Christmas Comes Early PTR Nov 27 - Dec 3 2011 **What's YOUR Opinion?**

[mommy2mrb]

aww what a cute photo of you too!

hope the project wasn't too crazy, that's a lot of kiddos

the two winters we lived in FL the temps fluctuated a bunch, you will really need to pack layers....and I'd bring some light weight gloves too for the night time.

you are getting close...almost time for the single digit

 

[mphalens]

I need to learn how to say "No" and how to NOT volunteer myself to do things

Tonight, instead of sewing like I should be, I will be making a collage of pictures for Phalen's soccer coach. Said collage will be presented tomorrow night at the team party (during which I will not be able to sew either). Mod Podge, Scissors, Pictures and Canvas, here I come!

The kitchen science class had 16 kids in it today . . . luckily we had about half that many adults also helping out. But, it was almost "too many cooks in the kitchen" because 3 of the layers of the density rainbow ended up "melding" (is that even a word?) together because one mom dyed one layer red and the layer above that purple and the layer below the red was already blue - so we had a big wide layer that was all purple because the food coloring blended.

I love our co-op . . . the problem is that we have so many new families that the moms are "afraid" to step up and teach a class . . . and so we haven't really had enough REAL CLASS options for the kids to choose from, so when they don't want to do some artsy crafty type class, or group games class, they wind up in MY class because it's some science related thing (again, I am NOT strong in science, I just know that's what Phalen wants to take when we're at co-op, so if an option isn't offered, I create one).

Starting next week we will have split my kitchen science class into 2 classes. While that cuts down the number of kids per class, it also takes away my free period after our lunch break. It's the only time of day on Mondays that I can "decompress" - I'm going to miss that time​

 

[mommy2mrb]

yes you definately need to learn the word NO!!!! its so hard though when you don't have enough people to go around to run things!

had that issue when we lived in CA, I was co-president of our parent club and pretty much chaired every event we did...major burn out! I don't go to any of the meetings at Megan's school anymore, just sign up when things come home, don't want to get roped into anything!

I'm sure Phalen loves having you teach the "science" classes, hopefully that makes it all worth while!

 

[mphalens]

yes you definately need to learn the word NO!!!! its so hard though when you don't have enough people to go around to run things!

had that issue when we lived in CA, I was co-president of our parent club and pretty much chaired every event we did...major burn out! I don't go to any of the meetings at Megan's school anymore, just sign up when things come home, don't want to get roped into anything!

I'm sure Phalen loves having you teach the "science" classes, hopefully that makes it all worth while!

Actually, one of the reasons we joined the co-op was to give us a break from one another - so really, he's not thrilled I've been his teacher for 2 sessions in a row now. At least he has the 2nd class period with someone else, but he has mentioned a couple of times that he wished someone else was teaching a "cool" class so I didn't have to be his teacher at SCOOP (the name of our co-op).

 

[mommy2mrb]

Actually, one of the reasons we joined the co-op was to give us a break from one another - so really, he's not thrilled I've been his teacher for 2 sessions in a row now. At least he has the 2nd class period with someone else, but he has mentioned a couple of times that he wished someone else was teaching a "cool" class so I didn't have to be his teacher at SCOOP (the name of our co-op).

oh I'm sorry...understand needing the break from each other though....Megan and I tend to bang heads a lot!

 

[cogero]

Marianne say after me NO. It is quite okay to say no. It is something I am getting really good at.

Sorry no one wants to teach yet, hopefully someone will step up soon

 

[DMGeurts]

Marianne... That really sucks that you get roped into all this stuff. I really think you need to step back and really focus on what YOU need to do. At this point, I think you have too much on your plate (I am one to talk)... and especially with your trip coming so fast, you have many things to get done.

Hopefully someone will step up eventually to offer a "cool" class for Phalen... Poor kid has to be taught by his mom all the time.

D~ <---Who just noticed that Chiara's ticker is right behind yours... ACK!

 

[VBAndrea]

I need to learn how to say "No" and how to NOT volunteer myself to do things

Tonight, instead of sewing like I should be, I will be making a collage of pictures for Phalen's soccer coach. Said collage will be presented tomorrow night at the team party (during which I will not be able to sew either). Mod Podge, Scissors, Pictures and Canvas, here I come!

The kitchen science class had 16 kids in it today . . . luckily we had about half that many adults also helping out. But, it was almost "too many cooks in the kitchen" because 3 of the layers of the density rainbow ended up "melding" (is that even a word?) together because one mom dyed one layer red and the layer above that purple and the layer below the red was already blue - so we had a big wide layer that was all purple because the food coloring blended.

I love our co-op . . . the problem is that we have so many new families that the moms are "afraid" to step up and teach a class . . . and so we haven't really had enough REAL CLASS options for the kids to choose from, so when they don't want to do some artsy crafty type class, or group games class, they wind up in MY class because it's some science related thing (again, I am NOT strong in science, I just know that's what Phalen wants to take when we're at co-op, so if an option isn't offered, I create one).

Starting next week we will have split my kitchen science class into 2 classes. While that cuts down the number of kids per class, it also takes away my free period after our lunch break. It's the only time of day on Mondays that I can "decompress" - I'm going to miss that time​

First, I want you to know this is my 1,499th post! Who should get post #1500????? But enough about me....

Melding is a word and you used it perfectly In the future, is there a way you can open the class up to "X" amount of students and specify the age range? I don't think it's fair for you to teach it twice.

I am no help on the saying "no." I managed to NOT sign up for one BG, but then I signed up for the new one with the 2 week shipping deadline. Plus I still have to make my auction item. And it's going to be in the 70's again today and tomorrow so I really need to do yardwork. I overextend myself just like you do.

Marianne say after me NO. It is quite okay to say no. It is something I am getting really good at.

Sorry no one wants to teach yet, hopefully someone will step up soon

Please teach me to say NO -- yell it at me really loud so I can hear you all the way down the coast. Better get off my tush now and get to work.

 

[mphalens]

Thanks y'all!

In the future, yes, we are going back to our old system of everyone filling out a form for a class THEY would be willing to teach with a brief description, a target age range and a maximum number of children. Everyone will be required to submit 2 of these forms the week after my trip (we're off the week of my trip - awesome planning on my part ) and those will be the classes we'll choose from for our classes that will start in January.

As far as teaching two sections of the science . . . I'm going to SEE if there's another mom that might step up and take the second section for me . . .but I'm not holding my breath. Especially since I'm the one that collected the supply fee and gets to keep any "extra" because of the sheer number of kids I'm teaching.

So - Back to the trip!
I called Disney today about adding Saturday the 26th to our reservation (just the 4 of us, not my parents) so that we could already be there and ready to go for our first day in the park on Sunday. . . they didn't have any of the free dining rooms available, so we couldn't just add the day to our reservation. . . AND a room only rate was $226 or something like that and we'd have to check out and back in on the 27th and we probably wouldn't get the same room!
Bryce, the CM I spoke with, was super nice and he asked why we were thinking of adding the extra night. I explained that DH wanted to watch the Florida/Florida State game and we had an early 9:15 ADR at Crystal Palace on the 27th. He said if it were him he'd just plan to get to the resort by 8am and they'd be happy to process us so we could get our tickets and meal plan and if our room was ready we could have it, or they'd keep our stuff for us and we could hit the park.
So - our plan will be to watch the game here and then hit the road. That should put us in Disney with plenty of time to get some coffee and check in and change and be ready to go It's actually quite similar to what we did the last time we went - DH took a shower and late afternoon nap while I packed the car and then we had dinner and got the boys clean and in jammies and into bed. We put them in the car about 10:30 or so and hit the road. We got to the Transportation Center parking lot about 7:30am and the boys & I did our "quick change" in the car (DH just wore what he planned to wear in the parks for driving) and we hit the park in time for rope drop! Of course, THAT trip the boys didn't know where we were going until we got to the parks and drove through the big Disney "toll booth" things. . .
Actually - those are some great pics for me to share!
Here's Phalen when we were about 5 miles from entering the parks. He thought the trip to Florida was to see DH's parents and stay at a hotel that had mini-golf (We stayed at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek, so we weren't lying to him when we told him that). We had just told him that we probably wouldn't spend the ENTIRE trip playing mini-golf, but we'd play at least once. Kid was NOT happy.

We had Corbin Bleu's "Celebrate You" ready to play on the ipod as we came around the exit ramp and you get that first glimpse of the big Entrance to the World . . . Phalen had told us that every time he heard that song it made him want to go to Disney World.
So the song starts playing and we tell him, "We won't get to play mini-golf every day because we'll be too busy playing with Mickey Mouse!"
He went from Grumpy to Thrilled in .2 seconds!

I love that pic!

Here's another one from my phone from that first morning at the park (why am I not that little anymore???):

Okay - so - back to my progress. . . I cut out pockets and roll-up pant tabs earlier today. . . and I cut out my Alice skirt for 1900PF breakfast. I need some opinions on the skirt . . . do you like the scenes from the book? Not like them? Think I should do them differently? Not use them at all? The skirt hits just below the knee (I could make it shorter) and has a hidden side zipper. I bought a cute white top that is ruched (sp?) on the sides and I was thinking about putting a small Alice on it, but I'm not sure . . .

The boys will be wearing the yellow scatter Alice material as shorts with fake "Tie-T's" where the Tie is out of the blue Mad Hatter scatter pattern on a white shirt.

 

[DMGeurts]

I totally love the picture and the story about Phalen... I can't believe you're only one week away... D~ is so jealous.

I am not sure about the skirt - I agree that it needs something, but I just can't put my finger on it. I love the scenes - that is such a neat idea. I am wondering if there is a way you can make them more uniform - like attaching them to another piece of fabric (sort of a picture frame), so it would be like flipping the book pages as you go around the skirt? Does that make sense?

D~

 

[mommy2mrb]

what cute photos!!

I love you idea for the skirt....and think D~ has the right idea for framing them!

 

[VBAndrea]

I have to third D's idea -- I think they way they are on the skirt it's too random. I would even suggest making a border on the skirt in a different fabric and just putting those swatches on the border. Otherwise I would deco the bottom of the skirt sort of like what I did on this denim skirt:

Though I'm not so sure that skirt would look right with deco depending on the hem line.

I like you pics from the last trip!

And I'm glad the homeschool kitchen science will be reworked after the new year. I think that will be much less stressful.

 

[Blyssfull]

Okay - so - back to my progress. . . I cut out pockets and roll-up pant tabs earlier today. . . and I cut out my Alice skirt for 1900PF breakfast. I need some opinions on the skirt . . . do you like the scenes from the book? Not like them? Think I should do them differently? Not use them at all? The skirt hits just below the knee (I could make it shorter) and has a hidden side zipper. I bought a cute white top that is ruched (sp?) on the sides and I was thinking about putting a small Alice on it, but I'm not sure . . .

The boys will be wearing the yellow scatter Alice material as shorts with fake "Tie-T's" where the Tie is out of the blue Mad Hatter scatter pattern on a white shirt.

I like the idea of your pictures on the skirt. My idea is similar to Andrea's. I think I would either leave them where they are or place them around the bottom... I would just sew them onto coordinating fun fabric and make "patches" (kind of like an applique border) that are all the same size then sew the patches onto the skirt in a coordinating but different color thread to make them pop.

 

[mphalens]

Thanks for the ideas on the Alice skirt everyone!!!

Tonight I have a special surprise for all my loyal viewers

I have an outfit for each of the boys complete and pictures taken - please excuse the faces - they were being "silly"
Here are their Ohana outfits -

Now, I can't take credit for anything more than the idea of these outfits - I have to thank Mimi for sewing the pants for me and Beth (Blyssfull) for helping me out with the shirts! They're FABULOUS!
We had a great time opening two boxes full of awesome Disney attire tonight - the box from Beth and the box from Mimi both happened to arrive on the same day! It was exactly what I needed to go chain myself to the sewing machine and get a bunch done. I have a long way to go, but I'll get there!

I don't have the pants done for the boys Cars outfits, but I have to share these pictures of their bowling shirts (Mimi made them - without lining and without the modified instructions on how to do so!). I want to put something on the back, but I'm not sure what - should I do their favorite car??? something else? Leave it alone???

I have sewn (but haven't turned and finished) all of the tabs for the roll up pants and I have sewn the pockets (but haven't turned and finished) for the Epcot pants. I also worked on my Mickey Mouse upcycled skirt tonight - but I need someone to give me a lesson in adding a ruffle to the bottom of a skirt like that because I keep messing it up!!!
I did finish Mr CA's pirate camo pants, but I didn't add the roll-up tabs because he told me he doesn't WANT roll-up pants, just regular pants and since he's asleep I will have to wait until morning to see what his final call is on those I'm half hoping he just wants plain pants - because then I can take a picture of him wearing them with the awesome pirate mickey shirt Beth did for me!!!!

 

[VBAndrea]

Thanks for the ideas on the Alice skirt everyone!!!

Tonight I have a special surprise for all my loyal viewers

I have an outfit for each of the boys complete and pictures taken - please excuse the faces - they were being "silly"
Here are their Ohana outfits -

Now, I can't take credit for anything more than the idea of these outfits - I have to thank Mimi for sewing the pants for me and Beth (Blyssfull) for helping me out with the shirts! They're FABULOUS!
We had a great time opening two boxes full of awesome Disney attire tonight - the box from Beth and the box from Mimi both happened to arrive on the same day! It was exactly what I needed to go chain myself to the sewing machine and get a bunch done. I have a long way to go, but I'll get there!

I don't have the pants done for the boys Cars outfits, but I have to share these pictures of their bowling shirts (Mimi made them - without lining and without the modified instructions on how to do so!). I want to put something on the back, but I'm not sure what - should I do their favorite car??? something else? Leave it alone???

I have sewn (but haven't turned and finished) all of the tabs for the roll up pants and I have sewn the pockets (but haven't turned and finished) for the Epcot pants. I also worked on my Mickey Mouse upcycled skirt tonight - but I need someone to give me a lesson in adding a ruffle to the bottom of a skirt like that because I keep messing it up!!!
I did finish Mr CA's pirate camo pants, but I didn't add the roll-up tabs because he told me he doesn't WANT roll-up pants, just regular pants and since he's asleep I will have to wait until morning to see what his final call is on those I'm half hoping he just wants plain pants - because then I can take a picture of him wearing them with the awesome pirate mickey shirt Beth did for me!!!!

Love the Ohana fabrics! Chiara had cool fabrics like that and I looked for some for a BG once and our Joann's didn't have any! I also looked for the flag Christmas ornament fabric and they didn't have that either

The cars shirts are great! I appliqued a lightning bolt onto the back of my ds's, but had solid fabric. Though I think it would work with the checked fabric. Let me grab a pic to show you (and this is when I hand appliqued, but a lightning bolt is all straight lines so it was easy).

What problems are you having with the ruffle? I add ruffles all the time and just did one yesterday -- I wish I had known, I would have taken photos.

What I do is serge the bottom of the skirt. I make a double thickness ruffle and serge the ends of it. I gather by zig zagging over dental floss. I pin mark each quarter section on the skirt and ruffle and then gather with the dental floss. Use lots of pins, sew, pull out the dental floss. Clear as mud? Wish I had pics to show you. It takes a little time, but it's easy.

So how many more outfits do you have to sew? Great that you got some help along the way.

I am finishing my auction dress today and then starting my BG item. My kids aren't getting anything for Thanksgiving as usually b/c I am doing too much for others. It's on to Christmas presents after this. I will never get an etsy shop opened.

 

[DMGeurts]

Thanks for the ideas on the Alice skirt everyone!!!

Tonight I have a special surprise for all my loyal viewers

I have an outfit for each of the boys complete and pictures taken - please excuse the faces - they were being "silly"
Here are their Ohana outfits -

Now, I can't take credit for anything more than the idea of these outfits - I have to thank Mimi for sewing the pants for me and Beth (Blyssfull) for helping me out with the shirts! They're FABULOUS!
We had a great time opening two boxes full of awesome Disney attire tonight - the box from Beth and the box from Mimi both happened to arrive on the same day! It was exactly what I needed to go chain myself to the sewing machine and get a bunch done. I have a long way to go, but I'll get there!

I don't have the pants done for the boys Cars outfits, but I have to share these pictures of their bowling shirts (Mimi made them - without lining and without the modified instructions on how to do so!). I want to put something on the back, but I'm not sure what - should I do their favorite car??? something else? Leave it alone???

I have sewn (but haven't turned and finished) all of the tabs for the roll up pants and I have sewn the pockets (but haven't turned and finished) for the Epcot pants. I also worked on my Mickey Mouse upcycled skirt tonight - but I need someone to give me a lesson in adding a ruffle to the bottom of a skirt like that because I keep messing it up!!!
I did finish Mr CA's pirate camo pants, but I didn't add the roll-up tabs because he told me he doesn't WANT roll-up pants, just regular pants and since he's asleep I will have to wait until morning to see what his final call is on those I'm half hoping he just wants plain pants - because then I can take a picture of him wearing them with the awesome pirate mickey shirt Beth did for me!!!!

Everything turned out adorable - Great job Mimi and Beth!!!!!

To be honest (and you know I am) - I really like the Cars shirt just how it is. I love all the fabrics and they just look so nice and finished.

D~

 

[cogero]

I totally love the outfits. I really need to try a bowling shirt.

 

[mommy2mrb]

so cute!!! love the car's shirt as is!

 

[mphalens]

Yay!

So today I packed up shop and went to the Bestie's house - and from there we went to what I will lovingly (in all seriousness) refer to as "Sweatshop Disney" where we sewed for 3+ hours until it was time to get kids from bus stops and we went back to Bestie's house and got into a disagreement with Frannie's friend Button. Button did not see the need to put the buttonholes she was making EVENLY on the front of Bestie's dresses. Even though I helped her line them up and EVEN broke out the hem ruler for guidance. Button is now on my $hit list. She can make buttonholes for roll up pants, but as of now she is NOT allowed near any dresses. Maybe she can redeem herself, but it will take a lot of convincing on my part - and maybe quite a few practice pieces.

So - I have Finn's pirate camo pants done except for his roll-up tabs (and the pants are all french seams and spiffy). I have my Mickey skirt done except for sewing on the ric rac (it does help to have a Bestie who can ruffle like nobody's business ). I still have a ways to go and I need to go through my list and cross stuff off so I can give y'all an update on numbers, but I'll get there

Tonight I attended my book to movie club - we saw the latest in the Twilight series And then hit Salsa's for some yummy food and even yummier frozen drinks. Now I'm off to take some sinus headache meds and try to sleep - busy busy busy day of sewing tomorrow!!! And - best part? NO SOCCER GAMES to attend!!!

 

[mphalens]

Hmm - maybe I should have explained what "Sweatshop Disney" was - our friend Lucia sews professionally and the two front rooms of her house are set up as a cutting and sewing extravaganza! HUGE cutting table and then a dining room table with a beautiful new embroidery machine that her boss just bought her, a serger and a regular sewing machine.
So, Bestie was on the serger making dresses for her girls, I was on Frannie (because she did NOT want to stay home and mope while I went to sew on someone else) sewing tabs and pants and my Mickey skirt and Lucia was on her combo machine doing stuff for Bestie's dresses. The kids ran amok and we stopped to eat some pizza we had delivered, but it was pretty much sew sew sew with a break here and there to iron something Ala - Sweatshop Disney!