I don't know about the rest of you mums with girls, but I want to teach Maia that she can do anything. I want her to grow up happy and fulfilled, and to do stuff that she loves doing. I study her and note the things that she likes to do and wonder, 'Hmmm, what will you be?'.... And then I crap myself. Because based on her current interests, she's likely to be one of these:
- A hellion: Numerous people have noted that Maia is going to be hard work when she is a teenager. She is very strong willed, she does what she wants to do and doesn't do what she doesn't want to do. End of. Given a pen and a minute without eagle-eye supervision, she attacks any available surface (read: graffiti artist). She covers her skin with elaborate ink drawings (read: tattoos). She covers her face in stickers (read: facial piercings).
At this point, I would like to preempt a comment from my parents: I also was hard work as a teenager, I got a tattoo in my teens and at one point I had 11 piercings.
- A member of GLOW: For the uninitiated, this acronym stands for Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. She loves a tussle, and is rougher and stronger than her big brother. She already has a costume (and doesn't she look formidable?):
I think her name will be Maia 'The Trebuchet' Jones because she already has a signature move. She lies on her back, lifts her legs towards her face and then suddenly drives them back towards the floor with alarming pace and strength. I've been a recipient of one of these hammer blows and it's no laughing matter. - A mammographer: Despite the fact that I stopped breast feeding her a year ago, the girl is obsessed with my breasts. Anytime we are within close proximity, she has at least one hand down my top, usually with the other hand holding my shirt out of the way so she can admire her handiwork. She is nothing if not thorough.
- Pole dancer: She likes being naked, she likes to dance. In fact, I doubt there is anyone in the world who likes being naked as much as she does. All day long she implores 'Nek, nek' in the hope that I will strip her off and let her run amok. When she was about 5 months old and first pulling herself to stand, her chosen apparatus was the metal pole support of her swing. Being unsteady, she would wobble and gyrate around said pole. I said to Steven, 'Look at her, it looks like she's pole-dancing!' For the record, it is inadvisable to say this to a Dad. If you were worrying that I might produce a naked dancing picture or *gasp* photoshop Maia's face onto a poledancer's, have no fear! Because I found this one instead:
Arggh!
Stand Back, he's mine!
How can I save her?
Pow!
I don't know if I can make it! Time is running out!
Echino scooters in black
Kokka Dala horses
The only thing I might change is the length of the sash. I had thought that my wiast measurement plus 20" would be enough but as you can see, my bow is a bit meager :(
Phew... it's been on my to-do list forever but I've at last managed to finalise my boys coat. I was originally going to have it double breasted like the girls coat but feedback from my tester and other people interested in the pattern suggested that a single breasted design is better for boys. And I agree!
Although the pattern also has the option of a pointed collar, I think most people will go for the hood. 
This one is made out of mossy green canvas on one side and a rich chestnut brown quilter's cotton on the other side. It has three buttons, the ones on the green side are made out of leather and I love them. I could only get four from the shop but I'm definitely on the look out for more now!
The difference in cut from the girls coat is more boxy, it is slightly a-line for movement's sake but definitely more boy-ish than the kick-flare on the girl's coat. It is also wider through the shoulders. 
The brown side has fabric covered buttons made from the green side.
I was planning on selling this at my upcoming monster fair, but against all expectation Jamie loves it (he normally treats anything I make like kryponite). He gushed 'Thank you, thank you' about a hundred times with lots of hugs and was proud enough that he wouldn't go to play with the other kids at nursery until he had shown the manageress 'his new coat'. So I guess I'll need to make another one!
Maia was insanely jealous of all the photo attention Jamie was getting, so here she is in her mummy-made coat. She was very unhappy it doesn't have a hood like Jamie's though, that's why she's pawing at her head....
I'm still plugging away at making some things for my new nephew and thought he should have a bunch of simple beanie hats in bright colours. I couldn't find any tutes online, so I've just winged it. They're so fast and easy to make, so I thought I'd share!
