Project Life: Week 6

Sunday:


P is getting a crawling lesson from M. He is really good at going backwards, but not so good at getting to where he wants to go. He often backs himself up under the toy shelf in the background. He sure is working on those pipes, though!

Monday:

M started the week with a terrible cold. She took a nice warm bath in the morning and played with her bathtub crayons. She told me "it make my node feel bedder, Mommy".

Tuesday:


Auntie D came over for dinner and helped us get the kiddos bathed and ready for bed. While she read stories to M, I snapped this picture of P "reading" on the bed beside them.

Wednesday:


Well, the new quartz countertops look fantastic, but they have caused a few bumps. Here is P sporting a goose egg on his noggin above his eye. Bad Mommy. :( 

Thursday:


We have a piano in the basement that was given to us by our good friend. It hasn't been tuned yet, as we are likely to move in the next while. (I just jinxed myself, didn't I?) This hasn't stopped M from playing a little "thusic", as she calls it.

Friday: 


Our niece is taking a term off of school and has come to live with us. The kids adore her. P couldn't resist chomping on her nose.

Saturday:


My friend gave me heck for not bringing M by her scrapbooking store more often. So on Saturday, M and went over to see Aunty M to "play papers". She let M use her Copic markers and good stickers!! Crayola just won't cut it anymore.

Project Life: Week 5

Sunday:

One of my New Year's goals was to improve my photography skills. We bought a digital slr shortly after M was born, and I am slightly embarrassed to admit that it has stayed on auto for the last two years. So, I signed up for a one-day photography course through Groupon and took a hundred different photos of my water bottle.

My photography skills have not improved. In fact, I have probably gotten worse as I try to use my new knowledge and get better pictures of the kids. Auto can be your friend when you are trying to capture the split seconds that truly exemplify the mood you are trying to document.

Monday:

Our washing machine broke on the weekend, so Maeve got to wear some of her "good" outfits during the week while we were waiting to get it fixed. She looked so cute in her button dress and her dirty face, but she didn't want me to take her picture. 

Tuesday:

Our niece came from Halifax bearing gifts from my cousins. [Note the horrible lighting: did I not learn anything on Sunday?!]

Wednesday:


Uncle Dan to the rescue!  BB watched a you-tube video explaining how to replace the coupler between the motor and the transmission and he and Dan replaced it with a $30 part. Not bad for an hour of work and a case of beer!

Thursday:

M "reading" to P.

Friday:


We like to meet up at Stella's for dinner on Friday. Maeve's daycare is just down the street, so it is a convenient place to meet. Clearly P was hungry as he munched on BB's hand.

Saturday:

We had some gorgeous weather this week. Certainly not the "Winterpeg" that our niece was expecting. 

[Note: the tulips are NOT real. They were an attempt by one of my besties to salvage some flowers that bit the dust while we were away last summer. They make me smile, so we kept them on the deck for the winter to brighten up the snowy landscape.]

Project Life: Week 4

Sunday:

We often have my nephew over for dinner on Sunday evenings. He comes over with his dog, and we catch up. M loves her big cousin - they are 29 years apart in age! Here he is keeping M entertained by "punching the paper".

Monday:

I put P in his crib while I tidied up his room. M insisted on joining him. Uh, sure! I will gladly corral you while I get a few things accomplished, M!

Tuesday:

M: Mommy, wook at me! I hiding!

Wednesday:

The two faces of P...

Happy

Poopy

Thursday:

Maeve wanted me to take a picture of her dolly. It was a birthday present from her friend D. So cute!

Friday:

Seamus had a haircut in the morning. He couldn't wait to get outside when he got home to roll around in the snow. I snapped this photo with the zoom lens from the deck in the back yard. I love how the sun is reflecting off of his coat. Don't you love a crisp, sunny day?

Saturday:

Our dear friend G, who also happens to be P's godfather, was in town for the week. He adores our kids, and as you can see, the feeling is mutual.

Project Life: Week 3

Disclaimer: Yes, I know I have two children. One happens to have more of a "starring role" this week, but that is only because Mr. Reasonable (aka P) doesn't always provide for compelling photography. Unless, of course, you find endless pictures of him smiling interesting.


Sunday:

I work on my Project Life Album on Sunday evenings. Remember that post where I mentioned something about keeping it simple? Well, I may have to rethink that one. Here I am sewing buttons on to a card to match the rest of the button theme from Week Two. Yup, I know I have a problem.

Monday:

Monday morning is Kindermusik class. I really wish I could spell it the way M says it; somehow she manages to put in an extra syllable. Gaga knit her a kitty-cat hat to match her ski jacket. She loves it! Unfortunately, so does Seamus. In retrospect, we probably shouldn't have called it the kitty-cat hat. About ten seconds after this photo was taken Seamus tackled M to the ground. Oops.

Tuesday:

Word of the Week: Probably

M: Mommy, open the fwidge please.

Me: What would you like, M?

M: Um, probably some donuts.

Tuesday was also garbage day, and M is always super excited to watch out the front window as the recycling and garbage trucks come by. [This is what happens when you have no cable.] For the last few weeks, I have been asking her if she would like to throw her soother in the garbage and this week she took the bait! So, I did it! She is still asking for it, so now I just ask her "where did it go?" and she replies "oh, it is in the garbage truck!"  Wish I had thought of that one a lot sooner.

Wednesday:

Me: M, eat your breakfast, please.

M: I need to read the paper.

P cut his first tooth! I couldn't quite get a photo of the tooth as it is just poking through, instead here is a photo of him gnawing on the closest available toy.

Thursday:

Another first for P: cheerios! A handful of them gives me a good ten minutes of peace. Don't they look so interesting?!?

Friday:

Remember the soother incident? Well, now M has resorted to shoving her hand in her mouth and sticking her finger in her ear. Very strange. She also asks for her "sewer"about every ten minutes. I am trying to stay strong!

Saturday:

We went to Crosby's house on Saturday night for dinner. Forget about her aunt and uncle, the dog is the star of the show! I love how M adores her uncle. Too bad he unveiled a hideous tattoo that evening that is going to involve some creative ways to keep hidden from the kids. I went home and washed my eyeballs.

So, that was our week! Hope you are all doing well!

Project Life: Week Two

Another week in our life...

Sunday:

M loves playing with her Little People nativity. The three kings traveled across the kitchen to see baby Jesus. She was quite excited to get to church, not only to see Father Mark, but also to see the kings bring their presents to Jesus. The church had a collection for Winnipeg Harvest, so M, Gaga and Daddy brought our donations up to the altar after mass.

Monday:

M was sick on Monday, so we spent the day in our pjs. She had fun swinging P back and forth in his exersaucer. Probably not its intended use, but after a long night, Mommy wasn’t going to stop the fun.

Tuesday:

M, while dressed in only a diaper, puts on her favourite “button” shoes. ”My do it myself, Mommy!”

Wednesday:

Seamus has been quick to figure out that meal time for P means snack time for him. He usually waits for the spoon to go back in the dish before he goes in for a lick.

Thursday:

M had her first swimming lesson of the year. She was a little disappointed at first that we were only going to the Rady Centre instead of on the plane back to Mexico, but she was pretty excited to be swimming with Daddy. The slide was a big hit! 

We rushed her home to the sitter, and off we went to the Jets game. Mick E Moose kept me awake in the third period.

Friday:

After eight and a half months, our master bathroom is still not complete. When our contractor tested the shower, he discovered that the previous contractors had not covered the drain when they were doing the demolition. Another delay, and another weekend with a toilet in the middle of our master bedroom.

Saturday:

P is learning to master a sippy cup. Still more chewing than drinking, but he provides some entertainment as he tries to figure it all out.

How was your week?

Project Life: Week 1

We had a "photo shoot" after mass on New Year's Day on Seamus' bed. Even though P's hand is blurry, I love this picture because it really captures how much they adore each other. For now. Until M clocks P in the face with a truck. 

Seamus butted in about halfway through. This photo is not part of my PL album, but I couldn't resist sharing it!

It is so hard to be two. "My teef hurt. I need some medsun." 

P, in what my friend coined "the circle of neglect" 

Day 4 of PL, and M is copying Mom and "taking a picture" with her iPod.

M decided to "clean up", so she put all of her Duplo and Little People in the play yard with P. He didn't seem to mind. 

P had his 6 month check-up on Friday. (Yes, I know he is 7.5 months old; it is called Second Child Syndrome.) He cried some real tears when he got his shots, but we were so happy to hear that he now weighs 16 lbs 15 ozs, and measures 27.5 inches tall. Good news after a rough go in the fall with weight gain.

I was drying my hair in the next room (that is what I really should have documented - what a miracle!) when I heard Seamus going ballistic in the living room. I ran out to find M and P rolling around on the floor in a fit of giggles. I will keep this as photographic evidence for when they are teenagers that at one point they actually did like each other.

Project Life: The Back Story

In an attempt to appease (some) of my guilt, I have embarked on the 365+1 project for 2012. Basically, I have committed to taking a picture a day for a year.

Now that we have two children, I have noticed a dramatic decline in the number of times I reach for my camera to document the quickly changing development of my youngest child. Being the sixth of seven children, I have always resented the fact that there are so few pictures of me from my childhood. Vowing that of course I can do better than my parents (ha!), I needed an impetus to not only *take* more pictures, but actually *do* something with them. Thus the birth of this project.

Problem one addressed? Check. Now, what to do with all these photos?

I have discovered (late to the game again!) that Becky Higgins has developed a simple system to help with the odious task of the "do" part of the problem. She has developed a scrapbooking system called Project Life. It is a no pressure, make-it-what-you-wish documenting system that can help you keep track of life as it happens. It includes an album, pre-designed page protectors with pockets for 4x6 photos and journaling cards, and the actual journal cards, title cards and "decorative" elements of the album.

This is where I stumble.

I love to create, and have been an avid paper crafter for the past two years. However,  I have not developed my scrapbooking skills. I tend to get overwhelmed and dragged down by the little details, which has resulted in me not scrapbooking one image from my children's lives. Despicable? Yes. I want things to be perfect; a reflection of my style and an homage to my adorable children. How can I live up to the pressure? Self-inflicted, I know, but real to me and a huge barrier to completing a scrapbook.

As soon as I saw the Project Life kit, I automatically found myself wanting to customize it, and spent hours looking at how others have made theirs beautiful, simple and much, much, much more than I could ever hope to do in the few hours I might be able to find a week to put my project together. Never mind that it could become a monster project as I learn how to master Photoshop, Lightroom, become an expert photographer, digital designer *and* have an endless supply of cash to purchase all the tools that I want to embellish my project. Oh, and what about that personal photo printer? And a vintage typewriter. Yup, I wanted it all. Right. Now.

Enter common sense. (BB, of course!)

What did I hope to accomplish with this project?

Simple. Take pictures of my kids, and journal their stories.

So, my Project Life kit is on its way, pre-made journaling cards and all. Maybe I will get inspired (sucked in) and make some layouts myself. Maybe I will add a page here and there to catch a moment in our lives that goes beyond the photo a day parameter. Maybe I will become an expert digital designer in the process. Maybe I will get overwhelmed, but I will try and remember the point: Take pictures of my kids, and journal their stories.

(I should really print that out and put it up above my PL workstation. And embellish it. And make it really pretty. And blog about it. And start an Etsy shop so I can sell it.)

Now, for the blog.

Despite requests from friends and family, I have avoided starting a blog for the same reasons I don't scrapbook. I am not what I would call "A Writer", and of course, I want my blog to be simple, beautiful, inspiring and witty. Did you hear that crash in the background? That is the sound of me lowering my expectations. The point? I want to share my journey with PL with my friends and family. I suspect these people are not really concerned about the layout, design elements and writing. They just want to see pictures of my stinking cute kids. Hence, the blog.

I plan on updating it weekly with photos and some journaling. The bar is low here, people! I welcome your comments, and hope to connect (given my facebook-less status) with you, my friends and family.

[For those of you who are not aware why I am not on fb: In 2011, BB and I decided to unplug a little. We no longer have a cable tv subscription, and I deleted my fb account. Nothing like going cold turkey! So many more hours now in the week for Pinterest!]

Happy New Year!