There are so many things that writing this blog has given me over the years, but the thing that I think I’m most grateful for is the push it’s given me to photograph my children and my family regularly.
I would take hundreds of photos of the children even if I didn’t write this blog, I’m sure.
But writing these Living Arrows posts, along with the ‘siblings’ and ‘me and mine’ posts that I write each month, gives a different sense of purpose and focus to the way I photograph them.
On weeks when we don’t do anything out of our normal, everyday routines these posts push me to still grab the camera and take some photos. And even if I’m a bit uninspired by them at the time I’m always so pleased I took them when I look back at them a year later.
This will be the 6th year that I join in with Living Arrows and I still love it as much as I did back in 2016. I love having all these photos of the children growing and changing, along with the written records of what we’ve been up to.
I’m kicking off the year with these photos of Rhys and Nerys taken on a chilly walk along the seafront.
We’re pretty much back in lockdown here in Wales, which has made the start of the new year feel a bit different from most years.
This time last year we were out of the Christmas haze and getting back into the swing of our normal routines. Rhys and Nerys were heading back to a new term at school and Steve was back to walking to campus for work every day.
Right now though it feels like we’re in a sort of limbo.
Steve’s still got a few more days of leave and then he’ll be heading back to work – in our kitchen.
And the children would normally be going back to school today but have got 2 inset days and then are doing home learning for the rest of the week. Next week is still up in the air as far as school goes. We’re expecting to find out sometime this week whether all the children will be back in school, or if they’ll carry on with the home learning.
The children and I had a chat about it and, once again, they’ve been fantastic about it. I can’t get over how adaptable they’ve been through this whole situation.
They do get sad about things that they can’t do and people that they can’t see, but generally they’ve just been so understanding about everything. I wish I could give them some definite answers about things, but for now all we can do is keep taking things pretty much one day at a time.
Are your children heading back into school this week or are you keeping them at home for now?
Such beautiful snapshots – you cannot beat a blustery walk!
It is crazy when we think about this time last year isn’t it? My kids have been amazing. Sad they can’t see their friends but just adapt to it so quickly. Gorgeous photos! #livingarrows
Rubbish start to the year being back in lockdown isn’t it! I’m self-isolating this week too so going slightly crazy! Wow that’s amazing you’ve been doing Living Arrows for 6 years! 😀 xx
I feel exactly the same. I would have so few photos if it wasn’t for this blog. I’m so pleased I’ve been able to document the children growing and so pleased you’re joining in for another year! x
I love Living Arrows for all the same reasons. To be honest I don’t think I would have written any blog posts at all this last year if I hadn’t been doing my Living Arrows posts every week. I hope you’ve managed OK with the last week of home learning – you’re right though, the kids all seem to have adapted so well, they just take everything in their stride. I just hope that by the end of the year this will all be over and we’ll be back to something approaching normal.
Happy new year. I hope 2021 is kind to you all. Our son went in to school on the Monday and they closed that day. We have been home schooling since.
I’m so relieved that there were already inset days booked in for the Monday and Tuesday of that week, I can’t believe the stress that everyone was put under with going back to school just for that one day! x
It’s been a rotten start to the new year but I too have been amazed by the resilience of children. Hearing my 3 year old talk about missing her mama and granddad breaks my heart though. Some good news is they are getting their first vaccine dose this week so we’ve got something ‘real’ to cling to. Something to actually put our hopes on x
Oh that is good news, I hope it all goes smoothly for them! x