There was some chat on a craft web site I frequent about how well Waldorf dolls hold up over time. I thought I'd share some pictures of the kids' dolls. I rudely stripped them naked for the purpose of the picture.

They are arranged from oldest on the left to youngest on the right. The one on the far left has shared raspberries with Penelope (hence the stains). It was originally a boy doll that I made for Diego, but he never played with him much and it has been appropriated by Penelope. He (now she) and the next doll to the right are now the twins, Vanilla and Canilla.

The dark skinned doll 2nd from the right is Claudia's most beloved and is definitely showing it--she's lost her mouth and her hair needs some attention. She was originally a fairy that I attempted to make for the daughter of a co-worker. She had awesome sparkly hair, but I could never get the wings figured out, so I kept her and Thorin eventually chewed her sparkly hair off. Claudia calls her "Nati-butt" which is also what she calls her best friend in real life (a little boy whose name is Nati).

The doll in green is featured (tragically) in a previous post.

And the doll on the far right I originally made to sell at the local craft shop, but I became too attached to her so she has sat on my sewing desk for the last few months. The girls kept taking her to play with so I finally gave her to Claudia and now she is "Jared." This is complicated: Diego and P and I are reading the Spiderwick Chronciles (totally awesome) and there are three kids in those books: Mallory, Simon and Jared. Penelope plays endless games where she is big sister Mallory and Claudia is younger brother Jared and together they befriend fairies and fight goblins. So...Jared.

Anyway, even though they are somewhat shabby, they are still much loved and much played with.
Having an assortment of nice clothes for them helps because everyone look better in nice clothes.

I had an actual complaint in real life from an actual person that I haven't been updating the blog enough.

I know. I am still feeling overwhelmed: job, kids, house, holidays, haven't bought a 2011 calendar yet (that's on the agenda for today). Guess where the blog falls in this list of responsibilities/pleasures/privileges....Somewhere after walking the dog but before vacuming the upstairs rugs (and now you know how my rugs must look!).

Anyway, like everyone, we've had a busy month. We had a flute recital--complete with 2 parents crying like loons for every child who played. See the flute player in the center below.
a ballet recital,

a birthday party for a now 7-year old boy who happens to be obsessed with Egypt.


And Christmas of course.

I made a princess doll for P and was very pleased with her. I used the tutorial from Wee Wonderfuls to make ringlets--which took about 2 weeks of wrapping, glueing and sewing. P had asked for a "cradle that wocks" (can you hear the way she says R's?" We had this little black cradle in the basement from when I was little. It had been broken by Diego attempting to climb into it when he was a toddler. Al repaired it and I made a little mattress, pillow and quilt for it. The princess also received an everyday dress, a nightgown and appropriate underpants (petticoat and panties--lace trimmed of course).


By the end of the day, we had lost a shoe and the crown, Penelope had brushed the ringlets (which required an emergency repair) and she had put lip balm on the doll's face. To me, that means the doll was a success.

I didn't do a whole lot of crafting for the other kids this year for Christmas (see 'overwhelmed' above). But I am 95% finished with a sweater for Claudia. When my mom caught me knitting on the toilet on Christmas eve, I decided that it was important to know when to let things go.

We also had a snow-storm adventure (terrifying at the time, but exciting in retrospect) and an awesome reunion with the L.A. Schwarz's, including a chance to meet the newest Schwarz, baby Rowan (but I forgot my camera). And we have some exciting news to share which will be forthcoming soon.

Happy New Year,
Jessi

I read an article

I stumbled across this article on the internet.

Obviously, we are not 'kid-free' but having struggled with the stay-home/work outside the home question for years myself, I have a few thoughts about it.

First is, you have to be able to clean (including clean up after other people) and cook (including for other people) and do laundry (including other people's laundry) without feeling angry, really really angry. If you are a stay-at-home homemaker, and identify yourself as such, then you will be doing a lot (and I mean a lot) of cooking, cleaning and cleaning. And did I mention cleaning? I am not able to do this without anger--at least not for more than a few months at a time.

Second, if keeping home becomes your occupation, then it really helps of the person or people who share your home really really really appreciates it. Otherwise problems with step one (see above) may arise. I think it is almost inevitable that the working outside the home partner will start to take certain things for granted. He or she may come home one day and leave his or her muddy shoes right on the carpet that you just vacuumed, put his or her feet up on the table that you just wiped off and tell you that he or she is not hungry for the labor-intensive meal that you just set on the table with pre-warmed plates and candles ready for lighting. Of course, you can eat by yourself in that situation, enjoying the meal and the nice clean kitchen alone, but again, there is the potential for anger. Great anger.

That's basically it. If it weren't for those two issues (plus the loneliness issue, which I think may have more to do with being outnumbered by little kids in my family so perhaps not applicable to the kidless homemaking issue), I could be a happy stay-at-home homemaker. I like cooking. I don't mind cleaning (occasionally). I like making spaces cozy and beautiful. Lord knows I like crafting. But somehow, doing it all for myself isn't enough. I think I would need a team of deeply admiring appreciators standing by at all times. I haven't been able to find such a team...

Halloween and house update

Diego was a vampire bat. Penelope--well I'm not sure what she was but it involved both wings and a cape as well as a tutu. Claudia followed suit but omitted the wings and wore rain boots in stead of sneakers...
And, a finished room. I believe that Penelope's room is the only one in the house that is actually 'done' as in I don't have plans to move any furniture or hang any more pictures or anything.
The color of the walls is "bed of roses by Benjamin Moore and it is PINK. I had read that pink, more than other colors, appears much stronger on the wall than on the chip, and in this case, that was true. But the princess likes it, so that's okay with me.
The curtains were in Claudia's room at the old house and matched the pink walls nicely as well as P's new birthday quilt. The bed and bedside table, Al and I got at an antique shop in Chester County--the bed is one of a pair and the other is in Claudia's room (she calls it Daddy's bed because that's where Al lies while putting her to bed and usually falls asleep himself).
The art work is a combination of old stuff that my dad and I have picked up at various flea markets over the years as well as paintings by my grandmother and friend Sarah (like almost all the art in our house). The hooks on the wall are from Anthropologie and hold some tutu's and her nightgowns and robe (homemade polar fleece from our awesome friend Christine). The rug is from Ikea and the chair my mom got at a kid's store in NY.

The whole room is about 8x10 (which probably explains why it's the only rooms that's done!).

Giving Thanks

I know it's a little early in the season, but I was inspired by this post to start trying to be more conscious of all the blessings in my life.

As anyone whose been around me recently knows, I've been in a funk. I assume it was precipitated by Al's injury and subsequent (ongoing) convalescence, just when I was starting to think that we would be able to emerge from the fog and chaos of moving/construction (torn achilles tendon, in case you missed it). It's weird for me to be in a funk this time of year though as they usually correspond with the worst weather in Philly (February and August).

The fall is my favorite time of year though, and the colder weather brings with it new energy for my craft projects (we need mittens damnit!), cooking (soups and pies) and spending time together.

A certain someone turned 2 yesterday. I've left the laundry to pile up and the sink full of dishes in order to spend time with dear friends--both close by and further away.

My kids love books as much as I do.

What I love...

Well this girl of course, with her new home-cut hair-do.
The light in our new house. After 8 years of living in row houses, I'm enchanted. Morning light...afternoon light...What a wonder.


The kitchen, all cleaned up at the end of the day and ready for everybody tomorrow morning...

Diego on the first day of school---above in the school yard with what seemed like a thousand other kids (see the nervous smile), and below hiding behind the stroller and not letting me take his picture.

The girls and I went with my mom to the New Jersey Sheep and Wool festival last weekend.



Belated pictures of Penelope's birthday party--which mostly consisted of P and her friends huddled in this tent playing 'sleeping baby animals'--her current favorite game.




And some belated house pictures....