Doll prepping and so many errands

     I try not to do too much doll work on the weekend. I need to have some time off (that's what I hear anyway) so I try not to. That doesn't always work. Yesterday morning I dremeled a big pile of dolls. I was out of prepped bodies and I needed to get more ready. I have 4 weeks left until TRXC and this pile of dolls may be all I need to finish getting ready. Two of them are for the last dolls I need to reach 1300 and the rest might just be enough. I'll find out. I have a somewhat busier week than I remembered so I may or may not be able to get the last casual doll finished and #1300. I hope I can, but I don't know if I can or not. Today I am going to get my nails done and I might not have any dollwork time at all. But I have prepped dolls so maybe I can at least start on the last casual doll. Tomorrow is laundry so limited doll work. Wednesday I have to bring my car in to find out where the oil is leaking from (I hope it is a super cheap and easy fix) and Friday I am going out with Liesl. If I get close to finishing #1300 I might finish him on Sunday. Wait, nope. Saturday is my brother and Lisa's wedding and I was thinking of going to King Richard's Faire on Sunday. And I hear doing fun things is a good idea. So maybe he might have to go into next week. I'll see how quickly I can get all the different pieces done. Friday is early release but it is also a half day for Travis. So I will take a half a day and that will actually give me a bunch of extra time to work on dolls. If the out-time ends up in the middle of a class maybe I will just take the whole day off. I need to check the schedule. 

     I did a whole bunch errands yesterday, so I didn't have as restful a day as I might have. I got some awesome silver glitter duct tape to fix my pink cup. The outer layer had a crack in it and I don't want to throw it away. Ethan had some red duct tape and I thought about using that, but this is way more fun I think. It is surprisingly hard to wrap a cup with ducts tape and have it lay flat. 

       I have a bit of a busy week but hopefully I will have some really awesome doll updates soon. I am getting really close to my goal now. I'll just keep picking away at the dolls until I get them finished. And then I will immediately go into TRXC sales dolls mode. Four weeks is going to go by fast!

Casual dolls and wine

      I get to school really early. I spend that extra time walking around the school and visiting friends. I stopped in to see one of them on Friday and met this wonderful skeleton. He looks very enlightened. I want one. But I don't need more stuff. I really really don't need more stuff...

     Yesterday Ethan, Travis and I went to a memorial dinner for our friend Chris's mom. I guess technically these are often called a celebration of life. Either way, it is a room full of people, many of them I know vaguely from over the years and a lot that I don't. Those situations are hard for me. I don't like to say that my anxiety kicks in because having anxiety is a real thing and I have never been diagnosed with anything. I just quietly freak out if there are too many people I don't know. And I hope to find someone I do know. The second struggle is that a lot of the people there remember me on sight and I am not always sure who they are. Sucks. So when Ethan asked if I wanted a drink I said yes. A little bit of liquid courage doesn't make it so I remember people's names but it makes me care a lot less about being in a room full of people I don't know. Plus the wine was really good. 
     It was a really nice time and just what it was meant to be. It was not a sad day, it was the people Debbie loved together in a room, having a good time. I had a good time chatting with people and I got a fantastic story, about Travis, from one of them. Travis had wanted to go outside so Ethan took him out to the patio. There were a good amount of people out there smoking. I'm not sure how Ethan missed this one, but apparently at one point one of Chris's uncles said to our friend Heidi that he wanted some of what he was on (meaning Travis). Heidi told him he was autistic and he felt horrible. When Heidi told me the story I laughed! I said I KNEW I was right! I have always said that people should be jealous of Travis. He doesn't care what people think of him and he is always happy. I'm glad that the uncle didn't say it to me because I likely still would have laughed, and told him it was autism, and he might have felt even worse. I don't think he should. He wanted some of whatever was making Travis so happy. To me, that is something to want. I know I wish I could have some of that for myself. I would need less wine at parties that way.

     On Friday I finished the 3 casual English dolls I was working on. I didn't have a chance to get any photos of them until today. I like to try to get pics during the day with no flash, they just come out a bit better that way. But Friday it was dark when I finished and yesterday I forgot until it was dark. So I got some pictures this morning. This first one just sort of amused me. I don't know if the doll in purple and the doll in blue were having a conversation and the doll in black interrupted or if they are all arguing about something, maybe they are just deciding where to stand for their photo. 

     Because where to stand, and how to stand, is a big deal. I wanted the dolls to all be "looking" at the camera, that is important to me. I also decided I wanted everyone to be standing with a side sort of facing the camera with one leg forward and one back. That was the best way to showcase the look of the breeches I thought. Each pair has suede on the inner thighs, which is an unnecessary detail that I really like. Once the doll is on the horse you can't really tell if the breeches have suede on them or not. But they look more realistic. Also for a casual doll you might find a ton of uses for them when they are not on a horse. 

     These dolls are all for my TRXC sale but if you absolutely need to have one I will let her go early. Just send me an email to fieldofdolls@gmail.com or a message on Facebook. Speaking of TRXC, I am all set. I did my online entry, the check is in the mail and I have my room booked. It's funny that this is my third big sale weekend of the year and the first one I will be attending in person!
     Today I need to dremel some dolls so I have them ready to dress. I need to finish one more casual doll, though not today, and then I can work on #1300, who is not a parade doll or a knight. Tomorrow my friend Jackie is going to do my nails so I have an easier time not biting them and I might not have any time to work on dolls, but that is OK. Tuesday I might be able to get at least a bit of something done at the laundromat but I think I can only count on being able to finish up the casual doll by the end of Wednesday. I am also hoping to at least get a start on #1300. Hopefully I can get him all finished by Friday! That would be pretty fantastic. As always, I will keep you all posted.

A couple of days of progress

     I meant to post about some progress after cutting out and sewing doll clothes on Wednesday, but I forgot to get pictures of the partially dressed dolls. I actually made a lot of progress on Wednesday. I got the rest of the pieces cut out to put together 4 casual English outfits. All with fun breeches. And I managed to talk myself into getting out the sewing machine and I got everything sewn. I was feeling really good about my progress on Wednesday. 

      I also started to get 3 casual English dolls dressed. That was as many prepped female bodies as I had left. I got the breeches on them and their shirts, two even got cuffs and collars done. Seriously, so much progress on Wednesday.
     Then Thursday I got home and I was fighting myself a bit again. I took a short nap (like 5 minutes) and then remembered the neck relaxer that Ethan got me for my birthday. So I laid on that for 10 minutes and my neck felt better. Still does. I have so much tension in my neck, back and shoulders. I sit on hard chairs and carry a backpack. I'm too old for this crap. But that did help a bit. I should make the neck relaxer part of my regular after school routine.
    Anyway, Thursday I meant to finish the 3 casual dolls. I got the cuffs and collar on the third doll, haired all three heads and I got most of the boots on all of them. I still need to do faces, boot bottoms and helmets though. I feel like I should have been able to get these things done, if I had been more productive and focused. I was not however. Maybe my subconscious is afraid to get to 1300. I doubt it though. I am hoping I can get them finished quickly and the last casual doll. Then the super secret (for now) #1300!

      KC's Galloping Gals has had their dolls discounted while the website is down. They also announced that they were not doing any shipping between October 1st and November 1st. I needed to stock up on dolls while they were on sale. This is just one pile of a couple of my many, many recent orders. It amused me. I have a ton more dolls already stashed in the doll drawer. After this group went in I had to take out the ultra suede and I barely got the drawer closed! I have a lot of dolls currently. 

     I also had a good mail day the other day. I have been waffling back and forth about whether or not to rejoin Maggie's Monthly Micros. I did it for a few months last year but then decided I really needed to cut out that particular cost. Then in the last few months I have LOVED several of the models that Maggie has come out with. I did manage to get Sprat from Jackie but I have not yet managed a Maple Stirrup. I did see one for sale yesterday, but double the original price is hard for me to talk myself into. So I still don't have one. I did however rejoin at the perfect time. For September, pewter subscribers got an extra horse and a set of wings that fits on either of them. I absolutely adore these teeny tiny horses!

     Seriously, so tiny. Hugh was one of Maggie's smaller micros (as far as I know) and Tennessee is way tinier. Both of them being a lot smaller than Moxie. I know there is nothing to show the scale if you guys don't know the other two horses, but trust me, they are insanely small. I need to prep them. And the rest of my unpainted horses. And I need to paint things. So much I need to do... like dust the horse shelves. 

     My post About Autism, got a lot of feedback, and I loved it! I also got a bunch of other ideas of posts I can do. Not all of them will work, because I just don't have all of the information to make some of the posts useful, but at the very least I can start with some stories.
     This is the story about the time I hollered at a tiny old lady in the laundromat. I don't remember exactly when it was, maybe a year ago, I was in the laundromat on a Tuesday (because I am always in the laundromat on Tuesday) and there was this little old lady in there. Travis was chilling on one of the couches with his little Mario toy and minding his own business. He was making some noise, because he is always making some noise, but it was not super loud. And we were in the laundromat. This little old lady (under 5 feet tall) came around the corner near where I was folding and looked right at Travis and said "oh, that's you? I thought it was a baby. You sound like a baby" and I said leave him alone and I went back to folding, I don't think she heard me because she kept saying things to him from her chair. Now, the way the laundromat is set up there are the two couches at one end and then a whole long row of chairs that stretch all the way to the other end of the very large room. She sat in the chair closest to the couches. I folded and silently told myself I was not going to punch and old lady. And she kept talking. She was mumbling that he was so annoying and just would not shut her mouth. Then she started talking to him again and was asking him who was there with him and why he was there alone. And I went around the corner, made sure she was looking at me and I yelled at her to leave him alone, that I already told her to leave him alone, he was not hurting her or anyone else. She said she was just concerned that he was alone. I said if you were concerned you wouldn't have been being mean to him and I screamed at her to leave him alone again. And I went back to folding. And my internal chant (I will not punch and old lady, I will not punch and old lady).
     About a minute later, when I am still shaking and considering calling the owner of the place (who really likes Travis) a random woman I have never met walks around the corner and quietly asks me if I knew the lady. I said no. She asked what she had said and I told her. She huffed and said, "he's not hurting anyone, he's just sitting there playing quietly with his toy! Don't listen to anything that old B@$%& says!" I was surprised and amazed and I told her she was an amazing human being and she gave me a hug and said you're doing a great job, just ignore the haters. I nearly cried in the laundromat.
     Not every instance of someone being not-too-nice to Travis has been either that bad or ended in a better way. A lot of things people do leave me feeling like I am being judged by everyone around me and that the judgements are all that I am a terrible mother. The world is a tough place if you are not like everyone else. And if you have the audacity to be the mother of someone that is different, AND you bring them out in public, you are the worst. At least sometimes that is how people make me feel.
     This is one very memorable example of how sometimes people can be cruel but often random strangers can save you and make you feel that there are still good people in the world. I absolutely screamed at a tiny old lady in the laundromat. But I showed great restraint and didn't hit her. Though when I mentioned the incident to the owner a week or two later he said I should have called him and he would have taken care of it. I do love that so many people are looking out for Travis. 
     And now I'll leave you with this awesome picture of Travis. I don't know where he got those sunglasses, but he decided he needed to wear them while he was using the computer. And he looks super cool!

How I keep going

     The other day Sue made a comment that it's amazing I keep on blogging like I do. I am really flattered by that, but I also keep on doing it for selfish reasons. Blogging makes me more productive. If all I do is lay on my bed and read all day (which was most of last Saturday) I wouldn't have much to talk about. Sure, I mentioned that Outlander had grabbed my attention and I was having trouble putting it down. There is just so long I can actually talk about that without boring everyone to death, myself included. So I need to work, or cook or do interesting things with my kids that I can share. Since that is basically what I talk about, I have to do some or all of those things.
     Another reason I keep on writing, almost daily (or at least posting almost daily) is that now that I have done it for so long I actually feel sort of guilty when I don't post something. I am trying to keep from being boring, I am not trying out new recipes for baked things (I'm back to trying to drop the weight I regained) and during the week Travis and I don't really have time to go on any adventures. So that leaves talking about doll work. And since paras make very little money, I really do need to do doll work because for some reason bills come every month (rude).
     I have had my blog for 10 years. I have been bad to slightly better than bad at posting for most of those years. This past February I decided I was going to post more often. Which started out meaning once a week. That quickly morphed into several times a week and then every day. I was inspired to share more than I usually do! Dolls in progress and more recipes and stories upon stories about my kids. For anyone that is still curious why I talk about Travis so much more than I talk about Elecktra, it's as simple as Travis still lives with me. So I know what he is up to on a day-to-day basis.
     Tuesday I was at the laundromat, as usual, and my goal was to finish up the cross country kits. I got all the watches and medbands put together, using my leg as a table. Almost all of the furniture was outside because they had had the floors cleaned. But I managed to get them all done and packaged up. So now I have 8 finished cross country kits in my stock. I still want to make at least a couple more, but that can wait a little bit. 

     I also started on cutting out fun breeches. It is hard to pin and cut doll clothes on your leg! I managed not to pin myself, but it was sort of tricky. So I have one pair of breeches cut and several to go, plus the shirts, then the sewing. I am at least started on getting the next 4 random dolls done.

      I also got in this special material I needed for doll #1300. This is the only clue you guys will get on what the doll will be! It is definitely not an every day type of doll. 

     I'm still managing to stay motivated and get things done. I am sort of impressed with myself. Hopefully I can keep this up and get the casual English dolls finished relatively quickly and then start work on #1300! I just need to keep going. So the blog contest is still going on. I am really excited to see who will win and what they will choose to get!

About Autism

      I have been asking for post ideas and the other day I got a really excellent one from my friend Darleen. Darleen said "could you perhaps post about how others can/should interact with Travis? My knowledge of autism is very limited, and I am guessing that's the same for many others. About all I know is that many do not like eye contact, being touched, etc, but it varies immensely from person to person." Darleen is absolutely correct. Because if you have met one person with autism, you have met ONE person with autism. That is one of the first things I learned. So to try to answer the question fully, I will talk about autism in general and Travis specifically. 

     Travis likes people. A lot. I'm sure he doesn't like all people, who does? But he does like to interact with people. He is not always great at it, but he tries. He also doesn't mind spending time alone. Which is very typical for a teenager. 

     I guess first we should start with what autism is. It is a communication disorder, which actually can mean a variety of things. For Travis it seems to be mostly a lack of words. He literally doesn't have the words to communicate what he wants a lot of the time. I have become well versed in non-verbal communication, both through training and a lot of practice. I can often, but not always, figure out what Travis wants. Since autism is a spectrum there are varying degrees of severity. I am not as up-to-date on terminology as I once was (I hear they are numbering autism now...) so I can only say that Travis has "classic" autism, which whatever the number, is the most severe. In his medical chart it says he is non-verbal. The nurse practitioner who saw him recently said she would not call him that. I wouldn't either. Travis considers himself a verbal communicator. For a couple of years now we have been working (again) on trying to teach him to use an augmentative communication device to give him more words. So far he just types the words into the talker, has it say the sentence, and then he says it out loud. The school keeps trying to teach him to use the talker. I keep trying to give him more words verbally. Both things should help him have more communication. Anyway, the other end of the spectrum, before they renamed things, was aspergers. People with aspergers more often than not had full and incredibly intelligent speech and some pretty noticeable social skills deficiencies. There is a lot more to it, but that is the super stripped down version. Basically it's at the other end of the spectrum from classic autism. I think in some ways things are easier for Travis. He doesn't have a lot of words so people try harder with him. And most people are nice to him.

        A big part of autism is communication issues, as I said. With Travis it's not many words. Often a lack of ability to pick up social cues and pick up on other people's emotions is a huge part of autism. Travis has actually been pretty good at picking up social cues. Years ago when I would serve dinner everyone would start eating when their plate ended up in front of them. By the time I sat down I was often eating alone. So I said that the new rule was everyone's butt had to be in a chair before we started eating. Travis needed one reminder and then he would watch to see if everyone was sitting before he would start. 

     The lack of picking up on social cues and other people's emotions can cause a lot of issues for people with autism. They may not be able to tell when someone is being sarcastic. They also may not be able to tell if someone is being mean, or trying to trick them into something. People might find them annoying because people on the autism spectrum are usually incredibly truthful and can also be less than tactful. Life is hard if you are different than the majority of the people around you. People with autism have to work really hard sometimes to "fit in" and it can be exhausting. Often they have learned a bunch of rules that they follow. Rules are very important. For example, Travis has learned when someone says hi to him, to say hi back. He also gives a little wave. I happen to love it. I am still waiting for him to say hi first. 

     Another thing I have learned is there are people who say that you should NEVER say someone is autistic, but is a person with autism. There are also other people who say that saying a person with autism is wrong and it's someone who is autistic. No matter which way you say it, you will be wrong to someone. I have used both. No, Travis is not his autism, it is a part of him. So is his cool long hair and his amazing smile. I have also at times described him by his long hair (did it today in school...).  I have said my son has autism and my son is autistic. Basically, I can't give you the correct things to say because everyone has a different idea of what is correct. My recommendation is that if you are good at picking up social cues, try to see what the preference is of the person you are talking to. You might slip once in awhile, it happens. We are all just human. 

     So now that you have the super, miniscule, incredibly basic overview of autism I will start to answer the question a bit more specifically. Though I will continue to talk about autism in general. First thing, people with autism are people. Everyone of them is different, but in general most of them want what we all want. We want to be accepted for who we are. We want to have friends and be able to hang out and do fun things. 

Travis and his para at Open House

     Often a part of autism, and sometimes a big part, is stimming. Which is short-hand for self-stimulation (and no that is not dirty). What happens with autism is the brain is different than a typical brain. They have done studies, it's true. No one has yet been able to pinpoint exactly what causes autism, but they can definitely see the differences in brain scans. Anyway, stimming comes in as many forms as there are people with autism. Some really common ones are finger flicking and hand flapping. Travis does both of those things as well as toe-walking and other things. He has looked at things out of the sides of his eyes but he has no issues with eye contact (unless he's in trouble and then all of a sudden he doesn't want to look me in the eye) but a lot of people with autism really do have issues with eye contact. They are not being rude if they look at your mouth or you ear (or away) while you are talking, it can actually be physically painful for some people to make eye contact. Sometimes people on the spectrum had issues with a light touch or certain fabrics. It can be just incredibly annoying or very painful even. 
     Sensory overload is very real. Imagine living in a world where you couldn't block out the background noises. Right now I am sitting at my kitchen table and if I try I can think of all the sensory stuff around me. There are crickets, because it's night, and I can hear whatever Travis is watching on the computer next to me even with headphones, across the room Ethan is typing and sometimes his chair creaks when he moves. The placemat under the Chromebook is super irritating to my wrists because it's a weird plastic weave. I'm a bit thirsty and now Ethan's Facebook messenger just dinged and my neighbors are driving by with their music turned up way too loud  and the light in my kitchen is not bright but it's sort of harsh and a dog is barking...
    

       Do you get it? I had to actually concentrate on all those separate things because while I am writing a post I block out all the background. I am really good at it. Sometimes (often) Travis is noisy. Sometimes it's just a sort of quiet repetitive group of sounds that a lot of people say is really soothing. I don't usually hear it. It is part of my background noise so I often only notice it when it's gone. But people on the spectrum are constantly bombarded with ALL the things that most of us can block out. So then you get sensory overload. And then maybe the autistic person needs to be alone, or needs some other type of sensory input. Like hand flapping, or finger snapping, maybe taking a walk, or a tight hug. Deep pressure is often quite helpful. Especially if the person with autism can control the pressure. 

          Basically I feel the best way to approach Travis, or anyone with autism, is to treat them like a person first. Maybe if you meet someone, and they seem a bit odd, they might be on the spectrum. Or in the model horse hobby. Or both. Maybe that person may be trying super hard to connect and they just are not quite sure how to do it. Just try a bit harder. Be friendly, say hi, maybe ask a question or two. If it's Travis, you may not get an answer. Or he might answer Frathalding (which is what he says when he doesn't know the name of something. And Spellcheck thinks Frathalding is a word!). Travis really likes people. Let me correct myself, Travis really likes adults. He has never had a lot of interest in kids. He watches for them when they are around, I have told him to watch out for the little ones, and he does, but he prefers to hang out with adults. He wants to be part of things. 

      No one has to do anything special in relation to Travis. If you want to talk to him I am sure he would love that. It can be hard work. A "conversation" with him is often asking questions and maybe getting an answer. Or him saying something and asking you to repeat it. At horse shows he is often watching a video, ask him what he's watching. He always has an action figure or two with him, ask him what guys he has with him. Travis has been trying incredibly hard to communicate. I can see it and I keep trying to help him. I appreciate everyone who I know who also tries to help. Oh, and when you see him maybe tell him your name again. If he doesn't see you he might not remember your name. Though he probably recognizes you. Also, if Travis likes you, he may want hugs, or he might sort of hang on your arm, lean against you while sitting next to you, ect. If you are comfortable with that, it's totally fine! If you are not, or only want a quick hug, tell him "OK, that's enough" or "all done" or something along those lines. Travis can't tell if you are uncomfortable, but he is polite and will respect it if you ask him to stop hugging you. 

      I am not sure if I have really answered the question or not. But in general, treat Travis how you would want to be treated. He doesn't have a lot of words and he makes a ton of weird noises and sometimes does weird things, but he is sweet and kind and loves people. He is respectful of other people's property and has never touched anything that is not his (other than doors. He has a compulsion to see what is behind closed doors, including cabinet doors). He is great at sharing and if you ask him for something that is his, he will likely let you hold it. For a second. The other day he let me play with some of his toys. I guess the only other thing I can think of is to remember that Travis is an adult. He's not a small child (obviously) and he doesn't lack for intelligence, just words. If you don't want to talk to him, you don't have to, he probably won't mind. If you do want to talk to him he will probably enjoy it. 

      People with autism are people. Everyone of them is different, but in general most of them want what we all want. We want to be accepted for who we are. We want to have friends and be able to hang out and do fun things. We don't want to be judged on what we might do or from things that we did forever ago. We just want to do our best in life, make some friends and have some fun as well. Please let me know if this didn't make sense or if it sparked any other specific questions. I tried to condense 17 years of studying autism, and my whole life with Travis, in one smallish post. 

Some Motivation

      I have been struggling with motivation. Again. All last week I did no doll work at all. Between a handful of things I needed (and wanted) to do, I just didn’t have enough time to work on dolls. And when I did have enough time I just didn’t have enough motivation. It happens. But now I finally feel like getting things done. Sunday I cut out a bunch of cross country vests and put them together. Monday I managed to get all the pinnies made and numbered. I feel like I am finally starting to accomplish things. Just medbands and watches and these kits will be all set. I am still thinking I want to make a couple more, but that can wait a bit. 

     As I mentioned the other day, my plan was to hit pause on dolls and work on restocking my accessories. I think I am rethinking that decision a bit. I actually want to work on some dolls. Now that I am finally starting to get back into a work groove, at least a bit, I want to get some more dolls done. So I think I'll cut out a bunch of things after I get the cross country accessories finished. My current plan is 4 casual English dolls (because fun breeches) but I might change my mind when I get started. After that I have a pretty spectacular doll planned for #1300. I'm still figuring I will likely need at least the rest of this week and all of next week to get those dolls done. Maybe a bit longer. So there is still time to enter the blog contest. 
      I really appreciate the interaction of people leaving comments on the blog because honestly, sometimes I feel like I am talking to myself. I've gotten some really interesting blog ideas and I am hoping I can make some of those happen soon. I'm still also hoping for a guest post from Elecktra. Maybe I'll go let her know people are still waiting on that, lol. 

Doll Work Finally

     Yesterday I talked about my silly imaginative play with Travis. Though really, it was mostly me trying to force some interaction and getting a little, but not a lot. Maybe we can do it again and get some more. You never can tell. While Travis was ignoring me I did manage to get some doll work done. Finally. I got started on a whole bunch of cross country vests. I am completely out of cross country kits and TRXC is coming.

     I got 7 vests traced out and cut out and then we went inside because it was a bit chilly. We had to go out and do a few errands as well. I was pleased that I had finally gotten at least a bit of something related to dolls done. It's been a bit. 

     After we got back from errands I cut out a whole bunch of foam pieces, binge watched Working Moms on Netflix and put these 7 vests together. Now I just need to remember I also have a light blue one on the table, and then I need to make a bunch of pinnies, watches and medbands. I wanted to make maybe one or two more vests sets as well. Black for sure and either white or gray. I just can't decide. 

        While I did finally manage to get some doll work done I am still nowhere near finishing the last 5 dolls I need to make to get to 1300. After I finish the cross country kits I want to make a bunch of chaps too. That might take up the rest of this week. After that I can make 4 random sales dolls for TRXC, and all of them might end up being casual English dolls so I can make fun breeches out of the new fabrics I got from Spoonflower. After that I will make a really cool doll and he himself will most likely take me several days. At this juncture I am guessing probably 2-3 more weeks until I hit 1300. Because I am a slacker. Because I forgot I needed to hit pause on doll making and restock my accessories. Because doll #1300 is complex. And I guess also because I have school 5 days a week so somewhat limited working time. But soonish I will hit that big milestone and then someone will win the $100 gift certificate! I am really excited for this!