Wax Museum

Emily's class, well the whole 5th grade did a wax museum.  They had to chose someone from history that has already passed on (I believe) to do their report about.  She had to write a report and then also dress up as this person.  She thought about doing Laura Ingles Willder but wasn't sure. She finally settled on Elizabeth Griscom (aka Betsy Ross). 

She did some reading and research about Elisabeth.  Then she was trying to figure out how to dress like here.  I was searching on-line and all I found was flag looking clothes.  I laughed and told Emily, apparently she was more like Capt. Moroni, where she rent her coat and put it on a pole as a flag.  I was so frustrated because I was getting NO IDEAS at all on what clothes or era really, I mean other than 1776 right? 

We went to a second hand store to look for costumes or clothes we could convert into something.  We even saw a girl from Emily's class doing the same thing there.  This was like on Tuesday I think.  Emily finds a flower girl type dress that is a little too small for her but it had a zipper in it so we kind of slipped it on her arms and all and it looked like it would be okay.  I thought it would be a done deal with the exception of her flag material. 

Wednesday night she tells me that her dress doesn't fit.  It was one of those bedtime "oh by the way" kind of things.  Now I am really frustrated!  She needed it for Friday morning. 

Of course then I go shopping on Thursday for material, a pattern (after searching for a free pattern on line) and all the notions for it too.  This was our whole reason for doing this earlier so we or should I say I wouldn't have to stay up all night to do this. 

I finally got started with the dress about 2pm I think I started cutting out the pattern.  I knew I had some material at home for the hat and those things.  Emily was specific on what she wanted.  She really wanted a pink dress but I couldn't find pink material in the price I wanted to buy. 

I bought a big fountain drink of diet Dr. Pepper and I started in on it.  I can't remember what Robert was doing, it seems like he was working late or had soccer or something, I'm not sure.  I also had to run Emily to her soccer practice during this time. 

I think I finally went to bed at 3am.  My alarm was set for 6:45 to get the girls up for the bus.  Ugh!  I was so tired and I was so frustrated that I was doing this last minute when I shouldn't have been doing it last minute.  Emily in my oppinion was being way too demanding... as I put her to bed, she said, "oh and mom, can you sew my flag too?"  SERIOUSLY?  I told her I would do the best I can, and we will see in the morning.  She was to be at school with all her stuff the next morning at 8 I think. 

 After she saw her dress, and I could tell she totally approved of it, then it made those lost hours of sleep a little bit better. 

 She was suppose to bring all our props and her costume for the wax musuem which they were suppose to be there for I think like 2 or 3 hours.  The girls and I planned on going to see her.  Below is her "please mom will you go buy me that book at the book fair before it closes" look.  I was thinking, really?  Yes, I still probably really owe you don't I?  Although I did still go and get her the 2 books she wanted.  I think her smile and the way she kept talking about how much she liked her dress and how people were asking her "where did you get that costume" made me kind of soft.

Another thing that shows she approved and liked the dress/costume, is that she wore it the rest of the day minus the hat and shall.  Yeah, it made it seem worth those hours lost in sleep.  I also had never sewn darts or zippers, but it all seemed to turn out okay.  Her dress came together for the most part.