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