The Belle Dress

The hardest thing to imagine for any parent.... a few days before Christmas.... OK AT LEAST FOR ME..... is to hear that my child wanted something I didn't even know about let alone even could go out and buy if I wanted to!



Well our little Princess Grumpy did this to me! We were sitting snuggling in the bed watching sponge bob, when she sat up straight and said "Mommy do you have a pen and paper?"



I was surprised and she said " I need to leave Santa a note... I forgot something!". At first I am not to concerned, cause we have been taking about what we wall wanted for weeks, and I got everything on her list and all the the lists Adrian wrote for the other kids.



But she starts writing..... "Dear Santa,...... I forgot to tell you I want you to bring me a Belle dress and Melea wants a pink princess dress like Sleeping Beauty. I am sorry it is late, but I know you will have an extra set and I really did forget Your special friend Adrian (the one with the curly hair)"



She then jumps out of bed and runs this into the living room to put in her sock for Santa to find when he comes the next day! I realize that there is absolutely no way this is happening.... there were no Belle dresses at walmart and she has really gotten to tall for the "normal" one size fits all ones in the toy section... I needed to buy this at Halloween or order it a long time ago!



Eric comes down and puts her to bed and then asks what all the fuss was about and I tell him..... he laughs a little and says she won't remember. It will be no big deal.



Well grandma is supposed to pick Grumpy and Melea up the next day to spend the night...... I still need to finish making the doll beds and make the sheets and blankets for them, and grandma volunteered to take them to see Alvin & the Chipmunks (My savior...cause I never really was a chipmunk fan at all!)



The last thing she says to me and Daddy as she is leaving is.... I forgot to check to see if Santa got my note...... and she runs back upstairs to see if it is gone.... then next thing I know she is in tears cause neither on of us remembered to take it.... so it is suddenly " Santa didn't get my note......what about Melea's dress....I forgot..... and I really meant to do it sooner,...... mom?"



Being the good mother that I am.... I mention that it is 2 days before Christmas and Santa probably already has the sleigh packed and there is no time for special gifts, and he will likely tell the Valentine's fairy or the Easter bunny when he does get the note tonight. DUMB DUMB DUMB. Cause she is so sure that she has been a good girl and Melea is the best sister that when Santa sees the note he will have the dresses, cause he is Santa and knows everything. I mention that remember mom buys the presents and didn't she remember us wrapping them. And that Santa brings the candy and takes the list..... DOES NOT WORK!



I actually want to cry cause this really is important to her. And I know there aren't any dresses at Walmart and I always swore I would never EVER be one of those last minute shoppers.



So off she goes to Grandma's with Melea...... and off I go to my craft room. I start painting the polyurethane on the doll beds! At the same time I am listing to Harry Potter #7 on CD (gave up reading with child #4) and it must have been the fumes cause I start digging through the fabric closet looking for fabric to sew some dresses!



I am determined to make those two dresses! As stupid or as ridiculous as it seems, to Princess Grumpy those dresses all of a sudden became important to her therefore they became important to ME.



I never really wanted my children to believe in Santa, but at that moment I did want her to believe in something and I new somehow I could fix it.... I was just praying it did not involve a trip to Walmart or Michael's.


Well I found a few old curtains, about 21/2 yards of yellow fabric and I always have velcro..... so I started to sew... and about 6 hours later I had two beautiful lined princess dresses (of course there were no hoop skirts.... that was not in the cupboard nor was there any crinoline!) but they were really pretty.... I knew 13 years of theater tech work would pay off for something! I had a tone of fabric and even more skill of turning household stuff in to magic.



I wrapped up the dresses and then proceeded to take all the present upstairs. We were opening gifts on Christmas eve cause Grandma had to work Christmas day at the hospital.



When Adrian arrived at the house that evening she was so excited, but then she said..."mom did Santa get my letter?"then she and ran off to check. EGADS.... I forgot to take the letter!



She came back and said... "Oh, well, you were right he was too busy, and that's ok mom.... we really don't need them, I know he was to busy!"




We eat dinner and then we open the presents!



Adrian is very excited with her "My Twinn doll" and all the clothes that mommy sewed for it.



She then opens her special "dress" and makes the greatest face..... and says thank you mom! She puts it on and models it and twirls and spins like a beautiful Princess Grumpy! She loves her special dress. She is also appropriately excited when she sees that Melea got her Aurora dress also.



Eventually we get grandma off to home, all the other children are in bed and Adrian is helping me clean up and she hugs me again and says "Merry Christmas mom, I love you so much". I ask why? and she states "the dresses!" I know that Santa didn't bring them! You did.



At first I am ready for the there is no Santa talk.... but she just looks up at me and hugs me again and states " He just didn't have time to get the letter and you are a great big elf and made them for us! like the other gifts that were in the closet". And she put my elf hat back on and kisses me on the cheek. I look at her a little strange, and I then she tells me.....



"and they are so way prettier than the ones Santa would have bought at Walmart anyways!...... I love you! ......Merry Christmas you are the best mom!"



I wish I could say she then scampered off to bed like a good little girl... but alas there was some more games to try out and a video to watch before she fell asleep at about 12:30 am on the floor amid her Sponge Bob operation game and her brother's Hungry Hungry hippos.



But even if I was really tired and completely insane for sewing two beautiful princess gowns..... Seeing her and Melea smile made my Christmas complete.


Merry Christmas Grumpy Fans!