Bit longwinded but anyone who bears with me can have 
and 
DD has a toy caterpillar named Sydney Tuna, she liberated him from a car boot sale when she was just gone 2 and has adored and worshipped him ever since.
Last Christmas Santa brought his mummy, Mrs. Mabel Tuna, to live with us. She had missed Sydney since he went to seek his fortune, so had written to Santa to ask him to find Sydney, and Santa gave her a lift to our house on his sleigh. Cue rejoicing and carolling and so on....
DD now informs me that this Christmas, Mrs T and Sydney are writing jointly to Santa to find Mr. Tuna, who rejoices in the name Miguel apparently, and is in the army, fighting for the peaceloving resistance caterpillars who want to stop the slaughter between the marmite and the maple syrup factions I kid you not AND I kept a straight face wile DD told me all this
So... and if you're still with me, a thousand thanks... I can lay my hands on a caterpillar identical to Mrs. Tuna, but how can I make him look like he's been liberated from the army/prisoner of war camp/somewhere else suitable to have kept him away for a long time? I thought about him having been kidnapped by Pirates to explain where he's been all these years, and that was when DD came out with the stuff about the army... any suggestions? DD is 9 and I think this could be the last year for Santa for her, we've had some pointed questions that I have so far lied my way out of managed by the skin of my teeth, so I want to do Mr. Tuna's homecoming right...
This forum is the home of Mumsnet classic threads.
Mumsnet classics
WWYD? The Saga of the Family Tuna
PomBearAtTheGatesOfDawn · 27/09/2011 19:43
I know someone already suggested dying him olive green, but what about cammo paint using watered down food colouring - it'd stain the plush to make him look at bit less pastel/a bit more rugged
I definately think the scars under bandages is an awesome idea, along with rolling pin wodden legs and the beret 
and what about this felt moustache? should be easy to stitch on
My gosh I hope I can be this imaginative and resourceful when DS is older!
PomBear you beat me to it - I was chortling happily at the thought of how big a working parachute for a 5ft caterpillar would have to be. I think you should be working to how heavy he wishes thinks he is, Pidj
I'm so going to have to work out how it fits back in the pouch, aren't I? Just for the realism of it ponders how insane it would be to recruit DP and his superior 
phycics skills and how long it would take him to stop laughing
I can just imagine the conversation.
"so, some random stranger on the internet needs to accesorise a 5ft cuddly caterpillar to look like a hero of the resistance. Could you please work out the finer points of parachute packing for me?"
DP: 
(except that presumably he does know that you are nuts, Pidj 
?)
I hope Miguel doesn't turn out to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and seek solace in the bottle. Eventually being turfed out by Mrs Tuna for unreasonable behaviour and end up sleeping rough on the streets. Contact with Sydney will be intermittent and awkwardly disappointing, leading to a deep-rooted sense of inadequacy that will colour the rest of his life. 
Oh yes, he's well used to the major minor nuttiness of the Pidj way of life 
The thing is, he's into drag racing - he'd probably have a fair idea of the ratio's needed to stop a top fueller at the end of the 1/4 mile
I really really really want to make a working one
Oh DOH doh, thrice DOH 
Why didn't I think to just measure Mabel? That said, if Mabel is at the back of DDs bed I can't reach her either short arse and cannot climb but no2 son should get in from college soon so I can get him to get her for me and measure her. They aren't exactly identical but we held one of each up in the shop and they're the same length and the segments are pretty much the exact same size. It's only that Miguel is fluffier has manly body hair that makes them different.
And at rushofblood I do hope not! DD can be his counsellor as she helps Mabel and Sydney nurse him back to health and all will be well!
Right - the measurements (of Mabel) and nobody tell her I am sharing her vital statistics with the world! Hell hath no fury than a Tuna upset and all that
At the seam where one segment joins the next the circumference is 12 inches.
Across the widest part of a segment, from side seam to side seam is 9 inches (the legs are attached into the side seams in the middle of the segments)
The legs are 3 inches wide - they're not stuffed all the way up the leg so where they attach into the side seam is flat and the seam is 3 inches long.
Each segment is 7 inches long end to end.
There is 3.5 inches between the tailend of one leg seam/end of leg stitching and the beginning/front end of the next.
(Mabel's first segment behind her head is slightly bigger but not a massive amount, and that could be a stuffing issue )
Is that everything?
Late to this thread but if purplepidj needs advice on parachute packing I can ask DH (ex para) pm if you want
LtEveDallas I love you A large squashy Brown Paper Parcel just arrived with MY name on it, and not a bill, Yipeeeeee and it was the shirt and the rank thing and the little medal Thank you so much - I'm not convinced we're not all slightly totally mad, but whether we are or not, Miguel Tuna will be home for Christmas in uniform, with a kit bag and photos will be posted
Don’t want to miss threads like this?
Weekly
Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!
Log in to update your newsletter preferences.
You've subscribed!
MrsSnaplegs - yes please
I have 36" of guitar strap. I will see if I can get a snap (like you get on rucksacks) that fits the width as the one I've got is too thin, otherwise I'll go see the nice chap in the Army and Navy shop about some webbing.
I'm thinking he either needs a strap around one of his segments with padded bits to go around his legs, or a simple adjustable strap around one of the joins between segments.
The pack itself will look like this but with only one popper. It will open out to a flat square which releases the parachute. I will put a cord on so that it can be ripped open mid air.
Inside will be a round-type parachute. Mr (Major? Sargeant? Sir might be safer...) Snaplegs will probably tell me this is inaccurate, if so I will attempt a rectangular type. I will then use wool to attach the edges to a split ring, which will be attached to the harness through the pack.
Does any of that make sense? I really should put this much energy into job hunting
Pay day is tomorrow, so I'll get started then
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.