and not just online people. I have my local mommy friends. I don't see a lot of them lately with school in full swing, but they are a great bunch of ladies. We get together for parties, playdates, babysit swap, and everyone is always very happy to see each other and support one another. If one needs help, there are a handful that are more than willing every time. So wonderful to be part of this group.  And, I have my husband's coworkers as friends. They are special people. I only see them a few times a year, some I don't see but once a year if that. But, they always are a bunch of great people who include me on their fun even though I'm not one of the coworkers and in on their every day lives. They are the friends who inspire me; they are great!

6. Coffee. Really, my life would not be the same without my morning caffeine.

7. My teakettle. My friend, Kristin, gave me a tea kettle not too long ago after mine exploded like a bomb. I really appreciate the new tea kettle! I use it every single day and lately, several times a day. I cannot live without a tea kettle on the stove, that is a fact. I'm also very thankful for my friend too! She's awesome in many ways, not just with saving my sanity with a tea kettle. Thank you, Kristin!

8.  Once again, I am thankful for Kristin! And Keith! Between the two of them, they rescued me when I had a flat tire. I was meeting Kristin at the park for a much needed playdate with our little girls. Fenna said she'd come along. Lexie and Charlie weren't doing anything so they came too. Six of us in the van! We were two blocks from the park and I heard sprinklers but I didn't see any. Odd to have sprinklers going this time of year. But, I heard Psh, psh, psh, psh.... A block later, I stopped at the red light and the noise stopped. My tire air pressure light popped on. Ding. Oh no. I went around the corner and into the parking lot at the park. My tire was mostly flat, not completely flat, but it was obviously a problem. Everyone got out and went to play and I called my husband. He got home from an out of town conference 20 minutes earlier. He came to my rescue! Since the tire wasn't completely flat and he couldn't see anything sticking in it, he decided to take it to the tire store a couple of miles away through town and he left me his truck. It suddenly got cold in the park! Kristin took my teenager and my just barely big enough to legally ride without a carseat kid, and I took Lexie and we stuffed Charlie and Libby into carseats in the jumpseats of the truck. We all fit! Thank you Kristin and Keith for rescuing me and my brood! And extra thanks to Keith for the new tires. Nice!

November Snuck in

All of a sudden, it's November! Time flies when you're having fun. I was thinking, yay, November is sort of the calm before the storm on the activity calendar but then I thought harder and I realize that it's not.

In the 30 days of November, we've got some things tentatively planned already. For example: Fenna's belated birthday party, a baby shower, Seaworld, Veteran's Day, a couple of colorguard competitions, a field trip to Pretend City in Irvine, a couple of trips to Disneyland, Thanksgiving, Christmas shopping, and keeping up with school.

 I'm sure glad we aren't too busy! I just love seeing a few blank spots on the calendar. Ah, peaceful days ahead!

 Have you heard of NaNoNoWriMo or something like that? It's short for November Novel Writing or some such big long phrase. I could google it, but so can you. Anyway, a ton of people dedicate all of November to fulfill a personal and/or professional challenge to write a novel in one month, in November. I've been encouraged to participate, but I can't help but think, when? I don't know how people do it! Write a whole entire book in November? I could maybe do it if I had a November to November time frame, maybe. My sister wrote a book in a previous NoNaNuWewhatever it is. I'm proud of her and think it's really great that she managed to do it!  But I don't know how she found the time; I cannot imagine myslf finding that kind of time. Or brain power, really, where do people come up with the brain stamina, intelligence, and energy. Are you kidding me? I can't even read a whole novel in a month let alone write one. I've been reading The Grapes of Wrath for two months already and I think I finally hit the half-way point. Write a novel in November? Those are some amazing people, but I'm not even going to toy with the idea of becoming one of them. I will try to blog more though.

One really nice thing I'm excited about for November is that my husband is staying home for Thanksgiving. Yippee! He's disappointed but I'm certainly happy to keep him home for the holiday. He's the best cook! And, the holiday hasn't been very festive without him. The past few years he has taken the week of Thanksgiving and gone hunting in South Dakota.

Well, we have 29 days left of November. Let's get on with it!