39/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week every week in 2013"


Sophie: On our stay at home Monday, the girls and I got stuck into all things purple paint, making decorations in preparation for our Grand Final party.  Silly me let Sophie paint in her fairy dress... needless to say using purple paint whilst wearing the same colour was not a good idea and by the end of our art session, she had purple paint up her arms, over her lips and in her hair.


...just one portrait this week... with two weeks of school holidays ahead of us, I'll hopefully have plenty of opportunities to focus on capturing some snapshots of my big girl as she winds down after a long term...

Joining in with Jodi

Little Bijou was the standout portrait this week for me, 'The Secret Garden' immediately sprang to mind when I saw Steph's shot of her sweet girl...

Purple Passion

I have never been a football fanatic. Growing up with a Dad who lived and breathed the game I was happy to barrack along for his team but never had anywhere near his level of enthusiasm. Last Saturday night though, with Paul out in the city watching the preliminary final at a pub with mates, I told the girls we were watching a football game after tea and would be cheering for ‘Pop’s team’.

For a good part of the first half, we sat on the living room couch together, Sophie parroting back my ‘come on Freo!’ every time I uttered the phrase and pumping her little fist in the air. With every goal, the three of us would leap to our feet, hold hands and do our ‘happy dance’, chanting ‘Freo! Freo!’…the girls giggling away caught up in the fun of it all.

For the final quarter, with the girls tucked up in bed  (Grace joined me for the countdown after she crept out for a sip of water), I continued to watch on anxiously. I cheered just as much for my Dad as for The Dockers themselves...  And when that final siren sounded, my eyes welled with tears, firstly with happiness at Dad’s team having made the Grand Final but also for that exciting moment I knew he would have loved to have witnessed himself.

Over the past week, we have embraced the festivities and created purple decorations to hang in our living room. On Saturday, the girls are planning to dress in purple (albeit purple fairy dresses) and we will have a little party here at lunch time with friends so we can all watch the match together.

While Sophie is too young, I hope that some day, perhaps Grace will have a vague recollection of the time her Mummy embraced all things Fremantle, danced around with her in the living room and cheered with all her heart for ‘Pop’s team’…

The Rhythm Of Our Days: Slow And Simple Monday Mornings

With nowhere to be or to have to rush off to, our Monday mornings are slow and relaxed.  They have become our day to simply stay at home, catch-up and lay low after a weekend of outings and errands and are one of my favourite parts of our week. We take our time with breakfast and after tables are cleared, faces washed and teeth brushed, the girls are itching to play with their toys.  I let them linger in their pyjamas that bit longer than usual while Barbies are dressed, Duplo towers are built and toys are 'cooked' breakfast, using this time myself to throw on a load of washing, do a general tidy-up and make the beds.

After some resistance, I get Grace and Sophie dressed and we make what is usually our one and only trip out of the house for the day to a small local supermarket where we buy fresh bread and one or two items, the girls holding hands as they follow me around the store.  Back at home, morning tea is prepared, the kettle switched on before I have even unpacked our grocery items as I eagerly await my second cuppa of the morning.  On days we stay home, I seem to spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing meals.

Mid morning, we enjoy a craft session together full of creativity and messy fun. I hover nearby, keeping a close eye on paintbrush wielding Sophie whilst pegging artwork out to dry. When clean up time arrives, the girls are ushered outdoors... sunny days without rain allow for pottering in the garden, digging in the sand patch and running about on the lawn, drizzly days call for patio play with scooters and bubble blowing. Cold days see the girls back to their indoor toys, usually dressing their 'babies', playing shops or colouring in.  

On Monday mornings, we have no plans.  Our time is our own, free to potter and play and to enjoy one another's company.  We wear house clothes and don't worry about getting dirty or messy.  I feel sad already that this much loved part of our week will be very different next year when Grace begins full time school...

A few of you expressed an interest in joining along with my 'The Rhythm Of Our Days' series... I'd love any of you who wish to share a snippet of a typical part of a chosen day to leave a link to your blog post in the comments below (I have yet to fully investigate a linky widget sorry).  
Document in photos, with words or whatever takes your fancy so that you too can record and capture the small, often overlooked parts of your week 
before they change and take on a new rhythm...

38/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week every week in 2013"


Sophie: The out-takes of the 'red coat photo shoot'... while there were similarities between my girls, our little one's cheeky streak was visible in many of the shots.

Grace: Braids taken out left long pretty waves... she insisted on leaving her hair out today.  I love that the clips she is wearing are actually clips I wore myself as a little girl... keepsakes and traditions slowly filtering through and being passed on to my girls from their mama...

Joining in with Jodi

Two boys in their spectacles drew my attention last week... sweet little Fox and Jo's Master 16...

Two Little Girls, One Red Coat

Back when Grace had her first birthday, one of my best friends gave her the cutest, beautifully tailored coat. Made of wool in a lovely shade of red and fully lined, it was perfect for keeping the wind off little chests on chilly days in winter.

The photo of Grace in this adorable item of clothing soon became one of my all time favourite shots. I didn't ask her to pose at all but somehow chanced capturing a sweet stance and and smile.

Yesterday, as I dressed Sophie in the exact same outfit, it suddenly dawned on me that I should try and re-create the photo of Grace. With the girls at virtually the same age, in identical outfits and both standing in front of the jasmine bush by our back door, I loved being able to highlight their similarities and differences. Grace with fine, wisps of hair... Sophie with her curly mop of ringlets. Grace tall for her age and slim, fitting into her jeans with the coat slightly roomy... Sophie needing the ends of her jeans turned under and with the coat fitting snuggly.

That little red coat may very well become one piece of clothing I'll have to hold onto as a keepsake for the girls...

This post shows a comparison of Grace and Sophie as babies

A New Series: The Rhythm Of Our Days

My days looked very different back when I worked full-time.  Mornings were spent sleeping in as late as I could before hurriedly scoffing down breakfast and leaving for work in a flurry.  Lunch breaks were spent supervising children in the playground or sitting in the staff room preparing lessons.  Come the afternoons, I would run errands and stop for groceries on the journey home, often playing the 'what will we have for dinner?' game come five thirty.

When Grace came along several years later, my days changed dramatically.  I had earlier starts which began with breastfeeding my bub in bed or on the couch.  Breakfast was a slow affair, on warmer days enjoyed outdoors together on our patio.  My lunch break became my 'me time' and whilst early evening was probably the most chaotic time of our day, thanks to my new habit of menu planning, it was undoubtedly more organised.

Over the years and through the seasons, each phase has come and gone and the rhythm of our days has adapted slightly.  As the weeks slip by and my girls grow at a rate much quicker than I would like, I find myself eager to remember and record how our daily life looks at each stage in a way that can be reminisced upon down the track.  As a result, over the coming months, I've decided to start a new series here called 'The Rhythm Of Our Days', documenting how certain parts of the week typically look here in our little family.

Time feels so fleeting lately and consequently, I no longer view insignificant daily happenings as mundane and repetitive but instead, see them as precious moments...

I look forward to sharing a little bit of that 'every day' magic here in this space of mine...

37/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week every week in 2013"


Grace: A few weeks back on one of her non-kindy days, Grace and I put together a little miniature fairy garden, something I thought would be perfect for my big girl who likes nothing more than to potter about in the backyard.  Bits and pieces she's collected often find their way here.  Yesterday it was a handful of tiny gum nuts.  Today it was the some geranium flowers and a soft leaf from a 'lamb's ear' plant which she decided would make a perfect door mat.  I love the way she engages in imaginative play at this age.

Sophie: My sweet little poppet... This is her 'cheese' face... which is immediately followed by her running to the camera asking, "I see?"

Joining in with Jodi

Among last week's portraits, Oliver gazing out the window, the softness in Bron's photo of Badoo and Queenie's chubby hand complete with rainbow coloured nails all made me smile...

Easing Into Spring

Taking a step back from the computer for a few weeks at the end of August to recharge and allow myself time to pause and reflect was really beneficial.  While no monumental projects were crossed off my to-do list, I pottered, 'caught up' and took things easy. Mostly, I simply used those weeks to embrace slow days and the comforts of home and our little family.

Spring has now arrived and while we've had a few days here and there of glorious blue-skied, sunshine-filled days, here in the west, wet and blustery weather has lingered.  Bit by bit though, I'm sensing an inner change and a sense of restlessness... an eagerness to begin projects and to get out more.  However, I'm letting the seasons lead me and am easing myself into spring rather than jumping into it with over-ambitious enthusiasm.

Swirling around in my head at the moment are a whole myriad of projects I'm itching to get started on... transforming the gallery wall in our entryway from a wall of wedding day portraits to a wall of precious family snapshots... getting photos off the computer and into albums to be flicked through and reminisced upon... putting the finishing touches on our home office/guest bedroom makeover... enjoying the sunshine and the simple pleasure of pottering in the garden with the girls, adding some pops of colour to our predominately green garden... deciding upon a mama-made cake for our little one's upcoming second birthday... searching for inspiration and menu ideas for my annual Pink Ribbon Day fundraiser... dreaming of a possible family holiday involving interstate flights...

For now though, I'll follow the lead of this wintery day, make myself a cuppa and sit here by the window looking out across overcast skies,  knowing that all these projects will come about eventually as spring unfolds and my plans take shape...

36/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week every week in 2013"


Sophie: After breakfast at one of our favourite cafes, the girls had a play across the road at the local playground. Sophie was ever fearless, by-passing the smaller slide for the high, spiral one... launching herself down before I even had a chance to call out "be careful".

Grace: Our gentle animal lover carried around her praying mantis friend all afternoon, letting it crawl up her arm and into her hair and showing it around the backyard before releasing it into the fairy garden when it was time to come indoors.

Joining in with Jodi

Sweet Zoe, carefree Jessica and these two adorable siblings snoozing side by side were my favourites from last week...

35/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week every week in 2013"


Sophie:  My blue eyed girl with her head of curly ringlets.  She has become such a lovely little companion on the days her big sister is at kindy... following me about like a little shadow and chatting away incessantly.

Grace: A common sight - boots on the wrong feet and something to draw with in hand.  Hair clips positioned awkwardly in her fringe reminiscent of earlier in the week when I collected her from kindy. Having done her hair neatly in the morning with green clips to match her uniform, I was surprised to be greeted by a hot pink clip hanging across her forehead... she had snuck it into her pocket and 'prettied up her hairstyle' at school.

Joining in with Jodi

It was two black and white portraits that caught my eye last week - Alice perched on the windowsill and Otto gazing out between billowy curtains.

Fathering Two Little Girls

When I first met Paul over twelve and a half years ago, he was without a doubt a 'boys' boy' with interests including dirt bikes, car racing, cricket, fishing and camping.  A weekend ride through the bush was a common occurrence in the wetter months, usually followed by camping overnight with mates.  He owned a rally car and competed in events, attended the speedway regularly and had a definite adventurous streak.

With Paul as their Dad, my girls were always going to grow up with a love of the outdoors and getting dirty. Grace has a ball going for rides on the family boat, will happily tag along with Paul to have a look at planes taking off at the local airport and excitedly joins him for the occasional bike ride around the local streets.

Having two girls however, has definitely seen me witness a previously unknown side of my husband in the past four years.  Surrounded by fairy dresses, dolls and glitter, it has been so lovely to see his softer side come out.  He comments to Grace and Sophie how pretty they look when they dress up as princesses or butterflies, gives cuddles and comfort when tears appear and has become an expert in all things Peppa Pig or Tinkerbell related.  Early the other morning, Grace tip-toed into our bedroom. Thinking I was still asleep, she crept around to Paul's side of the bed.

"Daddy, can you please help me put this dress on my Barbie?" she asked him.

I couldn't help but smile, thinking of how Paul's world has changed so much since he has become a Daddy to two little girls.

I'm so proud of the wonderful job my husband does with our little ones, for the hands on way he helps with parenting and for his ability to whole-heartedly embrace all things 'pink and pretty'...

Father's Day in our family is always tinged with a slight sense of sadness .. after morning cuddles in bed and enjoying breakfast out as a little family of four, we stopped by the cemetery to leave a camellia from our garden for my dear Dad and then found a spot by the river to let a bloom for Paul's Dad be carried out on the waves... keeping in mind as we did, all of the many special memories we have of our two precious fathers...