If you missed the kill me cute pictures of yesterday..go look NOW.
I love our Sunday walks. They are sacred family time. I could post pages and pages of photos from each one of them. I love them for their simplicity. It’s just us and whatever nature offers up. Rocks, leaves, water, grass, clouds and imagination. (Last week we went to the “dog park”, where we let Shemly run after rabbits….she will never ever catch one but she likes to pretend to try) and lay and watched clouds change shape for ages…from the oldest to the youngest. Magic.) This week we went and explored a sweet park in our hood for the upteenth time. I love the light, the way time slows down on these walks, how the kids are with each other and mostly how they keep even my oldest children little (at least in my eyes) for just an hour or so every week.
Rock inspection is very serious business folks.
Bum scootching along…
My girls…<3
All my babies have always loved to find little ledges to sit on at around this age. Ella loves to sit on the little narrow ledge of our tiny fireplace. She was thrilled when she found this one. The more precarious and uncomfortable..the better.
Benjamin always has and probably always will sit just like a bushman. If we did not object he would even sit at the table and eat in this position. Most mornings I find him eating cereal perched on a high kitchen stool just like this. I secretly love it.
Big brotherly advice.
“Here go Daddy”
Finny ponders the universe
The one eared pig which scared the crap out of poor Shemly
The sun got caught in the tree branches on its way down.
Token shot of Gabe. Not sure why he didn’t feature for the camera. Next time
Scenes from a Sunday Walk
The cuteness may actually kill me…
No really, I am hyperventilating. It hurts….it huuuuurts!!!!
Ella practicing her walking with daddy on our Sunday walk tonight. She still prefers the bum scootch but you can’t deny the thrill on her face.
Can you stand the squishable thighs?! Me neither!
Mother’s Day
I ended Mother’s Day this year by doing one of my favourite things. Watching my kids play together and taking candid photos of them while they did. I took hundreds of pictures (as I do) and there is not a single one I did not love. It is rare that this happens, but the light was so perfect and it made me so happy to see my kids so completely engaged in playing with each other, outside. For about an hour, pebbles and “leaf boat” races were every bit as intriguing as iPods and laptops. All the silly stresses and irritations (why does the least bad behaviour feel like a personal insult on Mother’s Day?) fall away, and I can just enjoy how sublime these little spirits are. Here is a random sampling of the pictures I will treasure forever….
My beautiful, lovely girl. I love how this captures her spirit.
My first and last born. They have such a special bond. It makes my heart swell.
My “bwown boys”. J’dore. (Don’t they look heart-breakingly grown up?)
Benj in his typical “bushman” pose. He would sit at the table and eat like this if we did not object.
I love Gabe’s indulgent smile at Gracie’s victory dance. I love Gracie’s exuberance.
I want to eat this picture. I want to eat this child. This is her “I’m very very tired” gaze. Oh so scrumptious. She is just as smooth and soft as she looks. I can’t stand it.
Could he be cooler?
Benj in a moment of reflection. He has had a rough week but has conducted himself so well. I could not be prouder of him.
This boy makes me laugh. We have such fun together.
Sisters
Ella is going through the most over the top cute stage. I think she knows it because whenever I look her way she puts on a hammy little smile. (Shemly does the same)
Oh! This boy. I heart him so.
Benj is enchanted with Ella. I love how he gets down lower than her and watches things from her perspective. I can learn so much from my kids.
Ella’s new favourite expression. Her “O” mouth. LOVE!
The thrill of the leaf boat race!
Feet. I’m a bit in love with this shot.
When I look at this picture I have to pinch myself. Can I really be the mom of all five of these beautiful, amazing, vibrant, fun spectacular human beings?
Took some pics with the iphone too..
Ella is obsessed with climbing lately. She’s really good at it. Still not interested in walking though.
Love these….from Finny and Gracie
“kuddeling” is my favourite part.
Gracie did this all by herself. I was so impressed.
I have been trying very hard to “eat clean” lately. I told my husband that I wanted to stay on the wagon on Mother’s Day, and he obliged me with a lovely healthy, yummy breakfast and dessert.
Mother’s Day is a lot of work for my husband (my kids are still kind of slackers when it comes to pampering, spoiling and general revering) but he does it with a smile. I am so lucky to have him. He allows me to really enjoy my motherhood experience and I’m so lucky to have him as my partner in this adventure.
(Yes, yes, I did have some pictures of me with the kids but I did not want to sully this beautiful page with my puffy mug. Hopefully the “clean eating” will soon be rewarded!)
PS: Did you miss the anatomy of a tantrum? (Wish my tantrums were as cute 
