Halloween Party

Since all the employed members of the family managed to have the same day off, the Pikes decided to throw a Halloween party.  Everyone had to pose for pictures as they arrived.

Pike: These magical staffs of ours are still useful if our spells don't work.

Mace: I'm not even a wizard.  I'm a cleverly disguised assassin.  Don't tell anyone.

Lee: Which one of us is the captain? 

McG: I hope you are, because I have trouble believing anyone could take me seriously in this skirt.  

Lee: You're seriously sexy in that skirt.

Finnick: Way to use your imagination, biker boy.

Tanner: What the hell are you supposed to be?  

Finnick:  I'm Tom Brady, duh.  

Nikki: Be vewwy vewwy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits. 

Taylor (laughs): The two of us together, we're a witch hunt!  

Candy and Stacie opted for a mother/daughter costume.  Fairies!

Rose-Grace: I'd like to collect my three wishes, oh genie of the lamp. 

Morgan: You need to rub my lamp first, greedy.

Rose-Grace: Is that a euphemism?

Fred: Yabba-Dabba-Doo! 

Samara: Doo! 

Orlando: Dab-doo!

Joe dropped off an entire carload. 

Claudia:  I can't believe your mom let you wear that. 

Gabriella: She knows nothing - She's at work tonight.  

Bobby: Two-headed monster!  We're gonna eat up that candy cane right there! 

Jenny: You can't catch me.

Vivica: We can once the picture gets took and we take off the costume.  Oh, wait, then we won't be a two headed monster no more. 

Dan (in a terrible Scots accent): There can be only one!  

Emma: You forgot your sword, dummy.  You can't be the highlander without your sword. 

Dan: Um... I'm Lee and McGee's transporter guy on his day off?

Ty: Frodo was gonna bring Wilma with me, but she's barfing all over the place.  Him and Whitney  are gonna pick me up after work.  Whitney said to give Tanner a kiss for her, but I'm not gonna.

Anakin: You guys should have been evil cultists with me.  It would have been awesome.

Kelly:  No way!  I'm a pock-lips survivor!

Roxy: I told you, I don't wanna be an evil nothing for Halloween!  Maybe if we were nice cultists...

Mariko: We appropriated each other's culture. 

Nakoma: The stereotype, anyway.  

Take A Meeting

Helena surprises the mayor by bringing a few extra people to their appointment.

Helena: We're here about The Point.  Every one of our businesses could lose substantial revenue from its closure.  Others, too, but they weren't available. If the businesses fail, the town will, as well. Muneca Lake tourism --  

Rose-Grace: You're preaching to the choir.  Unfortunately, my hands are tied.  Charlotte Jackson owns the property and has the right to close the campground.  All I can do is suggest you file to block her zoning change to residential.  If you want to do that, Kyra can take care of the paperwork for you.  I suggest doing it separately and not as a coalition - make sheer numbers work for you.

Helena: As the museum director, I can file today.  What about you?

Pocahontas: I own the park.  So can I.  But Pike and Violet have higher-ups to answer to. 

Violet: Midna's already authorized me to speak for Sunburst. Let's do this.

Pike: I'll have to get my bosses to actually file.  For one thing, my being married to the mayor might create an issue.  But they'll do it.  They already know what's going on.  

Pike stops for a private word as the group leaves.

Rose-Grace: Did you get the text from Morgan?  

Pike: I did, and I talked to her.  It's not anything to worry about. 

****

Pocahontas finds Albus settling in for the night at The Overlook.

Albus: Thanks for letting me crash here.  Having what was left of my camper hauled out and getting a storage unit took my whole paycheck.  Maybe I should ask my boss for a raise.

Pocahontas: Your boss will do more than that, if you accept the offer.  You can stay with us until we move into the new house, then the trailer can be your place.  Saves us both a lot of trouble.

Albus: I wouldn't want to impose.

Pocahontas: You're family.  Besides, Anakin's so excited to have another male in the house that he might explode.  I guess he's drowning in estrogen.

Albus:  Well, in that case, what are we waiting for? 

*****

After supper, Morgan and the Pike grandparents arrive for a Family Meeting.

Tanner: OK, Dad, what's all this about?

Stacie:  Who's getting married or having a baby?

Fred: I hope nobody got dead.

Pike:  Aunt Morgan is coming to live in Barbieville.  She'll be working at -- 

Fred squeals in delight and leaps into Morgan's lap hard enough to knock her out of the chair.

Morgan (laughing):  As your dad was saying, I'm teaching at the college and running an exhibit at the museum.   I'm staying with Mom and Dad til I find an apartment. 

Fred:  Auntie gonna live wif us!  

Morgan and Pike together: No, Auntie isn't.   

Family Business

Albus and Pocahontas are hauling the salvageable pieces from the Haunted House fire into the woods.  By spring, the wild west train will be a spooky train.

Pocahontas: You didn't have to bring everything at once.  We can make several trips.

Albus:This isn't even close to everything.  Phoebe's still cleaning props.  (laughs)  It's a good thing she's going into a line of work that doesn't make much money - it'd be a shame to lose her.  That girl is a worker.  

Pocahontas: She could make money at it if she joins one of those ghost hunter shows.

Albus: She says the quest for ratings would ruin the science of it.  She's a keeper, I'm telling you.  (Music comes from his pocket.)  I get six calls a day telling me the IRS is after me.  

Albus: No, that's a local number.  (Answers the phone)  Hello? Yes, what is it?  What?!  No, no, I'll be right there!   (To Pocahontas) I have to go.  My camper's been destroyed!  

Pocahontas:  What happened?

Albus: I'm not sure.  It's been hit before by people pulling in or out of the spots beside it, but if Lynch said destroyed...

Pocahontas: Then it's destroyed.  Take my car, I've already unloaded it.  

As she watches him drive away, a plan begins forming in her mind.  

******

At the Barbieville Museum, a secret meeting has taken place.  

Helena: I'm meeting my children for dinner, but I wanted to show you this on the way out.  It's a good example of the variety of our exhibits. 

Morgan: When I signed on to teach at the college, I spoke to your husband and he didn't seem to think you would be open to including paleontology.

Helena: My focus is on human history, but I've hosted traveling exhibits about natural history and they were always very popular.  Children in particular find it fascinating.  

Morgan: And some of us never outgrew it!  (Both laugh)  Enjoy your lunch with your children.  I'm off to surprise my brother with the news that I'm moving to town permanently. 

Zenobia: I was starting to think you'd forgotten us.  

Helena: Don't be silly.  I'm only five minutes late.  Have you given any thought to my appearance on your show?  I want to use every source available to shut down this nonsense about The Point.

Zenobia: Didn't even have to think about it.  Did you know my subscribers doubled when I changed the name to Openly Biased?  Tris pointed out that it wasn't really a vlog, at least not any more, so my name for it didn't fit.

Boudica: I'd like to go on there and tell everyone how Charlotte Jackson treats her husband.  The poor man is in a coma and she barely stops in once a week to check on him.  His kids live halfway across the country and check in on him daily.

Helena: We do not air people's dirty laundry publicly.  

Boudica: I know.  That's why I'm not doing it.  But I sure want to! 

Helena: Speaking airing the dirty laundry of others.  Draco. 

Draco: Me?  What did I do? 

Helena: Albus Dumbledore is a pillar of the community, strange as that may be.  I've also heard that you've been making antisemitic comments about the Mellarks.

Draco: Anti-what?

Leia: He doesn't even have a working vocabulary.

Draco: Shut up.  You're adopted.  The only one with brown hair.  

Leia:  You're adopted.  The only one with -- 

Helena:  Leia! 

Leia: -- an attitude problem? 

DIY Britches

Thanks to the pattern I featured in my previous blogs (6/27/19 and 7/9/18) my muscle dudes have lots of work shirts.  Another issue is pants.  Ken fashions with Velcro closures won't close around the waists of many of my non-Ken dolls.  My Star Trek guys can't wear anything but shorts because long pants won't go on over the molded-on boots.  T-shirt fabric isn't stretchy enough to go over the boots.  It's a dilemma, but I found a lazybones DIY for sweat pants.

I had knee socks that had worn out, in the feet only, as they do.  I was looking for ways to repurpose them into doll clothes.  Ugly Christmas sweaters are pretty common projects, but these socks are mostly zombie themed.  I have made tube dresses in the past, for my 18 inch Pocahontas dolls, but they've since reverted to just wearing their Disney-issued clothes year-round.

I thought "What if I cut a tube dress up the middle most of the way?  Would that make workable pants?"  So I tried it and guess what!  It worked!

I didn't think to take pictures as I worked, so Four and one of my still-intact knee socks volunteered to help me out.  The top of the sock will become the waistband, so position the doll accordingly and then cut straight across at ankle length. 

Put the doll directly on (or into) the sock to find where the crotch should be.  Cut from there to the bottom, creating an inseam.  Then flip them inside out and start sewing!  

My seams don't look purty, any more than the ones on my work shirts, but no one will see them unless man-spreading occurs. I did go through a few trial socks before getting it right, but the results were better than I'd hoped.  Turns out socks are stretchy enough to go over those Star Trek boots! 

Here's a variety of my dudes (and Nancy) modeling the sweats! I have a good variety of body molds so the fit varies.  The Boy told me some of these have ridiculously high waists, but that's easy enough to fix.  You can cover them with a shirt....

.... or turn down the top so it looks like a thicker waist band.

                                                                                                                                                                         

 The real test for doll pants, of course, is the Half-Moon. Most were good, and all but two of the others were fixed simply by turning up the folded down waist.

Hank and Ben switched pants with other guys to see if this was a pants problem or a doll problem.  It's the doll.  Hank and Ben will need to either wear long shirts or sit in the back row.  If they're in these britches, anyway. 

I can now do raggedy work shirts and raggedy sweat pants.  Pike and Sulu can wear something besides shorts, which they'll be glad for with winter coming.  And I didn't have to toss my worn-out socks!  At least, not the whole sock.   

The Home Place

Doll County Day Care, early morning.

Jenny: Oh, boy, new giant dollies!  I love the new center so much!

Fred: And army dudes!

Batgirl: John, I don't think you've met my sister Charlotte.  She's considering your day care for her children.

John: Of course.  Step inside, Mrs. Jackson, and have a look around. 

Charlotte: Why are they all barefoot?

John: You'd be surprised how many germs ride on the soles of your shoes.  Also, it saves injuries if the kids get too rambunctious.

Batgirl (after Charlotte has gone inside): Don't count on her as a client.  She's probably not going to get custody - the judge has already awarded temporary custody to her stepson.  She's just keeping up appearances.

John: Shame.  Your girls were always a delight and if their cousins are anything like them...

Batgirl: Honestly, Joe and I have a better shot at custody than she does.  

John: I didn't know you were trying for custody.

Batgirl: We aren't.

Sylvia: Hi, I'm Miss Sylvia.  Welcome to bedlam.

Charlotte: You work here?  What are your qualifications?

Sylvia: My minor is in Education and I love children.  

Charlotte: And your Major?

Sylvia: Environmental Sciences.  I attend the local university.

Charlotte: What's this?  Surely the children aren't expected to read this?

Sylvia: Guidelines for the parents.  It amazes me how little some of them realize the needs of children.  My personal favorite is number 42.  

Jenny:  Look, Auntie Charlotte!  A astronaut lady doll! 

Charlotte: Be quiet, Jennifer, the adults are talking.

*****

Saturday morning, at the Oriental Buffet.

John: Pocahontas and I narrowed the options down to the houses we're looking at today and we want your opinions, since you'll be living there, too. 

Pocahontas:  If you have misgivings about a place, tell us.  No matter how dumb you might feel it is.  

Anakin: What if Mommy gets permission to have me again?  

Pocahontas: Then you'll have a nice place to visit your sisters.  Trust me, boy, we're still gonna be in your life unless she takes you to Mars.  

Anakin: Or maybe she could come live with all of us! 

Pocahontas (chuckles): I suppose anything is possible.  We're having this conversation, aren't we?  

Roxy: Cause of me and Anakin.

Kelly:  I helped! Dint I help, Nakoma? 

Nakoma: I'm sure you did.  Once we settle on a house, can we start planning a wedding?

John: What do you think?  Me and you could do some male bonding in that garage.

Kelly: I wanna male bondage, too! 

Anakin: Male means boy, you goofball.  Like rebuilding muscle cars together and stuff.

Kelly: Cars don't got muscles.  Daddy, tell him!  Cars got motors!

John (winks at Anakin): Yeah, Anakin, you goofball.  Cars don't got muscles.

Roxy: I like that porch and flowers all around it.

Pocahontas: Yes, but those flower beds take a lot of work to maintain.

Roxy: No problem.  Albus will come do it for us.  He has a nice garden at The Point.

Pocahontas: Albus will have his hands full with his own garden, wherever he ends up.  

Roxy: I still can't believe Batgirl's mean sister is making him move.

Pocahontas: Me, too.  But you know what?  I bet Albus would love to teach you how to garden.  Then, if we decide on this house, that will be your job.

Kelly (crying):  Don't like this house!  It is mean!

Anakin: There at the top of the steps, when you turn the corner toward the bedrooms.  I felt like zombies were gonna bust through the wall and eat me.  

Nakoma: I thought I was imagining things until I saw how you guys were reacting.  Roxy wouldn't even go up the stairs.  But John and Pocahontas didn't notice anything.

Anakin: Kids are more sensitive to stuff like that.  Ghosts or whatever.

Pocahontas: There seems to be a consensus on this house, but it's only three bedrooms.

Nakoma: Are you still on about that?  I told you I'm fine sharing.  But I do think we girls should get that room with the balcony.

Roxy: If we gotta fit three beds in there, shouldn't we take the biggest room?  The blue flowery bedroom is the biggest.

Nakoma: Kelly's is a toddler bed.  We can fit into the balcony room.

Pocahontas: Kelly will outgrow that toddler bed in no time.  Roxy's right.  Besides, I'm calling dibs on the balcony room.  

*****

Ladies' Lounge, Doll County Country Club.

Helena: Lottie Gordon.  I need to have words with you.

Charlotte: My name is not Lottie Gordon, it's Charlotte Jackson. What do you want, Helena?  Going to bully me some more like you did in school? 

Helena: What do you call buying out a major source of revenue for Barbieville and shutting it down?  I'd call that bullying.  

Charlotte:  I don't care.  I came back to rub it in all your faces that I'm not trailer trash anymore, and I'm going to do it.

Helena: No, Lottie, you are still trailer trash.  Money does not buy class. 

Charlotte:  I'll have you know -- 

Helena: I know what I need to know.  You will not put half of Barbieville out of work on my watch. 

Charlotte: You can't stop me.  I can buy and sell you fifty times over.

Helena: You can't buy and sell the entire town if we join forces against you.  And trust me, we will if you keep this up.  

***Reminder to readers: Charlotte's offspring live at Our Toy Story on Facebook.*****