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Maggie: I took the girls to a favourite childhood haunt, a waterhole on the North-west bay river. They loved the rock climbing and playing in the water. I have meant to go back this summer, but to be honest I think summer has slipped away from us.
Elisabeth: Oh my. She continues to develop into a confident young miss. In most regards. Rob took this portrait.

Part of the 52 portrait project for 2017.

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Maggie: Yes these are the same series as the last set of portraits from 2016, but I loved these two as well, and when they were strictly taken on the 3rd of January, it is totally legitimate to use them as the first set of 2017. Given how serious the last set were, I thought it appropriate to start a new year with smiles!
Elisabeth: A gorgeous smile. 

Whilst I thought perhaps with all the delays in blogging last year, that perhaps I should stop this project. They photos from the last three years are so precious to me that I couldn't!

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Maggie: Her final portrait in 2016. A classic Maggie measured look. A little annoyed. A little defiant. All Mags.
Elisabeth: About to smile. An open look. Goodness they have grown up this past year.

The final set of portraits for 2016.

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Maggie: Her serious look, softened by those curls!
Elisabeth: She continues to like to see the photos on the back of the camera after they are taken.

Part of my 52 portraits for 2016.

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Maggie: Yikes, channeling her inner Kate Moss! We have continued this monthly set of portraits. Amazing to see the girls grow up as we look back on the set of portraits.
Elisabeth: Poor girls are not often in the mood for these set of photos, as we they are usually on one of our home days before Rob heads to work!

Joining in VERY late with 52 portrait project.

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Maggie: Surfing down the slide. On recent trips to the beach she has asked for a surfboard. Surfy chick coming up!
Elisabeth: A look of determination, not uncommon for either girl.

Blogging quite obviously has fallen by the wayside over the last couple of months. I am blaming end of the year shenanigans including their birthday, Christmas, pre-kinder sessions, trying to finish tasks at work. We have been taking photos, just not finding the time to post them.

So a big catch up is due!

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Maggie: has been keen to visit a strawberry farm near Richmond after I described it to her, when we finally had the day off and the weather was actually nice, we zipped over there to pick three kilograms of huge strawberries and for the girls to enjoy their strawberry ice creams. The first day in a while that actually felt like spring!
Elisabeth: Was an excellent picker, carefully selecting the reddest and ripest fruit.

Hooray I have caught up with the 52 portrait project!

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Maggie: The weather has not be cooperative with my planned early Christmas card photo shoot, but finally the sun shone and I managed to get a couple. I started creating photo cards  in 2014, and I love the design, receiving the box full of our cards printed on gorgeous paper, with matching envelopes and then writing them and of course finally sending them on their way around Australia and further afield.
Elisabeth: Is fully on board with excessive "Chrimas" celebrations! She loves it and is so excited for it this year.

Two week's ago 52 project portraits.

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Maggie: Perfect light under the hazel trees, or the Dinosaur Zeppelin, as the girls think of it! Love listening to their imaginary games.
Elisabeth: I can't quite remember what was happening, maybe an unusual bird or the neighbour's dog barking?

Nearly there, two more weeks to catch up for the 52 portrait project.

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Maggie: my strong girls!
Elisabeth: Perhaps the weight difference is noticeable here. 

Playing catch up with the 52 portrait project.

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Maggie: We visited a garden the weekend Rob took these photos- despite having 9 acres to run about on, they are much more excited about other gardens, in fact they both demanded a visit to a garden last weekend!
Elisabeth: They even rolled down a grassy slope, which isn't possible at home thanks to the wallaby poop!

Playing major catch up with the 52 portrait project.

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Maggie: October has started off in true style with gale force winds and so much rain. Our tank is overflowing and we lost power for 18 hours last week. Outside time has been sadly curtailed to rushing out in-between squalls. So on Monday when the weather was actually nice, we headed off to a little beach just out of Cygnet. Both the dogs and the girls were so happy, amusing themselves with collecting rocks and making mud (wet sand) pies. Maggie told me last week when she grows up she would like to be a shop keeper. I asked what sort of shop, she replied a cake and bread shop! Sounds perfect to me.
Elisabeth: Probably watching the cheeky dogs who were wrestling and swimming the whole time. I was starting to think about Christmas and I asked Lizzie what she thought Rob might like for Christmas. She replied "baubles", hmmm perhaps not.

Joining in with Jodi's 52 portrait project.

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Maggie: My pippi long stocking has decided to smile that unbelievably fake cheesy smily now when the camera is out! So this was the most natural expression I could manage. A circus has been in town, with giant inflatable (scary to me) clowns popping up in the front yards of various properties on our ride into town. Maggie keenly points them out. Apparently when they visited the library last week she spied the circus tent from the window and exclaimed excitedly "there's a new building".
Elisabeth: Continues to take an interest in the photos I take, happily posing then rushing around to see the back of the camera! She is also keen on the concept of Rob and I going on a "date night" so she can be babysat by my parents! We might do it soon, as a treat in the rush up to their birthday and Christmas, and to celebrate some big deadlines we both have at work.

Joining in with Jodi's 52 portrait project.

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Maggie: Rob took these portraits. Early morning sunshine creating light and shade during our morning. Mags always has a collection of treasures she jealously guards. That is a plastic lid on her chin!
Elisabeth: Focused on the iPad probably. Last week was a pig-tail week. It helps keep their hair under control! Oh my goodness the knots and the crying whilst I try to untangle them!

Joining in with Jodi's 52 portrait project.

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Maggie: Spring is most definitely in the air. Early morning walks on dewy grass and late afternoon outside play is possible again without rugging up! Love this look of triumph they were keen to be "the winner," the competitive edge might run deeply in these two. Today poor Mags was running around inside (not something I encourage obviously) and learnt the hard way why I always ask them to stop it. I was in the kitchen when I heard the wail, she had slipped over and whacked her nose on the concrete floor. Blood everywhere (we both ended up liberally covered in blood whilst - as Elisabeth described it -Mama played doctor) and then a very swollen nose despite ice. So off to the doctor and then an x-ray. Luckily no fracture but just a sore nose.
Elisabeth: I love this photo of her. She keeps astounding us with her observations and conversations.

Joining in with the 52 portrait project.

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Maggie: Rob took these photos in the late afternoon light alongside the flowering pears that line our driveway. The girls helped me pick some new spring dresses online. People often ask me if I always dress them the same, or let them choose. Mostly I have chosen clothes, and if I am buying new ones I will buy two of the same clothes. Because in my experience they do want to wear the same outfit. But it was interesting to see what they picked when given the chance, and they still have a fair bit of say in what they wear on any particular day (I don't need to add extra tantrums to my day!)
Elisabeth: The girls were happy to have their elder sister stay for a night over the weekend. The three of them played most of the time, or she would patiently read as many books as they could find. 

Hoorah- up to date on the portraits and blogging!

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Maggie: I took these photos early last week to prove I could do braids! Pippy long stocking eat your heart out!
Elisabeth: She actually took a keen interest in these photos, wanting to know why I wanted them to sit up on the window seat (to get the last of the natural light), and looking into the lens. 

Joining in a week late for week 37 of the 52 portrait project.

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Maggie: Simple things make them so happy- like a pile of wood chips destined for the garden. Instead the pile becomes a mountain to scale in the late afternoon sun.
Elisabeth: A mixture of toddler and little girl. 

Posting very late for the 52 portraits project.

35/52

Maggie: After five days away from my family on a research vessel adventure we had a great weekend together. Heading up north to Launceston to visit family, eat delicious food, visit the museum (girls weren't quite ready for the Permian monsters display, apparently moving, roaring robotic dinosaurs are scary!) and attend a cousin's 1st birthday party. The girls had a blast, wearing party hats, blowing on party blowers, chasing bubbles, jumping on a trampoline, drinking strawberry milk, and eating rainbow jelly and birthday cake!
Elisabeth: bubble chasing is serious stuff. She has basically toilet trained herself in a week. Hooray! She came up to me at the museum and told me she needed to go to the toilet, and we managed our first public toilet with ease. So proud.

Need to take one more set of portraits to catch up with Jodi's 52 portrait series.

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Maggie: I took these two weeks ago, always playing catch up this year. A favourite spot for make believe games- in their nest of old grass/hay!
Elisabeth: Thoughtful here. Yesterday we had pancakes for breakfast to celebrate Father's day. They happily sat at the table to chat to us, and Elisabeth declared "this is my favourite part of the day".

Joining in very late with the 34th week of the 52 portraits!