Welcome Reuben

No, my Reuben is not the new bear who lives in Dee's Sasha Village.

Nicholas James stood on Mum's open Sasha book and
asked why the girls were all trying to hold baby Mabel at once

The girls put Mabel down.
Laura stepped on the book and told NJ to get off the book!

Baby Mabel was interested in the book

Laura and NJ continued to argue

Laura made NJ step off the book (and stepped off herself) but no one was watching baby Mabel...

... who had crawled beyond the book and was climbing off the chair!

Laura suddenly spotted what Mabel was doing

when Reuben arrived to rescue Mabel who was in danger of falling

Reuben grabbed baby Mabel

and gave baby Mabel a cuddle to reassure her that she was safe

the others were all curious about the new boy who had arrived just in time for baby Mabel

and, argument forgotten, climbed down from the chair to meet him

Baby Mabel saw Florence and put up her arms

"Hello, what is your name?" asked NJ

Baby Mabel jumped up and down with Florence

while Reuben shyly introduced himself
"I'm Reuben and I've come to live here"

"I'm Nicholas James, and these are my sisters Miranda, Laura, Florence and baby Mabel."  

NJ, Miranda, Reuben, Laura, Florence and baby Mabel with the Sasha books now carefully closed

This story line was made up by both my girls.

Reuben, a later Caleb, arrived a couple of months ago and went with us to Dawn's Sasha day in June.  But for various reasons I haven't had a chance to take photos of him until now and kept him under wraps.  For the past week he has been patiently standing on my sewing table waiting for me to reveal him officially.

I saw him on Shelly's site some months ago and bought him on layaway (officially I had no doll cash handy especially as we were completely redecorating two rooms which was horribly expensive even when doing most of the work ourselves).  As soon as I saw him he reminded me of a boy I once knew (more about that in another post) which is why he is named for my long lost friend from early childhood.  He came in his original clothes (plus a couple of additional clothing items) and I have made him a shirt from shweshwe at the same time as I made the elephant shirt for NJ.

The two union flag dresses are a repeat of the dress I made for Erica Mcleod.  Florence is wearing a Dollydoodles outfit I bought at Dawn's Sasha day, baby Mabel is wearing the knitted swim suit my girl insisted we bought at the same time.

I was very lucky to receive the first of the three Anne's Sasha book for my birthday (Sasha Dolls: The History by Anne Votaw, with Ann Chandler and Susanna Lewis), I had received the second book for Christmas (I wanted the pattern book first).  Both books are great, so full of interesting details.

Doll Olympic spirit

Yesterday afternoon the dolls all changed outfits to get into the Olympic spirit.  We had clothes all over the double bed, ironed a few things and brushed hair. I had ordered some union flag fabric for sewing which arrived a few days ago, but haven't had any time to do sewing during the week, so the material became useful background for the dolls who all came downstairs to watch the Olympic Opening ceremony. 

All the dolls dressed for the London 2012 Olympics

Central over the fireplace is the home made union flag my elder daughter made for the Queen's Jubilee and just below that is the commemorative coin my younger girl received from her school.

back row l-r: Elizabeth, Diana, Anna, Susie, Miranda, Peter
front row l-r: baby Mabel, Matroushka, Amelia, Jakob, Nicholas James and Florence

Florence and Nicholas James are wearing their Sasha Doll Festival Souvenir outfits (well NJ had never really changed out of his since the festival) and the other two pairs of festival trainers I'd got from Dawn Law found their way onto the feet of Miranda, who wears one of her raffle outfits and Jakob my Kids 'N Kats doll, who is all ready for sport in his boxer shorts and running top. My Susie wears the blue corduroy set which was the gift my younger daughter received for helping at the Sasha Festival Auction.  Anna wears her silver and red party outfit and a white cardigan I knitted for her.  Elizabeth wears clothes slightly to big for her, a spotty skirt which belongs to Anna and a white top, and Diana, the unmarked Palitoy doll who is my Susie's younger sister (I had bought her in my quest to identify Susie) wears the red and white running top and tracksuit bottoms which are a bit too big for her. Peter chose his check red shirt and jeans.

l-r: Belle, Jayne, Matilda, Harriet, Harry, Ron, Samantha, Hermoine,
Elizabeth, baby Mabel, Matroushka, Diana, Anna, Amelia

Harriet and Samantha wanted to rock it up for the Opening ceremony, so changed into their Rockstar outfits.  The Aussie girls made different choices, Belle went for a sundress and Matilda for her blue dungarees. Jayne got changed from her pink skating outfit into a red top and white crop trousers and wears her hair in pigtails.

Rocking it up for the Olympics

Matroushka  wears the other blue party dress and cradles baby Mabel who wears a blue and white check dress which is actually a bit too big for her, because it was made a long time ago for Amelia, who wears a red and blue and white check dress. 

Matroushka cuddles baby Mabel with Amelia nearby

Hermoine wears one of the blue party dresses and her Christmas white shoes, Harry and Ron didn't change much - Harry took off his green sweater to show his stripy rugby shirt and Ron put on his sweater, none of the other red clothes we had would fit him as he has big hands and is the tallest of the dolls. 

Rocking it up for the Olympics

And what an awesome spectacle the opening ceremony turned out to be.  My younger daughter slept during the afternoon so she could stay up and watch the whole thing with the rest of us and we all enjoyed it.  And this afternoon Diana doll is already practicing her backflips while the others look on, maybe she is hoping to win a medal.

Many of the gang ready for the Olympics

The Great Britain team coming into the stadium

The awesome copper petals of the Olympic cauldron -
what an imaginative way to do the flame