Crafting Adventures: Butterfly Dress

 

Last weekend was the Father/Daughter Dance at school, so I took the opportunity to whip up a pretty new dress for Miss Chief that would look lovely on the dance floor.  The theme was "Boots and Bows", a country music vibe, so she decided to wear what she now lovingly calls her "Anne boots" which we bought for her Anne of Green Gables photoshoot.

She picked out the butterfly fabric at JoAnn ages ago- I was originally planning to do the Simple Life Pattern Co. Blaire ruffled maxi skirt, but the season passed and then I ended up using that pattern for her Christmas look instead.  I have a bunch of summery dress patterns I've been itching to make, and these beautiful butterflies were just begging to become a sundress, so I landed on the SLP Co Mya dress.  I originally bought this pattern with the intention of making the peplum top version first, but then the dance was approaching and I needed to decide on a dress so I went for the longer length instead.

This was a very easy sew and I didn't run into any major problems.  I ended up not top stitching around the neckline/the top of the bodice but I don't think it suffers for it.  The bodice is lined and as long as you take care when clipping the curves and press it when you turn it out, it's very crisp and clean even without the top stitching.

Of course the real star of this dress is the back.  The straps are 4 separate pieces that you tie together to tighten as needed, and you can either tie them straight up-and-down or in an X pattern like I've done.  I figured criss-crossing the straps would lend added stability for her while she was jumping around on the dance floor.  The back can be made either a solid rectangle with channels for elastic which mimic shirring, or the three straps as I've chosen to do.  I made this in a size 8 which fits her like a glove, but I did end up needing to take in the elastic straps, about an inch off the top one and a half inch off the middle.  There are no traditional side seams on this bodice- the front is one piece that wraps around about a third of the way on each side of the back and connects to the elastic straps.  If I had done a fitting before putting it together, I would have just cut the elastic shorter; my solution is a little less elegant, but it's on the inside of the dress so I don't really care.  I did the gathered skirt option due to the amount of fabric I had to work with, but this would have had even more twirl factor with the circle skirt option.

I hope she gets a lot of wear out of this gorgeous dress this summer!  I can't wait to make a bunch more light and airy summer dresses.  Let's see what I've got in my stash...

Much love,

The Geeks

Spring 2023 Wrap-Up

 

Yet again, the past few months have been a whirlwind, and I haven't been posting life updates to the blog the way I typically do.  Here's a little rundown of what the past few months have brought to the Geek family:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mrs Geek (@ourgeekyadventure)

We celebrated Easter with my parents, sisters, and their families.  I made the dresses that the girls wore, and the tie that Peanut wore. The cousins had a blast playing together.

Little Bean turned 2 years old!  She loved eating her Happy Birthday Cake at her Happy Birthday Party while everyone sang Happy Birthday to her.  Her favorite gift was her "puter", a little LeapFrog "laptop" that she likes to "work" on while Mommy works.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mrs Geek (@ourgeekyadventure)

Miss Chief was in a couple of performances of Cinderella with her ballet studio.  She played several roles, but her favorite part was her feature as the court jester, the Prince's little assistant during and after the ball.  She got a chance to show off the cartwheel she has worked so hard to perfect, along with her pantomime and comedy skills.

We're quickly approaching the last day of school!  No snow days this year means we actually get out a few days early, and yet it still feels as though the productive part of the year has ended.  It really makes me wonder why we're sending them in for two weeks of parties and field days, but I guess it's good for them to have time to spend with their friends without the pressure of doing actual work.

How has your spring been?

Much love,

The Geeks

 

Crafting Adventures: Floral Finery

The following post contains affiliate links.  If you click through one of these links and make a purchase, I may make a small commission from the retailer at no additional cost to you.  Thank you for your support!

Happy Easter!  If your family celebrates Easter, I hope it was a joy-filled day with lots of "alleluias" and a little bit too much candy.

I finally have a moment to share a look at the outfits I made for my kids to wear to Easter morning Mass.  If you follow me on Instagram, you may have been watching my nightly progress on my Stories.

When creating holiday outfits for my crew, I typically choose one fabric to feature and then some accent fabric depending on the garments I'm making, and each kid typically gets their own unique garment made in that same fabric.  This time, however, I took my oldest to JoAnn- our favorite place to shop together- with only the vague idea that I wanted something floral.  We found these quilting cottons in various colors and just could not decide on a single color, so this time each kid got their own fabric- Miss Chief in blue, Peanut in green and blue, and Bean in the pink and purple.  To keep the outfits looking cohesive, I used the same pattern for the girls' dresses, but the little one got short sleeves and the oldest was sleeveless.  I also chose a lace ribbon to use as trim on both dresses and to tie off the back, and used the same buttons on each dress.  While it's certainly a departure from our usual single color palette, I think they look great together!  Mr. Geek and I shopped our closets for our looks- I wore a blue floral dress and he wore a bright pink tie.

The dress pattern I used was the Elouise from Simple Life Pattern Company.  For my 9-year-old, I did the sleeveless option with the dress length gathered skirt.  For my almost-2-year-old, I did the short sleeved version with the vintage length gathered skirt.  I used a lovely lace ribbon for the long ties in the back and to trim the hemline of the skirt on both dresses.  The back of the dress is really the star on this pattern.

For my son, I made the Classic Necktie pattern from Peek-a-boo Pattern Shop.  Unlike the many ties and bowties I've made for him in the past, this pattern is for a real tie.  I was sort of in a hurry when whipping this one up and ended up not using the woven sew-in interfacing, which would have given it a sturdy, crisp feel- I will have to make sure to do that next time.  The pattern also features adult sizing, so I'll have to make one of these for Mr. Geek next time, too!  Peanut looked like such a handsome gentleman and received so many compliments on his dapper look.

We're lucky to be spending the Easter Octave with family.  All of the cousins have really enjoyed this time together!  And we look pretty great together, too.

Happy Easter!

Much love,

The Geeks

Crafting Adventures: Simple Floral Dress

 The following post contains affiliate links.  If you click through one of these links and make a purchase, I may make a small commission from the retailer at no additional cost to you.  Thank you for your support!

By now you know how much I love sewing clothes for my kids.  But I also have 2 nephews and a niece, and when I find a spare moment, I like to make things for them, too!  My littlest Bean and her cousin were born just a week apart from each other; we're going to celebrate their 2nd birthday, along with their other cousin's 1st birthday, when we're all together for Easter next week.  I wanted to sew a quick dress for my little niece but was afraid I wouldn't have enough time between finishing my kids' Easter looks and getting ready for the road trip, so I didn't prioritize this project.  I figured I could dig through my stash and use a pattern that was already put together from something I'd made for one of my daughters.  But then I was at JoAnn, picking up an extra roll of lace ribbon to finish the Easter dresses (if you follow along on my Instagram, you remember that saga) and as always, I perused the remnants and sale bins.  I found the most darling floral print cotton knit, just over a yard, and knew I had to take it home with me.  I hoped that I would have enough time to make something for my niece's birthday after all, but if not, this could eventually be a dress for either her or my own little Bean later in the summer.

Well, I finished the Easter looks with a few days to spare, and the worst of the packing was over, so I turned to Peek-a-boo Pattern Shop, my favorite patterns for knit and stretchy fabrics, to find something that would be a quick make.  I thought about using the Delaney dress pattern that I already owned- the one I used to upcycle my old maternity sweater- but I perused the website just in case something stood out to me.  Sure enough, I found the Dakota pattern for a Dolman-sleeved top or dress with optional sleeve ruffles.  I knew that it would be a quick sew, the dress cut would be the perfect design for the bold floral fabric, and I had some leftover solid magenta knit from our Sonic the Hedgehog Halloween costumes that would be perfect for the ruffles.  Plus, I knew I'd be able to use the same pattern in the t-shirt cut without the ruffles to make shirts for my son!

Y'all...isn't she lovely?  The Dolman sleeve design means that the sleeve and bodice are one continuous piece- so you simply attach the front to the back at the shoulders and side seams, hem the bottom and sleeves (or attach the ruffles to the sleeves), and add the neckband, and you're done!  I chose to leave the hem of my ruffles raw since this material won't unravel and it gives them an airy feel.  This was the first time I used the stretch stitch settings on my machine; I don't have a serger, so when I sew with knits, I typically use a narrow zig-zag stitch.  This time, I tried the built in stretch overlock stitch for all the seams, and the triple stretch stitch for my top stitching.  The neckline is still looking a bit wonky, so I clearly need more practice, but overall it's a really clean, professional look.  I assembled everything but the neckline Tuesday night, and did the neckband last night.  (I'm sure if my toddler had gone to bed when she was supposed to on Tuesday, I could have finished the whole thing then.)  For me, that's a very quick make indeed!

If you love this pattern as much as I do, you can get it now for FREE by simply joining the Peek-a-boo Pattern Shop Facebook group or signing up for their newsletter!  (Click here for more details!)

It just so happens that the first week's theme for Project Run and Play is "I can buy myself flowers", with an emphasis on bold floral designs, so I'm submitting this look to their Season 27 sew along!  Check out this season's themes and see if you have time to whip something up and play along!

Do you like working with knits?  Got any tips to make my neck band less wonky?

Much love,

The Geeks

Crafting Adventures: Toddler Sweater Dress

 The following post contains affiliate links.  If you click through one of these links and make a purchase, I may make a small commission from the retailer at no additional cost to you.  Thank you for your support!

  We all have a fabric stash, right?  Maybe it's scrap leftover from previous projects; maybe it's supplies you purchased for a project that you never got around to making; or maybe it's a small collection of "better snag this while it's on sale, I'm sure I can use it for something!"  I've got...all of those.  I've also got an ever-growing stash of clothing that no longer fits either myself or my husband but which is still in excellent condition.  Now, I should probably consign or donate this clothing, but something about each piece makes me want to upcycle it instead.

When I was pregnant with my first baby, I was a tiny, cute pregnant lady who wore tiny, cute maternity clothes.  By the time I was pregnant with my third baby, those tiny, cute maternity clothes were too small for my massive belly, so many of them entered the upcycle stash because I was still sentimentally attached to them.  This white sweater is one such piece- I wore it for our Christmas card picture where we formally announced my second pregnancy:

Christmas 2016

In the week between Christmas and New Years this past December, when no one was quite sure what day it was and the world was a haze of wrapping paper and cookie crumbs, I picked up this sweater and decided to give it new life.

I used the Delaney Dress and Tunic pattern from Peek-a-boo Pattern Shop.  I had already used this pattern once when making our 2022 Halloween costumes so I knew it was easy to follow and produced a cute, comfy, well-sized garment.  Plus, upcycling generally comes with some shortcuts along the way (at least, the way I do it) so I knew I could throw this together in an afternoon.

I used the dress-length pattern with long sleeves, a regular banded neckline (no hood), and no kangaroo pocket in a size 2T to turn my maternity sweater into a simple A-line long sleeved dress for my toddler who was wearing size 2T in typical retail clothing.  Because I wanted to take advantage of the cuffs that already existed on this knit sweater, I cut the sleeve pattern short by the length they would have been hemmed (3/4", per the pattern instructions).  I used the sweater's original neck band to create the neckband for the dress and didn't need to worry about folding it in half because there was only a raw edge on one side.  In the original pattern, the front hemline of the dress (or tunic) curves upwards in the middle, and the back hemline curves downwards, so that it is slightly shorter in front than it is in the back.  I wanted to take advantage of the knit band that already existed around the bottom of the sweater, so I opted to not incorporate these curves.  Instead, I cut both the front and back pieces so that they were the length of the shortest point of the front pattern piece.  This resulted in a simple A-line silhouette with a straight hem all the way around (that I didn't actually have to hem!) and the whole dress came together rather quickly.  Of course, a serger would have been the ideal machine to construct this garment with, but I don't have one yet, so instead I used a good ol' zig-zag stitch.  

While I don't have step-by-step pictures of this make, I did create a little reel on Instagram that shows the construction (and some action shots of the finished product!) which you can see here.

The Delaney Dress and Tunic pattern is for sizes 3 months - 12 years and has many different options- dress or tunic lengths; hood or banded neckline; short, 3/4, or long sleeves; and an optional kangaroo pocket.  

Have you upcycled anything lately?

Much love,

The Geeks

Crafting Adventures: Double Bow Tie

 My two oldest kids go to a school that requires uniforms- rather formal uniforms, including ties for the boys.  They have a sort of Spirit Week coming up next week where they get an out-of-uniform day, plus several themed days where they get to wear dress code-breaking accessories.  One of those days is red-white-and-blue themed, and so I decided to whip up a quick red, white, and blue bow tie for my Kindergartener to swap out for his regular uniform tie.  Also, it just so happens that Project Run and Play is hosting a Sew Your Stash link-up, so I was inspired to dig through my stash- specifically my scrap fabric pile from past projects- rather than buying new fabric.  I did have to buy one notion for this project, which is the bow tie clip set that I'll show you later in the post.

I have made many a bow tie in my day, including a set for all the men in our wedding party.  I've made several bow ties and regular ("fake") neck ties for my little man, too, using many different methods- snap tape, buttonhole elastic, Velcro... But I've never used an actual clip set to make a "real" clip-on tie before, and for whatever reason, I decided THIS project required one.  Honestly I'm so glad I did it though, because the whole thing looks much more professional than any tie I've made in the past, and the best part is I can swap out the bow and always use the same neck piece (unless I want a different color, of course).  And it was SO EASY.

For this quick project, you need:

-fabric for your large bow

-fabric for your small bow

-fabric for the loop around the middle (this can be the same as one of the bows, but for mine it's different)

-fabric for the neck piece (again this can be the same or complementary)

-a bow tie clip set, which can be found at JoAnn or other fabric retailers

-lightweight fusible interfacing

1. To start, cut your fabric as shown in the image above.  You need 2 large rectangles, 2 small rectangles, 1 neck piece, and 1 center piece for the bow.  I used 10.5"x4" for the large bow, 8.5"x2.5" for the small bow, 18.5"x2.5" for the neck piece, and 2"x4" for the bow center.  (Note that I took this photo with the original pieces of fabric I cut for this project, sorta eyeballing it, but later realized my center piece was too small and had to cut a new one.  The dimensions listed here are the ones you need although the actual piece of fabric shown in the image is obviously smaller than the listed dimensions.)  Finally, cut one piece of interfacing for both of your bows- I went with 5"x3" and 4"x2".  Apply the interfacing to the wrong side of one large and one small rectangle.

2.  Next, lay your two large rectangles right sides together and stitch around 3 sides, leaving one short side open, using a 1/4" seam allowance.  Turn right side out and press.  (To get really crisp corners, clip the corners before you turn it out.)  Repeat with the small rectangles.  

3. Next, take your large rectangle and fold it in half with the wrong side on the outside, lining up the short ends.  Sew those short ends together with a 1/4" seam allowance, press the seam open, and then turn your newly-created loop right side out.  Position it so that the seam is in the center and press flat into a rectangle.  Repeat with your small bow.  In the image above, the small (blue) bow is shown face up and the large (red) bow is shown face down.

4. Take your tiny rectangle, which will be the center loop holding the bows together.  Fold it in half, right sides facing, so that the long edges match up.  Sew down the long edge with a 1/8" seam allowance.  Turn right side out; you will have a long tube.  Fold that tube in half so that the raw edges are together, right sides facing, and sew the raw edges together with a 1/8" seam allowance.  Turn right side out, and press flat so that the seam is in the middle.  You'll have something that looks like the image above (only larger, because this one was my mistake piece).

5.  Place your small bow on top of your large bow and squeeze them into an accordion shape.  Slide the little loop over both bows.

6.  Take your neck piece and fold it in half, right sides facing, so that the long edges match up.  Sew down the long side with a 1/4" seam allowance.  Turn the loop right side out and press flat with the seam running down the middle.

This is the bow tie clip set I used.  I found it at my local JoAnn- I ordered curbside pickup so I wouldn't be tempted to waltz through the aisles grabbing more fabric I don't need- and the package comes with simple instructions on the back.  You can also find packages of bulk sets that will make several bow ties, but I just wanted to make one first to make sure I could handle it.

7.  Follow the instructions on the package to attach the hardware.  I highly recommend putting everything on and PINNING IT first, then attempting to hook it together, BEFORE you sew it in place, to make sure you have everything facing the right way.

8.  Slide the neck piece through the back of the bow tie loop and you're done!  The little slider bar that comes as a part of the hardware set can be used to adjust the strap, so this should grow with your child for quite some time.  I can't wait to see how he looks next week!

I'm entering this post into Project Run and Play's Sew Your Stash linkup.  All of the fabric came from my stash- my scrap stash, that is.  The red fabric was used in this past year's Christmas outfits, the blue fabric was used in my Nutcracker costume, and the white fabric had been hanging around in my stash forever until it finally became the lining in some of our Hobbit costumes.  All of the fabric is from JoAnn.

Made anything for your little guy lately?  Have you ever sewed with a bow tie clip set before?

Much love,

The Geeks

Fall 2022 Wrap-Up

 So, turns out a lot of stuff happened around here between Halloween and Christmas- stuff which I usually document here, but we were just way too busy.  So rather than giving each a dedicated post, I'll just give you a little taste all in one.  (If you follow me on Instagram, however, you did indeed see some of these life updates!)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mrs Geek (@ourgeekyadventure)

Little Bean turned 18 months old, and in her aged wisdom she decided to leave behind her high chair and sit only in a booster seat in a regular chair, using utensils and eating from her own plate just like everybody else.

In November, Mr. Geek and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary.  I had planned to write up this sweet list of marriage advice learned over ten years, but instead I'll leave you with this- we had our parents come and stay with the kids for the weekend and we spent two night in a sweet little historic inn half an hour up the road.  That's it, that's the secret to ten happy years of marriage.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mrs Geek (@ourgeekyadventure)

Miss Chief celebrated her 9th birthday on the same day as our wedding anniversary.  The day after we got back from our little getaway, we had a big birthday party for her.   She wore a dress that she designed and I made, and she invited all the girls in her class.  It was the first big party we've had since the pandemic started and we all had a blast.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mrs Geek (@ourgeekyadventure)

In December, Mr. Geek and I joined Miss Chief for 3 performances of The Nutcracker with her ballet school.  Every year, they ask for parent volunteers to dance as the parents in the party scene, and since Miss Chief was cast as a child in the party scene, we decided to go for it and join her on stage.  It was a LOT of work but honestly we haven't had that much fun in a long time!

So yeah, that was our fall!  Hopefully I can get back into posting here on a semi-regular basis.  I sewed a lot of awesome things in 2022 and I'd like to share them with you!

What did the end of the year look like for you?

Much love,

The Geeks 

Happy Halloween from Sonic and Friends!

 

Gotta go fast!

Happy Halloween from Knuckles, Sonic, Cream, Amy Rose, and Tails, who really just wants to fly around and doesn't want to pose for pictures.

I hope you and your family zoom from door to door collecting candy this evening!

What are you dressing as for Halloween?

Much love,

The Geeks

Concerning Hobbits

 

This weekend, we attended the Maryland Renaissance Festival for the first time since before the pandemic.  We don't always attend in costume, but it's always more fun when we do.  This year, I was inspired to dress us all up as Hobbits- specifically, Sam and Rosie and (a few of) their kids.

The weather was beautiful, but a little chilly, so we only posed barefoot for a handful of pictures.  The rest of the day, these Hobbits wore sneakers!

These pieces were all upcycled from clothing and non-clothing things I picked up at a local thrift store, as well as some items from my stash and scrap from other projects.  There were a couple of things, like ribbons, hardware, and cording, that I needed to pick up to create cohesive looks (not to mention matching thread) but all in all these were probably 90% upcycle, which I feel good about.

Now it's time to put together Halloween costumes!

Do you have a renaissance faire near you?  Do you like to go in costume?

Much love,

The Geeks

Currently, Bean is... {1 Year}

 Goodness, I can't believe it's been a whole year since our little Bean first shouted for the world to hear.  Honestly- she hasn't really stopped shouting!  But she has to be loud to be heard over her big siblings, who are so excited to celebrate her first birthday.  Here's a look at the last three months.

Growing so tall!  She might end up the tallest kid when they're all bigger, who knows?  With each growth spurt, she she gains height quickly and weight more slowly, so her pants are way too short before the waistbands are too tight.  It's so fun to see her wear the big kids' hand-me-downs- it's such a stark reminder of how much bigger they are, now, too.

Eating when she's in the mood for it.  She doesn't seem to dislike any particular food, but if she's not in the right mood, she'll just throw everything on the floor.  If she starts swiping her hands in the air when you offer her something, it's best not to even put it on her tray- whatever it is won't be getting near her mouth.  We recently took her to an allergist to confirm some suspicions about food sensitivities, so we're avoiding eggs and dairy in her diet (and, by extension, mine, since she's still breast feeding).  I've found a few different vegan muffin recipes to whip up for breakfast that please everyone, but I think she likes steamed vegetables even more than muffins.  Still, if given the choice, she would nurse for every meal- unlike her older siblings, she's not showing any interest in giving that up any time soon.  I'm going to try and wean her from day time feeding but continue to let her nurse when she wakes up and when she goes to sleep (and any time she wakes up in the middle of the night) and hopefully she'll accept the fact that there won't be bottles at daycare anymore in a few weeks...

Talking in her own little language, all the time.  She makes sounds like "Daddy" and "Mama" and even some that sound like "happy" and "baby" but I'm pretty sure she's just babbling sounds that feel good in her mouth, not attempting to use words with real meanings.  She will have long conversations with us, or her toys, with no intelligible words, but boy does she know what she's talking about!  And like I said above, she does shout an awful lot (particularly in church, or in the middle of the night) but it's a happy sound, so I don't like to shush her.

Making facial expressions exactly like her brother, it's uncanny.  Although, after hanging out with her cousins at Christmas, she started making a mischievous face, where she scrunches up her nose and shows you her teeth behind her little grin, and it looks exactly like the way her older cousin grins when he's proud of himself, so we like to think she learned that from him!

 Listening to every word her siblings say (and then babbling right back at them).  And she loves to dance to music, even if it's just the theme song to whatever cartoon the big kids are watching on a weekend morning.  

Sleeping when Mommy is not around, apparently?  Because she certainly doesn't sleep at night, and she certainly doesn't sleep in her own bed.  Our daycare provider assures me she takes long naps in a bed on her own without being held, but I don't know, I'll believe it when I see it.  Mr. Geek keeps saying, "Don't worry, she'll start sleeping through the night soon...any day now..." but I think he's jinxing us.

Loving being held; nursing; loud music; grabbing Mommy's glasses off her face; walking; climbing the stairs; chasing the big kids at the playground; broccoli; carrots; hearing her voice echo.

Hating shoes; having her diaper changed; getting undressed; getting dressed; sitting in the car seat.

So here we are!  I can't wait to see what she thinks about cupcakes at her birthday party this weekend...

Much love,

The Geeks

Currently, Bean is... {9 months}

 Holy moly she's 9 months old- I know it's cliche to ask "how did that happen?" but seriously how did that happen???  I'm still constantly sleep deprived so the days just sort of...run together and now all of a sudden she's not this tiny, squirmy newborn, and her first birthday is right around the corner.  Let's talk about the last three months...

Growing at a slower pace now, so I can keep up a little better.  She's still very tall- pants are always too short for her- but she's not super chubby like she used to be.  Now that she pulls herself up to stand (!!) it's always so shocking to see how tall she is.

Eating breastmilk still, and she's really gotten the hang of solid foods.  We had sort of a relapse with our bottle feeding problems after Christmas break- 2 weeks of just nursing whenever she wanted spoiled her a little bit, and she really fought the bottle on her first day back at daycare.  She's back in the swing of things, though, and will drink the whole bottle without a fight (so long as the right person is feeding her- literally only one person in the world can give her a bottle without her fighting it- and so long as it's the exact right temperature and so long as she's allowed to hold the bottle but the person feeding her is not allowed to let go and so long as...)  She doesn't have time for your spoons and purees- if something is being served with utensils, she'll hold them, thanks.  She will tolerate applesauce in a pouch, but only if she's allowed to hold it.  She likes things she can gnaw on, like carrot sticks and broccoli florets and even pizza crust.  She really likes picking up those little star-shaped puffed rice snacks; she'll concentrate on it and pick up one in each hand, pinched between tiny fingers and thumbs, and then hold them out and show them to you.  And then she'll giggle and put them in her mouth and crunch with her two tiny, sharp teeth at the front of her mouth.

Talking a lot now, surprisingly- at least a lot more than her brother was at this age.  She loves to whisper "dadada", but she'll also say "nuh nuh nuh" while you change her diaper and "guh guh guh" while she plays with her siblings.  She doesn't blow as many raspberries nowadays, but when she does, she seems to be timing them for comedic effect.  There's still lots of squeals and sometimes she'll just sit in her high chair at the dinner table and just...yell.  Just open her mouth and scream one long, continuous sound, like the lead singer of a metal band.  You will not have a conversation without her.

Making facial expressions like the little clown she is.  She got to play with her cousins over Christmas, one of whom is just over a year old than her.  He scrunches up his nose when he smiles, and I guess she liked that so much that she's started doing it, too.  If she does something mischievous or otherwise thinks she's being particularly clever, she'll scrunch up her nose and squint her eyes and smile with her whole face, just like her cousin.  It's a purposeful expression, different from the way she smiles when something makes her happy or when she laughs.

Listening to every word her siblings' say, studying the sounds they make and the way their mouths move.  She's not quite parroting them yet, but any minute now I expect I'll be hearing her repeat them.  For now, she's definitely taking notes.  She also pays attention when we say family prayers; she definitely recognizes Grace Before Meals and will get excited because it means food is coming, but she also likes when we say bedtime prayers.  She doesn't seem to mind when I sing to her anymore- for a while there she seemed to not like it, but now she just laughs.  

Sleeping at daycare for naps, but not at home.  At home, she'll only nap if she's being held, and we're still struggling through the night 2 hours at a time (sometimes 3, but that's it).  We're full time co-sleeping again because it's just too much of a hassle to get out of bed so many times during the night.  Surely, one day she'll sleep through the night.  Surely....

Loving her singing red panda that was a Christmas gift from her big sister; the multitude of teething toys she now has at her disposal; standing up; crawling away too fast for you to catch her; feeding herself; her two older siblings.

Hating diaper changes; putting on clothes; getting buckled into the car seat; bedtime; jackets.

Much love,

The Geeks

Joy

 

May this Christmas bring you joy...

...however that looks in your current circumstances.

Merry Christmas!

Much love,

The Geeks