The Geek family wishes you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
Much love,
The Geeks
Monday, December 24, 2018
Merry Christmas from the Geeks
The Geek family wishes you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
Much love,
The Geeks
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Currently, Chief is... {5 years}
I just read through last year's post, when my baby girl turned 4. I was preparing to sit down and write this year's, so I needed to remind myself of the categories. It was probably true last year, too, but I realized she's just too big for those categories of questions. Her life is defined by so much more than what she's eating or the way she talks. So this year's post is going to be different.
Currently, Chief is in Pre-K at our parish school, where she's knocking it out of the park. Her teacher confirmed for me what I have always expected- she misbehaves most when she's around me, and manages to (mostly) act like a little saint every day at school. (I will sometimes call her "Angel", and she'll remind me- "Mom, I'm not an angel." Right, sorry.) Apparently her biggest behavioral problem at school is her overly aggressive displays of affection- hugging people when they don't necessarily want to be hugged. (Her baby brother can confirm that yes, this is a problem for her.) Her teacher has also confirmed that she is brilliant, and will be starting a reading program soon with a few of the other more gifted preschoolers.
Currently, Chief is absolutely loving being a big sister. She has survived an entire year of living with her baby brother, and has only shown overt jealousy towards him twice- once near his birthday, she cried that everybody who came to visit only wanted to talk about him; and another time at dinner she was upset that we were more preoccupied with getting him to eat than with talking to her about her day. We try to let her know how very special she is, and how loving Peanut does not mean we love her less; that hearts only grow bigger and more capable of love with each new member of the family. She is very protective of him, and now that he's (finally) walking, she is so very proud of him and every little milestone he accomplishes. He's a lucky little boy to have such a wonderful big sister. (And she informed me the other day that she thinks Peanut is ready to be a big brother, so...)
Loving her baby brother, and the responsibilities of being a big sister; dance class; cooking; reading; making art; board games.
Hating bed time; time outs; grocery shopping; anything boring; getting up in the morning.
How did she grow up so fast?
Much love,
The Geeks
 |
| Meeting Tinker Bell on her fourth birthday |
 |
| the beautiful ballerina at her second dance recital |
 |
| enjoying a cupcake at her fifth birthday party |
Hating bed time; time outs; grocery shopping; anything boring; getting up in the morning.
How did she grow up so fast?
Much love,
The Geeks
Saturday, November 10, 2018
Six
 |
| Photo by One Photo Gallery |
We've grown so much since we were those two kids wearing grown up clothes and talking about giving ourselves to each other, as if we knew what that really meant.
Well, now we know. And every day I'm thankful that the person holding my hand through this crazy roller coaster is you.
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Happy All Saints Day!
Happy All Saints Day!
Today the Pre-K classes put on a little parade of saints, so I quickly whipped up this Saint Teresa of Kolkata costume over the weekend. She got to pick her saint herself! We talked about a few different saints, and Mother Teresa stood out to her because she took care of sick people, like a doctor. (She's still trying to grasp the fact that Mother Teresa was not, in fact, a doctor herself.) While the Missionaries of Charity wear saris, I needed to make a costume that she could take on and off herself at school, on top of her uniform, so I made a separate veil and sash rather than having her figure out how to wrap a big piece of fabric around herself.
Are your little ones having any saint celebrations today?
Much love,
The Geeks
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Happy Halloween from The Little Mermaid cast!
 |
| Trick-or-treating early at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum's Air-and-Scare 2018 |
Remember as you scurry home from school to scarf down dinner and throw on costumes, that today is all about remembering our own mortality. One day, we're going to die...we should take care of each other in the meantime, and help each other get to heaven when that happens. So hand out some soul cakes if anyone needy comes knocking on your door tonight! (Or candy. I think the kids like candy these days.)
Were you able to convince your crew to wear a theme costume this year?
Much love,
The Geeks
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Crafting Adventures: Paw Patrol Ryder
It's time for the last tutorial from our family Paw Patrol costume: Ryder! Of course the baby runs the show around here, so he got to dress as the human master of the Paw Patrol pups. While the steps below show you how to make this for a baby, it will easily translate to a larger size for an older child (or Dad!) simply by using more fabric, since you're going to make your own pattern using clothing that fits your Ryder. Of the four Paw Patrol costumes, this one involves the most sewing- and a zipper! But don't fret, I know you can do it- no job is too big, no pup is too small!
What you need:
-white fabric
-red fabric
-yellow ribbon
-blue ribbon
-a white separating zipper
-white long-sleeved onesie/shirt
-jeans
Here's a look at Ryder:
This little boy wears a variation on his Paw Patrol uniform depending on the weather and the type of rescue, but his standard look involves jeans, a long sleeved white shirt, and a puffer vest that is 2/3's red and 1/3 white with a yellow accent and blue trim, plus the paw logo on his chest.
1. You're going to make your own pattern for this vest, so choose a shirt that fits your Ryder a little loosely, if possible. I went with a rather boxy onesie; it may even be helpful to choose something one size too big because this style is not going to provide much stretch or give. Turn the onesie (or shirt) inside out, tuck in the sleeves, and tuck in the bottom snaps, so your left with what looks like a tank top. You're going to trace around this to create your pattern.
2. Fold the inside-out onesie in half, with the back portion on the outside, and lay it on top of a sheet of blank white paper. Trace around the outside, giving an extra quarter inch of seam allowance on the top, arm hole, and side; do not give any seam allowance on the fold (you're going to be cutting a piece of folded fabric to get a completely symmetrical piece). Now unfold the oneside and fold it in half again, this time with the front on the outside. Trace this one with the seam allowance all the way around, and take care to mimic the dip in the neckline. You're going to have two pieces for the front of the vest, so you'll need that seam allowance around all sides.
3. Now, remember this vest is color blocked, so before we cut our fabric we're actually going to cut this pattern in two pieces. Cut your paper pieces (both the front piece and the back piece) in two just beneath the bottom of the arm hole. For the yellow accent, I chose to use a bit of 1" ribbon. Now, follow my math here for a moment: you're going to use 1/4" seam allowance to attach the top to the ribbon, and then the ribbon to the bottom. So your ribbon will be 1/4" shorter on both the top and the bottom- meaning you'll have 1/2" yellow strip between your two pieces of fabric when it's finished. So, in order to keep the same overall height of your pattern piece, you would need to remove 1/2" of paper total, or 1/4" from each piece (since it's now been cut in half), right? But then you need to add a seam allowance to those pieces, too. And the seam allowance is...1/4". SO, all of this math means that all you have to do here is cut your paper as shown above, and that's it! (For both your front pattern piece and your back pattern piece.) Of course, this fancy math hinges on you using a 1" yellow ribbon as your accent piece- if you use a different size...you'll have to do the math yourself. To cut your fabric, fold a piece of white fabric in half. Lay the top portion of your back pattern piece right along the fold and cut around the pattern (remember when you unfold, you'll have a completely symmetrical piece). Lay the top portion of your front pattern piece away from the fold and cut around it (so that you end up with 2 pieces). Repeat with the red fabric and the bottom pattern pieces. Cut 3 pieces of yellow ribbon- one the total width of your back fabric (unfolded), and 2 the width of your front fabric pieces. (If you want to get fancy, you can line your vest by cutting the same pattern pieces out of a lining fabric, but without the color blocking, and sew it to your main fabric before attaching the zipper. I'm not fancy.)
4. To assemble, you're going to start by attaching the color blocks together so that you have full front and back pieces. Use that 1/4" seam allowance and sew the bottom of the white fabric to the top of the yellow ribbon, and the bottom of the yellow ribbon to the top of the red fabric, so you end up with a fully assembled back of your vest and two fully assembled front pieces.
5. Next, place one front piece on top of your back piece, right sides together, and sew together at the top of the shoulder. Repeat with the other front piece.
6. I used blue ribbon to trim the arm holes rather than a strip of fabric because it makes things easier (and it's possible when you're dealing with someone so tiny). Pin the blue ribbon around the arm hole, with the right side of the vest facing up. (Ribbons don't really have a right or wrong side, but if they did, you'd be pinning it with the right side facing the right side of the vest.) When the whole thing is done, you're going to fold the ribbon out (it'll almost be like a tiny little cap sleeve).
7. Now you're going to put the whole thing together, so you're going to turn the vest wrong side out, with the ribbon sandwiched in the middle. Sew a straight line right down the side, and your vest is mostly assembled! (of course you have to do steps 6 & 7 for both front pieces)
8. Rather than having to worry about hemming, you're going to attach another piece of blue ribbon all the way around the bottom of the vest. Do the same thing for the neckline.
9. Now you need to attach your separating zipper. I used the instructions that I found here at Professor Pin Cushion, but I'm going to come clean- I didn't really account for a zipper stop at the top of the vest (because yes, I had to cut my zipper down) so the zipper head would come clean off if you zipped it all the way up! Be smarter than me, dear reader.
10. Finally, the little paw badge. I cut out some paw print shapes from white fabric and a badge shape from the red fabric. I used fabric glue to attach the paw print to the badge, because the pieces were so small. Then stitch around the badge to attach it to the white portion of the left front of the vest (the wearer's left, that is); this is an applique technically, so use a zigzag stitch to prevent fraying.
11. Ryder needs to wear a white shirt and jeans, and then the vest on top, zipped about 3/4's of the way. You did it!
What's your baby going to be for Halloween?
Much love,
The Geeks
What you need:
-white fabric
-red fabric
-yellow ribbon
-blue ribbon
-a white separating zipper
-white long-sleeved onesie/shirt
-jeans
Here's a look at Ryder:
 |
| image via Paw Patrol |
1. You're going to make your own pattern for this vest, so choose a shirt that fits your Ryder a little loosely, if possible. I went with a rather boxy onesie; it may even be helpful to choose something one size too big because this style is not going to provide much stretch or give. Turn the onesie (or shirt) inside out, tuck in the sleeves, and tuck in the bottom snaps, so your left with what looks like a tank top. You're going to trace around this to create your pattern.
2. Fold the inside-out onesie in half, with the back portion on the outside, and lay it on top of a sheet of blank white paper. Trace around the outside, giving an extra quarter inch of seam allowance on the top, arm hole, and side; do not give any seam allowance on the fold (you're going to be cutting a piece of folded fabric to get a completely symmetrical piece). Now unfold the oneside and fold it in half again, this time with the front on the outside. Trace this one with the seam allowance all the way around, and take care to mimic the dip in the neckline. You're going to have two pieces for the front of the vest, so you'll need that seam allowance around all sides.
4. To assemble, you're going to start by attaching the color blocks together so that you have full front and back pieces. Use that 1/4" seam allowance and sew the bottom of the white fabric to the top of the yellow ribbon, and the bottom of the yellow ribbon to the top of the red fabric, so you end up with a fully assembled back of your vest and two fully assembled front pieces.
5. Next, place one front piece on top of your back piece, right sides together, and sew together at the top of the shoulder. Repeat with the other front piece.
6. I used blue ribbon to trim the arm holes rather than a strip of fabric because it makes things easier (and it's possible when you're dealing with someone so tiny). Pin the blue ribbon around the arm hole, with the right side of the vest facing up. (Ribbons don't really have a right or wrong side, but if they did, you'd be pinning it with the right side facing the right side of the vest.) When the whole thing is done, you're going to fold the ribbon out (it'll almost be like a tiny little cap sleeve).
8. Rather than having to worry about hemming, you're going to attach another piece of blue ribbon all the way around the bottom of the vest. Do the same thing for the neckline.
9. Now you need to attach your separating zipper. I used the instructions that I found here at Professor Pin Cushion, but I'm going to come clean- I didn't really account for a zipper stop at the top of the vest (because yes, I had to cut my zipper down) so the zipper head would come clean off if you zipped it all the way up! Be smarter than me, dear reader.
10. Finally, the little paw badge. I cut out some paw print shapes from white fabric and a badge shape from the red fabric. I used fabric glue to attach the paw print to the badge, because the pieces were so small. Then stitch around the badge to attach it to the white portion of the left front of the vest (the wearer's left, that is); this is an applique technically, so use a zigzag stitch to prevent fraying.
11. Ryder needs to wear a white shirt and jeans, and then the vest on top, zipped about 3/4's of the way. You did it!
What's your baby going to be for Halloween?
Much love,
The Geeks
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Crafting Adventures: Paw Patrol Everest
I've shared tutorials for both Skye and Chase, so what about Everest? This one is a little more sewing, but just a little, I promise.
What you need:
-teal sweatshirt
-purple sweatpants
-purple long sleeved shirt
-teal ski hat
-yellow ribbon
-purple fleece
-white fleece
-pillow fill or cotton balls
-and if you really want to go above and beyond, purple and white face paint
As a reminder, here's Everest:
She has purple fur (as most Huskies do...right?) and wears a teal vest trimmed in yellow, along with a teal ski hat with a yellow stripe.
1. To start, you'll want to remove the sleeves from your sweatshirt to create your vest. Next, sew (or hot glue, I won't judge) yellow ribbon around the arm holes and the bottom.
2. Next, cut the fabric for your ears. You'll need 2 triangular purple shapes and one smaller triangular white shape for each ear. I rounded the corners of the triangles a bit. For sizing, just eyeball what looks good on top of your head.
3. Attach your smaller white triangle to the right side of one of your purple triangles. If you're sewing, this should be top stitched in a thread that's the same color as your "inner ear" fabric (so white or maybe a light grey). Whereas normally I would advocate for a zigzag stitch to prevent fraying, in this case a straight stitch isn't such a bad idea- fleece doesn't really fray, and even if you do use a fabric which unravels a bit, the effect can make it look more like fur.
4. Place your purple triangles right sides together and stitch around two of the sides, leaving the bottom of the triangle open. Definitely use a zigzag stitch here for the added strength. Turn the ear right side out, then stuff it with your pillow stuffing (or cotton balls).
5. Now, I wanted to be able to re-use my teal ski hat after this costume, so I didn't want to attach the ears directly to it. (Although I suppose it could be rather cute to walk around with Husky ears on in the winter time...) Because I needed to add a yellow stripe to the hat any way, what I did was cut a length of the yellow ribbon long enough to tie around my head, and I sewed the ears onto the ribbon instead of the hat. Then I just wore the hat and tied the ribbon around it; either way the effect is of two little furry ears poking out of this hat.
6. Finally, you need to make the tail. Much like with Skye, you simply need to cut two tail-shaped pieces of the purple fabric and, just like with your ears, stitch together all sides but one, and stuff it with fluff. Cut a slit in the bottom of the back of your sweatshirt and sandwich the tail in there, then stitch it closed.
7. To assemble the costume, simply wear your purple shirt and sweatpants (representing her purple fur) and put on the now-sleeveless teal sweatshirt. Wear the hat (with the ribbon and ears tied on top, if you go with that method). If you want to go all-in, paint your face white with purple around the edges, and a black nose and black freckles.
Do you get dressed up with the kids at Halloween?
Much love,
The Geeks
What you need:
-teal sweatshirt
-purple sweatpants
-purple long sleeved shirt
-teal ski hat
-yellow ribbon
-purple fleece
-white fleece
-pillow fill or cotton balls
-and if you really want to go above and beyond, purple and white face paint
As a reminder, here's Everest:
 |
| via Paw Patrol |
1. To start, you'll want to remove the sleeves from your sweatshirt to create your vest. Next, sew (or hot glue, I won't judge) yellow ribbon around the arm holes and the bottom.
2. Next, cut the fabric for your ears. You'll need 2 triangular purple shapes and one smaller triangular white shape for each ear. I rounded the corners of the triangles a bit. For sizing, just eyeball what looks good on top of your head.
4. Place your purple triangles right sides together and stitch around two of the sides, leaving the bottom of the triangle open. Definitely use a zigzag stitch here for the added strength. Turn the ear right side out, then stuff it with your pillow stuffing (or cotton balls).
5. Now, I wanted to be able to re-use my teal ski hat after this costume, so I didn't want to attach the ears directly to it. (Although I suppose it could be rather cute to walk around with Husky ears on in the winter time...) Because I needed to add a yellow stripe to the hat any way, what I did was cut a length of the yellow ribbon long enough to tie around my head, and I sewed the ears onto the ribbon instead of the hat. Then I just wore the hat and tied the ribbon around it; either way the effect is of two little furry ears poking out of this hat.
6. Finally, you need to make the tail. Much like with Skye, you simply need to cut two tail-shaped pieces of the purple fabric and, just like with your ears, stitch together all sides but one, and stuff it with fluff. Cut a slit in the bottom of the back of your sweatshirt and sandwich the tail in there, then stitch it closed.
7. To assemble the costume, simply wear your purple shirt and sweatpants (representing her purple fur) and put on the now-sleeveless teal sweatshirt. Wear the hat (with the ribbon and ears tied on top, if you go with that method). If you want to go all-in, paint your face white with purple around the edges, and a black nose and black freckles.
Do you get dressed up with the kids at Halloween?
Much love,
The Geeks
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Crafting Adventures: Paw Patrol Chase
Did you enjoy yesterday's look at Skye? Today I'm sharing a quick tutorial for the police pup, Chase. This one does involve some sewing, but if you're really averse to the idea, you could always use liquid stitch or even hot glue, and I won't tell a soul.
What you need:
-navy blue polo
-khaki or brown pants
-yellow ribbon
-police hat (from the costume store)
-dark brown fabric
-lighter brown fabric
-Chase pup tag (from the costume store, but again feel free to make this out of cardboard and paint)
Again for reference, here's a look at Chase:
He wears a navy blue vest, police cap, and his pup tag collar. (We're not going to worry about the pup pack this time.) He's a German Shepherd puppy with dark brown fur and some little freckles next to his nose.
1. Let's start with the ears. For each ear, you need to cut 2 ear-shaped pieces of dark brown fabric, and one inner-ear-shaped piece of light brown fabric. Use your police hat as a guide to eyeball the size. Tip: when you need to cut multiple identical pieces of fabric, fold your fabric in half (multiple times, depending on how many pieces you need to cut), pin it all together so it doesn't slide, and cut from a single pattern piece.
2. Next, attach the light piece to one of the dark pieces, with the right side of both pieces facing up. You'll want to center the light piece horizontally, and place it below center vertically. You could line up the bottoms of each piece, but for whatever reason I thought it would give these ears a feeling of depth if there were some darker "fur" at the bottom of the ear. You're going to top-stitch here, like an applique; you can use a zig-zag stitch for maximum strength, or a straight stitch if you're not feeling too fancy. Choose a thread that matches your lighter fabric.
3. Place the two dark pieces together, right sides facing, and stitch around the sides and the curve; leave the bottom open. Turn the ear right side out, using a turning stick (or the eraser end of a pencil, or just your finger) to make sure you get the whole curve flat. Again a zigzag stitch is recommended for strength, and this time you'll want your thread to match the dark fabric.
4. Now you'll need to attach your ears to either side of your cap. You can use hot glue, or you can run a few stitches directly to the fabric part of the cap. Now, I realize that our German Shepherd pup has straight, pointy ears, but I wasn't looking directly at a reference when I made this and anyway, who doesn't love floppy puppy ears? So I chose to fold over the tips of the ears and press with an iron for a little adorable flop. You decide what works best for your pup.
5. Because Daddy would be playing the role of Chase, I decided to have him wear a polo shirt and khakis rather than a vest (or disassembled sweatshirt, as the case may be); it lent both a grownup and an official, police-like air to the costume. All that's necessary to dress up the polo is to cut some strips of yellow ribbon with angled corners and attach them together to make little arrows on either sleeve. (Chase has 3 arrows on either side, which probably signifies his rank; I only added 2 arrows because I wasn't working off of an accurate model, just my own memory.) I removed the pup tag from the weird rubber choker it came with from the costume store and simply attached it to the button placket of the polo shirt with a large safety pin.
6. Finally, paint your pup's nose brown and add some freckles in triangle patterns on both cheeks. Chase is on the case!
Do the parents get in on the costume action in your family?
Much love,
The Geeks
What you need:
-navy blue polo
-khaki or brown pants
-yellow ribbon
-police hat (from the costume store)
-dark brown fabric
-lighter brown fabric
-Chase pup tag (from the costume store, but again feel free to make this out of cardboard and paint)
Again for reference, here's a look at Chase:
 |
| image via Paw Patrol |
2. Next, attach the light piece to one of the dark pieces, with the right side of both pieces facing up. You'll want to center the light piece horizontally, and place it below center vertically. You could line up the bottoms of each piece, but for whatever reason I thought it would give these ears a feeling of depth if there were some darker "fur" at the bottom of the ear. You're going to top-stitch here, like an applique; you can use a zig-zag stitch for maximum strength, or a straight stitch if you're not feeling too fancy. Choose a thread that matches your lighter fabric.
5. Because Daddy would be playing the role of Chase, I decided to have him wear a polo shirt and khakis rather than a vest (or disassembled sweatshirt, as the case may be); it lent both a grownup and an official, police-like air to the costume. All that's necessary to dress up the polo is to cut some strips of yellow ribbon with angled corners and attach them together to make little arrows on either sleeve. (Chase has 3 arrows on either side, which probably signifies his rank; I only added 2 arrows because I wasn't working off of an accurate model, just my own memory.) I removed the pup tag from the weird rubber choker it came with from the costume store and simply attached it to the button placket of the polo shirt with a large safety pin.
6. Finally, paint your pup's nose brown and add some freckles in triangle patterns on both cheeks. Chase is on the case!
Do the parents get in on the costume action in your family?
Much love,
The Geeks
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Crafting Adventures: Paw Patrol Skye
It's the most wonderful time of the year- the time when it's completely appropriate for a grown woman like me to prance around dressed like a Disney character, when you walk up to strangers and ask for candy and they give it to you, when my husband consents to wear something that looks slightly ridiculous but perfectly adorable as part of a group.
I'm talking, of course, about Halloween! I just finished this year's costumes (well, technically I have one more accessory to whip up for mine, but it will be done in time for the Renaissance Faire this weekend) and if you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen a peek on my Stories.
But that's not the costume we're talking about today.
I want to share with you the tutorials for how I made last year's costumes! I shared several pictures on social media last year, but it never made the blog. So what was the Geek family dressed as last year, you ask?
Paw Patrol is on a roll!
Miss Chief was just shy of 4-years-old and Ryder and his team of pups were her obsession of the moment. (Paw Patrol is still a big deal in our house though- and we told Santa how much we love these pups so hopefully the love doesn't fade any time soon!)
Today I want to take a look at that high-flying pup, Skye!
What you need:
-pink hooded zip-front sweatshirt that fits your Skye
-cardboard
-pink ribbon
-silver duct tape
-pink duct tape
-pink skirt
-tan fabric
-cotton balls or pillow filling
-pink goggles
-Skye pup tag (I found this at the costume store, but you can easily make one with some cardboard and paint)
For reference, here's what this good pup looks like in flight:
She wears a pink zip-front sweater vest, a pink pilot's cap, goggles, a collar with her pup tag, and her pup pack with expandable wings.
1. So the first thing you want to do is disassemble your sweatshirt. remove the sleeves and the hood; keep the hood, ditch the sleeves. Put the hood on your little pup's head and approximate where you would place pigtails; mark the spots, then remove the cap and cut 2" slits where you marked. (Or a little larger, it doesn't really matter.)
2. Now you need to make the pup pack. My measurements here are entirely random; essentially, I disassembled a cardboard box I had lying around (it was either from Amazon or Pampers, who knows) and made it work. Basically, you need 3 pieces- 2 for the wings (one longer than the other) and one for the pack itself. My base unit here is the pup's little body; the height of her torso (measured from shoulder to hip) and the width of her torso (measured from shoulder to shoulder). Make a mock-up out of newspaper first, if you want, to make sure the proportions are going to work.
3. Now you need to color the cardboard. I simply wrapped everything in duct tape- most of it silver, but then I used a pink sparkly duct tape for the pack and the edges of the wings.
4. Now assemble the pup pack: first, arrange the wing pieces with the longer one on top and the centers aligned. Then overlap them by 3 inches or so- this adds a little strength to the whole arrangement, so it's less likely to buckle and tear where they are attached. And of course attach them with duct tape! Next take the pack piece (the one that's entirely pink) and fold the top and bottom sections (just a few inches). It'll basically resemble a box that has only 3 sides. Now, lay the wings inside the box, with the box centered, and the folded pieces cradling the top and bottom of the wings. Once again, take advantage of your duct tape to attach everything together.
5. To finish the pup pack, you need to add straps. Measure 2 pieces of pink ribbon that can attach to the top folded section of your pink box, go over the pup's shoulders, and then attach at the bottom folded section of the box. Once you've got the pieces of ribbon cut, attach them with- you guessed it!- the duct tape, shoulder width apart. (Remember the pink box should be on the outside when your pup is wearing it; looking at her from the back, it should appear as though the wings have extended from the sides of the pink pack.)
6. Next, you're going to make the pup's tail. She has a tiny cone-shaped tail, so cut out two vaguely tail-shaped pieces of your tan fabric and sew them together, leaving the base open. Turn it right-side-out and stuff the tail with pillow filling (or cotton balls). Take your pink sweatshirt-that's-now-a-vest and fold it in half to find the center line of the back. At the very bottom of this center line, cut a slit that is the same height as the base of your tail. Squish the base of the tail closed and sandwich it in the middle of this slit, then sew it together.
7. Finally, create the pup tag collar with a piece of ribbon. The pup tag came on this weird rubber choker at the costume store; I removed it and slid it on to some pink ribbon instead, and safety pinned the ends of the ribbon because hey, I had a 3-month-old baby at home, don't judge me.
8. To dress your pup, have her put on her pink skirt and vest. Put her hair in pig tails, put the cap on her head, and pull the pig tails through the holes you cut. (Those pig tails are going to stand in for her ears!) Put the goggles on her head, the collar around her neck, and put on the pup pack like a back pack. Paint her little nose black, and you're all set!
What are you going to be for Halloween this year?
Much love,
The Geeks
I'm talking, of course, about Halloween! I just finished this year's costumes (well, technically I have one more accessory to whip up for mine, but it will be done in time for the Renaissance Faire this weekend) and if you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen a peek on my Stories.
But that's not the costume we're talking about today.
I want to share with you the tutorials for how I made last year's costumes! I shared several pictures on social media last year, but it never made the blog. So what was the Geek family dressed as last year, you ask?
Paw Patrol is on a roll!
Miss Chief was just shy of 4-years-old and Ryder and his team of pups were her obsession of the moment. (Paw Patrol is still a big deal in our house though- and we told Santa how much we love these pups so hopefully the love doesn't fade any time soon!)
Today I want to take a look at that high-flying pup, Skye!
What you need:
-pink hooded zip-front sweatshirt that fits your Skye
-cardboard
-pink ribbon
-silver duct tape
-pink duct tape
-pink skirt
-tan fabric
-cotton balls or pillow filling
-pink goggles
-Skye pup tag (I found this at the costume store, but you can easily make one with some cardboard and paint)
For reference, here's what this good pup looks like in flight:
 |
| via Paw Patrol |
1. So the first thing you want to do is disassemble your sweatshirt. remove the sleeves and the hood; keep the hood, ditch the sleeves. Put the hood on your little pup's head and approximate where you would place pigtails; mark the spots, then remove the cap and cut 2" slits where you marked. (Or a little larger, it doesn't really matter.)
2. Now you need to make the pup pack. My measurements here are entirely random; essentially, I disassembled a cardboard box I had lying around (it was either from Amazon or Pampers, who knows) and made it work. Basically, you need 3 pieces- 2 for the wings (one longer than the other) and one for the pack itself. My base unit here is the pup's little body; the height of her torso (measured from shoulder to hip) and the width of her torso (measured from shoulder to shoulder). Make a mock-up out of newspaper first, if you want, to make sure the proportions are going to work.
4. Now assemble the pup pack: first, arrange the wing pieces with the longer one on top and the centers aligned. Then overlap them by 3 inches or so- this adds a little strength to the whole arrangement, so it's less likely to buckle and tear where they are attached. And of course attach them with duct tape! Next take the pack piece (the one that's entirely pink) and fold the top and bottom sections (just a few inches). It'll basically resemble a box that has only 3 sides. Now, lay the wings inside the box, with the box centered, and the folded pieces cradling the top and bottom of the wings. Once again, take advantage of your duct tape to attach everything together.
5. To finish the pup pack, you need to add straps. Measure 2 pieces of pink ribbon that can attach to the top folded section of your pink box, go over the pup's shoulders, and then attach at the bottom folded section of the box. Once you've got the pieces of ribbon cut, attach them with- you guessed it!- the duct tape, shoulder width apart. (Remember the pink box should be on the outside when your pup is wearing it; looking at her from the back, it should appear as though the wings have extended from the sides of the pink pack.)
6. Next, you're going to make the pup's tail. She has a tiny cone-shaped tail, so cut out two vaguely tail-shaped pieces of your tan fabric and sew them together, leaving the base open. Turn it right-side-out and stuff the tail with pillow filling (or cotton balls). Take your pink sweatshirt-that's-now-a-vest and fold it in half to find the center line of the back. At the very bottom of this center line, cut a slit that is the same height as the base of your tail. Squish the base of the tail closed and sandwich it in the middle of this slit, then sew it together.
7. Finally, create the pup tag collar with a piece of ribbon. The pup tag came on this weird rubber choker at the costume store; I removed it and slid it on to some pink ribbon instead, and safety pinned the ends of the ribbon because hey, I had a 3-month-old baby at home, don't judge me.
8. To dress your pup, have her put on her pink skirt and vest. Put her hair in pig tails, put the cap on her head, and pull the pig tails through the holes you cut. (Those pig tails are going to stand in for her ears!) Put the goggles on her head, the collar around her neck, and put on the pup pack like a back pack. Paint her little nose black, and you're all set!
What are you going to be for Halloween this year?
Much love,
The Geeks
Monday, July 30, 2018
Currently, Peanut is... {1 year}
Okay so we're fast approaching 13 months, actually, but this poor child definitely suffers from #secondchildproblems - Mommy just never has time to blog about his milestones! (That's why he got a 10 month update instead of a 9 month update like his sister.) But hey, better late than never- so here's a look at Peanut as he celebrates his first birthday.
Growing tall and lean, as always. Just as we went in for his 12-month check-up, his clothes started getting too tight. I don't know if it's the brands he's wearing or what, but there seems to be a very big difference between 9-12 month and 12-18 month in boys' clothes that I just didn't notice with Miss Chief. Not only are the waist bands very forgiving, but the shorts are just very, very long. (I guess nobody wants their little boy to wear short-shorts when he starts to get tall?) Carter's seems to be the only exception- 18 month clothes from Carter's fit him perfectly and he doesn't look like he's swimming in them.
Eating everything, all the time. He gets his own kids meal at restaurants now, which is enough to make me never want to eat out ever again- this little piggy is going to eat us out of house and home! It's harder than you'd think to avoid dairy; I've got a butter alternative for cooking at home, and I don't cook anything with cheese in it (but everyone else can add cheese when the dish is plated), but you really don't think about how many things are made with butter. Daycare is having a particularly difficult time with accommodating him, which is surprising, since lactose intolerance is pretty common even if milk protein allergy maybe isn't- the other day they fed him some buttery crackers and freaked out when his face turned red and swollen. Mr. Geek explained on the phone that no, they probably shouldn't feed him crackers that are described as buttery on the box... He does drink soy milk at daycare, which required a doctor's note, although the doctor still won't run any actual tests to determine that it's the milk protein which causes the skin reactions. A couple of weeks on soy milk seems to be messing with his stomach though- he's bloated, gassy, and has had a blowout diaper every single day this week. We haven't been able to definitely pin it on the soy, though- it might be teething, or an ear infection, or some other food we haven't isolated. Either way, he'll pretty much eat whatever you offer, whether it makes him sick or not. (And when he's full, he'll throw it on the floor.)
Talking if his big sister will let him get a word in edge wise. I've always heard that second children take longer to start talking than the eldest and that seems to be true for him. If Chief isn't in the room, he'll babble at me without reservation- but it's still mostly babbling. He'll say Mama sometimes when he's asking for food, he'll say his sister's name if he's really happy and wants to get her attention, but mostly his favorite word is Hi. He'll crawl up to you, grab your leg to stand up, then grin at you and say, "Hi. Hi. Hi!"
Making facial expressions like the little flirt that he is. Yesterday at Panera, he was sitting in his daddy's lap shoveling food into his mouth, and he looked over and saw two women enjoying their lunch at the next table. He proceeded to drop what was in his hand onto the floor and wave at them with a little grin on his face. One waved back and he laughed and looked down, then raised his eyes and looked at her again. I swear he's studied Flynn Rider's whole playbook!
Listening to every word his sister says. He is absolutely enamored with her! She'll ask him for a high five, or a kiss, or to say 'hi", and he'll do whatever she asks. (Meanwhile I'll ask for kisses all day, and won't get any. Well, unless he's tired and just wants Mommy cuddles.) He loves music, too, and will dance and wiggle when he hears any song- even the hymns at Mass! (And if you ask him, "Are you dancing?" he'll giggle and dance some more.)
Sleeping ALL NIGHT LONG. FINALLY. He's finally at the point where I can put him in his crib still awake and he'll either quickly fall asleep or, if he does get upset, it's just complaining and not desperation. (Does that make sense? I swear moms can tell the difference between a "hey I want to keep playing" whine and a "No I'm sad I need you" cry. For real.) He'll also nap during the day now which is very helpful- close to 2 hours in the morning and maybe an hour in the afternoon. (At daycare, not so much. He'll get about an hour or 90 minutes in but that's it- too many noises and too much fun to have.)
Loving his sister, probably more than anybody else in the world- well, except for his Mommy (sorry Mr. Geek- but you get the Daddy's girl!); shoving food in his face; flirting with strangers; toys that play music; standing up and plopping back on to the floor really fast; tickles; clapping his hands; taking selfies.
Hating saying goodbye at daycare; "all gone"; diaper changes; getting in the bath; getting out of the bath; being put down for even a second.
Well, we did it. We made it a year with this little dude. He's already quite the trouble maker- let's hope we survive another year!
Much love,
The Geeks
Growing tall and lean, as always. Just as we went in for his 12-month check-up, his clothes started getting too tight. I don't know if it's the brands he's wearing or what, but there seems to be a very big difference between 9-12 month and 12-18 month in boys' clothes that I just didn't notice with Miss Chief. Not only are the waist bands very forgiving, but the shorts are just very, very long. (I guess nobody wants their little boy to wear short-shorts when he starts to get tall?) Carter's seems to be the only exception- 18 month clothes from Carter's fit him perfectly and he doesn't look like he's swimming in them.
Eating everything, all the time. He gets his own kids meal at restaurants now, which is enough to make me never want to eat out ever again- this little piggy is going to eat us out of house and home! It's harder than you'd think to avoid dairy; I've got a butter alternative for cooking at home, and I don't cook anything with cheese in it (but everyone else can add cheese when the dish is plated), but you really don't think about how many things are made with butter. Daycare is having a particularly difficult time with accommodating him, which is surprising, since lactose intolerance is pretty common even if milk protein allergy maybe isn't- the other day they fed him some buttery crackers and freaked out when his face turned red and swollen. Mr. Geek explained on the phone that no, they probably shouldn't feed him crackers that are described as buttery on the box... He does drink soy milk at daycare, which required a doctor's note, although the doctor still won't run any actual tests to determine that it's the milk protein which causes the skin reactions. A couple of weeks on soy milk seems to be messing with his stomach though- he's bloated, gassy, and has had a blowout diaper every single day this week. We haven't been able to definitely pin it on the soy, though- it might be teething, or an ear infection, or some other food we haven't isolated. Either way, he'll pretty much eat whatever you offer, whether it makes him sick or not. (And when he's full, he'll throw it on the floor.)
Talking if his big sister will let him get a word in edge wise. I've always heard that second children take longer to start talking than the eldest and that seems to be true for him. If Chief isn't in the room, he'll babble at me without reservation- but it's still mostly babbling. He'll say Mama sometimes when he's asking for food, he'll say his sister's name if he's really happy and wants to get her attention, but mostly his favorite word is Hi. He'll crawl up to you, grab your leg to stand up, then grin at you and say, "Hi. Hi. Hi!"
Making facial expressions like the little flirt that he is. Yesterday at Panera, he was sitting in his daddy's lap shoveling food into his mouth, and he looked over and saw two women enjoying their lunch at the next table. He proceeded to drop what was in his hand onto the floor and wave at them with a little grin on his face. One waved back and he laughed and looked down, then raised his eyes and looked at her again. I swear he's studied Flynn Rider's whole playbook!
 |
| Waiting for cupcakes at his Captain America birthday party |
Sleeping ALL NIGHT LONG. FINALLY. He's finally at the point where I can put him in his crib still awake and he'll either quickly fall asleep or, if he does get upset, it's just complaining and not desperation. (Does that make sense? I swear moms can tell the difference between a "hey I want to keep playing" whine and a "No I'm sad I need you" cry. For real.) He'll also nap during the day now which is very helpful- close to 2 hours in the morning and maybe an hour in the afternoon. (At daycare, not so much. He'll get about an hour or 90 minutes in but that's it- too many noises and too much fun to have.)
Loving his sister, probably more than anybody else in the world- well, except for his Mommy (sorry Mr. Geek- but you get the Daddy's girl!); shoving food in his face; flirting with strangers; toys that play music; standing up and plopping back on to the floor really fast; tickles; clapping his hands; taking selfies.
Hating saying goodbye at daycare; "all gone"; diaper changes; getting in the bath; getting out of the bath; being put down for even a second.
Well, we did it. We made it a year with this little dude. He's already quite the trouble maker- let's hope we survive another year!
Much love,
The Geeks
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Currently, Peanut is... {10 months}
Yes, yes, I am supposed to do these posts every three months, but Peanut will be 11 months this week and I still haven't posted his 9-month update, so...it's a 10-month update. Sorry, buddy!
Growing more quickly again. He's got long, skinny little legs and a chubby little belly that's just begging to be tickled. He's wearing 9-12 month clothes right now, but his skinny little ankles poke out of the end of his pants. (That's fine, it's summer now- he's mostly wearing shorts anyway!)
Eating like it's his job, or something. He spent a couple of months sleeping through the night, but is back to waking up to nurse again- every 3-4 hours, like clockwork. After some initial skepticism about food, he has decided he REALLY likes this whole eating thing. I'm pretty sure if you just continuously handed him something to eat every moment of every day, he would- the kid is a bottomless pit! However, unlike his sister, who would wave her hands when she was done eating (so that we would clean them- she's always been very prim and proper) he announces that he's done with the current offerings by throwing it on the floor (or offering it to his sister- which I'm sure will continue when he's older and there's something on his plate he doesn't want to eat). With Chief, we definitely lived by the mantra, "Food before one is just for fun." I certainly haven't let up on nursing or bottles- I still expect that to be his primary source of nutrition- but feeding this guy is much more than just an experiment in learning how to eat. I have to be fully prepared to feed him probably half of what is on my plate at any given meal- and honestly, he feels like it's his plate and I'm just eating off of it, rather than the other way around. If I dare to take a bite, he gets mad! In fact, the other night, at a Mexican restaurant, Mr. Geek tried to give me a break so that I could actually eat something and started offering bites of beans and rice from his plate- literally the exact same thing that I was offering- but Peanut knocked the fork away and waited for me to offer my own. But if Mr. Geek literally handed me his fork and I held it up to Peanut's mouth, he would accept the offering. He eats enough that it's getting to the point where we'll have to start just ordering him his own meal, rather than feeding him from our plates. I'm having visions of grocery shopping for teenaged Peanut and my wallet is already hurting! One complication is that we have confirmed a dairy allergy in him (likely a milk protein intolerance, not lactose intolerance). He breaks out in hives if either of us eats dairy. We weren't sure at first, but when I tried feeding him whole milk yogurt (which he loved, by the way) his back and stomach broke out in angry, itchy welts. We've got some prescription topical medication for when it's really bad, but otherwise we use a baby version of Eucerin to keep things under control. He might also have a sensitivity to eggs and/or soy but we haven't been able to definitively prove that yet, and the doctor doesn't seem interested in running any actual tests- she says to just keep experimenting with food. Soy at least seems to be causing a lot of gas for him as we've introduced more into his diet (like a soy milk-based yogurt alternative) but then again we can't rule out the mountains of other food he's been eating as a source of that gas. The doctor thinks he'll probably outgrow this by the time he's two years old or so, and I hope she's right.
Growing more quickly again. He's got long, skinny little legs and a chubby little belly that's just begging to be tickled. He's wearing 9-12 month clothes right now, but his skinny little ankles poke out of the end of his pants. (That's fine, it's summer now- he's mostly wearing shorts anyway!)
Eating like it's his job, or something. He spent a couple of months sleeping through the night, but is back to waking up to nurse again- every 3-4 hours, like clockwork. After some initial skepticism about food, he has decided he REALLY likes this whole eating thing. I'm pretty sure if you just continuously handed him something to eat every moment of every day, he would- the kid is a bottomless pit! However, unlike his sister, who would wave her hands when she was done eating (so that we would clean them- she's always been very prim and proper) he announces that he's done with the current offerings by throwing it on the floor (or offering it to his sister- which I'm sure will continue when he's older and there's something on his plate he doesn't want to eat). With Chief, we definitely lived by the mantra, "Food before one is just for fun." I certainly haven't let up on nursing or bottles- I still expect that to be his primary source of nutrition- but feeding this guy is much more than just an experiment in learning how to eat. I have to be fully prepared to feed him probably half of what is on my plate at any given meal- and honestly, he feels like it's his plate and I'm just eating off of it, rather than the other way around. If I dare to take a bite, he gets mad! In fact, the other night, at a Mexican restaurant, Mr. Geek tried to give me a break so that I could actually eat something and started offering bites of beans and rice from his plate- literally the exact same thing that I was offering- but Peanut knocked the fork away and waited for me to offer my own. But if Mr. Geek literally handed me his fork and I held it up to Peanut's mouth, he would accept the offering. He eats enough that it's getting to the point where we'll have to start just ordering him his own meal, rather than feeding him from our plates. I'm having visions of grocery shopping for teenaged Peanut and my wallet is already hurting! One complication is that we have confirmed a dairy allergy in him (likely a milk protein intolerance, not lactose intolerance). He breaks out in hives if either of us eats dairy. We weren't sure at first, but when I tried feeding him whole milk yogurt (which he loved, by the way) his back and stomach broke out in angry, itchy welts. We've got some prescription topical medication for when it's really bad, but otherwise we use a baby version of Eucerin to keep things under control. He might also have a sensitivity to eggs and/or soy but we haven't been able to definitively prove that yet, and the doctor doesn't seem interested in running any actual tests- she says to just keep experimenting with food. Soy at least seems to be causing a lot of gas for him as we've introduced more into his diet (like a soy milk-based yogurt alternative) but then again we can't rule out the mountains of other food he's been eating as a source of that gas. The doctor thinks he'll probably outgrow this by the time he's two years old or so, and I hope she's right.
Talking basically in complete sentences now. I wish I could understand what he's saying! His sister seems to be a pretty good translator for us- sometimes it's like listening to Han and Chewy carry on a conversation! He'll make all sorts of noises with his pacifier in his mouth and if you pop it out, it's like he doesn't even notice- he'll just continue the train of thought. (But once he's done with his little monologue, he'll search for that pacifier.) He particularly likes to pick up a toy, hold it up for you to see, and then say something about it. At first I thought he was asking me to play with him- offering me a ball or a stuffed animal- but when I tried to take it, he pulled it away from me and set it back down next to him. So he's definitely just showing me his toys, not giving me permission to use them ;)
Making facial expressions meant to elicit a response. We joke that he's a big flirt, but honestly, he is. He prefers female company, and he'll look at you out of the corner of his eye, dip his chin a little bit, and then let a grin slowly spread across his face. (I think he's been studying Flynn Rider's playbook, if we're being honest here.)
Listening to his sister, intently. He loves when she sings to him- real songs, made-up songs, unintelligible noises. He loves when she talks to him- real words, made-up words, gleeful shrieks. She has made it her role in life to get him to giggle; he's discovered that he can make her laugh, too, and tries to do so at every possible occasion.
Sleeping if it's convenient for him, or if you're holding him, or if he's in a moving vehicle and just can't take it anymore. Like I said, right now he's sleeping in 3-4 hour spurts during the night, and during the day we'll get maybe 2 full hours of naptime (but not all at once- in 1/2 hour or 1 hour increments).
Loving his Mommy (and I gotta admit, this whole Momma's Boy thing is pretty awesome); playing with his sister; eating everything edible in sight (and perhaps even things that are not edible, so we have to be vigilant); tickles; pulling people's hair; listening to his sister read him a story; throwing things on the floor or across the room; crawling to places he's not supposed to be; ignoring a room full of toys to mess with the one thing in the room that's not for him.
Hating when Mommy tries to eat from her own plate at meal time; having to wait even one second for the next bite of food; the concept of sleep; having a stuffy nose; remedies for stuffy noses; "baby jail" (aka the play pen, where he does not have access to forbidden objects).
We're quickly approaching the one year mark! Where did my baby go?
Much love,
The Geeks
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Our Favorite Character Meet and Greets at Walt Disney World
The Geek Family Disney Trip 2017 looked a little different than the Geek Disneymoon. One of those differences was the fact that we spent a lot more time meeting characters than riding rides. We did meet characters on our honeymoon, but that wasn't necessarily the focus. Here's a look at some of our favorite character meet and greets, in no particular order, from this time around!
BB-8 Star Wars Launch Bay, Disney's Hollywood Studios
This little guy beeped and booped and wobbled his little head around- it was pretty cool. He wasn't quite sure what to do about all the hugs a certain four-year-old wanted to give him, but she had a great time.
Tinker Bell Town Square Theater, Magic Kingdom
This was the first character we met on the whole trip. Miss Chief was dressed like her, and we got a little Peter Pan onesie for Peanut, which Tink thought was just adorable. It was quite early in the morning but this pixie was positively bouncing off the walls!
Belle Enchanted Tales with Belle, Magic Kingdom
This attraction wasn't technically a meet and greet, but it was still the coolest character interaction in the parks. You travel to the library in the Beast's castle, where Belle is going to tell you her story, but she needs help, so children (and adults!) are assigned roles in the story. Our Miss Chief got to play Chip the teacup, hopping up and down to greet Belle. She did a great job, and afterwards, Belle gave her a bookmark!
Mickey Mouse Town Square Theater, Magic Kingdom
This was hands down the best Mickey meet and greet- because he talked to us! Sadly, I hear Mickey won't be talking to guests anymore, so we're lucky to have met him when he did. It was his birthday, and he told us we made his birthday extra special by coming to see him. He also told us all about his roadster racer- and a certain four-year-old knew all about that! It really was amazing to hear him talk- when he walked into the room and said "Hiya!" all of the adults audibly gasped!
Tiana Princess Fairytale Hall, Magic Kingdom
Tiana was so sweet and attentive, and, as you can see, gave the best hugs. Our little princess was a little shy every time she met royalty, but Tiana really brought her out of her shell.
Baymax Hiro's Workshop Character Experience, Epcot
Baymax was...huge. Huggable, but huge. I loved the setup of this meet and greet, with all of the little San Fransokyo details.
Minnie Mouse Epcot Character Spot, Epcot
I really loved the Epcot Character Spot- we met Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy here, and we didn't feel rushed from one to the next. The interactions were wonderful and the pictures turned out great!
Anna Royal Sommerhus, Epcot
Our Frozen-obsessed four-year-old was positively awestruck to finally meet her heroes, so she needed a little guiding to interact with them. I suggested that she twirl around in her pretty dress for Anna, who was very enthusiastic about the whole thing. Elsa was a bit quieter- she is a bit less goofy than her sister, after all- but she did let us know that it's an Arendelle tradition to eat chocolate cake on your birthday.
Pocahontas Character Landing, Animal Kingdom
So I've gotta admit, we got in line for Pocahontas purely because I wanted to meet her- Chief had no interest in this meet and greet at all. But as soon as Pocahontas invited us over, she changed her mind. We told Pocahontas that we're from Virginia, and she said maybe she'd come visit our village sometimes since we're so close to hers.
Daisy Duck Tusker House Restaurant, Animal Kingdom
Tusker House is probably my single favorite buffet in Walt Disney World, and the characters in their safari gear are an extra treat. There was a nice selection of North African and Mediterranean foods, and Chief tried a wide variety of things (not just her standard macaroni and cheese, although that was available, too).
Ariel Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Epcot
I'm not sure any of us were super impressed with the menu at Akershus, but as a one-credit meal on the meal plan, it's a better value than Cinderella's Royal Table if you're mostly interested in the princess aspect. (I guess Scandinavian food is just...not exciting?) Ariel was really sweet and of course commented on Chief's beautiful red hair, and at the end of the meal, there was a little parade throughout the restaurant where the kids got to follow the princesses around the room.
Tigger 1900 Park Fare, Grand Floridian Resort
The breakfast buffet was really good at 1900 Park Fare- certainly better than Chef Mickey's- and it featured an interesting variety of characters. We met Mary Poppins, Alice and Mad Hatter, Winnie the Pooh, and, after we ate, we met Tigger. Peanut loved how big and cuddly he was, and he pulled some pranks on Chief. Overall it was a great morning!
Who are your favorite characters to meet?
Much love,
The Geeks
BB-8 Star Wars Launch Bay, Disney's Hollywood Studios
This little guy beeped and booped and wobbled his little head around- it was pretty cool. He wasn't quite sure what to do about all the hugs a certain four-year-old wanted to give him, but she had a great time.
Tinker Bell Town Square Theater, Magic Kingdom
This was the first character we met on the whole trip. Miss Chief was dressed like her, and we got a little Peter Pan onesie for Peanut, which Tink thought was just adorable. It was quite early in the morning but this pixie was positively bouncing off the walls!
Belle Enchanted Tales with Belle, Magic Kingdom
This attraction wasn't technically a meet and greet, but it was still the coolest character interaction in the parks. You travel to the library in the Beast's castle, where Belle is going to tell you her story, but she needs help, so children (and adults!) are assigned roles in the story. Our Miss Chief got to play Chip the teacup, hopping up and down to greet Belle. She did a great job, and afterwards, Belle gave her a bookmark!
Mickey Mouse Town Square Theater, Magic Kingdom
This was hands down the best Mickey meet and greet- because he talked to us! Sadly, I hear Mickey won't be talking to guests anymore, so we're lucky to have met him when he did. It was his birthday, and he told us we made his birthday extra special by coming to see him. He also told us all about his roadster racer- and a certain four-year-old knew all about that! It really was amazing to hear him talk- when he walked into the room and said "Hiya!" all of the adults audibly gasped!
Tiana Princess Fairytale Hall, Magic Kingdom
Tiana was so sweet and attentive, and, as you can see, gave the best hugs. Our little princess was a little shy every time she met royalty, but Tiana really brought her out of her shell.
Baymax Hiro's Workshop Character Experience, Epcot
Baymax was...huge. Huggable, but huge. I loved the setup of this meet and greet, with all of the little San Fransokyo details.
Minnie Mouse Epcot Character Spot, Epcot
I really loved the Epcot Character Spot- we met Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy here, and we didn't feel rushed from one to the next. The interactions were wonderful and the pictures turned out great!
Anna Royal Sommerhus, Epcot
Our Frozen-obsessed four-year-old was positively awestruck to finally meet her heroes, so she needed a little guiding to interact with them. I suggested that she twirl around in her pretty dress for Anna, who was very enthusiastic about the whole thing. Elsa was a bit quieter- she is a bit less goofy than her sister, after all- but she did let us know that it's an Arendelle tradition to eat chocolate cake on your birthday.
Pocahontas Character Landing, Animal Kingdom
So I've gotta admit, we got in line for Pocahontas purely because I wanted to meet her- Chief had no interest in this meet and greet at all. But as soon as Pocahontas invited us over, she changed her mind. We told Pocahontas that we're from Virginia, and she said maybe she'd come visit our village sometimes since we're so close to hers.
Daisy Duck Tusker House Restaurant, Animal Kingdom
Tusker House is probably my single favorite buffet in Walt Disney World, and the characters in their safari gear are an extra treat. There was a nice selection of North African and Mediterranean foods, and Chief tried a wide variety of things (not just her standard macaroni and cheese, although that was available, too).
Ariel Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Epcot
I'm not sure any of us were super impressed with the menu at Akershus, but as a one-credit meal on the meal plan, it's a better value than Cinderella's Royal Table if you're mostly interested in the princess aspect. (I guess Scandinavian food is just...not exciting?) Ariel was really sweet and of course commented on Chief's beautiful red hair, and at the end of the meal, there was a little parade throughout the restaurant where the kids got to follow the princesses around the room.
Tigger 1900 Park Fare, Grand Floridian Resort
The breakfast buffet was really good at 1900 Park Fare- certainly better than Chef Mickey's- and it featured an interesting variety of characters. We met Mary Poppins, Alice and Mad Hatter, Winnie the Pooh, and, after we ate, we met Tigger. Peanut loved how big and cuddly he was, and he pulled some pranks on Chief. Overall it was a great morning!
Who are your favorite characters to meet?
Much love,
The Geeks
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)