Thank you for your prayers for Jimmy.
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A Tuesday post from me? Weird, but true. I have 4 babies napping and 3 littles playing, so diving right in:
Curly's prom dress has a train. She wants me to remove it. I think I can. Biggest issue is probably threading the needle with my old-lady eyes. 
Back view without the train,
plus sticker charts for potty training
kids and two athlete of the
week photos on the wall.
Coach and I wish she'd leave it. I showed pics to my hair dresser (also Curly's hair dresser) and to her math teacher, who's a mom I used to babysit for. Math Mom and I met for drinks Sat. night.
The two ladies: DON'T LET HER CUT OFF THE TRAIN. IT ADDS SO MUCH TO THE DRESS.
Curly thinks it'll be in her way. The dress is longer in the back anyway, so I don't think it'll give her any additional issue. I've offered to sew a little band at the corner of the train, so she can wear the band on her wrist.
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| the back with the train |
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| pic of front of dress, plus 3 high chairs in background. Welcome to my life. |
Poof: summer up for grabs: The 2nd semester summer school classes I'd signed Kay up for were cancelled . . . low enrollment.
Translation: the 6 weeks of free intervention summer school with free bus there and back from 8-1:00 Mon-Thurs is now only 3 weeks. I was like FINE, I'LL PUT HER IN FEE BASED CLASSES. There aren't any for incoming freshman (she's not going to high school there, but we're in district).
There are youth academy classes through our junior college. Pricey and a hike - will need to be driven. I'll enroll her there. Next summer she'll presumably mature enough to caddy. Deep breaths.
Sleepless Mini: I woke up this morning to missed calls/ texts from Mini. She didn't want to tell me, but her anxiety ramped up recently - ie: finals, projects, plus job search.
Me: You have the rest of her life to work. You can chauffeur Kay around / relax all summer.
The RX and exercises haven't helped. She called a few minutes ago after sleeping 2 hours ALL NIGHT. Heartbreaking. Hoping the anxiety therapist can call her. I reminded her that fresh air, a short walk to get the blood pumping, and regular bedtime routines might help. She's got a sore throat/cold which isn't helping. Damn it.
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Prom dress: make like Elsa and let it go? (cut off the train as requested?) Or do you have another approach? Anyone else's summer plans not panning out? I did teach Kay how to cook Pizza Casserole the other night for dinner. Good connection opportunity, and she likes to be helpful. I just really have my hops set on writing for hours each morning without interruption.
Making dinner for the family would be a great summer plan for any kid! That dress is beautiful and I agree that it would be sad to get rid of the train.
ReplyDeleteBijoux - Yes, the dinner thing might be a good idea for her. She already asked to make her favorite dinner, balsamic chicken and peppers and it's too involved. I know she'll get her nose out of joint if I continue to say Not that recipe - only this one. So it could backfire. But maybe? The dress is so pretty. I do think that the back of the dress that's also long will be just as annoying if not more so than the train.
DeleteI know Curly doesn't care about the opinion of your online friends but that dress is stunning and the train should stay.
ReplyDeleteGigi - Bah ha ha - well, you are probably right about that. I agree, stunning is a good word.
DeleteCan you put a little button and eye loop on the bustle/train so she can keep the dramatic train for pictures and hook it up for dancing? I feel like I've seen this on wedding dresses.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, I saw that several times on my autumnal Say Yes to the Dress binge. It'll add dramatic interest and preserve the gorgeous lines of the dress. For a girl who only wears sweats, she's picked a bad time to get fussy about clothes!
DeleteOh, poor Mini. Hang in there, girl. I'll add her to the prayer list. ( looking up patron saint of anxiety ...) St Dymphna, St Catherine of Bologna, and St Luke, pray for Mini in this time of stress!!
mbmom - I'm cracking up about the mention of the girl who only wears sweats. Well said. I can always count on you to know which saints to enlist. Thank you. I'm not sure bustling would work with such flowy fabric. I'm wondering if we take it to a seamstress and get their opinion because I think the long back bit will be annoying.
DeleteI think she's right and it'll get in her way. I think it will get stepped on constantly. I think holding it up will be crazymaking. Maybe you can create a bustle? I don't know. I think I'm on her side.
ReplyDeleteEngie - I don't disagree, but the thing is the actual length of the dress is as long if not longer than the bustly fabric so I initially was like, Wait - you're gonna need to bustle that whole back part because it'll be dragging behind you all night.
DeleteThis is Lisa. Blogger won’t let me log in. I would try to bustle it if you are able to do that. Then she can have it out of the way. I see her point about it being in the way. That sounds potentially easier than cutting so much fabric off!
ReplyDeleteThat is a bummer about summer plans falling through! Gah! Summer is so long!
Lisa - I have looked up bustling, because that was the initial plan. I don't think this fabric is really good at bustline. It won't hand right. Like the skirt itself just hangs straight down. Not a lot of structure to it.
DeleteI know, I know. I was beside myself and I had to go into family therapy (Coach/ kay and I) and was not in the right head space to chit chat about how she just got in trouble for cheating at school and then came home and played the victim card, claiming I'd not advocated for her all school year and she struggles to memorize. Then she changed her tune when Coach got home and was like "I'm glad I got caught, because it shows how many people care about me." Oh, brother - lay it on thick why don't ya? Anyway, I was a mess last night. A MESS. It'll be fine. She will have to make herself busy and we'll have to pay out the ass for her to attend other classes. Sigh.
The train is gorgeous but my first thought was a bustle of some sort so it doesn’t get in her way.
ReplyDeleteJOy - the clock is really ticking on whether or not we figure out how to bustle or lob it off or what. Eek. I don't know that the fabric will work well to be bustled. The whole back of the dress is long. When she ordered it, I was like Well, isn't that gonna be in your way. But young people don't get things like that.
DeleteMy opinion is to take the train off. There’s a lot of flowing dress there as it is. I think with the train it’s almost too much for a prom...and for dancing. So sorry about the cancelled classes for Kay and poor Mini. It’s so hard when your kids are struggling far away. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter graduated college in August 2025 and didn't start working until March 2026. She took some time to decompress (when I say didn't work, I mean in her field, she kept her part time Amazon job for gas money during this time).
ReplyDeleteSheet pan dinners are super easy to put together. Usually it's a lot of chopping and then making sure it doesn't burn. Maybe get a sheet pan dinner cookbook at the library and have Kay find something that looks interesting to make and eat? They're my go-to for week nights. Too bad you can't find a kids cooking class for her to take locally.
This is my first time to your blog (hello!) but I say leave the train - it's prettier with it. But shorten it. Take enough inches off so the train ends just at floor level. :)
ReplyDeleteI think the train is fine on the dress, but ultimately it is Curly's dress so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Mini will land a great job eventually, in the mean time, she should enjoy the freedom of having time to relax in the sun and maybe have some girl time with mom and sisters.
The dress is gorgeous! (I miss having a lovely back like hers!) BUT, if she wants it to go, she wants it to go. Like you said, it's her dress, her dance.
ReplyDeleteBummer about summer school being shortened, but I suppose you could arrange some daily tasks that might help you around the house? But also some free time or fun things to do.
Mini! That just hurts my heart that she's having anxiety again. Sending lots of love and 'chill' in her direction.
Even though I'm older than dirt, I'm with Curly, the train needs to go!
ReplyDeleteAmazing dress. Personally, I think the train won't be any more cumbersome than the built-in train that the dress already has. Maybe you could tack it down near the hem without it being noticeable? In any case, it's ultimately her decision. I like that it hides that butt-crack stitching, but I'm old.
ReplyDeleteI love the dress! I see why you want to keep the train but honestly it might be problematic if she plans to dance. We're also having dress drama here- we got through prom, but now we have the band banquet. My daughter found a BEAUTIFUL dress in a thrift shop for $8. I needed some alterations (I can't do it myself) to the tune of $95, but we figured it was still a bargain. Problem is- she doesn't like the fit of the altered dress. Banquet is tomorrow and she's upset, saying she's just going to wear her prom dress. SIGH. Anyway you'll have to tell us what happens.
ReplyDeleteAlso is there an update on Jimmy? What a scary situation- hope everything is okay.
I don't know if the extra train makes much difference to the already long train the dress has. But, whatever Curly feels most comfortable with!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry Mini is struggling with anxiety and sleeplessness again. And it's such a vicious circle - you are anxious so you can't sleep. You can't sleep, which makes you more anxious. Praying for her.
And praying that you find the right option for summer for Kay.
I love the train! But I guess her opinion is the one that matters. It's a beautiful dress and she is gorgeous!
ReplyDelete