Big Love Stories

Since Micah’s birthday, Kai and Micah have been wearing their new capes for play (and car rides, and reading books, and taking naps).  Leif was a bit envious of their new silky costume apparel and wondered if there was one in the making for him, as well.  I know my big boy well enough to know he would want one, but I’ve been having a hard time getting it done…until this weekend.  This weekend our boys were sick, which made for a little more quietude around our house than usual.  This meant I had some unexpected time on my hands.  Leif’s cape was top on my to do list.

Sick & Sleepy

This was our Saturday.  A moment like this is what we call a “magic moment” around here.  They don’t happen EVER anymore now that Kai doesn’t nap.   Both boys were doing a lot of sleeping and sitting with fevers in front of the television.  At one point on Sunday, Kai was taking a nap and I asked Leif if he wanted to help me make his cape. He thought that was a great idea and off to the craft room we went.  Turns out it wasn’t so much a cape that he had in mind.  Leif wanted a cloak.

Leif's new cloak.

Leif didn’t want his piece to make him fly, rather,  he wanted to wrap up inside all of that silky material and disappear.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have quite enough material to really make it wrap around him, so we spent some time thinking about what to do.  I kept suggesting things and he kept saying “No, mom…I need…” “And it needs to be brown or grey, this long, and I need to be able to do this with it”  (He was demonstrating all the while).  As we sifted through my piles of fabric and clothes waiting to be up-cycled, he spotted my last year’s Old Navy skirt.  He had found it!

I sewed a wide cape and used the skirt as a second, inner layer that he could wrap around himself.  The fold-over band at the top of the skirt turned into the collar of the cloak, which fastened in two places rather than one (like the capes do), to make it drape over him comfortably.

The inside of the cloak

The finishing touch was a pirate button he had picked out well over a year ago, but that we hadn’t yet used.  He found it in my box of buttons and we both agreed that it was perfect.

Leif's special pirate button

Leif wore his cloak for the remainder of the day, like a little prince.  In fact, Leif is sort of like my little prince…our first born, the eldest of all of the cousins.  He was ALL that and more (a real novelty)  from the moment he was born until his little brother came along and he had to learn to share the spotlight.  And, I’m really proud of him…he’s done a good job of it.  He’s growing up well.  I love that we spent time creating something together on Sunday, it is so rare that there is the time for us to do one on one things these days.  I’m pretty sure he enjoyed it, too.  In fact, he seemed to feel a lot better after a day wrapped up in his new cloak.  I mean, who wouldn’t?  It’s like wearing a hug from mom (since I made it)…but don’t tell him that. 🙂