Road Blocks and Frustrations

Ugh.  My grand schemes to sing to Robby have not been going so well, which is why you haven't heard much from me.  My plans require the exclusive use of Beast'sbelle's living room, and with all of the human comings and goings, it hasn't worked out the way I hoped.  The good news is, I had a chance to express my frustration to Beast'sbelle last night.  She promised to help me work things out once she gets back from her retreat this weekend.

More later...I've got to go for now.  I promise I haven't forgotten my "Elegant Blogger Award", either.  Sigh.  So behind... :(

A Little More Information

Hello, everyone!  Sorry to leave you hanging for so long.  If it makes you feel any better, I've been going crazy these past couple of weeks, too.  Ben and I never crossed paths, and after my embarrassment I explained in my last post, I wasn't about to go poking around for clues about his mysterious friend.

I did admit my nosiness to my husband, by the way.  As I expected, he was more amused than annoyed, but he definitely made it clear that he did not find such behavior acceptable.  Rats.  So much for asking him to give me a boost over the shelf.  Kidding...I'm only kidding! :}

My first glimmer of information came today.  Rapunzel happened to overhear Ben calling his new companion.  Her name is Paige.  Rather an odd name for a Belle doll, I thought.  But Rapunzel, who is considerably more knowledgeable about her Disney trivia, pointed out that the actress who played Belle was named Paige O'Hara.  That makes sense, I guess...especially if Beast'sbelle is the one who named her.  She's always trying to come up with clever names to tell us apart.  I suppose it would be rather confusing if all of us just went by "Belle". ;)

I wish I had more to report, but that's all I have time for at the moment.  I'll be sure to clue you in if I find out anything else.  I'm hoping to have a chance to talk to Ben.  There would certainly be no harm in asking a few innocent questions between friends, right?

Oh, and I've been practicing a little song for Robby.  It's nothing much, but at least it's something.  Rapunzel has promised to help me plan a special evening for my song.  I want everything to be perfect, a romantic evening just like in the movies.  I'm tentatively planning for late next week, providing I don't lose my nerve. :}  I'll keep you posted on that as well.

I guess that's about it for now...I just didn't want to leave you hanging too long.  More to come in the next week! :)

In Which Nosiness Gets Me Into Trouble

Well, so much for my clever plan to blog more frequently in these last few months!  I'm sorry if I've disappointed you.  I promise I'll try to be better!

The good news is that you really didn't miss much. :}  Things have been very quiet since we got back from our vacation at the beginning of the month.  Beast'sbelle has been scrambling around everywhere with school preparations.  Now, even though school has started, she's still been running in all directions.  I think she's still getting used to the new schedule.  I know that some of the 18 inchers have been feeling rather neglected, but I personally find it a relief to have some time to ourselves without Beast'sbelle supervising our every move. :}

Nothing really exciting happened until yesterday.  I suppose "exciting" isn't quite the right word..."embarrassing" is more like it.  But I'm getting ahead of the story... 

Yesterday, Robby and Eugene agreed to watch all of the children so Rapunzel and I could have some "grown-up" time together without being interrupted every few minutes. ;)  It had been ages since we'd had a chance to visit together, so I was very excited!  I got my tea set all ready and waited eagerly for the arrival of my best friend.

I didn't have to wait long.  I think Rapunzel was just as eager to see me as I was to see her.  Maybe she was even more eager...she was the one with four kids! ;)

"Welcome, Madame," I said in my best French accent (which was pretty lousy).  "Won't you please have a seat?  The tea will be served shortly."

Rapunzel laughed.  "But of course," she responded in her own French accent (which was considerably more elegant than my own).  She gave a graceful curtsy. 

And that pretty much ended our attempts at sophistication.  Giggling like school girls, we plopped down in our comfy chairs and I served the tea.  We talked about everything from weather to marriage to parenting.

"Do you feel like you've fully adjusted to having four kids?" I asked her after a while.

She gave me a funny little smile.  "I think so.  It's definitely gotten easier than it was at first.  Every day brings a new surprise or set of challenges...but I wouldn't trade my children for anything!"

I was glad to hear that Rapunzel was happy with their decision to expand their family.  I had worried that she might have been taking on more than she was ready for.  I guess I needed to stop underestimating her capabilities. :}

"And what about you and Robby?" she asked.  "Do you think you'll ever add to your family?"

I looked down at my teacup.  "Um...we haven't really discussed it," I said hesitantly.  "I think I might enjoy having one more child someday.  It would be good for Emilie to have a sibling so she could learn about sharing and such."  I looked off into the distance.  "I've noticed how sweet Eugene is with Thomas and I've wondered if Robby has any desire for a son of his own.  But I'm almost scared to ask him.  I don't want him to think that I'm ready right at this moment..."

Rapunzel patted my hand reassuringly.  "I'm sure he would be understanding.  It might be good for you to get it out in the open, though.  Then you won't have to keep sitting there wondering what he thinks."

I gave a sheepish little laugh.  "I know," I admitted.  "You'd think I'd have learned some of this after a year of marriage."

"None of us are perfect," Rapunzel said with a wink.  

"I've missed this so much!" I blurted out suddenly.  "Just sitting and talking with you like this...it feels like it's been forever!"

"I have, too," Rapunzel agreed.  "Our lives were much less complicated before marriage and kids.  I wouldn't change a thing, though...except for a few more chances to chat with you, of course."

By this time, I'd finished my tea, so I got up to refill my cup.  I happened to glance up...and what I saw made me do a double take.  I froze in my place.

"Rapunzel," I whispered.  "You won't believe this!"

Off in the distance, on top of the white shelf, I saw Ben...with a Belle doll.  And they looked quite comfortable with each other...comfortable as in cuddly.  Well, at least it seemed that way.  It was too far for me to be sure.

"What is it, Belle?" my friend asked, looking at me as if I'd lost my mind.

I shushed her and signaled for her to follow me.

We crept over to the end of the room, and I leaned against the white shelf, trying to get a closer look.

It was still hard to see clearly, but they looked like they were in earnest conversation.

"Belle," Rapunzel started in her normal voice.  

I quickly put a finger to my lips.  

"What are we doing?" she whispered.  "And why are we whispering?"

"It's Ben and a Belle doll I don't recognize," I whispered excitedly.  "I'm trying to see what's going on.  I think I'll climb up on the dresser to get a better view."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Rapunzel asked.

I didn't pay attention.  I was too busy climbing.  "Oh, they're definitely holding hands," I shared, finding it difficult to keep my voice down in my excitement.  Had Ben finally found someone he was interested in?  But who was she?  I remembered seeing him with someone a while back, but I couldn't tell if it was the same doll.  If I could just get a little closer...

"I really think you should get down now," Rapunzel urged from behind me.  

"Just a minute," I said softly.  "I'm just going to change my footing a bit..."

I never got to finish my sentence.  The moment I moved my foot, I felt myself losing my balance.

The world was suddenly in slow motion as I fell back through empty air.  I vaguely heard Rapunzel gasping from behind me.

Then there was a horrible clatter, and the next thing I knew, I was sprawled out on top of Rapunzel.  My coffee table was overturned and the tea set was strewn all over the floor next to us.

"Oof," Rapunzel groaned from underneath me.  "I don't think this was your best idea."

I sat up as quickly as I could, my embarrassment setting in now that I'd gotten over the shock of what had happened.  Rapunzel grabbed one of the coffee table legs and pulled herself up.

"So," she said with a grin, "that went well."

"Um, yeah...not the smartest thing I've ever done," I said quickly, wishing I could sink into the floor and disappear.  At least I knew that Rapunzel was too nice to go on and on about it.  I turned and looked at her.  "Please don't tell Robby," I begged.  "You know how he is about matchmaking."

"I know how you are about matchmaking.  I'm surprised you actually let yourself do that."

I groaned.  "Please, I'm embarrassed enough already."

Rapunzel gave me a gentle smile.  "I won't say anything more.  Just one request."

"What's that?" I asked.

"Could you please get off of my legs?"

"Oh!" I exclaimed, my cheeks flaming.  "I'm so sorry!"  I jumped up to my feet.

Rapunzel rubbed her legs.  "It's okay."  She looked over at her braid.  "It's going to take me a while to get my hair untangled from this coffee table leg."  She slid into the nearest chair and started unwinding her hair, strand by strand.    

I put the coffee table back in its place and started picking up the tea set.  Thankfully, we'd finished our tea and amazingly, most of the tea had stayed in the teapot.  The tea that had spilled didn't even show (thank goodness for dark brown floors!).

Rapunzel had just come around to help me pick things up when I heard a familiar voice behind me. 

"Is everything okay up here?" Robby asked, concern in his voice.  "We heard a really big crash."

Oh, perfect, I thought.  I wonder who else heard us?  I forced a smile onto my features.  "We're fine," I assured him.  "I just accidentally knocked over the coffee table."

I was a horrible liar.  Robby didn't say anything, but I could tell he thought there was more to the story.  Thankfully he didn't press me for the truth.

Rapunzel and I busied ourselves with cleaning up the table.  I hoped that Robby would be convinced that we were okay and go back to watching the kiddos.

But I wasn't so lucky; my humiliation was far from over.  Yet another familiar voice suddenly came from above us.

"Is everything all right down here?  There was a horrible noise.  I thought someone might need medical assistance."  

Of course he heard too.  How could I have been foolish enough to think that Ben wouldn't hear us falling?  I was amazed that Beast'sbelle wasn't coming in to check on us from the living room.

"Um, thanks, but we're fine.  Just a little altercation with the coffee table," I said, giving him what I hoped looked like an innocent smile.  Oh, please just let me fall off the face of the earth right now!

I must have convinced him, because with a curt little nod, he left us to finish our cleanup.

"Well, I suppose if Ben's given you the okay, there's nothing I should worry about," Robby said, his eyes twinkling.  "I should get back down there and make sure Eugene's surviving with all the kids."

We laughed at his little joke and waved as he turned and began his slow descent down the shelf.

When we were finally alone again, I sunk into one of the chairs and rubbed my head with one hand.  "Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into?  I've never been so embarrassed in my life."

"It's not that bad, Belle," Rapunzel assured me.

I sighed.  "I'm going to have to tell Robby."

"I'm sure he'll be understanding."

"He'll probably find it amusing," I said with annoyance.

"Better than being angry," Rapunzel pointed out.

I had to admit she was right.  It was just going to be so mortifying admitting what had really happened.  Robby was always very patient, but sometimes that made my "confessions" even worse.

"Well, I should probably get going," Rapunzel said reluctantly.  Then she winked.  "I suppose we've gotten into enough trouble for one day."

I blushed. 

My friend gave me a hug.  "I'll try to get a chance to talk to Ben and see if I can figure out the scoop," she told me with a sneaky little grin.

I laughed.  "You're as bad as I am...admit it!"

Rapunzel put on an innocent face.  "There's nothing wrong with a little friendly chat with a neighbor."  And with a final wave, she disappeared over the edge of our curio home.

I sat in my spot after she left, dreading the fact that I'd have to come clean about my idiocy to Robby, yet fighting the temptation to climb back on the dresser to get another look at Ben's lady friend. :}

As silly as I was, at the heart of everything was an honest desire to see Ben happy.  Perhaps this new Belle was the one who would allow him to finally move past Marguerite.  But who was she?  When did they meet?  And what on earth changed in Ben to make him suddenly open to, if nothing else, an extremely close friendship?  I couldn't wait to find out!

Our Family Vacation

Well, we're finally back home from our first family vacation! :)  As I mentioned in my last post, Beast'sbelle invited Robby, Emilie and me to go with her family on their coastal vacation.  Robby and I were so excited to take Emilie back to the place where we'd spent our honeymoon.

We traveled in our own bag in the trunk this time around, so it was such a relief to arrive and be freed from our captivity!

We all enjoyed a good stretch as soon as the humans were out of sight.

This chair was our home for the week.  A bit crowded since we had to share it with Alice, one of Mama's 18 inchers.  She was really nice about it, though, and she often left to spend time with her sisters, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

As I started writing this post, I realized how few pictures I had from our trip.  To be honest, it was rather nice to slip beneath Beast'sbelle's radar for a while and just have some time to ourselves.    

She did get this one picture of us on Trinidad Beach.  As you can see, the sand was quite deep for us!  We spent a lot of time resting and playing in the sand on this beach.  It was simply too difficult for Robby to get around.

We also spent some time at one of our favorite beaches, Moonstone Beach.  We didn't make it back to Samoa this year.  Maybe next time around. ;)

Robby and I sat and listened to the waves contentedly...

...while Emilie made castles in the sand.  It was so fun seeing her first reactions to sand and ocean waves.  She couldn't stop giggling and laughing.  I've never seen her so happy. :)  

After a while, Robby was a good daddy and let Emilie and me bury him in the sand.

He was completely covered with sand when we were through... 

...but he was a good sport about it.

Emilie thought her Daddy looked pretty funny. 

The water was much shallower on this beach, so we enjoyed taking a walk together.  I kept my eye on Robby the whole time, though (without being obvious about it, of course...I didn't want to embarrass him).  I wanted to make sure he didn't overdo.

There's not much more to share, really.  Aside from our two beach days, we spent most of our time at the house, relaxing and playing with Emilie.  It was absolutely heavenly.   

And speaking of our daughter, she got the sweetest little souvenir from our trip.  I had asked Beast'sbelle to keep her eye out for something fun for Emilie, and she did.  At a local toy store, she found this adorable little animal set:

Emilie has played with it constantly since she got it.  Which has been wonderful, because it's taken me almost two days to get our clothing all unpacked and free from sand! :}  

We had a wonderful time together and I feel refreshed and ready to get back to reality now. ;)  

Well, a rather bare-bones account of our trip, I know, but I hope you enjoyed it just the same.  I'll be back with more news as it comes along. :)

Family Vacation

Hello, dear readers!  Just a super quick post today.  Robby, Emilie and I have been invited to join Beast'sbelle on her family vacation to the coast!  We are very excited for this opportunity, especially since we will be going to the same place that Robby and I went for our honeymoon.  The two of us can't wait to share this trip with Emilie.  She's never traveled before, so she is bouncing off the walls. ;)

That's all I have time for now...we'll be leaving in an hour or so and I still have a ton of packing to do! :)  I'll share all about our trip when I get back sometime next week. :)

New Furnishings, New Neighbors

At last I have a chance to blog again!  I've been ever so eager to share what's been happening around here, but getting to the computer has proven difficult this week with all of the comings and goings in the house.  I never know when a little miniature Beast'sbelle is going to come flying out of her room!  And with three of them to watch out for, one always has to be on one's toes, so to speak. ;)

As you might have guessed from the title, we have some new furniture in our home on top of Beast'sbelle's curio. :)  Beast'sbelle and her mother have been looking for some sort of shelving for us for a while, and this past week, all their searching finally paid off!   

Here's our home as it looks right now.

Robby and I are sitting on chairs that Beast'sbelle made for us using this tutorial from My Froggy Stuff.  She ended up using an oatmeal container but cutting it smaller and taping it together so the chairs wouldn't be huge. ;)

Here's a better look at what the chairs look like when completed:  

Overall they're fairly comfortable, although I find them a bit rigid and upright.  Eventually it would be nice to find chairs that were not quite so tall and stiff.  Still, these are definitely better than the tins we've been sitting on. ;)

Here is the lovely green shelf that Beast'sbelle found for us at Goodwill.  Isn't it just perfect?  We're still working on filling the shelves...I'm not 100% satisfied with the result...but it's getting there. ;)

And this cute little blue shelf with a very similar style was found by Beast'sbelle's mother at an out-of-town Goodwill.  (This one really needs some help with the knick-knacks on the shelves!) :}

You'll notice that Emilie is still clutching her favorite dolls?  Her love for Beauty and the Beast has increased even more in the past weeks.  We finally let her watch the movie, and Beast'sbelle spilled the beans that Robby and I are based on the main characters.  Now Emilie just gazes at us in wonder, amazed that her mommy and daddy are Belle and the Beast. Ugh.  I've tried to explain that we're really not the Belle and the Beast from the movie, but I don't know that it's really sunk in yet.  Thanks a lot, Beast'sbelle. :{

Although, I must confess, Beast'sbelle has her good points, too.  She made us this cute little lamp using this tutorial (again from My Froggy Stuff).  It doesn't actually work, but it looks the part. ;)

And now that we have a coffee table (which was formerly one of our seats), our tea set looks especially elegant.  I can't wait to have Rapunzel over again!  

Hmm...although now that she has so many children, perhaps a porcelain tea set isn't the smartest idea. ;)

The thing I love about the way we've arranged the shelves is that it gives the illusion of a separate room for Emilie.  She's loving the new arrangement just as much as we are. :)

There are still things to do.  We need to hang up our pictures again, and I'm also hoping that Beast'sbelle will be able to hang up our Christmas lights.  It's nice having some soft lighting at night time.  

So those of you who read Beast'sbelle's blog might be aware that she has a couple of new dolls from a completely different line.  You also might know from the picture below (used on Beast'sbelle's blog review of said dolls) that Rapunzel and I met them rather abruptly a week or so ago.

Honestly, what you humans put us through!  I realize that you have to do your "doll reviews" and all, but have you ever considered how awkward it is to be plunked down next to a couple of dolls you've never met before and then proceed to pose next to them in photos for an hour or two?  It's not the most ideal way to meet someone.  At least Beast'sbelle wasn't doing one of her *shudder* articulation posts.  I mean, the only possible way to make the situation more unbearable is to be undressed and posed in the nude next to the newbies, who are usually in the same humiliating position.  Really, it's quite indecent of you.  Just something you might think about the next time you do a review.  Couldn't we at least wear a bathing suit and retain a small shred of our dignity?

But I digress.  Since our meeting with the new dolls was rather abrupt and less than ideal, Rapunzel and I decided that the neighborly thing to do would be to go and officially introduce ourselves.  Beast'sbelle had found a new home for her latest dolls across the room, so it wouldn't be much trouble to get there.  We decided to have our hubbies watch the children so we wouldn't overwhelm our new neighbors with all the little ones running around underfoot. ;)

Once we'd made all the arrangements, we traveled across the room, climbed up the tall dresser, and pulled ourselves up in front of the newbies.  But imagine our surprise when not two but four new faces were staring directly at us!

"I thought there were only two of them," I whispered to Rapunzel, wondering if I was beginning to lose my mind.

"There were," Rapunzel calmly whispered back, though I could tell from the slightly startled expression on her face that she was just as surprised as I was.  "We shouldn't whisper in front of them, though...we don't want to make them feel like we're talking about them."

I almost responded with "But we are!" until I realized this was rather obvious and not at all helpful.  So instead, I simply nodded.  

With what I hoped was a friendly smile, I directed my attention to the most familiar of the faces and said, "Hi, I'm Belle, and this is my friend Rapunzel.  We met the other day during Beast'sbelle's blog photo shoot."

"Oh yes, I remember you," the doll with long, black and purple hair responded in a voice that was surprisingly juvenile.  "I'm Raven, and this is Maddie."  She gestured to the shorter doll next to her, the one with purple and blue curls and blue hands.  Then she turned to her other side.  "And these are our newest friends Apple and Briar.  They weren't here when you met Maddie and me."  

"Nice to meet you," I said politely, trying all the while to keep from thinking about their odd-sounding names and outlandish clothing and hair.  I also noticed that each of them was held in place by a rather uncomfortable-looking plastic doll stand.    

"It's so great to officially meet you!" Maddie suddenly burst out.  "Of course, we met before, but it was so rushed and strange...all that posing and standing with no talking...is Beast'sbelle always like that?  She certainly has odd habits...either that or she's just plain bored and can't think of anything else to do.  Who ever heard of taking that many doll pictures?  Peas and crackers!  Is there any coffee around here?  I could definitely use a cup...but I can't seem to find any or even smell any...it's quite tragic."

While Rapunzel and I tried to process this whirlwind of a one-sided conversation, Raven gave us an apologetic glance.  "Maddie's...um...super excited to meet you.  You'll be able to follow her a little easier once you get to know her better."  She gave her friend a little wink, as if to show that it was all in good fun.  

Maddie just laughed, obviously unaffected by her friend's comment.  "Yes, everyone always says I prattle on far too much...but I can't help it!  My thoughts carry on so...it's all I can do to keep up with them."

Something in her conversation struck me as odd.  "Wait a minute," I said slowly, "did you say you wanted...coffee?"

Maddie nodded eagerly.  "Do you know where I can get some?  I've been dying for a cup since we got here!"

"No, I'm sorry...I don't think Beast'sbelle or her husband drink coffee," I said.  "But, forgive me for asking, are you sure it's coffee you want?"

"Of course!" Maddie giggled.  "I think I'd know what it was I wanted."  She gave me a suspicious glance.  "Why do you ask?"

I blushed.  "Oh, nothing...I just...you kind of seemed more like a tea type.  I thought I heard Beast'sbelle say you were supposed to be the daughter of the Mad Hatter."

Maddie laughed.  "Well, yes, Madeline Hatter from Ever After High is a huge tea fan.  But I'm not the Madeline Hatter, silly.  I'm just me...a Madeline Hatter doll.  And this doll likes coffee."

All at once, I felt quite sheepish.  I of all dolls should have understood this concept, especially since I was currently dealing with the same thing with Emilie.  

Rapunzel must have noticed my discomfort, because she gave my elbow a reassuring squeeze.

At that moment, the blonde doll named Apple leaned forward and locked eyes with my best friend.  "I just have to say," she said eagerly, "I love love LOVE your hair!!  How on earth do you maintain it?  It's so incredibly long!!"

Rapunzel smiled in her gentle way.  "Beast'sbelle helps me with it.  And sometimes Belle will.  Even Eugene, my husband, has learned how to braid.  It's a relief that I don't have to take care of it myself."

Apple clasped her hands together.  "Do you think, that is, would you mind if I played with your hair sometime?  I ADORE playing with hair, but mine is absolutely impossible!"

My friend looked amused.  "Any time you like," she agreed.

Apple looked like she might attack Rapunzel's hair right then, but she managed to restrain herself.  "Thanks so much!!  Maybe we can set up something for this next week!"

At this point, Briar, who had kept quite the entire time, leaned forward and caught Raven's eye.  "Hey Raven, are we still on for Wednesday?"

Raven nodded eagerly.  "Can't wait!"  Noticing our confused glances, gave us a self-conscious little grin.  "Briar and I are working on a song together.  We found out that we both love music, and we thought it would be fun to either write something or just sing together."

Rapunzel gave me a sideways glance.  I pasted on a smile.  Wonderful.  More singers.  "Well, you'll probably be happy to know that a bunch of the Disney dolls around here do these sing-a-thon things every few weeks."

Raven's eyes lit up.  Then the excitement in her face was replaced by uncertainty.  "Do you think they'd let us join them?"  She twisted the bracelet on her wrist.  "We're not Disney dolls."

I gave a little laugh.  "They'll take anyone who can carry a tune...which would explain why I'm not usually invited."

Briar looked confused.  "But you're a Disney doll," she pointed out, as if I wasn't aware of the fact.

I shrugged.  "Maddie drinks coffee instead of tea, I can't sing.  We aren't always exactly like our characters."

"Point taken," she replied with a grin.

I felt that this was a good opportunity to end our visit.  "Well, Rapunzel and I should get back to our families.  It was nice meeting you all."

"You too," Raven said, looking at us a bit wistfully.  "Feel free to visit us anytime."  She glanced down at the doll stand that held her captive.  "As you can see, we're a bit limited by our mobility at this point."

I nodded.  

Rapunzel gave Raven a sympathetic look.  "We'll come when we can," my friend assured her.

And with that, we made our escape.  Not that I wanted to escape or anything.  They actually seemed pretty nice.  Even if two of them were singers.

"I don't think Maddie needs any coffee," Rapunzel suddenly observed from beside me.  

I thought of the hyperactive, over-talkative doll and had to laugh.  "No, I think caffeine is the LAST thing she needs.  Maybe it's a good thing Beast'sbelle doesn't drink it."

We went our separate ways, and I gave Robby the basics about our meeting, finishing with the fact that two of them were singers.

The instant I relayed that fact, I wanted to kick myself.  I glanced nonchalantly at Robby to see if he reacted at all.  But either my husband was too kind to say anything or had missed the reference completely.

I still haven't sung to him.  I know I need to...but working up the courage for that "perfect moment" has been a lot harder than I thought it would be.  Every time I think of it, I either talk myself out of it or find some imaginary excuse.  It's quite ridiculous, and he's been more than patient...

Maybe I need to plan a special night and just MAKE myself do it.  It's time.

Well, that's all for now, my dearest readers.  It's late and I'm exhausted. What do you think of our new neighbors?  Any suggestions on our home?  Any ideas on a special singing opportunity for my Robby?

Until next time... :)