In Which I Remember That I Actually Have Two Children

OK, so some of you may be thinking to yourselves "Doesn't that woman have two children? Wasn't she sewing some sort of uniform S.W.A.P.? Did she just sell that other kid or what?" To which I say "Yes, yes and ha!"
It occurs to me that most of my posts recently have been about TLo. So today we will take another epic excursion into the world of Uniforms. Actually, this is more like a day trip to the land of Blouses. But whatever. Ottobre 1-2008 #6.

The Big One wore this blouse today, which meant that I had to take it to the cutting table to iron it and so I figured "Hey, what the heck. Let's get a photo." (My children are probably going to be warped and require years of therapy as adults because every morning before school I insist on taking their picture. Or at least, this is what I'm telling myself will be the cause of their years of therapy.)
Someone, somewhere recently said they hate it when people post up photos of wrinkled garments. To which I say "If you think I actually iron my children's clothing on a routine basis, you are living in a fantasy world." This garment is no different.
Saying that, this first photo was taken before I ironed it. Goofball Girl there is "twirling".

Then I actually made a half-hearted attempt to press it on the pressing table and this was the result.

I don't actually own an ironing board so most of my ironing attempts are half-hearted. Actually, I lie. I own two ironing boards, neither of which lasted more than two months before breaking in such a way that they became terrifying death traps whereby they suddenly take it into their heads to fling themselves to the ground, usually just after I've set the iron on them but before I've moved my feet away from underneath. I outright refuse to buy a third ironing board and so I am consigned to using my pressing table for all our ironing needs. Which isn’t highly successful. It's a good thing we're slobs.
And finally here is Goofball Girl dressed for the day and ready to get up and at 'em (that is something my grandfather says and it cracks me up).

I wish I could remember what the heck I did with this pattern, but I can't. I think I cut a 98 and lengthened it to a 110 (because I made this in August and The Big One was shorter then). I do know I shortened the sleeves. Otherwise I suspect I made this as directed (but then, who knows?). I recall that it went together pretty easily and I had intended to use this pattern quite a bit. But after making two versions I decided that the flared body of the shirt was a little too, well, flared and by then I was on to the horrors of polo. Shirts, that is. The Big One gets compliments on this blouse though, so go figure.
And honestly, we really do groom our children. I have no idea why The Big One's hair always looks so ghastly in photos lately. Clearly she needs... help. Maybe some mousse? Yikes.

Post #29: In Which I Meet My Expectations and Expound Philosophic

Today I realized I am heading towards Post #30. I would like to say I'm astonished to find I have so much to say, but that would be disingenuous. Because really I already knew that given a topic, any topic, I am perfectly able to talk for several minutes (if not hours) without pause. My mother was once asked while testifying in court "What makes you qualified to give your opinion on this case?" to which she replied without hesitation, "Well, I can give my opinion on anything." Exactly.

So today my almost-thirtieth post has inspired me to reflection. On what, you ask? Huh. Good question. Apparently on my not-so-surprising-after-all ability to reflect. And since that is a rather overwhelmingly vague topic even for me, I will instead reflect on the ever-changing face of reality that we call life. Or in other words, my kids.

Here's what I did on my own when I was six: Cross an eight-lane highway to visit the Walker Art Center.

Here's what my six-year-old does on her own: Go to the bathroom. Sometimes.

The world has changed so dramatically in the past 35 years. Today I wouldn't let a six-year-old walk two blocks by herself let alone wander around alone in a public museum for several hours. But wander I did, aimlessly drifting from gallery to gallery to see what I could see. Sometimes I would get lost in the museum but I always knew that when I saw this piece I had found my way again.

Then I would amble down to the main entrance and wander on back home again.

Today I'm making an Early-New-Year-Almost-My-Thirtieth-Blog-Post Resolution: I will strive to make my kids' world as safe and full of color as my world was when I was six. Frank Stella and all.

In Which TLo Wears Some Weird Shoes

Thanks for all the well-wishes. I am feeling much better today. Today I am blithely coasting along life's happy little highway, swerving carefree around the oil slicks of boredom and ignoring the orange traffic cones of irritation and annoyance. La la lala! See? That's me chirping away with the happy little birds like Snow White.

No, I am not tripping on acid.

So on Sunday I decided that TLo really really really needed something to wear with the Christmas leggings that my mother insisted on buying her. She had absolutely nothing in her wardrobe to go with these leggings but despite my telling her, my mother insisted on getting them. And then proceeded to quiz me every day about why wasn't she wearing them there are only twentyfour twenty fifteen days until Christmas and then what will she do with them?

Maybe TLo gets her irritating personality from my mother after all.

So, Christmas top to go with Christmas leggings. Aha! I decided to make it easy on myself.

1) I had pattern Ottobre 3-2008 #12 already cut and fitted.
2) I had two yards of black poly knit panne velvet from when the girls were still taking ballet and gymnastics and then decided to switch exclusively to soccer about two weeks after I bought six yards of panne velvet for dance-and-gymnastic uniforms.
3) I had some totally awesome fold-over elastic binding that I got in Portland on my totally awesome Palmer/Pletsch vacation two years ago and I hadn't ever (to my knowledge) used it.

Ta da! This actually came out really well, I only had to rip out one thing and for once I actually selected the correct stitch to do something new THE FIRST TIME I TRIED IT. Unheard of.

So chirp away little Disney birds. I'll just chirp along with you. I will not be daunted by the fact that TLo refused to wear her very cute black MaryJanes and instead insisted on wearing her saddle shoes. It’s still a happy chirpy outfit. So there.