i rediscovered this photo today when i was organising my files
it was captured back in January & its so him
i love …
his sweet smile
the tiny scar on his bottom lip
his sparkly blue/green eyes
he’s even wearing his favourite hat – a Honda one his cousins gave him for xmas

so many portraits are shot in portrait (vertical) format
but i love framing them horizontally like this
with the subject off-center or using the rule of thirds
what about you – how do you like to frame your portraits?

my sweet girl is growing up so fast

as she approaches the tween years, emotions often run high

i think that’s why i love this photo so much

she looks like a little girl again

so happy and relaxed and carefree

& she’s smiling – not a cheesy camera smile, but one of pure joy

we’re home after a lovely holiday at the not so sunny sunshine coast

M & B had their 1st surfing lesson & we all went 10 pin bowling

keeping up with my 365 grateful project wasn’t easy & i missed several days … c’est la vie!

there are times when a compact camera (or an iphone) would have been very handy

on the home front, all the grass is seeding & everything looks so green & lush – but the days are SO humid & HOT

its beginning to look a lot like xmas … M & B have decorated the tree, made gingerbread houses & melted snowman cookies, watched Santa Claus is coming to Town, there are lots of gifts under the tree & more fun in store when Bernard (Santa’s elf) hides his next letter!

i’d love to hear about the fun things you’ve been doing this holiday season!

my kids love the social aspects of homeschooling – like on air lessons, clusters & minischools

but they’re not that keen on the day to day paperwork that has to be completed – which makes life challenging!

to be fair, Madi is reasonably independent & keen to get her work done

my boy on the other hand, would much rather be making a new cubby house or riding his motorbike than in the schoolroom!

so, when a project captures his interest & he surprises me with something like this … it makes my day!!

with summer almost upon us, slushies are a popular afternoon treat – especially when they’re made with fizzy drink!

when i was growing up, i remember loving slushies – the sweet icy goodness, those brief cold headaches … do you remember them?

so i was excited to find out about these slushie mugs via one of taraW’s tweets & they’ve been a huge hit in our house!

you can read more about them here: http://www.glacierware.com/slushmug.htm

master B couldn’t help but ham it up – just a little – for the camera!

… are always a hit … especially when its something you *have* to do for school

another milestone – my sweet girl has hit double digits!

it’s like I blinked & she’s almost a tween already *sigh*

so … here are 10 things i know about Madi …

1. she wants to be a singer or an actress when she grows up

2. she would eat chocolate every day if i let her

3. a pony (a real live one!) and a DSi were at the top of her birthday list  (sorry babe! hoping a new bed will be almost as good!)

4. her favourite & most cherished toy is still Florie (her teddy)

5. she loves chatting on the phone & playing webkinz with her buddy miss E

6. her foot is the same size as her brother’s (big kids 4)

7. even though she has the sweetest smile, she gets shy & self conscious when asked to smile eg. for school photos

8. she loves to sing – in the car, in the shower, outside – anywhere! she also loves taking photos & making movies

9. she’s been learning the recorder & keyboard & is doing well with both because she’s got a good ear

10. her favourite subject at school is maths & she’s also involved in thinkers club, lone guides, project club & chess

she loves tickles & cuddles and i can’t imagine life without her!

today i’m hugging her as much as she wants and more because this time together is so precious

love you baby girl!

i love so many things about this photo … Bear’s too big workshirt paired with his pj pants; the angle of his foot; the cluster of 3 lambs; Ricky drinking as fast as he can, tail wagging with Fighter right there – just in case! the way Gibby is nibbling hopefully near his leg … its something many country kids have experienced

they race outside in the morning to feed them before they eat their own breakfast & their breaks are spent feeding & playing with them. baby lambs make great pets & both kids adore them!

m & b helped to dust flour on the floor so we could see the bunny’s tracks. there were two sets of tracks this year – a mama & her baby perhaps?

i especially loved the little signs they wrote for the bunny (including a thank you after her visit)

i hope you had a happy chocolate covered easter too!