Rainbow Hair

After watching a video on one of our favorite You Tube channels, I felt a little inspired and asked Amalia if she'd let me completely redo one of her Barbie's hair.  Usually she balks at any permanent change of her dolls, but after showing her the video, letting her peruse my yarn collection, and showing her which doll I was thinking of, she actually said, "Yes!"

I think the selection of the doll was what really got her on board.  You see, her doll Honey Lemon (named after one of the characters in Big Hero 6) - seen here on the right - has some unfortunate hair.

From the outside it looks okay.

But once you start brushing it and pull the top layer aside, you find the under layer is disgusting.  Apparently they were a little heavy-handed with the glue when they initially rooted her hair, and some of the glue they put inside her head has seeped out through her "scalp holes".  It is a sticky, greasy-looking mess.  Or, at least, it was.

But then Mollie let me take over and try to fix the problem.  First, I had to remove the hair.

Cutting her hair off was fun, but it was also insanely sticky and I was really happy with our doll selection for this project.

Next I had to pull out all the tiny little hairs from the inside.  And, as it so happened and as I figured it would be, I also pulled out a TON of glue.

This is just part of the pile I removed from her head.

Now, with a wonderfully blank canvas ...

... it was time to start the reroot.  Amalia picked a multicolored yarn to use, as I has suspected she would, and I was excited to get going.  Each strand is put into the scalp using a doll needle (found at our local Field's Fabrics and then knotted before it is pulled back into the head and snipped at the other end.  (The aforementioned You Tube video does a great job showing how to do all this.)

I'll admit, the whole process was a bit morbid, and Mollie eventually requested that I stop making screaming noises every time I pushed the needle into Honey Lemon's head.  I agreed that it was probably a good idea.

I didn't reroot every "scalp hole" because the yarn is much, MUCH thicker than the regular hair and would have given her an unmanageable head of hair.  As it was, her new 'do was pretty full!

Once I had all the strands in, I gave her a trim.

Then I cleaned off the neck post (it, too, was covered in glue) and reattached her head.  Voila!

Mollie is super excited about the results, and I have to say, I'm pretty happy with them as well.  It's certainly different, but she's got a ton of blonde Barbies so this is certainly a nice change of pace.

Mollie wanted to style her hair like the one in the video, so we found a clip and pinned it back.

Then Mollie added another one for safe keeping/fashion.

It was a little tough, especially taking out all the old hair, but it was also a lot of fun and I'm glad we tried it!

That's What They Said: Fashion and Science Confound

This is just one long conversation this morning, and spacing it like I usually do was quite difficult to read, hence the extra spacing.

(While trying to pick out clothes on a particularly cold morning ...)
Me:  Baylor, did you pick out a blue sweatshirt?

Baylor:  Um, hmm.  (his current "yes" response)

Me:  (thinking he was going to be wearing blue pants with it)  Oh, Baylor, you're going to be a vision in blue!  Now, Amalia, I like this combination.  I think the long underwear are going to keep you warm enough today.

Amalia:  Mooooom, but I want to wear all one color like Baylor!  It's like being a spy!

Me:  Okay, well let's see what you've got.

(searches pant drawer and closet the little result)

Me:  Well, Amalia, did you know that not all spies dress up all in one color?

Amalia:  They don't?

Me:  No.  Sometimes they actually wear disguises.  Do you know what a disguise is?

Amalia:  What is it?

Me:  It's where you dress up like someone or something else.  You could do that today!  (she looks at me quizzically)  Do you know who you could dress up like?

Amalia:  (slightly pouting)  Who?

Me:  You could dress up like me!  I wear long underwear and jeans almost every day, and today I am going to wear an undershirt, a CuddlDud top, and a sweatshirt just like we picked out for you!

Amalia: But what is going to be on the outside?  You know, that everyone will see?

Me:  Jeans and my Michigan State sweatshirt.  (seeing that she was unhappy about the MSU sweatshirt)  And while I know YOU don't have an MSU sweatshirt, I know your brother does.  I bet he'd be willing to lend it to you.  Plus, my sweatshirt is a little big on me and his would be a little big on you!  What do you say?

Amalia: (looks at me even more skeptically)  Well, ...

Me:  AND, Mollie, did you know that people actually think you look a lot like me?

Amalia:  (surprised and skeptical)  They do?

Me:  Yes!  I get that all the time.  And I even have proof online.  I posted a picture of you wearing that red jumper online - because you looked so cute - and I had SO MANY people say how much you looked like me!  I had friends from when I was little say, "Oh, Nicole, she looks JUST like you!"  (seeing her doubting all this)  And, I had a friend from college, college, say, "Nicole, she is like a little mini you!"

Amalia: (clearly unhappy)  But people will look at you and see you are an adult and see that I am a kid!  And how do I look like you?

Me:  Well, maybe they'll think I got shrunken down or something.  And as for you looking like me, well genes are a funny thing.

Amalia:  (quite perturbed)  Mooooom, I don't like jeans!  (explaining it to me)  I just don't see them in my drawer.  I look and look, and on gym days or even not gym days I wear the other things in my drawer.  Not anything from this (the jeans) pile!

Me:  (smiling)  I know, and it boggles the mind, my dear.  I wear jeans every day!

Amalia:  Well, I don't.

Me:  Okay, well, I am going to let you make the decision.  I think Grandma will really like the outfit we have picked out here, but if you want to change it that is fine.  Just make sure whatever you choose is warm enough.  And please bring it down when you guys come down for breakfast.  Oh, and if you do want to wear your brother's MSU sweatshirt, it is already downstairs and it's clean.

Amalia:  Okay.

Amalia's First Fancy Tea Party!

Amalia was recently invited to her first fancy tea party with her school friends, and from the moment she heard about it she was excited to go.  After looking at her wardrobe, we figured out she doesn't exactly have any "fancy" (a 'la Fancy Nancy) clothes, but Oma and I were able to take care of that the day before.

We probably should have talked about how to do her hair sooner, but we didn't and it ended up that she had something particular in mind.  Taking all her directions, this is what I helped her do.

Yup, not gonna lie, it was a little wonky.  After a quick talk, Bryson and I convinced her that I could do something even fancier for her.  Unfortunately, I had zero ideas, no curling iron, and she wouldn't let me flat iron her hair.  But after a few minutes and a little trial and error, I came up with this easy updo.

It was a smidge on the wispy side, but she loved it and that's all that matters.  Plus, it was a little extra special since the ribbons were from the favors at our wedding!

After that, it was time to do her nails, and at this point I was reminded of why I never paint my nails.  Ughhhh.  But she was thrilled to have pretty purple nails; I could tell it made her feel extra fancy.

She played for a little bit, and then it was time to get dressed.  Here is the ensemble we came up with!  Fancy, eclectic, fun ... and all Mollie.

She was so excited she didn't even want to stand still for a second picture!

I dropped her off at her friend's house at the appointed time, and though she had been excited and confident at home, she got a bit nervous once we got there and asked if I'd stay.  None of the other parents were staying, though, and I knew she'd be fine once the party started up.  So we hugged, she waved an ASL "I love you" goodbye, and off I went.

The two hours of the party passed quickly, and soon it was time for me to pick her up.  She was thrilled to see me but not because she'd had a bad time; on the contrary, she and her little friends had had a blast, and she couldn't wait to tell me about it.  They drank hot chocolate out of little tea cups (that they got to paint and keep), decorated tiaras and gloves, ate dinner, and generally had a wonderfully fancy time.  

I am so happy this first foray into visiting a friends' house went well.  Hopefully it will pave the way for more such visits in the future.  Either way, our girl had a fabulously fancy time at her first tea party!

That's What They Said: Oh, Amalia!

Me:  Mollie, I know you were upset that you didn't get to come shopping with Aunt Christine, Oma, and me yesterday, but I am actually glad you didn't come.  I don't think you would have had much fun.
Amalia:  (very serious)  Why?  Did you guys get in a fight?!  (puts up her fists and puts on her angry voice)  "No, I don't want to!"  "But I DO!"  "Agrgghrhrh!"



Amalia:  (to Bryson)  Hot Daddy!  Hot Daddy!  Hot Daddy!
Bryson:  (a bit mortified and yet a little amused)  Amalia, why are you saying that?
Amalia:  Because you're hot!
Bryson:  (skeptical silence)
Amalia:  (as if we should already know)  You drank your hot coffee, Daddy, and now you are hot inside!
Bryson and I:  (relief)  Ahh.



Amalia:  Mom, did you know that (classmate 1) and (classmate 2) are half person, half Polish?
Me:  (smiling)  Bryson, did you hear that?  (he shook his head)  Amalia, Daddy didn't hear.
Amalia:  (Classmate 1) and (classmate 2) are half person, half Polish.
Me:  Yeah?  Half person, half Polish?
Amalia:  Yup, they told us that at school today.

That's What They Said: Starring Baylor

Bryson:  Did guys know that this year is an important historical anniversary?  800 years ago?
Me:  (whispers to Bryson)  The Magna Carta?
Bryson:  (whispers back)  Yeah.
Kids:  Um.  Uh.
Bryson:  It was an important document written 800 years ago?
Baylor:  Microsoft Word!
(Then most of the applesauce I was eating shot into my nose.)


Baylor:  (in his sweetest voice)  Mom?  You know, (garbled) you're pretty smart.  (smiles)
Me: (smiles back then wonders)  Baylor, did you say, "For a mom, you're pretty smart."?
Baylor:  (smiles)  Yeah.  You know, you and Dad are actually pretty equally smart.
Me:  Thanks, b.


Baylor:  Happy birthday, Mom!  Hey, what time were you born?
Me:  Oh, buddy, I don't know for sure, but I think the time has already passed.  I want to say that I was born at, like, 7:23 (a.m.) or something.
Baylor:  Aww, so at this time 34 years ago you were just born!
Me:  (smiling)  Yup.
Baylor:  (putting his hands on my shoulders and looking right at me, smiling)  Mom, you are getting SO old!
Me:  (smiling)  Aw, thanks, buddy.
Baylor:  (smiling almost wistfully)  And mom, the older you get the better mom you are.
Me:  (smiling)  Aww, buddy.  (hugs all around)



(One morning right after they got downstairs ...)
Amalia:  (snuggling up to Baylor)  Mmmmm!  How are you so warm?!
Me:  Well, you see, your daddy and your brother have this thing inside them for some reason that makes them hot boxes.
Baylor:  (laughs)
Amalia:  (snuggling in more)  Mmmmmmm!
Baylor:  (gets up to get a Lego catalog)
Amalia:  Uhhhhhh!  Baylor!  I need my little hot box!!!

Happy Birthday, Grandpa E!

Today is my dad's birthday, and since he is so far away, the kids and I thought we'd make him a little video greeting before we headed off to school today.




For those of you who don't know, not only is this super cute (I'm biased, I know), but it's also a huge accomplishment for Baylor; he hasn't liked the Happy Birthday song in any form since his second birthday, and for the longest time would dart out of the room (often crying) whenever he heard it.

So happy birthday, Dad!  We can't wait to celebrate with you when you get home!!  Love you!!

Halloween (and Hair Cut!) 2015

This year's Halloween festivities had a rather interesting start; my mom got her very first "hair cut" from Amalia!  The hairspray my mom used earlier in the day gave Mollie a bit of a run for her money, but she worked her way through it in no time.

After giving Mom a trim, Amalia blew her hair dry because Mom asked her to "dye" her hair as well.

I know it's blurry and the color is off, but I couldn't help but post this one of Mollie "applying the hair dye".  Let's just say it was a bit of a wild ride for my mom.

I'm sorry, but this is just not a face you want your hairdresser making while she's cutting your hair.

In the end, the "cut" came out okay, and now Mom is considering hiring Mollie for all her hair needs.

After a bit of pizza, we got the kids into their costumes for a photo op.  GO GREEN!

Then we went and covered up all that beautiful green with their winter coats and some bright yellow ponchos.  It was a shame, but it was also totally necessary because of all the rain outside.  Once we got out there, it was quite apparent that there were way fewer trick-or-treaters out than usual and fewer houses giving out candy as well.  But we made the best of it, trying to make sure the kids kept their bags under their ponchos or under the umbrella.  A special shout-out to my dad for coming with us, holding the umbrella, and keeping things moving!

After walking our usual route, we came home to check out their haul and take inventory of their sweets and treats.  Both kids did very well for themselves.

The adults enjoyed a shredded apple tart, courtesy of my dear sister, and then we chatted ... and some of us snuggled by the fire.

For the fourth year in a row, Mother Nature has tried to keep us down on Halloween.  But with good company and sweet treats, it's tough not to have a good time.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Amalia's Barbie House

When Mollie asked for a Barbie dollhouse for her fifth birthday last March, I immediately starting scouring websites and stores for all the options available to us that were close to our budget.  Unfortunately, what I came up with were a lot of either uber pink plastic houses (that are apparently a real pain to put together, can't sleep more than one or two dolls, and aren't durable) or sized incorrectly for the dolls they are supposed to house, and none of them seemed to be worth what they cost.  During my search, a lot of homemade dollhouses kept popping up, piquing my DIY interests to the extreme.  "Why not craft the exact dollhouse I'd like Mollie to have?" I thought.  So I dove in head-first, sketching out a floor plan and refining the dimensions for the space I had in mind for it.  She had already amassed quite a few Barbies, and I wanted the house to be able to fit all of them comfortably, so the final plan ended up being large enough that the house would be a semi-permanent fixture in the living room for the foreseeable future.  All the more reason to do it up right, right?

I set off to Home Depot to gather all the necessary supplies and was instantly overwhelmed with all the wood I came home with.   

Once I got it laid out, though, it seemed more manageable.

I had to pick up a few more tools, namely hole saws and a couple clamps to go with the ones we borrowed from our dads. (Thanks, guys!)  Then I set to work making bubbly-looking windows.  

Unfortunately, the wood didn't cut quite as cleanly as I had hoped it would.

Let's just say, I had a lot of patch work to do, not to mention all the sanding!

I had casually asked Amalia once while we were picking stuff up at Lowe's one day which wood stain she liked best.  After carefully considering it, she picked one, and that is the one I ended up using to stain the "hardwood" floors of the house.  Ooh, and they were wipes, so I didn't have to deal with a drippy paint can!  Win-win!

Mollie wasn't in school all day yet, so I did a lot of the work after the kids were in bed and here and there when I could get someone to watch one or both of them.

Math and measuring are not my strong suits, so I had to lay this bad boy out multiple times before I did any finish painting or assembling.

I even taped the paint chips to the boards so I wouldn't forget exactly which room was which color.

I was a little stumped as to what to do with the ceilings, but I happened upon some glow-in-the-dark paint at Lowe's when I was picking up some extra supplies and decided to give that a try.  (In hindsight, I probably wouldn't do this again; that part of the house rarely sees any direct light, so they never get "charged up" enough to really glow.  Oh well, it was a cool idea anyway.)

Since I had been the one to decide to make an epic dollhouse in less than a month, I did a lot of the work myself, though I didn't really mind it at all; most of the time I felt like my heart was filling with each paint stroke, each sanding, as if this was my love letter to my daughter.

I can't really tell you how excited I was when it all started to come together a bit more.

I wanted the top of the dollhouse to eventually be a little terrace area for Mollie (when she's actually tall enough to see the top of it), so I thought I'd add a decorative railing of sorts to keep any of the Barbies from falling off the edge.  This trim was just perfect with all the little dots!

The actual painting took quite a while since I couldn't retape the rooms to start on the next color until the coat I had just done was completely dry.  Luckily there was a lot of other stuff for me to do in the meantime, so little time was wasted.  (This, by the way, was a huge triumph for me; often I am the reigning queen of wasted time.)

Once all the walls were painted, the floors stained, the base sanded and painted, and the last details complete, it was time to put it together.

I really wanted to be all girl-power, I-can-do-this-by-myself-thankyouverymuch, but the task ended up being too much for me to handle by myself.  I really needed two extra hands to help keep things level and square things up so the house would be sturdy and straight.  I hated to ask Bryson, since he was a bit skeptical of the idea in the first place, but he helped out gladly and I was (and still am) extremely grateful for it.

He did not, however, appreciate me pausing to take pictures of him.

Through the process, we learned a lot about wood glue and corner clamps and things of that nature.

A few nights before her birthday and the party, I finally got to paint the "railing" in greater detail.  It was so much fun!

It was a bit of a struggle at some points, trying to use the tools we already had (and had already borrowed) and still make it right, but I really can't tell you how excited I was with the results.

I have to say, I really could not have finished the project this well and on time without the incredible help of my dear husband.  Thanks again, Bryson!  

I sneaked in a second coat of paint on the dots one morning before the reveal, then I got it all assembled (including adding dollhouse linoleum in the bathroom and laundry room) and ready to go.

The day of the party, my dad, Bryson, and our friend Shaun helped haul it up the stairs.  Thank goodness it fit, since that is one thing I had neglected to measure!

At first, Mollie had no idea what it was.  Then, when she realized it was a Barbie house, she was overjoyed!

I am happy to report that she has grown to love it even more.  I have since added a curtain in the bedroom (the giant room at the top) so the littler girls can have some extra quiet when they sleep, and lots of furniture and love have filled up some of the space.

Mattel has come out with a lot of cool house accessories for Barbie, but so many of them actually come with a Barbie now, and we were starting to develop an overpopulation problem.  So when it came to procuring a stove and sink, I ended having to make one from scratch so she wouldn't have to deal with one more plastic mouth to feed.  And, I have to say, I am pretty happy with the way it turned out.

My favorite detail is still the top trim.  I just love the punch of color it adds where you least expect it.

So that's it!  Amalia's Barbie house in all its glory.  I'm so thrilled with how it has turned out and how well it has held up thus far.  (Knock on wood!)  And, of course, how much she loves it and uses it ... that's the best, by far.

That's What They Said: Revelations

Me:  Kiddos, we need to BE AT the doctor's office in a half an hour!  Please get ready!
Baylor:  Mollie!  We have to be at the doctor's office in a half an hour!  We have to hurry!
Amalia:  Baylorrr!  I don't know how to tell time!  I don't know what that means!
Baylor:  It means we have to hurry!
Amalia:  Okay!



(About 20 minutes before she is supposed to get up for school ...)
Amalia:  (calling) Mommyyyy!  Mommyyyy!  Mommyyyy!
Me:  Mollie, what's up?
Amalia:  Mommy, something really weird is happening.
Me:  Yeah, sweetie, what's that?
Amalia:  My teeth make the whole room shake.
Me:  What?
Amalia:  My teeth make the whole room shake!  This has never happened before.



Me:  Amalia, what did I ask from you this morning?
Amalia:  (whining)  To help you with the caaaar?
Me:  Well, I did ask you for that, but what did I ask for first?
Amalia:  (whining)  I don't knooooooow.
Me:  To not whine and carry on?
Amalia:  Ughhhh.
Me:  And please don't pout.
Amalia:  (whining)  But that's my main face!



Baylor:  Mom, did you make my bed?
Me:  No, but I can.
Baylor:  You can make me a new one when I outgrow the one I have now?
Me:  Oh, I thought you meant make the bed, like straighten out your sheets and stuff.  No, I didn't actually make your bed.  It used to be your crib, and we were able to change it into your toddler bed, then your current bed.  (Insert a very long conversation about who actually did all the conversions and what it took to accomplish them ...)  Besides, you won't outgrow this bed until you are in college or in a house of your own.
Baylor:  Really?
Me:  Yeah.  Most people don't get the size bed you have until they are older.  I didn't get your size bed until I was in seventh grade, and I don't know if Daddy ever had your size bed.  He got a bigger bed when he moved out on his own.
Baylor:  Wow, I am really lucky!  Well, and they probably didn't have as many beds back then.
Me:  Back when?  When Daddy got his bigger bed?
Baylor:  Yeah.
Me:  Baylor, that wasn't that long ago.  It was in the 2000s.
Baylor:  (astonished)  Whoa.  When did you get married?  How old were you when you got married?
Me:  We got married when I was 23, almost 24.
Baylor:  Wow, Mom, your life is passing by really quick!
Me:  (stunned silence)
Baylor:  I mean, you are really old, but it wasn't all that long ago that you got married.




(While I was hugging Bryson, Amalia came up and hugged my legs.)
Amalia:  Mommy, since you are giving one of your hugs away to Daddy I am going to give you one so you don't run out.
(And my heart melted.)