Joy

 

May this Christmas bring you joy...

...however that looks in your current circumstances.

Merry Christmas!

Much love,

The Geeks

Nine.

 Yesterday was our eldest daughter's 8th birthday, which means we've been married 9 whole years now.

Halloween 2021

I ship us.

There are two kids who meet at summer camp for nerds.  They live in different states, he's about to head off to college, she's going into her senior year of high school.  They instantly fall for each other, their first kiss is incredibly awkward but incredibly adorable.  Their time together is brief and then they go their separate ways, make new friends, pair off with new romantic interests.  But they keep talking- he calls and talks to her for hours, something her actual boyfriend can't bring himself to do, a detail that savvier members of the audience surely pick up on as the writers' hint that these two are destined for each other.  They even start writing letters to each other, and maybe at that point some viewers turn it off, finding the whole concept ridiculous.  

Their plot lines don't really intertwine again for a couple of seasons, and then when it does, they're still in separate cities, and I'm sure there are viewers who wish this storyline would end already, but it doesn't.

In season 6, they finally live in the same city.  Then he proposes.  The big wedding comes in season 7.

They've got a spin-off show now about raising three kids in a house that's too small.  The storyline is sort of repetitive- the punchline of each episode involves the zany antics of the four-year-old son or the disastrous effects of sleep deprivation (the audience is really tired of hearing about how the new baby won't sleep).  The camera no longer lingers on their kisses, and the most romantic episodes revolve around him volunteering to cook supper.  The only source of suspense is wondering if they'll get the eldest daughter to ballet class on time and with both of her shoes.

But you know what?  I still ship them.  They're definitely my OTP.

Much love,

The Geeks

Currently, Chief is...{8 years}

 This has been simultaneously the longest and the shortest year ever.  The pandemic continues to drag on seemingly to no end, since nobody wants to make the minimum amount of effort to end it, and yet also it seems like I just blinked and Miss Chief aged an entire year.  She has only gotten more amazing as she's grown- check out just how amazing.

Thanksgiving 2020

Currently, Chief is in second grade.  She did the entirety of first grade online, and while it was the right choice for our family, it was a pretty crummy school year, academically.  Thankfully, Chief is self-motivated and seeks out further knowledge on topics she's interested in, so through games, educational shows, and books from our local public library, we've been able to sustain the momentum started with her pandemic-induced independent study in Kindergarten to make up for the absolute boredom that was first grade.  Second grade started out rather boring as well, but she's finally being challenged in Latin, religion, and spelling, if not math or science.  Hopefully she doesn't lose this love of learning and is always able to overcome the limitations of a classroom environment.

Christmas 2020

This year has really defined her role as a big sister.  Her brother is finally old enough to play with and otherwise interact with her as a peer, which means he's old enough to annoy the heck out of her.  It's also become exceedingly obvious that he wants to be just like her, and she's equal parts flattered and irritated by that.  Her baby sister was also born this year, and Chief is old enough to be actually helpful, which she absolutely relishes.  She can make her own sandwiches and fetch the baby's pacifier and fill up Mommy's water bottle and even- her favorite- hold the baby and entertain her if necessary.  

'20-'21 Dance Photo // Sterling Ballet Academy

I'm continuously amazed by how mature, how intelligent, how graceful she is- and I'm continuously fooled into thinking she's much older than she is.  She's 8 now, not 18, and I am constantly reminding myself to give her space to indulge in some nonsense every now and then.  I want her to wear princess dresses, and make up silly songs, and cook imaginary food in a pretend kitchen for as long as she wants.

Halloween 2021

Eight years of love, joy, sweetness, and sass; I can't wait to see what her future holds.

Much love, 

The Geeks

Happy Halloween- and May the Force be With You!

 

Happy Halloween from a galaxy far, far away!

What did you dress as this year?

Much love,

The Geeks

Currently, Bean is... {6 months}

 Wow okay my littlest munchkin is somehow already 6 months old!  These last three months have flown by, especially once school started and I went back to work.  I guess it's because it's been go-go-go around here, and we hardly have time to catch our breath- quite the change from the leisurely pace of life that was the hallmark of my maternity leave.  So let's slow down for a moment and check in with little Bean.

Growing crazy fast, still.  She is absolutely ravenous, nursing often and not sleeping through the night, and so she continues to just grow and grow, faster than either of her older siblings.  A few weeks ago, I noticed her 3-6 month sized clothes were getting small- sleeves a little too short, the hems of pants showing a lot of chubby little ankle- but her belly wasn't busting out of anything, so we didn't size up until about a week ago.  When I put her in a 6-9 month sized footie pajamas, I knew it would fit better than what she had worn the night before, but I assumed it would be too long.  Well it's certainly a little roomy, but this little string bean is already tall enough- her legs are the perfect length for this size.  She loves to be upright, in a standing position, either jumping in her jumparoo or just being held so that her feet can plant themselves on a flat surface and she can stand with some support, and when she's standing like that, you really appreciate how very tall she is.

Eating breastmilk and a nibble or two of some solid food, but we're just at the beginning stages.  She finally learned to love a bottle- but not before several ounces of milk were thrown out at daycare because she would stop at 3 ounces of her 4 ounce bottles.  She's now eager to drink from a bottle at daycare, she wants to hold it, and she'll suck down 4.5-5oz without a second thought, and then wants to keep the bottle to chew on for a little while.  When I'm with her, she still wants to nurse every 2 hours, and at night it's sometimes even more frequently.  We introduced her to bananas a few days ago, and although she doesn't like the way they squish in her hands, she does seem to enjoy the way they taste.

Talking up a storm, once you get her started!  Although she didn't in the beginning, she now cries to get your attention, rather than just grunting.  Sometimes we joke that her little whine sounds almost like a puppy, so we'll ask, "What's the matter, little puppy?"  She loves to blow raspberries or just randomly spit at you to try to get a reaction.  And she is really experimenting with her voice lately, cooing and singing, squealing at a painfully high pitch, and smacking her lips and repeating "dadada" which of course Mr. Geek loves.

Making facial expressions that favor her big sister more now than they did in the beginning.  She's got a beautiful little smile, and we all fall all over ourselves to earn one.

Listening to her obnoxiously loud big siblings.  She loves to listen to her big sister laugh, and will giggle right back at her.  Her big brother has decided he needs to speak to her in a very high pitch, for some reason, even though I keep reminding him to just talk to her like any other person.  She thinks it's hilarious, though, and will squeal and laugh at him.

Sleeping at daycare, apparently, but certainly not at night.  Again, I know this is why she's growing so fast- because all she ever wants to do is nurse- but man this lack of sleep is difficult.  Both of the big kids were sleeping at least 4 hours at a time by now, but not Bean.  Sometimes we get a 3 hour stretch, before midnight, but then after midnight she's up every 2 hours- or sometimes, every hour.  I'm surviving on coffee and prayers, at this point.  

Loving nursing, all the time, always; tickles; her big siblings; bouncing; putting things in her mouth.

Hating being in the same room as Mommy and not nursing; her car seat; socks; sleeping in her bed.

How quickly is your little one growing?

Much love,

The Geeks

Crafting Adventures: Tinker Bell Costume

 

So this little pixie absolutely adored her costume, and it was definitely the most labor intensive costume I've made to date.  (This year's costumes are beating that record by far, though, so stay tuned!)  Unfortunately I didn't take any in-progress photos or make many notes, so I'm just going to give you a general idea of how to design and make your own.  I really wanted to play with the idea of a dress made out of leaves, so both the bodice and the skirt are pieced from multiple pieces that could ostensibly have come from individual leaves.  I installed a zipper in the back to make it easy to slip on and off, and created a ribbon belt to make the waist adjustable.  The entire thing is fully lined, including each pointy leaf on the skirt.  Finally, there are clear adjustable straps to give the illusion of a strapless dress without risking the bodice slipping down.

Supplies

-green cotton fabric

-green thread

-wide green ribbon (2 1/2" or so should be fine)

-green zipper, or invisible zipper if you're comfortable installing one

-clear adjustable straps

-fairy wings

1. Grab a camisole tank top, leotard, or swimsuit that fits your pixie well.  You're going to use it to rough out your pattern pieces for your bodice.  Begin by measuring from the waist up to the place where the straps being on your tank/leotard/swimsuit.  Next measure the width from seam to seam.

2.  I knew I wanted the front of the bodice to be composed of two overlapping leaf pieces, so I used the measurements taken in step 1 to sketch out one such leaf shape, knowing that I wanted both leaves to overlap by a few inches at the bottom and separate at the top like a V-neck.  (Ultimately, that V ended up being a little deep for my 6 year old, so I went back and added a little modesty panel out of a small triangle shape to bridge most of that separation.  I would recommend making your bodice leaves wide enough at the top that your V-neck isn't too deep.)  Cut out a couple of your leaf shapes from paper or even a muslin if you're fancy like that and lay them over your sample garment (or your model, if she'll stand still for you) to make sure you've got the shape, size, and coverage you want.  Cut out 4 of these leaf shapes from your green fabric, making sure to add seam allowance all the way around.  (If you've read any of my other tutorials, you'll know I've long preferred 1/4" seam allowance.  Lately I've decided to give myself more grace with a 3/8" seam allowance, and I've noticed my garments are much cleaner now.  Use whatever seam allowance you prefer.)

3.  Take two leaves and sew them together around the curved outsides, right sides together, leaving the bottom open.  Turn right side out and press, but don't top stitch.  To really sell the idea that these are leaves, you're going to essentially embroider some veins on them.  (I purposefully used a thread that was a lighter green than my fabric so that the veins would stick out.)  Use a straight stitch with a long-ish length and make a vertical line up the center of your leaf, with some smaller lines radiating out from it at regular intervals.  You can either sketch it first in chalk and stitch on top, or just freehand.  Repeat with the other 2 leaf pieces.  Now you've got 2 leaf pieces made of double your fabric thickness, giving them a pretty sturdy shape.

4.  Lay your two leaves overlapping each other to form the front half of your bodice and pin.  Top stitch on the top leaf as close to the edge as possible, all the way around the curve of the leaf, starting on the segment that is overlapping the other one.  Then topstitch the bottom leaf, starting where the two meet and going all the way around the outside of the curve to the edge of the waist, again staying as close to the edge as possible.  This way your top stitching looks purposeful and the garment looks more finished.  (I had to add in my little modesty triangle at this point, because this is when I discovered the V was too deep.  I just stitched right on top of the top stitching I had already done so it blended in and again looked purposeful.)

5.  To finish the front of the bodice, attach your thick green ribbon across the bottom, leaving long enough tails on both sides that they can be wrapped around your pixie and tied in a bow in the back.  Do this by laying the ribbon on top of the right side of your bodice, aligning the edge with the raw edge of the bodice.  Sew them together, then open and press the seam up towards the bodice.  Top stitch across the front of the bodice to hold that pressed seam in place.  Finish the ends of the ribbon tails so they don't unravel.

6.  Now you're going to create the back of your bodice.  You want to create two rectangle pieces which will be attached in the middle by the zipper.  Measure from about the armpit of your bodice down to the bottom of the attached ribbon; this is the height of each rectangle.  The width of each rectangle will be half of the width of the bodice.  Add seam allowances on all 4 sides and then cut out 4 of these rectangles from your green fabric.

7.  Take 2 rectangles and lay them right sides together, then sew around 3 sides (the top and 2 long sides).  Turn right side out and press, but don't top stitch.  Repeat with the other 2 rectangles.

8.  Attach the zipper in the middle of your rectangle pieces, and when you top stitch on the sides of the zipper, go ahead and extend that top stitching across the top.  (Don't bother with the sides or bottom.)  

9.  I went ahead and embroidered veins into these pieces as well- again a vertical line up the middle of each rectangle, with smaller lines branching out at even spacing.

10.  Place your bodice pieces right sides together, lining up the bottom edges.  Keep the tails of your ribbon waistband tucked safely out of the way and sew up the sides, then turn out and press.

11.  Now for the skirt.  For simplicity's sake, I wanted the skirt to be composed of many triangles, all the exact same size, so I just had to cut out about a million of the same shape.  In retrospect, they don't look very leaf-y, so maybe next time I'd do more of a curvy free-hand shape rather than triangles.  Determine how many triangles (or leaves) you want to create your skirt.  I made an identical front and back to the skirt, each with 5 triangles- a top layer of 3 slightly overlapping, and a bottom layer of 2 more peeking out in between the other 3.  You want the height of each triangle (or curvy leaf-y shape) to be the length you want your skirt to be, and you want them wide enough so that you get enough coverage when you overlap them.  Once you've determined a good size and shape, add seam allowance and then cut out twice as many from your green fabric as the number of triangles you ultimately need, because each skirt panel will be two triangles sewn together.  This mean I needed 20 triangles all together, as I have 10 panels total for my skirt.

11.  Take a pair of skirt panels and line them up right sides together, then sew across two sides, leaving the horizontal top piece open.  Turn right side out and press.  You will probably want to embroider veins on these panels as well, but I was running out of time, so I skipped that part.  Repeat with every pair of panels.

12.  Take the panels you need for the front of your skirt (in my case, 5 triangles) and overlap them to create the front of your skirt.  Sew them together across the top.  Repeat with the panels for the back of the skirt.

13.  Place the front of the skirt and the back of the skirt right sides together, lining up the waist edges, and sew together at the sides.  This will really only be a few inches of stitches total.

14.  Lay your bodice on the table right side out, front side up.  Take your skirt and lay it below the bodice the same way.  Then flip the skirt up, so that the wrong side is facing out.  Slide the bodice into the skirt so that the raw edges of each line up and the right sides are together.  Pin and sew all the way around.  Turn out and press the seam up.  You can top stitch all the way around the bottom of the bodice.

15.  Finally, you need to create some tiny loops of fabric to hook your clear elastic straps into.  Place one at the peak of each of the front leaves, and one in the top middle of each of the back rectangles.  Adjust the straps so that they fit your pixie and insert them into the loops.  I had my pixie wear the straps in an X in the back to keep everything secure.

14.  My pixie wore her leaf dress with green shorts underneath, and tights to keep her legs warm.  She wore store bought fairy wings.  Put your pixie's hair in a bun, using a bun maker or "donut" to create that distinctive shape.  For some extra fun, spray on some "pixie dust" body and hair glitter.

Do you have any fairies in your house?

Much love,

The Geeks

Crafting Adventures: Peter Pan Costume

 If you follow me on Instagram, you know that last year, our family of 4 (with one on the way) dressed as the characters from Peter Pan for Halloween!  Although we did not trick-or-treat, we weren't going to let the pandemic ruin my favorite holiday and an excuse to make and wear some fun costumes.  Our neighborhood had an outdoor cookout where we got to show off our costumes (with masks on) and see other families' fun looks, too.  So now that it's October again, it's time to show you how I created these costumes- they're so easy, you can do it, too!

All children grow up.

Except one.

And if you'd like to create his costume, check out this simple tutorial!

Supplies:

-Green felt [sketch out your pattern to determine how much you need!)

-Red craft feather

-Green tshirt

-Green leggings

-Sword

-Brown belt (not pictured, because I bought it too early and he outgrew it before Halloween!)

1. To start, you want to create a pattern for the tunic.  Grab a t-shirt that fits your Pan well, tuck the sleeves in (so it looks like a tank), and fold it in half so that the shoulders are on top of each other.  Lay it on a large piece of paper (a roll of wrapping paper works well, especially if you have the kind with a grid printed on the back, but you can also use kraft paper, tracing paper, printer paper even, if your Pan is a tiny one) and trace around it.  You're probably going to end up with something that looks like a rectangle with an arm hole cut out of it; if you want, you don't have to really trace the neckline of your shirt, you can just leave it as a right angle.  It certainly makes sewing easier, and you're just going to cut the front of the tunic open in a wide V anyway, so you don't have to worry about pretty curves.  If you choose to go this route, make a mark on your tracing of where the neck opening begins on your sample t-shirt; you'll need to know this later.

2. Now you need to add seam allowance and extra length to your pattern.  Because this is felt and it does not unravel, and also because Peter Pan is a wild lost boy whose clothes can probably look unfinished, I chose to NOT HEM the bottom of the tunic, the ends of the sleeves, or the neckline.  If you're going the no-defined-neckline route like me, add 1/2 an inch for seam allowance to the top of your rectangle-with-an-armhole-cut-out-of-it (make sure to repeat your mark that denotes where the neckline of your sample t-shirt started).  Add that same 1/2 an inch seam allowance to your armhole curve and to the side of the shirt beneath the armhole as well.  Do NOT add seam allowance to the side of the shirt that was folded; you're going to cut this pattern out on the fold.  To remind yourself, you can write the word FOLD in bold letters on that side.  For the bottom of the tunic, you want the finished product to extend below the waistband of the pants in a zig-zag pattern, so that there are those classic points hanging down.  Decide how long and how wide you want those points to be (I went with 2 1/2" for the length) and go ahead and draw them on the bottom of your pattern.  You can freehand this, or you can measure it all out so that each little triangle shaped point is the same exact size.  You do you.

3.  Next, you need a pattern for your sleeve.  This is a REALLY rough way of doing this, fyi, and only works because felt is sorta stiff and has its own structure, and again, I was going for a rough-and-unfinished look for our lost boy.  What you're going to do is measure the height of the arm hole on your PATTERN (not your sample t-shirt).  Place your ruler at the top point of the arm hole (which would lay on the apex of the shoulder) and measure straight down to where the bottom of the arm hole falls (which would lay under the armpit).  If you imagine this curve on your pattern as a right triangle rather than a curve, you would draw the horizontal side of the triangle from the armpit point inward, and you would draw the vertical side of the triangle from the shoulder point down, and you would draw the hypotenuse from the shoulder point to the armpit point; the measurement we're interested in is the straight line down from the shoulder.  Got it?  Now, get some more pattern-making paper.  Draw yourself a rectangle.  The height of the rectangle is that measurement you just took- the height of the armhole- plus an additional 1/2" for seam allowance (you only need seam allowance where the sleeve is sewn to itself, at the bottom).  The length of the rectangle is going to be whatever you want the length of the sleeve to be- measure your Pan from the point of his shoulder down to where you'd like the sleeve to hit (I went with an oversized short sleeve)- plus an additional 1/2" for seam allowance (you only need seam allowance where the sleeve attaches to the bodice, since you don't have to hem felt).  Finally, you're going to add some points to the sleeve just like you did for the bottom of the tunic.  Depending on how you measured your sleeve, you can either draw zig-zags to add additional length to your rectangle, or cut a triangle shape out of your existing rectangle so that the sleeve length you decided on represents the tip of the points.  Just to remind yourself, go ahead and write the word FOLD at the top of your rectangle (perpendicular to where you put your zig-zags), because you're going to cut it out on the fold.  

4.  You're going to cut out 2 identical bodice pieces on the fold, and 2 sleeve pieces on the fold.  Use that knowledge to determine how much felt you need to buy (or be like me and drastically over-estimate because you fear you'll screw it up and have to start over several times).  When you cut out your bodice pieces, you need to transfer that mark you made denoting where the neckline starts (if you're going the right angle route, like I did, and didn't draw in a neckline shape).  To do this, take a piece of tailor's chalk (or a straight pin) and mark the place on the top of your cut piece, then, leaving the piece still folded, turn it over, turn your pattern paper piece face down, and make a mark on that side.  This way, when you un-fold your bodice pieces, you have two marks blocking off what will become the hole that Pan will stick his head through.

5. Assembling this tunic is really, really easy.  Place the bodice pieces on top of each other, right sides together, making sure to line up the arm holes (and the nice thing about felt is that there is no right or wrong side, so just lay them however).  You're going to attach these pieces together at the shoulder seams- but if, like me, your bodice has no defined shoulders separate from the neck, just a straight line, this means you're going to start each seam at the outer corner, and stop at the place where you marked the neck.  Use a serger if you have one, or, if you don't (like me), then use a zig-zag stitch.

6.  To attach the sleeves, you're going to open up your tunic and lay it flat on your table, right side up.  Then, take one sleeve rectangle and pin it, right sides together, to one armhole curve of the bodice, so that the zig-zag edge of the sleeve is pointing in towards the neck hole.  Pinning a straight line to a curve is tricky; line up the place where the rectangle was folded with the seam you just sewed at the shoulders, and line up the corners of the rectangle with the corners of the armhole.  Use lots of pins, and fold the felt in little pleats to make the rest match up (either evenly spaced and purposeful, or a bit more haphazard for that I-live-in-a-forest look).  Do the same on the other side.  Sew with a zig-zag stitch again.

7.  Now, fold the whole tunic together again, so that it looks like a shirt, with the wrong side facing out.  Line up the sleeves with themselves, and the sides of the tunic.  Sew in a continuous line from the outer edge of one sleeve, down the side of the bodice to the bottom.  Repeat on the other side.

8.  To finish the tunic, we're going to create that front neckline.  Measure your Pan and decide how deep you want the V to be.  Find the exact center of the front neckline and cut a straight line that length.  Simply fold open the fabric and press and it will probably hold its shape, creating a pointed collar of sorts; if it won't stay on its own, you can tack the corners down with a quick hand stitch.  Ta-da!

9.  Now for that hat.  You need to measure your lost boy's head in a few places.  Find the crown of his head- the highest point- and measure down to his forehead, or where you want the front of the hat to lay, and call this measurement A.  Now measure from the crown down the back of his head to where you want the back of the hat to lay, and call that measurement B.  Finally, measure from the crown of his head down the side to just above his ear, and call that measurement C.

10.  Get some more of your pattern making paper.  Draw a straight, horizontal line that is A + B + 1 inch (assuming a 1/2" seam allowance; adjust accordingly based on your preference for seam allowance.  Now, from the left side, measure in a distance of B + 1/2" (or whatever your seam allowance is).  From that point, draw a perpendicular line straight down a height of C + 1/2" (or...you get the picture).  Now, draw a curve from one end of your line to the other so that the lowest point of the curve is at the end of your perpendicular line; you'll end up with a sort of half-teardrop shape, or half-ovalish thing, that's thicker on one end than the other.  Separately, draw yourself a rectangle with a length of A + B + 2" (NOT 1/2" like in the picture, my bad) and a height of whatever you want the height of the brim of your hat to be + 1/2".  Cut one teardrop-shape piece with the straight line on the fold, and cut 2 rectangles, not on the fold.

11.  Lay your two rectangles on top of each other and sew the short ends together, both sides, so that you're left with a tube.  Open up your teardrop shape and decide which side is going to be your "right" side (the outside of the hat).  Take your tube and pin it with its right side against the WRONG side of the teardrop shape, making sure the seams on the tube line up with the very front point and very pack point of the teardrop, respectively.  Stitch them together, then fold the rectangle tube up and out of the hat, so that it becomes the brim.  If you press it down, it should hold its shape, because felt is so stiff, but if you need to, you can tack it down in a couple of places by hand-stitching.  

12.  Last, find where you'd like your red feather to go.  Draw two short parallel lines, 1/2" apart from each other, just tall enough so that you can slip the feather in.  Use an exacto knife or very sharp scissors to slit those lines open, and slide the feather in so that the quill points towards the front of the hat.

Your Peter Pan should wear green leggings and a green t-shirt, then wear the tunic on top.  (Felt can be scratchy, and the extra layer will provide warmth if your Octobers are cold.)  If he has a brown belt that fits, buckle it around his waist (you can even snip in some belt loops, the same way we created a place to slide the feather in his cap).  Wear the hat on his head and carry a toy sword or dagger, for dealing with those pesky pirates.  (If the hat won't stay well on his noggin, you can pin it to his hair with Bobby pins crossed over each other in an X, one X on each side of his head.)

Is your little one going to fly off to Neverland with the lost boys?

Much love,

The Geeks

Currently, Bean is... {3 months}

 Somehow, Bean is already three months old.  I realize I haven't written her birth story yet- and truth be told, I may never do so, as this one was both rather uneventful and also extremely personal- but here we are with a recap of the first three months!

For the first time ever, I have been able to use real maternity leave- 12 weeks of paid time off that I didn't have to earn, that doesn't come out of my regular reserves of vacation or sick time.  Plus, I used almost no vacation time during the pandemic, so I had lots of hours saved up, so I added an extra month on to the end.  All this means that I will not be going back to work until the school year starts, when Bean is just over 4 months old- the longest I've ever had with any of my babies.  And also the most stress-free- I'm not worrying about whether we'll be able to pay rent, I'm not worried about whether we'll be able to visit with family over Christmas because my vacation hours haven't been completely wiped out, I'm not worried about whether my freezer stash of breast milk will be big enough, and I'm not rushing back into the grind while my body is still physically recovering from nine months of pregnancy and the stress of birth.  I still think the perfect amount of time would be 6 months, but I'm still excited to have as much time as I do and I recognize this is a privilege that most American moms do not have.  To top it all off, Mr. Geek has been working from home since the beginning of the pandemic, so even after his 3 weeks of parental leave were up, he's been here at home, helping me when I need it.  Sometimes that means changing a diaper between work calls, and sometimes that means taking his laptop outside while the big kids draw with sidewalk chalk and I sneak a nap with the baby.  He's obviously not a full-time parent during the workday, but eliminating his commute has meant slow rather than frenzied mornings, and he gets to spend quality time with all three kids while I cook dinner in the evenings instead of sitting in traffic.

Day 1

Growing quickly!  She was my smallest baby at birth, and in the first few weeks grew the fastest of the three, but now she's on a nice average trajectory, growing at a perfectly average pace.  She had a small head at birth, so hats and headbands slipped into her eyes and upset her, but some time during the last three months her head got much bigger, and headbands and things that should fit her now are much too small.  So, once again, we have a baby who won't let me do her hair!  Baby clothes are definitely a big weakness for me- my favorite thing to shop for when a new baby comes along- but I haven't needed to do much to stock Bean's closet.  She's got hand-me-downs from both older siblings, and they love knowing that she's wearing their clothes- I try to find pictures of them in the same outfits to show them.  Add to that the fact that grandparents don't listen when you tell them you don't want them to buy her any clothes, and we've got more outfits than she can possibly wear!  Plus, I've really enjoyed sewing some outfits for her, so she has a few special handmade pieces along with some girlie touches added to more masculine things she inherited from her big brother.

Eating exclusively breast milk, which once again feels like an enormous achievement.  Like her big sister, she had a natural instinct to latch from the moment she was born, but her latch isn't all that great, technically speaking.  I had lots of IV's poking into me when I was in the hospital, and my hands were the only places that they could catch a vein.  Let me tell you it is REALLY difficult to hold, much less nurse, a baby when you've got tubes running out of your hands!  Plus any time the IV line would get kinked, the machine administering my medicine would set off an alarm, and I'd have to move my arm back to a limp position by my side so that the line could straighten out.  All of this meant that nursing this baby in the hospital consisted of quickly getting her mouth where it needed to be and then just holding her with one hand- or no hands at all, propped up on a pillow- without any time to carefully adjust how wide her mouth was opened or the angle she was lying at.  And although we only did this for two days, it was enough to establish some bad habits that we haven't been able to shake, so nursing is sometimes painful (though it's gotten much better as she's grown and her mouth has gotten bigger) and I'm dreading the arrival of her first teeth.  It's obviously not affecting her ability to eat, so I haven't been too worried.  However, she won't take a pacifier, which doesn't have to be a big deal, except for the fact that she pokes herself in the eye trying to suck on her thumb and makes herself mad in the process.  And also, we're really struggling to get her to accept a bottle, which is kind of necessary if she's going to go to daycare next month, and I think it's related to her bad nursing habits.  I have built a small freezer stash and still have time to add to it, but we've really got to figure out the secret to getting her to drink it!

wearing a skirt I made for her, and a headband that was, in fact, too big and kept slipping into her eyes

Talking less than her older siblings did at this age, but I think that's mostly just because she prefers to listen to what they have to say.  When the house is quiet, after they've gone to bed, she'll tell me all about her day in coo's and goo's, but when everybody else is talking, she'll just watch with wide eyes and a big smile on her face.  She will, on occasion, squeal for her big siblings, but mostly she prefers to listen to them talk.  She doesn't really cry much, either.  Mostly she'll just grunt when she wants something- if she actually cries, something is urgently wrong (generally a gassy belly, or she's slept more than 4 hours during the night and is now very hungry and Mommy isn't waking up fast enough).  People have labeled her a "good baby" for this tendency to not cry, which makes me uncomfortable- there's no such thing as a bad baby, and a baby who cries is certainly not bad, she's speaking up for what she needs the only way she can.

Making facial expressions exactly like her big brother, it's uncanny!  It's funny- when Chief was born, everyone pointed out her resemblance to me, and when Peanut was born, everyone immediately noticed his resemblance to Mr. Geek.  But when Bean was born, all anyone would say was how much she looked like Peanut- not Mr. Geek.  As she's grown, her face has started to look more like her big sister, but her nose is the same as her brother's, and the faces she makes are exactly like his- especially when she's uncomfortable or upset.  

wearing another skirt I made for her, and a onesie handed down from her big brother

Listening to her siblings talk and act silly to make her smile.  She rewards their antics with big, beautiful grins, and so they continue to sing to her, and read her stories, and make all sorts of noises that they hope she'll imitate.  

Sleeping sometimes, I guess?  We hit a stride about a month ago where she would sleep for 5 or 6 hours at a time at night, but we've got another growth spurt going on, I think, so we're back to only getting 4 hours at night, if we're lucky.  I try to take advantage of her long periods of sleep to pump some milk, but if that "long period" is 1am-5am, I'm not exactly leaping out of bed between those times to hook up to my pump.

wearing leggings that belonged to her big sister

Loving her big siblings; tickles; people who smile at her; music; space and freedom to kick her legs; cuddles; bath time; being carried around so she can watch whatever is going on.

Hating pacifiers; bottles; too much silence; being in the car seat if the car is not moving; being swaddled.

So there we are, three months gone already!  What are your little ones currently into?

Much love,

The Geeks

Currently, Peanut is... {4 years old}

 Tiny, adorable little brother is now tall, rambunctious big brother (who is still a little brother, too, as his big sister is quick to point out).  Here's a look at the past year with our big boy.

Playing at the lake in Minnesota, July 2020

Growing big and strong every day!  He grew into a size 5T just after Christmas, I believe, and now he's leaving the T part behind, outgrowing toddler-sized shirts with his broad little man shoulders.  He still sleeps in the toddler bed in his room, and when Mr. Geek suggested we look into an upgrade, my first thought was- no, that bed is the perfect size for him.  But the other night I snuck into his room for one last goodnight kiss, and realized that he practically takes up the entire length of his mattress!  When did that happen?  For that matter, he seemed to have aged several years practically overnight the day we brought his baby sister home- gone was the toddler I kissed on my way out the door to the hospital, and in his place was a mature, gentle, loving older brother, ready to do anything to help Mommy or his new baby sister.

Eating about how you'd expect a four-year-old to eat, I think.  If it were up to him, he would have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for every meal, every day- but at least there would be a different jelly each time.  His default at restaurants is still a hamburger, but he'll switch it up and go for some variety of chicken if he's feeling adventurous.  He is pretty good about trying new foods, but he wants to ask about the ingredients and ponder your response before digging in.  He draws a hard line at broccoli, but I respect that, because he will eat peas, or green beans, or spinach (if it's swimming in a flavorful sauce).  We had a dispute over cauliflower, which he maintains is just broccoli without the color, but I said is an entirely different vegetable, and we compromised with 3 bites and a second helping of carrots.

Flying off to Neverland as Peter Pan, Halloween 2020

Talking with an ever-widening vocabulary, imitating his big sister.  He does still have a little bit of a lisp, and some difficulties with sound blends like sp, but still within the range of what's normal for his age.  Were it not for his speech quirks, you'd probably mistake him for a much older child!

Making facial expressions like the little comedian he is.

Christmas 2020

Listening to all sorts of music on the radio in the car.  He loves to ask what the song is called, or who sings it- not that he has any idea who the artists are, he just wants to know the answer.  (And after you tell him, he always says, "Oh, yeah!" like maybe he just forgot for a moment.)  We told him that one of his responsibilities as a big brother is to sing to the baby if she's fussy, so he'll bust out the Pokemon theme song, singing it like a rockstar, with a, "thank you, everybody!" at the end.

Sleeping well at night, but he's completely abandoned naps.  He still needs an afternoon nap, and is always a much more pleasant person if he accidentally takes one, but there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth if you suggest he go lie down for a little while.

Easter 2021

Loving Paw Patrol, Toy Story, and Star Wars; puppies and dinosaurs; toy cars, puzzles, and board games; dancing to any music he hears; but most importantly, his brand new, precious baby sister.

Hating naptime; sharing with his big sister; being told to clean up his toys; the suggestion that a nap might be a good idea; being away from his brand new, precious baby sister.

Loving on his new baby sister at her baptism

Cheers to four years!

Much love,

The Geeks

Crafting Adventures: Easter Outfits

 

So, I made the kids' Easter outfits this year- or, at least, the fancy bits.  Ever since we discovered little Bean is a girl, I've been doing a lot of sewing for her.  The kids have had so much fun helping me dig through my stash of scrap fabrics and piles of fat quarters I've collected over the years to assemble skirts, dresses, and rompers for their new baby sister.  Neither has expressed any jealousy- maybe they're both too cool to want handmade clothes from Mom (unless it's a Halloween costume!)- but even still, I wanted to make something from scratch for Miss Chief, who really enjoys watching me sew.  She has loved spending spare moments over the past few months scrolling my Pinterest with me, looking at patterns and tutorials for babies and big kids alike.  I found a simple tutorial to make a little pinafore and showed it to her, asking if she would wear it if I made it for her.  She said yes, assuming that I meant at some point in the future, not any time soon.  Although I do have quite a stash of barely cut or unused fabrics, I wanted this to feel special for her, so I found this adorable floral print at Joann.  When the fabric arrived in the mail, I asked if she would like me to use it to make that pinafore, and she was so excited!  I had every intention of this being just a play dress, something she could wear on weekends, climbing trees and doing monkey bars, but then, when I was about halfway through construction, she told her grandparents that I was making her Easter dress!

Record scratch.

Okay then, not a play dress, an Easter dress.  That meant it needed a little more care, and I couldn't skimp on the stuff I tend to skip when I'm making costumes and the like- pressing seams, top stitching...you know, stuff that real seamstresses do.  Okay, no pressure, right?  (Wrong.  Lots of pressure.)

Honestly, I think it looks pretty great!  The tutorial I used is this one from Back to the Land Living, with just a few adjustments.  Although I did line the top, because this quilting-weight cotton wasn't sheer and has a bit of body, I didn't bother with lining the skirt.  Also, I'm sort of terrified of button holes, so I used snaps for the closure on the straps instead of buttons.  (I bought a TON of snap tape when I started obsessively making baby clothes around Christmas time, and it's just so much easier to attach than buttons or zippers or individual snaps.  I'm a wimp!)  Fair warning- when the tutorial reaches the part where you start working on the waistband, I got a little lost.  I had to watch her video several times to figure out exactly how that construction was supposed to work, but eventually I figured it out.  I still consider myself mostly a beginner sewist (hence the fear of button holes) so maybe you won't have this issue if you give it a shot.

With a few weeks to go before Easter, I planned to just buy the boys matching ties and call it a day, but Miss Chief remembered seeing a bow tie tutorial on one of our trips through Pinterest.  So, obviously, Peanut wanted a bow tie to match!  I used this tutorial from Vanilla Joy to make the bow, then I measured a length of white single fold bias tape and slid the bow on.  I attached more of that magical snap tape to make the whole thing adjustable, and voila- adorable, matching bow tie for brother!

Although long time readers will recall I'm no stranger to making bow ties for grown ups, too, I ran out of time (or maybe energy) to do one for Mr. Geek, so we just pulled a purple-patterned tie out of his closet, and I used the occasion to pick up a new dress (which I can wear after Bean gets here, too).

I can't wait until Bean gets here and is able to model the outfits I've made for her so far- and yes, I have about a billion pins worth of inspiration for the future!  Also, since these simple Easter outfits were such a hit with the big kids, I've been informed that I'll be making Christmas outfits for all three of them!  (If so, I'll probably have to get started in...August, or so.  Yikes.)

Made anything for your crew lately?

Much love,

The Geeks

He is Risen Indeed

 

Alleluia!

After a Lent that felt like it lasted literally a year, it was so nice to go to Mass to celebrate the Resurrection.  In an effort to make up for last year's live stream couch experience, we did something crazy- we took the kids to the Easter Vigil.  It didn't even start until an hour and a half after bedtime, and it ended just before 11pm.  But the kids thought the whole thing was so cool, with the candles, and the lights progressively getting brighter, and four brand-new Christians were received into the Church, opening up a great conversation about baptism and how their  baby sister's baptism is going to look different when we celebrate it, God willing, next month.  

We expected the insanely late night (everyone stayed awake through the whole thing!) would lead to a nice late morning...but alas, the prospect of presents is enough to rouse any kid from the deepest slumber.  So, we all lumbered down the stairs a mere 45 minutes past a regular school-day wake up to see our new dress-up outfits, movies, and a brand new video game- along with plenty of candy.

I made the pinafore on little Miss Chief and the matching bowtie on Peanut; I'll give them a separate post soon.  The kids were thrilled with brand new, homemade garments; I've been spending a lot of time and energy sewing for the pending arrival, and although they both enjoy picking out fabrics from my stash for the latest baby project, they really appreciated things that were made just for them (from brand new yardage purchased specifically for this).

Even if you're not yet able to return to worship in person, I hope you had a joyful day.

Much love,

The Geeks