Fancy dress

Once again I have seen a program on fancy dress costumes for children.

This just reminded me of some of the things we have done to our kids over the years.

My oldest daughter didn't really go to fancy dress parties as they just didn't do that at the time.  Though she would be a witch or cat for Halloween every year and I would always make her costumes.

My son had a couple when he was at playschool.

He went to one in camouflage pj's with a rifle on his back and my husband painted his face....he was action man.

On another occasion we stood him on the table and dressed him in ripped jeans and a ripped shirt with shredded sleeves.  We cut the front out of his trainers and then painted him green from head to foot ....the hulk.

The thing was it was a superhero party and he was growling at people at the party.  The mum said " he is so cute, he has been in character the whole party". When I got him in the car it was obvious that he just had the hump about something that had happened.

ANGRY 3 YEAR OLDS DON'T HIDE IT WELL.

My youngest daughter was always invited to fancy dress parties as she started at a different school and it was a big thing at this one.

She had lots of Disney princess dresses and fairy wings.  Her first party she was dressed as a Christmas fairy all fluffy and sparkly, 4 years old.

She then went as Snow White to another.

My favorite dressing up school day was world book day.

My oldest daughter went as Hermione from Harry potter armed with a wand.  My son was Dennis the menace one year and Peter Pan another year.  The youngest went as a brats doll two years on the trot.  The first year was all lacy covered jeans and sparkly butterfly vest top with sunglasses and beads all over her. This was passion for fashion.  Then the following year she was a rock angel which was electric guitar shades and denim with chained hanging from her belt.

When her friends were still trying to be princesses my daughter wanted to be different and she still tries.

My oldest daughter has been to a few fancy dress parties since being over 16 and it's a whole new ball game... From a cat at Halloween with the shorts being very short!!  To a munchkin in multicolours and a large lollipop it never seems to end.

I still love making the costumes and will continue as long as they ask me too..

My kids...

Thinking back it just seems like yesterday that they were tipping spaghetti hoops all over the floor, to share with the dog as he didn't get any.
Or when we got our kitchen decorated the kids having patiently watched us painting and stencilling the walls, decided to give it their personal touch and coloured one wall to waist height with crayons and felt tip pens!!
They were only tiny and had helped mummy and daddy, slow walking round the garden, counting to ten and deep breathing to calm down...
What do you do? Explain to a baby that they shouldn't do that when they just watched you do the same!

Oh but they were good my kids, creative in their mischief.  Getting the dogs involved or just blaming each other all the time.  It was hard to keep up.

I was always busy, in and out during the day, I had one at school and two at home, though one was part time at playschool.
They ran me ragged!! I was permanently exhausted and all mums will know that even going to the toilet has to be done with military precision.  They have to be distracted, but you must keep up a conversation at all times.
So when your busy!, and it all goes quiet, you are suitably alarmed.

This happened to me often, they once put toast in the video player ( after removing the child lock).
We only found this out when we called a repair man.  He arrived and my then 3 year old son helped him by removing the lock so he could look inside, after finding numerous toast crusts and cleaning he got it working.  Luckily for us the man thought it was funny and didn't charge us.

Or when I picked my daughter up from the floor to find my son had stuffed her nappy with his sandwiches, rather than eat them.  Oh they were clever!! Unwanted food was daily cleaned from the sides of the sofa or underneath it and we had the best fed dogs in the neighbourhood.
At one point we got my dad to install sliding door panels to separate the kids from the dogs and the kitchen in general as my youngest was in a walker and could destroy a room in minutes.  They got round this by lifting them up to let each other go through or as they got a bit older would commando crawl over the top.

My son taught his baby sister to undo any fastening, high chair, pushchair, car seat you name it she would get out of it.  I can remember shopping with my sister and holding a top up to myself in a mirror to see if I liked it, then turning back round to an empty pushchair ( mothers worst nightmare).
The thing with my kids is they were loud!!  So even if out of sight I could hear them.  I found them harassing women in the changing room by lifting the curtains.

They were a full on nightmare the pair of them!!

The personnel shopping experience!,

Everyone has that what am I going to wear panic before a wedding! It is completely normal.

But when you have to find outfits for the whole family of teenagers it becomes a little more than merely stressful.

So I decided to book a personal shopper at our local DEBENHAMS store.  A completely free service I might add.

I have done this before and ended up with two dresses that I would never have chosen for myself, but loved them both.  Alas this wedding is with the same people so something new was required.

I arrived at 11am with my two daughters aged 18 and 13 in tow.  They were pretty much dreading the whole experience.

We were greeted on arrival by the assistant Michelle and taken to a side room with tea making facilities and a private changing area and comfortable seating area.  Michelle was really bubbly and engaged with the girls straight away, just chatting about the event we was attending and telling them a little about what she does.

They seemed happy enough.

It was me first as I am a nightmare for clothes, I don't shop for myself enough to know what suits me or not so just left it up to Michelle.  

Well I must have tried on 15 dresses from fitted to vintage, both short and long and nothing jumped out on me.

I knew my dress instantly last time because it made me feel special, that's the reaction I wanted this time too.  Michelle was really patient and went back out into the store and came back with dresses priced from £30 to £195.  

You could tell what was expensive and not, by the feel of the fabric and the way it hung when on.  

I kept going even though in my head I had already decided that nothing was going to look any good and I would come away with nothing.  

We all know that feeling and it normally means time to go home.

  

As last time I put on the last dress and fell in love it felt amazing and I would never have even looked at it if I had been walking round the store myself.  My heart jumped to my stomach when she told me the price and I thought that's it I can't spend that much on a dress.

Hang on said Michelle it is in the sale with 70% off.  I couldn't believe it and was so chuffed.  

Me sorted and now the girls..

Then came my youngest daughter who lives in leggings and tshirts and plimsolls.  This was going to be an experience, but she told Michelle she was open to try anything and that's what she did.

At one point she was in a pale peach meringue which was hilarious as she got stuck in all the netting and we could just hear her chuckling in the changing room.  She tried on fitted dresses that looked amazing but made her look a bit too old for my liking.

It becomes very difficult when at 13 she is 5'6" a size 10-12 with curves and long blonde hair.  She doesn't look her age anyway, so as a parent you need to be aware of this and dress them appropriatley, not always easy when their friends are wearing heels and revealing outfits!!

She put on dark dresses and light dresses, floaty ones and lace ones.  She tried an off the shoulder dress which was pretty but just not right.

Then she tried on a midnight blue chiffon dress that comes just above her knee and the front is covered in crystals and beamed.  She said it felt really nice on and kept going back to it.  She had found her dress and it looked lovely.

Now for daughter number 2

Well what can I say, my oldest daughter went to the dress fitting with black skinny jeans on and lace up boots, covered in tie up bracelets and rubber band bracelets.  

I really thought Michelle would struggle as my daughter explained to her that she doesn't like attention and would rather go unnoticed, oh and that she normally wears black.

She started bringing in various dresses in every colour and pattern and black!!

Shannon was trying the dresses on but I could tell she didn't like anything and was just getting like I had been.  Everything looks bad on me attitude,  though not just being her mum, she has a lovely figure, but cannot see it herself.

She is almost 6ft tall and is a size 12 with curves and legs that go on forever.  Top that with really long, colour changing with her mood, hair that she wears straight or naturally curly.

I stepped in and asked for more dressy dresses as the ones that were on the rail were playing it a bit safe.

She tried on lace dresses and prom dresses with sparkles, but everything was nice but just not right.

Then she tried on the dress that my younger daughter and myself had said wow when Michelle had carried it in.

Oh my goodness, I felt really emotional, she looked stunning.  She felt stunning as well she smiled and I just can't describe how I felt.  The dress is black lace top over white with a black sash belt and white netting skirt, if it had been another colour it wouldn't have been the same.  It was so dramatic and she could wear it again and again.  It wasn't too short and she can wear her shoes that she already has, amazing.

Michelle truly outdid herself as what we all came away with was brilliant.  She made us feel special the whole time and we was laughing and joking and most of all had fun.

It made what would have been an awful trip, enjoyable and the help we received with colours and styles was really useful, for us to use ourselves.

Personally anytime I have an event to attend I will be using DEBENHAMS personnel shopping service as it is just your time and stress levels your saving.

Would highly recommend this great service and lovely staff, can't wait for our next event now!!

X

What happens when you get distracted!!

This subject is often discussed with my friends, " oh, little tommy tipped his juice all over himself when I wasn't  looking for a second".

My kids should get medals for what they achieved whilst we were distracted.

I left the two youngest painting when they were about 2 and 3 1/2 to go to the corner shop.  My dad was left in charge.  He began reading to my oldest daughter, in the same room I might add.  I was gone only 20 minutes the most and when I returned I couldn't believe it.  My kids had painted each other black.  They had mixed all the paints together and smeared them onto each other.  One was in a nappy and the other was in just underwear.  It was from head to foot black and grey ( my daughter had white blonde hair as a little one and it took 3 days to get it close to original colour).  

They had done it without any noise, which would have made me check them anyway. My dad couldn't believe they had done it without him realizing.

Another time they had been unwell and we had had a few rough nights with them all.  My oldest went to school and my friend agreed to collect her for me, so I gave the other two some calpol and let them play in the lounge.  I sat with a cup of tea watching bob the builder with them.  

I nodded off to sleep, the gates were up and it should have been ok.  They always snuggled up to me or made noise and would wake me up anyway. Not this time.  I had left some margarine on the dining table in the corner of the lounge.  They decided to smear it on the patio door, they did such a good job!!

One did the under the table bit whilst my son did the above table level by standing on it.  I woke to a room with mottled light and two angelic kids watching tv.

It was only on closer inspection I could see they were smothered, and the table and the floor.  Then I noticed the patio door.

I phoned my mum to come and help me but she and my dad thought it was hilarious.  'That will teach you for falling asleep!' they roared.

But I blame the Calpol!!

They were also famous for changing the cooker settings, sneaking coloured socks into the washing machine, making potions in every sink in the house or the dog bowl.

Oh yes, it was a joy to have them daily.

Most days I felt like I couldn't cope, but some how I did and they are completely normal........to some degree!!