I’ve been writing this blogpost in my head for a week now… Taking photos as I went (because I have some crazy self-imposed rule that I beat myself with that I have to have “good” photos -more than one- for each blogpost) but nothing has been committed to paper/screen as I have been too busy painting and cleaning the house. So whilst there may not be anything on the Nest, there are certainly many things happening in The Nest: dolls are being made, crochet blankets hooked, many, many meals cooked (my children are eating more and more every day, the veritable savages); (parts of) the house are looking rather spiffy (if only for three minutes) thanks to frenzied painting of window panes and dressers and I’m happily toddling away, oblivious to piles of mess and windows that need washing and the ever increasing laundry mountain (I’ve selective eyesight)
It is with great relief we are into December, and over the general un-wellness that marred our November. After having a few weeks where, despite Grace’s best attempt to whine and whinge until I throttled her, I refrained (I’ll be forever shocked at my forebearance. If I had just abstained from demented roars and impatient snorting, I might possibly have been in the running for “Mother of The Year”) (Ho ho, Not!!)
James is still stomping around, yourd (sword), sorry, blue yourd in hand: he has made many attempts to slay that green imposter twinkling in the kitchen (the Christmas tree)
He and Grace have a fifty-fifty relationship, if they are not rolling around affectionately, they are practically strangling each other. James regularly starts off his affections with jumping on top of his intended (I am another victim of routine “love”) so needless to say, Grace doesn’t always respond with joy when he has her in a headlock. When all is calm on the sibling front, they have great games: the most recent was where he was “Baby Jesus” who was wrapped in a blanket in a “boat” (box). 
Grace fed him crackers and apples, read to him and he snored on cue and happily lay there while she dragged his box-boat around the kitchen. It was hilarious to watch (and even more hilarious to hear him berate a doll who had taken up occupancy of his “boat” one morning!)
Grace has wrapped several presents for everyone (two full rolls of wrapping paper and counting thankyouverymuch) She is back in card-writing mode, so we are all getting elaborate cards throughout the day. We made Christmas cards together: thankfully, I had also recruited Fergal (who had stood on a nail and couldn’t walk, so he was fair and easy game) as the initial idea to paint a large sheet of watercolour paper (Grace), cut out wreath shapes (me) and stick them on a card, with cutout star shapes; grew legs, we deviated, and the wreath shapes became decorated with tiny leaves cut out by Fergal and I, then we punched shapes that we imagined to look like Poinsetta flowers and stuck them on.
It took hours and hours. But the end result is just lovely. I’ve written most of them… just have to make it to the Post office now!!
Wow! Lovely to see what’s been going on in the Nest! I am loving your Christmas tree and cards. Some amount of work in them, well done 🙂 But most of ALL James sleeping in the boat is adorable!! 🙂 Looking forward to seeing you over Christmas xxx
And can’t wait to see ye Eithne!! xxx
I love the boat box! Gorgeous photos, gorgeous
Thanks Office Mum! Boxes are a much sought after commodity in our house 🙂
Aww how adorable is James is the boat box! Such gorgeous photos and those cards are fab, youve inspired me to do some arts & crafts with the kids today, maybe snowmen or Xmas trees! 🙂
Happy Christmas xx
The sence of warmth and love just oozes from this post, LOVE the boat box and James aka Baby Jesus is priceless xx
Well that is by far the cutest baby Jesus I have ever seen… and a boat manger, how cool? LOVE your homemade cards, must have taken ages!
Your cards look fabulous altogether, I love all the detail and that they came about with the involvement of the family (it might be forced involvement because of having stood on a nail but it’s involvement all the same!) And I love the way James is actually acting out the modern baby Jesus/Moses scene with an umbrella instead of bulrushes, very practical!
I absolutely love all of your Waldorf dolls! We don’t have anything this cute in the US. I have been searching to try and find a pattern for a small Waldorf doll (maybe 6″ or smaller?). Do you have a pattern that I can buy/download for your teeny Waldorf dolls? Love your site! Happy New Years!!
Thanks Katie 🙂 I have actually been meaning to make a little pattern for some time… New Years resolution for me. I will start planning and pattern-making tomorrow! Keep an eye out over the next few weeks!!