This post is brought to you by a relentless bout of nesting. I use the word relentless quite literally–I have felt like I’m losing my mind, and acting like it too. If you think I’m exaggerating, well, let me tell you a story.
I was in the boys’ room yesterday, trying to clean off the bunk beds from all the things that had accumulated while the floors were being worked on. The swivel ladder from one side had been taken off and laid on an empty bed space, and I would like it to be put back if possible.
So I told Clive–very carefully, because sometimes he is thinking of other things and doesn’t quite hear me and I want him to understand what I’m asking–“Go to the Ham House and ask Daddy if he has a free moment–if he has a free moment, say just that–could he please come and put this ladder back on the bunk beds?” I worded it this way because I knew there was a possibility that Jeremy was on his lunch break, but if he wasn’t, it wasn’t a pressing matter.
A few minutes later, Jeremy came in.
“Are you irate?” He asked.
“…No?” I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.
“Clive said you were really upset. Do you need the ladder on right now?”
This would sound preposterous except that the day before I had needed some baseboards put in right that moment and had spent most of the day in tears over various things, baseboards included. It’s Beatrice’s fault.
So apparently Clive had decided to strike preemptively and, though I was perfectly calm (though precise) when I gave him my instructions, he still followed his delivery with and she’s really upset and I think she wants you to come do it right now before she gets more mad or something along those lines.
So Jeremy had left his work to come calm down his rabid, pregnant, nesting wife and tell her the ladder wasn’t going back on because there was something he wanted to fix on it first.
And since his wife wasn’t rabid (though she is pregnant and nesting) everything was fine. This time, anyway.
beatrice
The little lady causing an awful lot of trouble around here is the one we found out we’ll be welcoming in April. We’re having another girl, and everyone is thrilled except Elvie and Eldore, who don’t completely understand the situation exactly. The big boys have been calling the baby Beatrice since the day we found out we’d be having another baby and Jeremy said, “This may be baby Beatrice!” And, wonderfully, it was her. This means I get to say things like “The Girls” as well as “The Boys”, and I’ve already contacted the shop that made Elvie’s Dottie Fox doll to see if I can get a matching one for Little Sister. I hadn’t really expected or hoped for another girl, but when the sonographer told us the baby was a girl, I cried. I think because I felt like everyone knew her already. It was just good news.
So we are all looking forward to having another little girl around, even though she is making my hair fall out and kicking me places I wish she wouldn’t and making me a rabid, pregnant, nesting time bomb.
home-work
Since the last gallimaufry post, tiling has started in the colloquium, we had the floors done, painted the walls, cleaned the fireplace brick (using cream of tartar!), whitewashed and sealed the ceiling, bought a victrola cabinet to use for the island sink, and flip-flopped on cabinet colors more times than is certainly healthy. (Here is an update on the Colloquium from the end of November, though much more has been done since.)
I mentioned painting the boys’ room French Grey in the last post as well, and while we didn’t do that exact color, we did paint the room the same deep blue as the Colloquium. It’s lovely with the wood from the bunk beds and the floor.
Back in the Colloquium, we had planned to put built-in bookcases in the corner where the piano is going. After discussing it, however, we decided we weren’t really sure exactly how we wanted the bookcases to look. We found a picture of a floating-box bookcase online and it really sparked our interest. I won’t put too many details here, but we’ve got the wood and the design and my current job (which I’m shirking to write this post) is to tape the outlines of the design on the wall to make sure everything fits together.
We also swapped rooms with Elvie and Eldore, which means my mental wheels are turning in regards to how to make it feel like I’m sleeping in my own room and not “in the old nursery”, which is kind of how it feels now.
blogs & projects
Last post I mentioned finishing up the second part of the Hope & Home series. I actually did! Here are part two and part three.
I also mentioned writing a post on a maternity capsule wardrobe, but I didn’t. All of my clothes are in a pile in the old nursery our room. I still would like to do this, but the house is what’s on my mind now. Here is a tutorial on an owl ornament, though.
We moved to the smallest bedroom in the house, and it’s wonderfully cozy. I’m hoping to up that coziness (and make it feel less like the old nursery) plus make a little space for Beatrice in there. I am excited about this. Wish me luck.
Now that we’re having another girl, all of the girly impulses I held back with Elvie (except for the impulses involving huge bows…see photo below) have come roaring joyfully in. I may have been heard, not very long ago, rejecting a suite of furniture for their room because it was “not feminine enough.” Also, that Bible-story page wall that I never finished? It’s in their room now. And it’s not very feminine, either. If I take it down, though, I have to contend with the peeling wallpaper that underneath it. I am mulling over this dilemma, and running it by Beatrice, who seems to be in control of all the house projects at the moment anyway.
There’s also various sewing projects about, but since this is already too long, I’ll leave it at this.
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