Tutu times two

By popular demand, here are new photos of ViMae and the St. Paul Saints' Brat Favre wearing their tutus and carrying baseballs to the umpire.


Yes, the pig's name is Brat Favre...names in previous years have included Kevin Bacon and Hammy Davis Junior. Dennis, the animal trainer, carries a bottle of sugar water. ViMae needs no such incentives...she loves putting on the tutu and the helmet and she takes plenty of time to approach the umpire and then to turn and wave to the crowd. Very soon she won't need Grandma to keep her on course.

The helmet is now required for any kids who go onto the field. You can understand it for the bat and ball kids, and the tykes who post the "K" signs to mark strikeouts. But kids take balls to the umpire between innings, when nobody is swinging a bat. Still, rules are rules, and we need to set a good example. So she plops the big old helmet on (as does Augie when it's his turn) and off she goes.

This tutu is huge and puffy. I made it with a no-sew method that you can find here and here. I used 6-inch rolls of tulle from the fabric and craft store--nearly 3 rolls of pink and one of purple. You make a loop of elastic a little bigger than the child's waist, and then cut the strips of tulle to double the length you want (I used 26 inches for a 13-inch skirt). You double the piece of tulle and loop it through the elastic. Repeat a hundred times (or whatever). I think I made it a little too full for a 2-year-old, but she handles it fine. It will look all crisp and neat at first, but if it's worn for play (which this one is) it will develop, um, "character." All the more charming.

An extra-special treet was running into Saints mascot Mudonna beneath the stands and getting a special hug. Both kids LOVE Mudonna. She is very good with children, and it seems as though she goes out of her way to be good to ours.