December 22, 2012

It's that time of year again. 

Santa has been staying late at the toy shop rechecking the naughty and nice list.  It seems to him that all children should be on the nice list.  The work crew isn't happy, but he's the boss.

 

Sweetheart thought it would be fun to have all the relatives stay with her and Santa at the Lodge at the North Pole. 

 

She hadn't realized that there were plans and commitments.  She also hadn't realized what a commotion 10--TEN--ten babies would be.  Either they are crying or they are crawling.  Three are trying to make an escape from the bassinet as we speak.   The older kids tease the younger kids.  The younger kids want to use the older kids gadgets.  Santa gets everyone stirred up, then he needs to get back to work.  The poor little dog is so agitated from all the ruckus, he keeps chasing the reindeer.

 

Next year Sweetheart is thinking about a Caribbean Christmas with just her own small family.

 

The yearly office Christmas party is tonight.  Just a small get together for friends who work so well together.

 

There was a moment of consternation when Emme and Esme realized that they'd had the same seamstress make up new Holiday dresses for them. 

 

Russell and Basil found a quiet corner to catch up on ESPN while they enjoy the buffet.

 

Fred the contractor just doesn't feel comfortable without his tool apron.  His girlfriend, Rose, is not amused.   She's not sure that there will be a future with Fred.  She likes to dress up, dine out and dance for hours.  Fred like to pound nails.

 

And then there are Alex and Trent, off in their own happy world.

Over at the Community Center, the annual Christmas Pageant is being held.  The choir sings between acts to keep the audience entertained while scenery is changed behind the curtain.

 

Gramps has developed an interest in Grandma Endora.  The kids aren't so sure that this is a good idea. 

 

Jayne and DeeAnna will do anything to have some time away from crying babies.

 

Peggy is currently seeing Percy and he very reluctantly agreed to sing.

 

The Pirate and Hortencia came for the after party.

 

Cindy and Sam brought candy canes.

 

Neither Pete nor Tyler can carry a tune, so they pretend to sing.

 

Elissa and Matt have beautiful voices and do all of the solos.

 

This is nice

 

This is Christmas

 

 



Changes Part 2

More Changes

(Emme also made some changes in the living room.  A new deep brown leather sectional, a blue plaid couch, a green woven area rug and a new wallcovering.)

DeeAnna and Jayne are getting by on absolutely no sleep.  Little Jayne Cobb V is nine months and one week older than Sam and Callie, his baby brother and sister.

Peggy, DeeAnna's younger sister, has been stopping by quite often to lend a hand.  At least that's what she tells DeeAnna. 

Mostly, though, she visits with the guys.  Malcolm, Perseus and Jonas are trying to make an impression, but Trent's brother Travis seems to be Peggy's favorite.

Peggy is a weather person at the t.v. station.  Her mornings are free, so Peggy is able to spend time with her sister.

Over at the offices, Alex is wishing that when she and Basil decided to share an office block, that they'd partitioned off the areas. 

Trent is getting so angry.  His and Alex' new house isn't close to being finished and Basil is designing a home for Russell and Esme.  Trent and Alex more crowded than usual.  Mowgli, Max, Martin, Grandma Effie and now Travis recovering from his ankle re-attachment.   Trent would love to be able to take a shower without one or more of the kids, Alex doing her make-up and Grandma Effie banging on the door demanding that they HURRY!!!

"Basil and Fred, we'd like to look through some of your house plans.  We know that you don't have the time right now to build a house for us.  Alex and Trent are desperate for more space, so you need to finish their house before you think about one for us."  Esme related to the guy.



Changes Part 1

There have been some changes in the Dollhouse.  Lee and Janiedear met and asked Ron to be part of their family.  DeeAnna and Jayne have three children already.  People have moved in while others have relocated.

Emme has done some updating around the house.  In the nursery, she's changed the wall covering to a calming blue floral and added a red rug.  Now she's contemplating new lamps, the dresser situation and new bedding.  She just can't decide whether to paint the dressers, yellow, green, or navy.   hmmm

Riley is too busy with her Barbie house to fret about paint colors.   Though she does find the new rug very comfy.

Rowan is too busy thinking deep thoughts with Goldie to be concerned about new lamps.  She also finds the new rug a comfort.

Jessamyn and Ellery have animal sounds to learn and can not be bothered with the thought of different dressers.  Both kids do like the pretty blue flowers on the walls.



Baby just wants to perfect her crawling techniques.  She sleeps where the adults make her sleep, eats where the adults make her eat, plays where the adults make her play, so restyling the nursery is not a concern.

Ron could not care less are furniture.  He's just happy to be able to eat as much as he'd like.  Daniel Jim wants to be like Ron, so he doesn't care about furniture either.

Mandy, Mary Jane and Marley have many, many ideas about changes they'd like to make.  Loft bunks, big screen t.v., an in suite bathroom..... the little kids moved to another room.  The three girls spent hours and hours looking through wallpaper books before they came to an agreement.

Gramps has been feeling under the weather, so he came to stay for a couple weeks.  Usually he is a much dapper dresser.   He shakes his head at how many toys these children have.

 

Jada patiently tries to get Gramps' attention.  She wants to sit on his lap and snuggle against his beard.

End of Part 1

Blue Wave

For a friend who is too ill to do her annual Blue Wave pictures

Emme and the kids visit Basil at work.

Marley, Riley and Ellery

Contractor Fred and his latest girlfriend, Rose

Alex, Grandma Effie with Max & Martin, Trent and Mowgli


Grandma Endora, Santa with Elfbaby Sally Rose, Sweetheart and Scotty

Tyler, Baby, Rowan and Pete

Marybeth, Dr. Elissa, Daniel Jim and Matt

Sigh......Janiedear and Lee didn't get the memo about Blue Wave Pictures

Russell, Jada, Jessamyn and Esme

DeeAnna with her babies, Sam and Callie

A Very Angry Hortencia with an unhappy Pirate

Chapter 25 As The Dollhouse Spins

Lee and Janiedear are in Texas relaxing at Lee's ranch. Janiedear is doing her best to look like a fragile southern belle

Pete and Tyler are in Tennessee for Pete's family's reunion. They've found a little playground for Rowan and Baby to enjoy. Rex, though, is impatiently wanting to find a skateboard park.

Russell and Esme are flying to Disneyworld. Esme isn't sure Jada and Jessamyn are old enough to really enjoy the park, but Russell has a long, long list of rides he wants to take.

Out at the cottage, Elissa and Matt are getting acquainted with Hortencia's new beau. Matt tries to be forward thinking, but in his opinion, eyeliner on men is just plain wrong. He's not so sure about hair beads, either.

Daniel Jim is playing in the shallows, keeping an eye on the whopper
that swam in near the shore.

Out on the boat, the little pipsqueak keeps launching herself over the side. She's having a grand time floating on top of the waves. Sweetheart is getting exasperated with Sally Rose. Then Sweetheart looks back at the shore and sees Santa's nephew, Sam. That's another cause for concern. If Scotty grows as big as Sam--how will they feed him?!?

Sam works out at the North Pole Gym every day.

(He's trying to impress Sweetheart's young cousin Cindy.)

Meanwhile, Alex Is Back To Work At Her Stress-filled Job As Municipal Planner

"Jadde, could you type a short note to the builders' association, outlining the new zoning changes for single family dwellings?"

"Then could you pull the proposal for the new park slash playground?"

"Before lunch we should take a look at the quarterly budget."

"Have the perk tests and preliminary surveys came in on that new shopping center?"

"Where are your shoes? Do you have the memo ready to send the city commission? Were you able to find a double stroller in town? What time are you leaving for your dinner date this evening?"

Alex has so much work and so little time.

"Just a moment Jadde, I need to take a call." Alex excuses herself.

Over At Basil's Office

"We've got to have more space. In the thirteen months since we were married, we've gone from a couple to a family of five with a dog. Who would have thought Alex would become so maternal?" Trent rambled.

"We dozed off last night and when I woke at three, Mowgli, the dog, Max and Martin were in bed with us. Who knows how the dog got Alex' headset on it's head."

"By the time I got the boys in their beds, the dog out for a walk and Alex under the covers, it was time to get up."

"We want closets. We want bedrooms. We want a kitchen. A living room. A family room. A nice mother-in-law apartment for Grandma Effie. And a garage where I can go out and hide."

Alex wants five bedrooms and three bathrooms. She wants the laundry room near the bedroom area. She wants an office for each of us. She wants a heat pump system for heating and cooling. She wants lots of windows. She wants a ranch house with twelve inch thick walls. Alex wants to build green. Alex wants all of this for $50,000!!!"

Trent was talking faster and faster.

"Fred, do you know of any five acre wooded parcels?" Trent asked the contractor. "I'd like to eventually be able to have a three car garage and a swimming pool."

"Ahhh Trent, sit down bud. We can start pulling house plans that are close to Alex' requests and we'll pin down a style, so we can draw up a design for Alex."

"Fred will check with his cousin, the realtor, about five acre parcels." Basil spoke very calmly. "Alex will be pleased."

"Basil dear, we're on the way to drop Silly Old Hound dog at the vet's, then Marley is going to her friend Jessica's for the day. Riley and Ellery have to be at daycare by 10. Then I need to get to work. Yesterday we took on a new client with a twelve room cottage." Emme sighed. "She wants an English Rose Garden theme."

"Are those plans for Trent and Alex?"

"Yes darlin'." Basil murmured.

Chapter 24 The Girls Give Alex A Baby Shower

The girls planned a surprise showere for Alex. Grandma Effie, Alex' mother came. ; Grandma Endora came and brought Sweetheart, Emme and Elissa's little sister Hortencia.

Poor Alex is getting so uncomfortable. She put on a pleased face, but her back was aching terribly.

Brenda the Beauteous is laughing. " I can't believe we picked so many doubles. There are matching sleepers, kimonos, sweater sets and blankets!"

Janiedear turned and whispered to Emilie, "Alex will need help taking the extra baby outfits back to the Baby Boutique."

Hortencia isn't the cheerful, happy person that her sisters are. She isn't pleased about having to play baby bingo and drink sweet, sweet punch.

Basil's mom is in a mood.

Marybeth can feel a little foot poking at Alex' tummy. Alex' assistant, Jadde wrote the gift list. She plans to get the Thank You cards printed and the envelopes addressed for Alex.

Meanwhile Up In The Attic Rec Room

Fred discovered that Scotty needed a change. Gramps told him to turn Scotty so that if the fountain should go off, the flow would go onto the floor. Fred is scratching his head over that one. "What fountain?"

Russell's brother calls over to Fred. "Little Ellery needs a change too!"

"I thought we were having guy time." Davy griped.

Lee asked. "I thought Basil finished the pole barn for a men's place. Not for hen parties." He was sighing in disgust.

Rex is having a great time. The uncles haven't realized he's eating a whole pizza.

Little Mowgli can't quite get past the thought that something awful is going to happen.

Daniel Jim, Rowan, Jada and Riley talked Lee into taking them for a horse ride.

Daniel Jim calls Lee's horse Flash. Because the horsey moves like lightening.

Later That Evening

Trent has fallen asleep. Alex is leaning back on the cushions trying to get comfortable.

Mowgli is tired, but he's fretting and Alex is trying to comfort him.

Daniel Jim is trying to wake Uncle Trent by tickling his belly.

Sally Rose loves being tucked into the pocket of Grandma Effie's apron. Grandma Effie loves being a grandma....

Grandma Endora is chatting with Marybeth, Marley and Lyra about school. She brought her knitting to keep her hands busy.

But Scarlett, as she prefers to be called, would prefter that sticky children stay completely away from her.

"OH NO!!" cried Alex.

"We're having a BABY!!" Grandma Effie squeals.

"Wake up, Dad! Mommy wet her pants" Mowgli said to his sleeping father.

"What! Is there time to boil water? What about cigars. I haven't got cigars!" Trent hollered as he scrambled up off the couch.



"I'll get the towells." Trent called as he ran in the bathroom.

Dr. Elissa and her nurse have Alex comfortable in bed by the time Trent comes in with the towels

A Short Time Later

Alex delivered quickly.

Trent smiles, "Can we tell the others that we are having two babies now?"

Mowgli seeing his new baby brothers, said, "We could have used this bed for Goldboy. Why do we needs new kids?"

The baby shower turned into a welcoming party for the new baby boys.