Help Me Get to 52

52/52

(questionable iphone snap of our post-christmas hike to the water tower)

So it seems we have entered 2015, Happy New Year! It has been an alternatingly busy and laid back few weeks; celebrating the holidays, traveling, and also hanging out at home. There are a few pictures to share and stories to tell... but before we get to those gems, there is the unfinished business of the 52 Project, which I started last winter and just kind of dropped in the fall. 

To be honest, I had grown somewhat bored of the format. Obviously I love taking pictures of my kids (a quick glance at my instagram will prove that), but I was never any good at tracking milestones or keeping baby books, and the portraits started to feel like that kind of record-making.

On the other hand, it did make for at least some consistent blogging, a push I seem to need as my plate continues to fill. I have a few thoughts on how I will challenge myself with a regular project of some kind this year (already late I suppose, but that's my style!)

Still, I'm no quitter, so here is where we stitch together the last dozen weeks of portraits (well, the sequence is honest, but they might not actually be from distinct weeks). Some of these you have seen, some are new, some are from my iPhone, some are out of focus, but for better or worse, we are getting through 52 portraits. I've decided that 'we' are in this together, hope that works for all eyes reading... here we go!

51/52

While Little Smith was at preschool, his final day before Christmas break, Roo and I decided to set up a special tiny tree in the kids' room to surprise him. He had been dreaming of colored lights, so this was my best effort at indulging him. He was thrilled.

50/52

I already showed these as part of our 'getting the tree' images. We were short on snow this year, but very high on enthusiasm from the babies. 

49/52

More of our 'morning' activities seen in the previous post. I selected one that hadn't yet been shared of Little Smith here, because I wanted to show how similar they are when they focus on a task. They are such different personalities (so far), but equally determined in their own ways. 

48/52

We all enjoyed a snowy Thanksgiving at my aunt's and loved the scenic trek along the lake from our wooded cabin to the main house. Considering we haven't had any real snow since, I'm glad we made the most of it. (There are some more nice pictures from this day, coming eventually. Just like all the pictures from the summer that are coming. Eventually.).

47/52

Little Smith's birthday morning, a terrible quality iPhone picture, but there is something so sweet about the two of them together here. I need to try to get more candid pictures of them together on my actual camera (they both are in constant motion... it is SO hard).

46/52

He is eating his very last piece of Halloween candy, a tootsie roll. I took a whole series of these and they are kind of hilarious in sequence, but maybe a little strange in isolation. Still, an important moment to document.

She is just pure light. She makes me laugh constantly and is such an independent little thing. Here she is wearing her favorite slippers, favorite jammies, and waving and rocking away. 

45/52

I wish every day could be Halloween. This was actually the weekend before, James wanted to go up to Newburyport and I wanted to snap a couple pictures for our annual Halloween card, so we let the kids wear their costumes and did both. I have dozens of funny and adorable shots of this tiger and zebra. A perfect day.

44/52

Winter light. I am very aware that there are an inordinate number of images of my kids in pajamas (and the same pajamas at that! These 'transportation' jammies are clearly a favorite of Little Smith, and I am certain I could go through the last two years and flag a crazy number of shots with him sporting them). During the week I often don't take my camera out anywhere, and so the only pictures I capture are around the house in loungewear. I promise, we do have real clothes... and occasionally, we even wear them.

43/52

Indian Summer. These pictures look out of order, but they are indeed from an exceptionally warm spell in October. I love the afternoon light in their shared room. I did already share these shots in the post where I talked about all of favorite media, among other things.

42/52

This is going to be a cheat, because the next two pairs of images are not only not from different weeks... they are actually from the same day. We took so many pictures at the harvest festival this year that even after multiple posts, there are still lots I haven't ever shared (including this hay maze shot of Little Smith). I ran out of material, and figured some fudging is better than nothing.

41/52

And this is where we left off. Two serious faces on a very happy fall day. I still don't know why I tend to seek out solemn expressions, these are very smiley kids in general, but I am just drawn to pouts and concentration. 

Phew, so perhaps not the most conscientious 52 portraits, but 52 of them (times 2) just the same. I do love having this record of the childrens' growth in such a cropped and edited format. Still, I won't be continuing in 2015 with this same method exactly... but there will be a consistent weekly project. Seeing as we are already into the first week, I better get on it!