Category Archives: Sophie is photographing

18/52

Leave a reply

IMG_1418.jpg

“A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2016.”

Those of you who follow me on Instagram may have noticed that WE HAVE TADPOLES!

I am very excited about this. Possibly even more excited than Arthur. There has been something really quite astounding about watching them grow and change every day, and the whole process with it has brought with it so many opportunities for learning.

More on that later…

For now, though, I just love this image from the other morning. I’m not sure quite what our emerging froglets made of this giant towering over them, but it most definitely made me smile.

Linking up with Jodi at Practising Simplicity for The 52 Project. 

17/52

Leave a reply

IMG_1411.jpg

“A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2016.”

It’s hard, learning to make friends.

We spent the weekend with one of my oldest and bestest and her two kids, the elder of whom is weeks younger than Arthur. He was so excited to see her.

Things weren’t always entirely smooth. There were moments when Arthur’s experimental interactions crossed the boundaries, moments when I wanted just to sweep him up and replace him with a child who was perfectly socialised and knew not ever to push or hit or kick.

Looking at this image – of all the images I have as memories of the weekend – it would be easy to forget that it had not all been smiles. But it is important to remember, I think, what a huge amount of subconscious negotiating is going on when our little people are learning to share their world with others.

Ultimately, though, they were learning to be friends, these two. By the end of the weekend Arthur cared enough for her opinion not to want to make her sad or cross. When they went to say goodbye, he gave her a little kiss.

And when she kissed him back he visibly melted.

Linking up with Jodi at Practising Simplicity for The 52 Project. 

16/52

Leave a reply

IMG_1400.jpg

“A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2016.”

We had a bit of an impromptu adventure last Thursday.

We’d been supposed to go to a mums and kids exercise class, so had set off early to get the bus. We just missed one (of course), and then the next one didn’t come, but still we were vaguely on schedule. Until we got to pretty much the exact halfway point on our journey and ground to a halt in standstill traffic. There had been an accident – not a dreadful one, but it had involved a police car so they were letting no-one through.

I pondered for a few minutes, accepted that there was no way we were going to make our class, and decided that walking home would be a really great idea – via the coast path, and a couple of gorgeous little beaches that we very rarely get to visit. I thought it would be a bit of a mission, but actually wildly misjudged how long it would take. I’d forgotten just how windy the path was, and just how much of it traipsed up and down through woodlands. It was beautiful, but by the time we’d finally made it home my phone was telling me we’d walked for eleven kilometres.

And this one managed almost all of it, only taking a break in the sling for about twenty minutes in the run up to our (very overdue) break for lunch.

I was so proud of his stamina, and his determination to keep going. So many times when I’ve been wearing him over the past three years people have tutted and said he really should be walking, that by wearing him I wasn’t giving him the chance to build up his strength. I knew deep down that this was nonsense, that he was perfectly capable of walking but that didn’t mean that his little legs didn’t need a break from time to time.

The wonderful thing about the Connecta is that it’s so easy to stash in a bag as back up, leaving us free to go wherever the mood takes us. We might not have planned to go on this particular hike, but I am very very glad we did.

 

Linking up with Jodi at Practising Simplicity for The 52 Project. 

15/52

1 Reply

IMG_1380.jpg

“A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2016.”

I will never get tired of being able to just pop to the beach on our way home from whatever else it is we’re doing. And I love that this one thinks it is entirely normal: sand in his toes and the sea stretched out behind him, his world an ocean of possibilities just waiting to be explored.

Linking up with Jodi at Practising Simplicity for The 52 Project. 

13/52 & 14/52

1 Reply

IMG_1360

IMG_1358

“A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2016.”

We were away last week, on a much-needed family holiday in Lanzarote. We have come back with wonderful memories and far too many fabulous photos. It’s going to take me a while to process them all, but in the meantime here are two of my favourites…

The first, from Easter Sunday. Our yurts made an unusual setting for an egg hunt, but I was determined that Arthur would have that experience this year. He loved it – a little confused as to how he’d manage to miss the Easter bunny whilst he was having his breakfast, but delighting in finding the little foil wrapped morsels of chocolate. He unwrapped each one with such care, savouring the aroma before taking little bites and letting the flavour explode in his mouth.

The second, towards the end of our trip. We joined a trek to two of the island’s volcanoes, and entering the lava fields was much like I imagine it might be to walk on the moon. Arthur was happy to stay in the sling for the first part of our explorations, but when the ground flattened out he was desperate to get down for a run. Buffeted by the wind, he squealed with joy as he immersed himself in this strange new world.

Linking up with Jodi at Practising Simplicity for The 52 Project. 

12/52

1 Reply

image

“A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2016.”

Hurrah for Spring!

For warmer days and shorter nights, for grass running and tree climbing, for sunshine smiles and muddy knees.

Living where we do, it’s pretty hard not to get out and about all year round. Still, though, this time of year makes everything into an adventure.

I love nothing more than following the lead of my little explorer, and watching him absorb and embrace so much more than he could a year ago. His world is just buzzing with potential: and that means mine is, too.

Linking up with Jodi at Practising Simplicity for The 52 Project. 

11/52

2 Replies

IMG_1338.jpg

“A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2016.”

Looking back over my photos from this week, it is the ones of me and Arthur together that stand out the most. I know it’s cheating a little bit to call this a portrait of him, but in my defence he still, even as a confident and independent three year old, feels in many ways like an extension of my self.

I wonder if it always feels like that, being a mother? There’s a quote it brings to mind:

“Making the decision to have a child – it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body” Elizabeth Stone

For me these toddler years, with all of their wonder and challenge, are a critical moment in this. Perhaps it is because I have chosen a route through parenting where we are very much attached, but it is only now that I am really starting to feel us begin to articulate our separateness. Him as an incredible bundle of energy and potential, me as a whole new creature to the one I was before I bore him.

It’s exciting, but it brings with it too a sense of loss.

The cuddles help with that though. And this week we have loved exploring our together-yet-apart bodies through yoga. By which I mean mainly me attempting to rediscover well-worn poses whilst he clambers delightedly all over me.

I pretend to be annoyed that it makes it near impossible to practice how I used to, but secretly I love it.

Linking up with Jodi at Practising Simplicity for The 52 Project. 

10/52

1 Reply

IMG_1325.jpg

“A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2016.”

These diggers have come everywhere with us since we bought them last week.

I really try not to just randomly buy stuff for Arthur, but he is so completely fascinated by anything to do with construction that when I saw them online I couldn’t resist. They are the first things he wants when he wakes up: he came out of his room a few mornings ago, earlier than usual, and headed straight towards the stairs instead of into me for cuddles. When I asked what he was doing he said that his diggers needed him because they had been having bad dreams.

At home he plays with them with kinetic sand, or on his road mat, or with his trains. Sometimes he just lines them up carefully in front of him so he can look at them more closely: he knows the names of almost every part of them, and will happily relay them to anyone who will listen.

He’s been having some trouble with the tracked excavator, because the rubber tracks keep coming off when he drives it on the floor or in the tuff spot. We worked out, though, when we took them to the beach, that it just needs rough ground beneath it and it works just fine.

The things you learn when you spend your days with a three year old…

Linking up with Jodi at Practising Simplicity for The 52 Project. 

9/52

Leave a reply

image

“A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2016.”

There are times when not driving really does have its advantages. Take last Friday for example.

Once I’d got past the trauma of having of leave the house within half an hour (ish) of Arthur waking up, the rest of our hour and a half long journey across the bay to gymnastics was pretty close to perfect.

I wore him for the walk into town – his little legs just wouldn’t have been able to keep up the pace – and as he snuggled into my back he chatted away, telling me about all of the things in the world he was worried I might be missing. When we got on the bus he was excited at first – especially when we got the best seats.

And then he just settled in for the ride. We sat, side by side, and admired the view, nothing in particular to do, our journey taking care of itself whilst we savoured the time it gave us.

It might take longer getting to places without a car, but I hope that when I do eventually learn to drive I don’t lose that wonder at the journey in my pursuit of the destination.

A lesson for life, really. And one that Arthur has got the hang of very nicely.

Linking up with Jodi at Practising Simplicity for The 52 Project. 

8/52

Leave a reply

IMG_1312.jpg

“A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2016.”

Another day, another box.

This time, just such complete and utter delight at being able to get inside and close the lid. He played for ages with it yesterday, climbing in and folding down the cardboard flaps, giggling until we ‘found’ him.

We discussed our ideas about what we might be able to make with it today. He decided he would like to make a flying train. After breakfast though he turned it upside down and it became a house, complete with doorbell and chimney and window and carpet.

It didn’t last long before the ‘wrecking ball’ demolished it, but it was fun whilst it did.

Linking up with Jodi at Practising Simplicity for The 52 Project.