It Fits

Those Mandarin-speaking dressmakers are amazing.  I went in to their tiny shop and stepped into their teeny cubical and tried on the Kate Spade dress.  It fits.  I’m now officially a Size 2 – it says it on the Kate Spade label!

The stretched Size 2

Having solved the issue of ‘what to wear’ I now have another problem in that I don’t have any shoes.  I’ll squeeze shoe shopping into my present shopping for Arabella’s 18th one day this week.


I’ve had a few distress calls from people clearly concerned for me and my busy week and all have said, ‘Cancel the dinner party; good friends will understand’.  So the email’s been sent out and we’re trying to organise an alternative date and the confit duck’s on hold.

Arabella’s decided she will wear the white dress to the Valedictory Dinner and I’ve persuaded her against wearing it with black shoes and a red clutch because she doesn’t have black shoes or a red clutch.  ‘But that’s the look I had in my mind, mum’.

‘Yes, but the look I had in my mind was the new orange shoes I’ve just bought you with the pink and orange clutch we bought on sale a few weeks ago’.

‘Are you serious?’

‘It will go a lot better than black and red.  Black, red and white’s a very harsh look when you’re blond’.  I left her to think about it.  One hour later she agreed that as the dress isn’t a stark white, orange would be a better colour to introduce.  I’ve had a win!

And as for Carl, he can just wear the suit he’ll be wearing to work that day.

Alfie has an excursion on Thursday to IMAX theatre and the teacher has been begging for parent helpers and as much as Alfie would love me to experience IMAX with him, I’ve had to decline.  I did however put my hand up to babysit the silkworms that need a home for the school holidays and I’ve promised to source fresh mulberry leaves for their diet, daily.  Apparently I’ll be given a map of all the trees to raid in my area.

Just had a phone call.

Should have ignored it.

It was that Araballa again.  She’s just had a geography class.  The teacher has announced that as tomorrow is their final geography lesson they can have a party on the condition they only bring in ‘home-baked goodies’.  Arabella’s all excited and wants to make a cake.  She wants it to be a fish because they’re studying The Great Barrier Reef.  In amongst everything else, there’s a cake to be baked.

I’m off to humiliate myself in some audience participation at Alfie’s drama class.

Update:

Went to the drama class and became anxious when there were no seats set out for the adults.  ‘No, no, you won’t be sitting down; we’re playing games’, announced the enthusiastic teacher.  My heart sank into my boots; an hour of audience participation?  First I had to be a witch stirring an imaginary cauldron and making dastardly spells, then I had to slither on the floor like a snake, lasso a partner with an imaginary rope, sing ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ opera style and then like a monkey and run into different corners of the room on command.  It wasn’t my thing but Alfie was so pleased I was there AND participating.

I came home to find Arabella having completely taken over the kitchen.  She had used two cake mixes and crammed them into one cake tin and the cake was rising so high and taking so long to cook because the cake tin was so small for the amount of mixture.  She then cracked open another two packets of cake mix and mixed up another batch only she forgot to start the beaters on low and so the mixture flew out of the bowl and splattered all over her and the rest of the kitchen.

‘You need to clean that up Arabella, it will set on the walls like cement’, I told her.

Teenagers in the kitchen

‘What about my uniform?’

‘You shouldn’t have been cooking in your uniform; you need it for the graduation ceremony.  There’s no time to dry clean it between now and then.  Let me take a look at it.’  She turned around.

‘Oh for heaven’s sake’, I exclaimed, ‘Your uniform’s ruined.  It’s completely splattered.  Step out of it and I’ll try to sponge it.’

So please excuse me as I clean up the kitchen and sort out the uniform.

You can find me on Facebook where I have a new banner and head shot!

 

 

 

Comments

  1. Charlie, stiff drink, darling? I’ll deliver if necessary.. xx

  2. Norma Chang says:

    I agree with Celia, a stiff drink is needed.
    Norma Chang, http://gardentowok.com/

  3. stiff drink? make it a double 🙂 The cake cracks me up. As one who has had cake batter on the ceiling this week, I can relate to Arabella’s situation.

  4. Minnesota Prairie Roots says:

    That dress looks stunning on you and I bet you’re closer to a size 2 than you will admit to us. Your posts always make me laugh. What a dramatic life you read, even when you are not performing in Alfie’s classroom.

  5. Love that dress – so gorgeous! I hate getting cake batter on the walls.. You’re right about it setting like cement!! =

  6. You look so good in that dress! So sweet of you to participate in Alfie’s classroom fun. Can’t wait to see how arabella’s cake turns out, hehe 🙂

  7. That dress looks fabulous Charlie; size 2 it is! You won’t know what to do with yourself once Arabella goes to uni!

  8. You look so beautiful, I loved your dress and its colours… Have a great day dear Charlie, Thanks and Love, nia

  9. You look like a size 2 to me in any designer dress!! I think you stay so thin because your life is soo busy!! Whew, when do you have time to sit down!! I can tell stepping into your home is full of fun, warm and loving!!!

  10. Sweet Posy Dreams says:

    I heard about a woman in our area who raised silkworms one year. She hired two teenagers to gather the leaves and feed the worms. Depending on the number of worms, I think they can eat a lot!

  11. I got exhausted just reading your post and you had to live through it. Wishing you lots of energy, patience and a continuing sense of humour.

    http://a-boleyn.livejournal.com/

  12. Audience participation is like a special kind of hell, but you survived, hurrah! And the dress looks stunning on you 🙂

  13. Purely.. Kay says:

    May I say, every-time I find an amazing dress, I always seem to have to buy shoes LOL. Your home, and your stories, always sounds so warm and loving 🙂

  14. Mandy - The Complete Cook Book says:

    I will behind Celia with round 2 of drinks!
    Your dress is lovely! If skinny you fits into a stretched 2, I would hate to know what I would fit into!
    🙂 Mandy

  15. Victoria at Flavors of the Sun says:

    At least there is plenty of humor in this week from hell. And you look sensational, size 2 or whatever!

  16. You look stunning in your dress my friend 😀
    Loving it!
    Kate Moss can eat your dust 😉

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru
    http://gobakeyourself.wordpress.com/

  17. I was about to say “Yay! For success with daughters and wardrobe choices” until I read about the uniform! 🙁
    Praying the rest of the week runs a little more smoothly!

  18. GourmetGetaway says:

    Wow!! You look stunning in your new size two dress, miss skinny mini!
    Wow!!! Arabella is harder work on her own than when i had three little ones under 4!!
    Woww!!! I don’t think I can afford a teenage girl :0 the boy’s have been as cheap as chips, they wear the same billabong surf gear day in day out until it is threadbare and falls off them.
    Oh no!!! I don’t think you even have time for a glass of wine to calm the nerves!!! You are so busy!!!
    … I can’t work out whether you are a heaps better mum than me… Or whether you are a masochist! Either way you make me want to start the day with a Valium on your behalf! (only I don’t take drugs and that wouldn’t help you :0)

  19. I’m afraid I am a sterner mum than you. Teenager makes a mess in the kitchen, teenager fixes it. Teenager wants above and beyond the family budget, teenager pays for it. Teenager messes up clothes, teenager fixes clothes. And speaking of clothes, you do look great and tiny in that dress. Good to tick one thing off the list. I love the image of you slithering around the ground like a snake and making like a monkey. Such fun.

  20. Love the new dress. I would of loved to see a room full of adults wiggling on the floor like snakes for an impromptu drama piece. Hope the uniform gets cleaned.

  21. One step forward, two steps back Charlie! At least thats a couple of items ticked off your list, and Arabella sounds like she’s (trying to) be a bit helpful. Another plus is your awesome dress- how cute do you look my friend! Only 5 more days of this week left 🙂

  22. Claire @ Claire K Creations says:

    I was laughing out loud at your retelling of the drama class. Oh how hilarious. Surely there is some down time in your future? It’s only 99 sleeps until Christmas and then you’ll be relaxing in Noosa!
    Looking forward to seeing the fish cake.

  23. i love the kate spade 🙂
    i can’t imagine participating in drama class activities for an hour – i’m totally with you 🙂
    http://livelovenyc.blogspot.com/

  24. SarahKate (Mi Casa-Su Casa) says:

    Your dress is GORGEOUS! And, I think you were VERY right about orange and pink being better choices… especially at this time of year. Quite the fashionista, you are.

  25. Oh my goodness! Someday you’ll be laughing and smiling about this week. And if nothing else, I’m sure Alfie more than appreciated you being there and participating. He’ll remember that. 🙂 And your dress is fabulous!!!! Just stunning! 🙂

  26. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says:

    The Kate Spade dress looks great! And you were totally right about the orange too-it would look so season appropriate too. As for the cake mix on the clothing…I had to read it with one eye shut! 😉

  27. cityhippyfarmgirl says:

    Don’t worry, the rest of the week is running completely smooth… it has to!
    Dress looks lovely 🙂

  28. I am just getting more and more worried about having teen-aged kids…!

  29. The dress looks great! Just think, you’re almost half-way through… xx

  30. Oh goodness Charlie. At least your dress looks wonderful!

  31. justonecookbook says:

    You did fit in size 2, not “stretched”! I used to be in that size…. lol. I’m one up, gotta go back! You always prep me for having teenage kids. OK mine is still 6 and 4, but by the time they will turn teenager, I’m all well-prepared for and nothing will scare me thanks to you! Your life is crazy busy with all the activities. I heard about it from my friends who have older kids, but constantly reading it here makes me totally believe it. I thought raising a baby and sleepless night is the toughest. lol.

  32. You look great in that dress Charlie 🙂 don’t you dare say you don’t fit in a size 2! Poor you…still running around and trying to do everything all at once. LOL Arabella really doesn’t make things any easier for you does she 🙁 you poor thing, I hope you got most of the flour and cake mix out of Arabella’s uniform ~

  33. Your dress is great! I just hope by the time the occasion is here you fully enjoy yourself. And after looking at your kitchen mess, Arabella’s mess, I should say, I think I’ve decided she reminds me of “Lucy Ricard” who always looked so pretty but got into more scrapes!!

  34. Oh my goodness! Well I’m glad the dinner party is postponed, but it certainly doesn’t sound like your week has gotten much simpler. The dress looks fantastic on you, though, and I’m glad you won with Arabella on the shoe/purse idea. I shuddered at the thought of the black shoes and red purse with the white dress.

  35. Well, on the plus side, she’ll only graduate high school once. You do look fantastic in that dress, by the way. 🙂

Trackbacks

  1. The Pageant says:

    […] do and I took that little zip lock bag and its contents down to the Chinese people who altered that Size 2 dress for me and gave them 20 bucks and said I’d be back later in the week to pick it up. The […]

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