June Album

Summer has officially started!  The grumpiness has subsided, as we finally welcomed our first real sunny summer days.  By the way, I heard on the radio that Portland had a total of three (THREE!) clear days the entire spring, so we were not alone in our cabin fever state-of-mind.    This album highlights our celebration of Father’s Day with some good old-fashioned (and free!) agri-tainment, as Matthew likes to call it – a trip to the local farm for some strawberry and raspberry picking.  Dean had been aching to get out to the farm for months now, but the farms don’t officially open to visitors until June.  Fiona was a little unsure of the hayride, but she loved talking to the pigs!  And we managed to make some yummy jams – strawberry rhubarb and strawberry raspberry, our first jams of the year. 

It still seems bizarre to me that we were wearing sweatshirts and fleece in June, not to mention rubber boots, but as I’ve looked back at our photos of strawberry picking adventures in Portland, I am always wearing that red fleece jacket.   Sunny doesn’t always mean warm.  Yet.

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busy Bernina

This has been a busy month for my Bernina!  Besides curtains, I am sewing up a mess of clothes for my two munchkins, who are both growing super fast.  Luckily, those sewing blogs came in handy when it came to figuring out how to transfer sewing patterns so that I can keep using them even when my kiddos' sizes get larger and larger.  Large scale tracing paper from my undergraduate architecture studios also came in handy.

I think it's been a fun diversion, since the weather this month has certainly not cooperated, considering it's June and I'm still parading around in fuzzy socks (can't. let. go.) and fleece.  What is going on?  Dean had to be convinced to wear shorts today (it's finally sunny).  I think it's been so long, it actually was uncomfortable territory for him.  But I digress...

So here are the finished products:  Pajama pants, dress, skirt, wall panels...

Dean's pajama pants.  Dinosaurs, monkeys, and I also did trucks!  These have been so easy.  Dean has even picked out some more fabric for pajama shorts - it WILL get warmer.  soon.  Here are some action shots.

Fiona's [summer] dress, skirt and wall panels.  Girl clothes are so easy!  Actually, the dress was harder than the pattern claimed, but, look!  It's done!  And I probably have another month or so before she outgrows it (by then it will be cold again...).  The skirt I made from an online tutorial with some leftover scraps from her wall panels.  We have finally started decorating her room - which she has occupied for a couple of months already.  It was time, pobrecita.

hand-off

(no pun intended)

Well, Doll Repair wrote me back with an estimate that is reasonable!  Replacement of both hands may sound kind of iffy, but I think I'm going to go for it.  Stay tuned...

p.s. It's rainy again.  Why else am I so wrapped up in this doll saga?

babipouce

 The short story is that Fiona's Babipouce (which, ironically, means "baby thumb") doll's hand was chewed up by a dog.  I thought this could be a simple fix:  I'd call or email the manufacturer, one extra part would be ordered, they'd sew up my doll, and voila!  Babipouce would be restored.  

But, this quest has been not-so-simple.  The manufacturer recommended a Doll Hospital, and their responses have been a little thin and not helpful.  In short, fixing the doll doesn't even seem worth it.  In the meantime, Fiona has outright rejected her baby doll because of the little mauled hand.  I'm not sure which makes me more sad.  This is about trying to do the right thing - to no avail.

What's more, for some reason, I became committed to saving this poor doll.  But with every email from the Doll Hospital, it doesn't seem possible.  Basically, I'm being encouraged to buy a new doll.  I've tried covering up the hand, but Fiona knows it's not the same, and she doesn't want it.  I know I shouldn't make too much of this, but my desperate string of emails to the Doll Hospital is starting to get ridiculous.  

*************

Doll Repair,

We have a doll emergency!

We have a Corolle Babipouce Pink Striped doll that our little girl adores.  Unfortunately, a dog mauled babipouce's hand.  You were recommended by the manufacturer.  Can the hand be replaced?  We need to know ASAP so we can decide whether or not to replace the entire doll.  We'd rather not do this, as it is only the hand that is ruined, as you can see by the photos.

Can you please give us a rough cost estimate and tell us how your service works?  Photos attached.  Much appreciated.

*************

 Hi 

We could not open.  Send where we do not have to download. 

 *************

Doll Repair,
Thanks for your reply.  Can you read these files?  I made them smaller.  Let me know - I'll try something else if you still can't open them.

*************

[no reply]
*************

Hello,
We're still in the middle of our doll emergency - can you please help us?

*************

[no reply]
*************

[Manufacturer],
I've had really poor luck with [Doll Hospital].  I've emailed them 4 times with photos of the doll but only got one response, saying they couldn't read the photos (I've since reduced the size of photos and resent them, but no answer after two follow-up emails).  Is there anyone else you recommend?

*************

Hi Lora,
Sorry but they are the only doll hospital we recommend.  Did you try calling them?  I used them personally and they were great – don’t know what the problem is.

 *************

[after calling Doll Hospital and being told to send a link]

Hi,
I just spoke with someone on the phone who said to send the pictures of our doll again, to see if you carry the part I need.  They are attached to this email.  If you have trouble reading them, will you please let me know? 

The doll is a Corolle Babipouce Pink striped, like the one seen here. 
http://www.amazon.com/Corolle-Babicorolle-Babipouce-Striped-Doll/dp/B00004TYF2

She is in need of a hand replacement (sewn-in, left hand).  

Please let me know what you can do.

************* 

Sorry we do not have that hand.

*************

Hello Doll Hospital-
I do have a caveat that my doll's hand doesn't look like the links that I sent.  Not sure why - the doll in the pictures on Amazon and Google has a more open hand than the doll in the box (if you look at reviews on Amazon, a few others have complained about this).  Please, please help me with this.  Can I mail the doll to you and you can then decide whether or not you have the hand?  Otherwise, I'm not sure what my alternatives are at this point.

I emailed the manufacturer, who has recommended your service, so you must have some similar Corolle doll parts - perhaps one is a match for my doll's hand?

*************

We may have to replace both. They may be different.

*************

ACK!!!  Different hands?!  What does that mean?  Does anyone else see the incredible imbalance of text of worried-mom-please-fix-my-doll to carefree-doll-hospital?  Kind of unbelievable.

At this point, I emailed the only two other doll hospitals I could find in this country with email addresses (really!), and they each basically told me that replacement of the doll was cheaper than replacement of the hand.  Not much of a choice.  and a bit exhausting.   

If my F of my enFj-ness could reveal itself in a string of emails, this might be it.

rain, rain, go away

I think the worst is over now (1. Find wood.  2. Knock), but this June has been rough!  We have occupied ourselves with the great indoors, and we're all going a little stir-crazy.  Here's a quick recap in pictures...

Playtime inside with some grumpiness (She got the car.)

Momentary sunshine and happiness (and sneak preview of our yard's evolution). 

More rain.  

Playing inside again (with some silliness).

Arts and crafts project at home:  Stringing noodles and Cheerios to yarn necklaces.  Actually just eating them.  Raw.    Please, rain, go away!

Hopeful that the rain will stop...

that's what he said

L.  Why are you wearing one blue sock and one white sock?
D.  I don't know.
L. Why do you have one blue sock on?
D. Because Sara [teacher] put the blue sock on me.
L. Why did she do that?
D. I don't know.  She just put the blue sock on me.
L.  What happened to your other white sock?
D.  I don't know!
L. Why did you take off your other white sock?
D. Because it was wet.

Aha! 

The answer was in there somewhere, I just had to figure out exactly how to ask for it...  [insert life metaphor here.]

41 years

Every year, I marvel that my parents are two people that have been happily married for so long.  It is such a reason to celebrate!

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for setting the bar so high for a healthy, happy, and long-lasting marriage.  Happy anniversary.