It's Already Happening

They are taking over the computers!!!

Update: As I show Chloe the picture of her on the internet, she exclaims "Mom! Why did you put that picture in there?"

Silly Lantern Top

I am beginning to notice a very interesting phenomenon with the girls. Whenever they try on a new article of clothing that I make for them, their behavior changes to the mood of the item. In the previous post, Pearl was so demure and calm in her new Princess Dress.

Today I had Chloe try on a new top I made her. It has two rows of ruffles and is fun to twirl around it. Once Chloe had the new top on, she couldn't sit still. She would twirl and dance and bounce and act totally silly. We went outside to take pictures and instead of trying to be a model, this time she just acted crazy. Well, I took pictures anyway, so this post will be a little on the silly side.

My Little Princess

Pearl was so excited to finally have her princess dress. She picked out the fabric and Mom put it together for her. She is normally rambunctious and over-active, but wearing this dress, she acted reserved and demure. Hmmmmmmmn, maybe I should have her wear it more often.

Picky Eater

Following is a list of all the foods I can think of which Chloe will eat:

1 Pasta or noodles(with cheese or spaghetti sauce)
2 cinnamon raisin bagel (with cream cheese)
3 rice
4 hot dog (especially with cheese)
5 olives
6 peanuts
7 peanut butter on bread(no jelly)
8 cereal
9 raisins
10 cheese, cheese, cheese
11 one or two french fries
12 beans, pinto or chilli
13 cookies
14 chocolate ice cream
15 chocolate candy
16 cheese pizza

Actually, I came up with about 5 items more than I thought I would. Aside from olives and raisins, Chloe wont' eat fruit, but she will drink apple and orange juice. I would make a list for Pearl too, but it would be endless. This girl covets our veggies if I don't put enough of them on her plate. I guess they sort of balance each other out.

UPDATE 7/23: Add #17 & #18 to the list to include "chips" and "butter". Chloe thinks of butter as a stand-alone food rather than a condiment. Chloe will NOT touch vegetables, although she claims to like carrots, but just to look at. Her sister Pearl is the fruit and veggie lover who will try anything and say she loves it, even if she really doesn't like it.

Cupcake Dress

These pictures make me laugh because it looks like I have been coaching her on modeling. Really, she is doing these poses on her own. Perhaps she has seen them on TV.

Today I managed to find time for a little sewing. I really had a lot of fun making this cupcake dress for Chloe. She has already asked if she can wear it for her birthday, which is one day shy of 6 months away. I am not so sure it will be suitable for January or even if it will fit then. I already have my eyes on another fabric for that occasion.

Girls in Skorts

I finally had an opportunity for the girls to wear their skorts. Daddy was going to take his girls to the movies Sunday morning so Mom could do a little sewing. Mom wasn't in the mood to see "Chimps in Space" or whatever that movie is called. After dressing them, Mom has realized that perhaps the girls need a couple of cute tops to match their skorts.

Friday Night

Not much to write. It's a lazy Friday night at home with the family. In one of the pictures, Chloe has her mouth in an "o" formation. That is because she was telling me "I love you" just as I clicked the button. That "o" is really "you". Even though it wasn't my best shot, it now has sentimental value.

Mother of the Year Award

This just in. No one else need apply this fiscal year. My daughter Chloe just informed me that I was awarded the title "Mother of the Year". As proof, she bestowed upon me this beautiful trophy (which looks a little like building blocks). It is surprisingly similar to the table centerpiece she gave me just last week.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my two beautiful daughters, one long-suffering exchange daughter from Beijing, and all the animals we have managed to keep alive for another year. I couldn't have done it without my wonderful partner who steps in to batt by taking the girls to the park so that I can sew them clothes and do laundry. He also stops by the grocery store almost daily and brings me what he wants for dinner. All I have to do is cook it! When I am not at work designing and building police departments and animal shelters, I am busy playing Candyland and watching Elmo and Cailou with my family. Awww! This is the life.

Chloe Fix

Here is a full fix of Chloe. We will have to do Pearl next. Today has been a fun day relaxing around the house. Chloe changes her clothes about 4 times a day. This time, after swimming, Chloe wanted to put on the top that I made for her and she found the matching capris that she has never worn.

I have been wanting to cut Pearl's hair because it is so difficult to comb through every morning without her whining and complaining. She didn't want a haircut, so I decided to cut Chloe's hair first and hopefully, she would see all the positive attention her sister was getting and want a haircut too. Well, it worked like a charm and we now have two girls with haircuts.

Twirl Skorts

It's nap time here and I just finished up a pair of skorts, one for Chloe and one for Pearl. These were very simple, but a lot of work. I think I will probably omit the pantaloons in future attempts. I will post more pictures later of the girls wearing them, perhaps another day.

For the first time,I ordered fabric online. When it finally arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was even prettier in reality that it appeared on my computer monitor. This sewing hobby is quickly becoming some sort of addiction as I search for fabrics that I like (not necessarily loved by my girls). From my education in architectural design, I developed a love for almost anything Art Noveau or Art Deco, and when I found this Midwestern Design by Amy Butler, I fell in love.

Knowing that Pearl isn't picky, I planned to make her a skirt of the fabric I purchased online. Then I went to the fabric store to find something suitable for a skort for Chloe. After skimming through rainbows and ladybugs, I stumbled across this beautiful mermaid fabric. I knew I had an instant dilemma. This fabric was so cute that I knew both Chloe and Pearl would want the same thing (since they both go gaga over mermaids), but I wasn't about to make two identical skorts. Relying on the fact that Pearl wasn't picky, I bought it anyway and decided I would offer Pearl a future trip to the fabric store to pick out her own selection next time.

Just as I predicted, Pearl walked in on me laying out the fabrics for this project. She saw the mermaids and exclaimed "Oooh, Mermaids. How beautiful!!" I delicately explained to her that this was for Chloe and I pointed her to the green Art Noveau fabric. Typical Pearl, she looked at the green trees and said, "OOOh Mama, this is my favorite. I love it. Trees and flowers." That is what is so amazing about Pearl. She always manages to be happy with what she is given (even when I know deep down, she preferred the mermaids). Nevertheless, I still promised to take her to the store with me next time and she would get to make her own choice.

New Sewing Website

My first two sewing projects were the matching butterfly tops in the post, "I Can Sew". These were inspired by another mom of a Chinese daughter a little bit younger than Chloe and Pearl. If you like these tops, she is making them for sale in some really cute retro fabrics. I am not ready to go into the sewing business; I prefer to do it for fun and relaxation, so I don't mind giving Lynn a plug. She has a lot of orders already.

You can see her new site here. She will be making twirl skorts soon, as will I. I cannot wait to see how they come out. I hope I can make one or two this coming weekend.


Chloe and Pearl are doing great. We had to leave them with a babysitter last night so that Mom and Dad could attend an important Rotary Club dinner. We dont' leave them very often, since we get so little time with them to begin with. I felt so terrible when Chloe came up to me just as we were leaving and exclaimed, "Mommy, I didn't get any lovin' time yet." She had the saddest look on her face as she clung to my leg. Not to be ignored, Pearl started in similarly and it was tough getting out the door with no tears. We had a fun time, but it was so good to get home to the girls and we ended up letting them stay up pretty late, just so we could hang out together.

Pearl's New Dress

Here is Pearl modeling her new dragonfly dress. You cannot see it in the pictures, but the fabric also has a glittery metallic effect. I think Pearl is just as happy as Chloe to have a new dress. They are both such girly girls. If you notice, our cat Marty manages to find his way into many of our pictures. He follows us all over the yard and insists upon being part of the action, no matter where we are. I guess he wants to be in the picture too.

Now what can I make next?

"Mingo" Dress

Today I finished another creation, a dress for Chloe. She went with me to the fabric store and picked out flamingos in a matter of seconds. Chloe has been so eager to have her new "Mingo" dress that she has been asking me if she can help make it. She also calls it her "hula" dress. I think that's because we were just in Hawaii.

We picked out pink dragonflies for Pearl's dress and I will begin working on it today. Chloe is so excited about her new dress that she refuses to take it off.

Celebration

We decided to celebrate the Fourth of July with the Kern County Association of Chinese Americans in a popular city park. It was a lovely and unseasonably cool day, only in the 80s. The big heat wave is predicted for next week and would have made today unbearable.

Chloe and Pearl made a new friend Grace. Her family just joined the club today and the three were inseparable most of the afternoon. It is nice to associate with other Chinese families and not just families who have adopted children from China.

We began the festivities by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. It was passed out in writing for anyone who was unfamiliar with it. I almost chuckled to myself, but realized that many of these families were immigrants and non necessarily familiar with the pledge. We are making more friends all the time and now have been to a few homes for dinner.

There was a water balloon toss contest and there were water guns that all the kids and many of the adults used to drench each other with. Chloe and Pearl were soaking wet, the theme for the Summer. The girls are finally getting old enough that they can play on their own without Mom and Dad constantly escorting them from one activity to another. It is so nice to relax and watch them play from a distance.

Fireworks

Every year on the third of July, we have the best seat in town to view the fireworks display, right in our own front yard. Many of Mom's coworkers from City Hall come over and set up camp in the yard, some even bringing trailers. Our view is so good that we can even see the people on the ground lighting the fireworks. Chloe and Pearl ooohed and aaaahed all the way through the show. This year Chloe was less afraid and even though the loud booms bothered her, she still enjoyed describing what she was seeing to me in great detail, play by play ("Mommy, this one has rainbow colors" as she waves her arms in a sweeping arc). It was so cute.

We celebrate on the third of July so that our small town can get a "Big City" quality show. Most of the fireworks companies are booked at the larger venues on the 4th, but this gives us a chance for a first-rate show on a local level. Then, if we want, we can travel somewhere on the 4th and continue the celebrations.

This year we will be joining the Kern County Chinese Americans as they celebrate Independence Day in a park in the city. We'll be sure to post pictures later on.

Sprinkler Fun

Today Chloe had a dental appointment to fill a hole in her tooth. Mom and Dad were both dreading this day, and Dad finally volunteered to take her. After Dad and Chloe arrived at the dentist's office, she was brought back to the exam room, but the dentist decided not to work on her because she has a cold. Consequently, her appointment was postponed until September 2nd. I am still not sure why they have to work on a baby tooth. Chloe is such a sensitive child and I am afraid this experience will totally turn her off from ever wanting to go to the dentist again. I just dread the thought of them giving her gas.

The rest of the day was a typical Summer Wednesday. After the girls came home, they put on their swimsuits and played in the sprinklers. We do have a nice big swimming pool, but they like to mix things up a bit and it just seems easier to clean up after a run through the sprinklers than having to wash off all the chlorine.