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Living arrows 2017 – 7/52

by with 7 Comments PhotographyUncategorized

This little boy ended last week with a lovely spot of impetigo on his face.

A trip to the doctor resulted in cream and antibiotics which are doing a great job of clearing it up.  But it meant that we really didn’t get up to much at all this past week.

This photo, as a result, is a little bit of a cheat.  

It’s from last weekend when we did make it out as a family to the beach.

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You can see the little sore spot just starting to come out on his face in this photo.

I love the picture though.

Is there anything better when you’re little than a ride on someone’s shoulders?!

Rhys tends to be so full of energy, I think we all knew something was up when he was a bit quieter than usual last weekend.

We’re all still just a bit run down here, I really think we could do with a change in the weather.  Or something, anything, to just blast this meh-ness away.

Anyone have any tips to get us all feeling well again?

 

“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth”

 

 

Living Arrows
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Me and mine – January 2017

by with 2 Comments PersonalPhotographyUncategorized

Every month I see these lovely family photos pop up on my newsfeed.  Bloggers and photographers taking part in the me and mine project, which aims to get us all in front of the camera once a month as a family.

This is the year I really hope I will manage to join in every single month.

And I’m off to a good start.  We have a family portrait for January!

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This was taken by my mother-in-law in Victoria park in Swansea.

We had finally made it out of the house for a walk on the beach all together, after weeks and weeks of me feeling ill with a virus that I just can’t seem to shift.

Most weekends I’ve ended up heading back to bed for a lie down in the afternoons, my body just badly in need of rest to try and fight this bug off.  Which means we’ve not really been out and about that much this month.

So even though I was still bunged up and coughing, it was really lovely to head out in a window of sunshine and breathe in some sea air.

And I’m really pleased that we went, and that I took the camera along, so we could all cwtch in together and get this photo.

Hopefully the rest of the year will be a bit less germy and offer plenty more family photo opportunities!

 

The Me and Mine Project
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Living arrows 2017 – 5/52

by with 13 Comments PhotographyUncategorized

It happened.

It finally happened.

After feeling like I’ve been stuck in the house for weeks, other than trips out on the school run and to the shops, we finally made it out properly.

Saturday morning started wet and a little miserable.

But then, mid morning, the clouds gave way to glorious blue skies and sunshine.

So we went to the beach.

We walked along the sand to meet Nana and Pops, then back along the beach to Victoria park.

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It’s something we do all the time.  But it felt so lovely.

There’s something a bit special about sea air I think.

And even though it was cold, and I wiped a lot of snotty noses, we were all so happy to be out.  Together.

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And Nerys went on the big girl swings.

Steve’s taken her out a few times without me recently, and they’ve clearly been practicing this.

Because she just looked so right on that swing.  So steady.  So confident.  So big.

I’m not sure I’m quite ready for these moments.  Those moments that are so small, but that mark something so much bigger.

My little girl is just that, a little girl now.

 “You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth”

Living Arrows
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Living arrows 2017 – 4/52

by with 18 Comments PhotographyUncategorized

Rhys has been going to swimming lessons for about a year now at a local swim school.

He still has a way to go before I’ll feel confident letting him swim independently but he’s really getting there.  And most importantly for me, he’s got a lot of confidence in the water now.

And he’s having fun!

We’ve recently changed his lesson to a Sunday lunchtime session, and I think it was a really good decision.

He used to go on a Tuesday after school and I think he’s much less tired now going on a Sunday.  And when he’s not so tired, his concentration is better.  So he’s already getting a bit more out of each lesson which is great.

We’ve been trying to help him at home by getting him to put his head underwater in the bath, and holding his breath for as long as possible.

Which is making bathtime pretty fun for him!

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Parents, do your children practice swimming skills in the bath too, or is it just us?!  Leave me a comment and let me know!

 

Living Arrows
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The siblings project – January 2017

by with 6 Comments PhotographyUncategorized

One of the best parts of being a parent for me is watching the relationship grow between my two children.

It’s been amazing watching Rhys take on the role of big brother over the last three years.  And it just melts my heart seeing how much Nerys adores him, how much she wants to copy him and do what he does.

This year I want to document their relationship a bit more, so I’m going to try and join in with the siblings project.  This is a nice, simple project that basically involves sharing a photo (or 2, or 3) of your children together.

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I have just the one photo of my two for January.  It’s been a funny old month and we’ve not really been up to much or taken that many photos.

But this picture feels like a pretty perfect way to begin with the siblings project.

It was taken last night, just before they settled down for a bedtime story with Daddy.  And honestly, it nearly didn’t happen.  They were both so tired, and weren’t being particularly co-operative.  Then just as I was about to just call it a night and give up, they agreed to sit together for a quick photo.  And I got this.

And I think it sort of sums them and their relationship up at the moment!

They can be real pests to each other, winding each other up, wanting what the other has got.

But then minutes later they’ll be the best of friends.  Playing and chatting and giggling together.

Some days I glance at them in the back of the car and realise that they’re holding hands.

And now they’re in bunkbeds they’ve started asking to go in one bed together for a while at bedtime so that they can talk and play before going to sleep.

They really do have a lovely bond, and I’m looking forward to recording them together over the next year!

 

The Me and Mine Project
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Living arrows 2017 – 1/52

by with 15 Comments PersonalPhotographyUncategorized

So here we are.

2017.

A brand new year.  And a chance to get stuck into the living arrows project for a second go around!

Last year I had no set pattern to my living arrows posts.  Some weeks it was a photo of the two children together.  Some weeks it was just a photo of Nerys, and others it was just a photo of Rhys.  And I think that’s the way I’m going to tackle it again this year, rather than restricting myself by saying I’ll always do, say, a photo of the two of them together.

For the first week of the year though I wanted to include photos of them both.  So I have a clear image of what they look like now, so I can see how much they both change over the course of 2017.

First up is Nerys.

This is going to be a big year for her.  She turns 3 in a few months time, and will start going to a pre-nursery class at school 5 mornings a week.  Then in September she’ll head off to the nursery class.  I’m not sure how I’m going to cope, seeing her in a little school uniform!

I think she’ll thrive though.  I really do.

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And up second we have Rhys.  

I can’t quite get my head around the fact that he’ll turn 6 this year.  He’s growing up so fast.

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Whatever this year brings, I’m really looking forward to taking time each week to stop and take photos of my children.

I put together a post of all my photos from my living arrows project in 2016 and it’s so nice to see them all together in one place.  I’m already looking forward to doing the same at the end of 2017!

 

Living Arrows
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Living arrows 2016 – A year of photos

by with 3 Comments PersonalPhotographyUncategorized

At the start of 2016 I started taking part in a lovely photography project – Living Arrows.

Living arrows is a project that celebrates childhood.  It’s nice and simple really, every week you take a photo of your child/children.  A photo that captures a bit of who they are, and what you’ve been up to together that week.

This is the first year I’ve taken part, and I’ve really loved taking the time to take a photo each week.  And I’m so happy to now be able to put all the photos together.

So here is my living arrows collection for 2016! 

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What a year!

What strikes me most looking back at all these photos, is how much Nerys has changed.

Rhys has changed a fair bit over the course of the year too, but you can really see such a huge change in Nerys.  She was just coming up to 2 at the start of 2016, and is now quickly approaching 3 and you can see in these photos how she’s gone from a toddler to a little girl.

That aside, I just love all the little moments that have been captured in these photos.

The trips out, the days at home, the bond between my children, the changing of the seasons.

It’s all there.

Our year, in 52 photos.

Mr and Mrs T Plus Three