Merry Christmas!

The Purification of Barbie (and my quilts!)

I know. I know. You say it can't be done. But I am going to try my hardest. I loved Barbie when I was young. As I grew up and had girls of my own, I couldn't wait for them to be old enough to get my very special Barbie dolls that I had saved so many years ago. Then the time came, and I got them out of the attic at my parents house. I looked at them and didn't see the same toy I once saw. I saw an unnaturally beautiful doll with immodest clothes. I was heartbroken to think my girls would be denied these hand-me-down dolls that I saved so many years ago. So I had a mission to make these dolls holy. I sorted through the clothes and threw out all immodest clothing, keeping mostly the ball gowns and handmade clothes my mom had purchased from a friend. Then I went to the store and realized that they pretty much don't make modest clothing anymore for Barbie, if they ever did. I made a new plan, and that plan was to make my own clothes for them...

I am no expert seamstress, I assure you. Plus, I was in a hurry with this particular batch to get them accomplished (as well as their quilts and bows) before Christmas. Upon close inspection you would see the flaws. But these are kids who don't know any better and, hopefully, will appreciate the gift since their mommy made it. I had no pattern just a website with a pattern for a full sized Jedi costume that I used for inspiration. The nun costume turned out shorter than I had planned (I had wanted it to hit the floor,) and the head piece is just a rectangle with a white band of fabric and some Velcro sewed onto it. The night gowns were made in similar fashion, and I added embroidery around the collar and the girls initials on the front (can't be seen in my pitiful photos.) Then I made matching pillows with ribbon sewed onto the edges. I also made a tutu which is not shown.

I know I can not fix the unrealistic proportions of the dolls, the tattooed makeup, etc., etc., etc. But I sincerely hope this helps to at least convey the modesty and holy living that I want the girls to learn. I have lots more clothes planned (like a monk outfit for Ken doll,) but this is all I completed in time for Christmas because of...

Hannah's quilt
I made this from handkerchiefs in her favorite colors. It is much bigger than the other two and was quite a bit easier.

Genna's quilt
I made this one from a kit, and only slightly adapted it when I messed up a couple of squares. She is my princess pink girl and will love this.

Isaac's quilt
I made his from a kit as well. But there was a mistake in the kit and there was not enough of the backing fabric, so I had to go fabric hunting in my generous friend and neighbor's super amazing sewing room to come up with a matching rust colored fabric. It matches the helmets perfectly.

All in all, I am pleased with the facts that they look pretty good and that I actually started and finished these in one week while still being a mom everyday. Still don't know how that happened. Partly due to my recently returned husband, and in part because Isaac had a miraculous string of days that week where he napped longer than usual. The photos I took of the hair bows did not come out well, so I will take pictures of them when they are being worn since they will be cuter that way anyway.

Totally unfair

My blog, of late, has been a bit lopsided, a little heavy on the Isaac photos, and a little light on the girls. This is mostly because I am with him more during the week since they have school and such. But also everything babies do is just plain cute. Well, except for the waking up at insane hours in the morning. That isn't cute, not at all. But everything else is adorable. For example...

I mean who doesn't think it's cute when a little toddler bites his shirt instead of smiling for the camera?

Then, of course, there is...


Couldn't you just eat those cheeks! Sleeping babies are always lovable, even when they aren't supposed to be sleeping in the car. But how can you blame them when they wake up at 4:47am!

And there are baby kisses...

I love them, and I probably am the luckiest person ever to have lived because I get a million of these a day. Any time I ask for them! I have the best job, don't you think?

But, as I said before this is totally lopsided. I love and adore my girls just as much! In fact, I can barely stand it. Their beauty astonishes me, their personalities hypnotize me, and I often wonder how Brian and I could be so very blessed. So..

When I asked Genna why she wasn't smiling in these pictures, she replied, in her nonchalant way, "This is my new smile, Mom."

Hannah and Isaac were having a blast in the hamper. She is so good with him!

Below is Daddy playing Connect Four with Genna, and beating her over and over and over again. He does not believe in teaching the techniques of a game by letting them win. Poor thing took it like a champ. She even told him after one of the games that she let him win. She went on to tell him that she wants him to win all the games. Is that because she doesn't want to look bad or because, as she said, "I just loved him." I don't think it is the first one. She's usually not that complex.

Brian is actually out with the girls right now on a date. He took them to see our friends' kids in The Sound of Music. It was too late for Isaac and since I couldn't find a sitter, I opted to stay home with him and try to finish laundry and packing for our trip. So far, I haven't done either. Oops!

The girls have been bringing home lots of pictures from school. Hannah was so excited to show me one that she said she had written on. I was confused when I looked at it in and saw several consonants strung together at the beginning. She told me to sound it out and sure enough it did sort of sound like what she was trying to write. It read "Btnd Pinses." She meant "Pretend Princess." When I explained to her how you pronounce "Pretend," she said "well, I like to say it with a B sound instead." :) I was proud of her for trying such hard spelling words all by herself though!

A German mom of another little girl at the Kindergarten told Brian and I that Hannah's German is much better than we think. She apparently speaks it only when we are not around. Sneaky girl. Since then we have made a big deal out of praising her for that and she is getting a little more comfortable speaking it occasionally in front of us. She never tires of telling me I am saying or pronouncing something wrong in German. My pronunciation is pretty pitiful, I admit!

Genna is so loving and sweet! She truly loves her little brother and is her sister's shadow and best friend. What an angel!

As I am sure I have a lot of catching up to do with the girls on the blog, it should be easier since today was their last day of school until the new year. I will, however, be a bit spotty on my blogging this coming week since we are traveling a bit and celebrating Christmas as a family this year. I'll be in and out. I still owe a post on the Jesse Tree and on the Christmas gifts I made for the girls when I find the time.

Not as bad as I thought...

Isaac has been exceptionally better than I anticipated with the tree. He only occasionally steals an ornament off and brings it to me. This is a new favorite hiding spot. It makes me a little nervous because you never know what might one day occur to him, but so far it has been harmless and cute.

After his daddy got up from reading in this chair, he hopped up and grabbed his book to settle in for some reading too.

Then the girls joined him because, apparently, I haven't been taking enough pictures of them lately! Oops!

Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son Isaac

After our fun in the snow Tuesday morning, Isaac went over to our drying clothes and kept bringing me things to put on him. This is how he wanted to be dressed while he was playing.

Here's my handsome snowball!

This is our table top snow-woman from the first day that it snowed, still standing.

I pulled Isaac around in the sled teaching him what fast and slow is. He seemed to enjoy it and never wanted to go inside. Then he had fun pulling the sled around behind him for a bit.

Christmas Kid Craft Time

The girls painted their hand prints that we made a couple weeks ago in salt dough for ornaments. I painted Isaac's hand print ornament, and just gave him construction paper, a paint brush, and water with which to play. He was content with that. I just wasn't brave enough to give him paints yet.

Kindergarten Nativity Play

The girls were shepherds in the their kindergarten nativity play. Brian and I went to it last Friday morning and enjoyed a nice German breakfast with their class. They were cuties. I had to do some serious throwing together of a costume since I was given all of two days notice, but it turned out cute. We video taped it, but it is a huge file and I will have to figure out You Tube in order to get the video up. I don't have time to mess with it now, because I am in a mad rush to finish the kids' Christmas gifts. I am making progress, but I still have a lot to do. We are going out of town this weekend and so I only a have a few more days to finish everything! Got to get back to the sewing machine!