Sunday, March 27, 2016

Our Week in Photos: Soothers, Stacking and Easter Eggs

I am such a fan of soothers. Having said that, I've only had 1 outta 5 of my children actually take them! Well Enoch did for the first few months of his life...and it makes SUCH a difference! I could swaddle him tight, pop in the soother and he'd be asleep in like 20 seconds. Then one day, outta the blue he acted like his soother was poison and we've been suffering ever since (by "we" I mean me and my nipples!) It sucks--pun intended-- to be someones soother. 

I really am so glad Hadley takes one (she still wakes up screaming at night for other reasons, beyond her and her father's comprehension) but having had Enoch so quickly after her, i was so gratful she coudl get comfort from something other than me. 

So one day I had my camera out right before I put her down for her nap adn I figured I'd do a little mini-shoot in gratitude: my very own Ode to a Soother. 

(She calls them Ooooo, which still makes me think she thinks something is yucky, until I clue in, Oh! duh sOOOOther!"








 She also LOOOOOOOOVES her blankies. To the point where I had to use old flannel ones for Enoch cuz all the nice light muslin ones, Hadley was claiming. She has at leaset 1 usually 3 with her.

She plays with the edges while she falls asleep.





 Night night Hadley.

When she's going down for a nap or bedtime, she says "Nigh-nigh" to everyone, but especially her brothers. It's quite the production.

"Boy-ez, Boy-ez! Nigh-nigh boyz!" (I need to get the ritual on tape cuz I never wanna forget how cute her little voice is calling to them)

Then she says "Hugs!" Big full squeeze hugs, and then "Kisses!" and she get to on the lips smooches from McKye and Levi. It's adorable.

Almost as adorable as this...
















Stacking. I'm actually really glad I got this this week, because Aaron left his "beloved" childcraft books outside when all that wet ,wet snow fell, and they were totally ruined and had to be thrown out.

For a couple year now they have appeared randomly all over my house. Wherever Aaron is, his stacks are stacked beside him. Which is fine, except he compulsively has to knock over the nice neat piles whenever he leaves the house, leaving me with a total mess.... to stack....but I don't enjoy it like Aaron does!





















An finally some easter fun.
Starting with paper in our jammies... (With my temporary table, while I procrastinate re-finishing  my other table that sitting half sanded in my garage:)





And yesterday, getting into the real stuff. (With only a dozen instead of two dozen eggs, because, the only thing Aaron finds funner than stacking things, is breaking eggs:)





They were soooo cute, teaching her the colours and just giving her so much attention. It's sweet.


















 and more princess stickers.....






Sunday, March 20, 2016

Our Week in Photos: Snack Time, Drumsets and Princess Stickers




 Did I say at least 7 photos? Sooooooooo....I took a couple thousand!
 Lots to delete. Tons that didn't work out. But I was told "the more photos you take, the quicker you'll improve" and I'm putting it to the test. 
McKye lost 2 teeth in 2 days

I'm finding it challenging to adjust back to composing looking through a view finder after a few years of reverting to iPhone pics. Manual is still tricky and sometimes I think I got it, and don't realize 'til I load them onto my computer that they're grainy or oops out of focus.


The thing I have been loving (that I've always loved about taking photos of my family) is how it makes me see my kids.

It reminds me of this awesome quote Rhonda

shared with us in our last photo class:



I want the photos my kids see of themselves to show them how I saw them. 
For the images to communicate to them how important they were to me 
(I mean by sheer number alone, they might suspect I kinda like em!)












Little mundane moments like dishing up snacks, suddenly become colourful, light-filled, love-filled moments I'll remember. Not because they were special in anyway, but just because I choose to look a little harder. Which is what my camera makes me do, really look . 


















Or playing with some toys...








Or better than toys...playing with their baby brother!





Enoch has crazy core strength, never wanting to miss anything going on in our crazy house

Or your baby sister!



Or playing in the random snow/hail





Or........your "new" drum set! (yes, we are crazy!)














And finally...playing with princess stickers! (Ahhhh things that still excite me after only having boys for so long)



Getting baby brother in on the fun

He's cool with it


















All these jpegs turned in memories. 
Cuz I want so badly to remember, 
every piggie tail, every chubby baby toe, every little tantrum...

 turned into a giggle fit.  The extremes of childhood and by extension, parenthood.

Cuz who wouldn't want to remember this face!?!