pirate party

Popa built a pirate ship in the backyard and reminded me that Che's 5th birthday was fast approaching. A pirate party was absolutely necessary, apparently, so I set about burning the edges of tea-stained paper and sending out scrolls as invites.

I don't think I've ever seen Che as excited as he was on Saturday. It was overwhelming at times and then were many pirate battles on the rough seas (gale force winds). But in between snacking on fairy bread and popcorn and playing a good old game of pass-the-parcel this sweet bunch of kids chatted and laughed and painted their little hearts out. 

Che spent days toing and froing between chocolate cake and vanilla sponge but finally decided to go with the firm family favourite. Everyone stayed a little longer to savour the sweets and share heartfelt gifts. Mid-afternoon we waved farewell to worn-out pirates and collapsed in an exhausted heap....ready for a nap we were.

Just before bed Che declared it "....the best day ever." It was truly wonderful - I hope he remembers it forever.

Che wears tin tin pants c/o Udder and Bergstein Gumboots c/o Fawn & Fox. If you are planning a party anytime soon I highly recommend making the fluffiest vanilla cupcakes (I used butter icing - 3tbs unsalted butter, 110g sifted icing sugar, 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest and 2 tsp lemon juice). And for little party favours? - the vintage mini paint set was an absolute hit.

39/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2012."

Che: "Argh me hearties" - bellowed from the bow of the ship.

Poet: A grazed nose and sore gums...but oh, that bonnet.

Che Che is five, hip hip hooray! There's so much to celebrate, five years to reflect on and the quiet acknowledgment of my birth day. 

52

bloomers

Today we snuck into the neighbour's garden and picked the last of the lemons from the tree. Yellow fruit has been replaced with blush pink blooms - and a swarm of bees on the sweet nectar trail.

It is most definitely spring now...Poet wears bloomers without tights, her soft white knees scratched and red from her fast-paced crawl. If I were to write a children's book right now it would go something like this:

Poet Winter couldn't walk but by gosh could she climb.

She liked to climb from the chair to the table and pull flowers from the vase. Her Muma would say "Get down from there!" but there she stayed, hiding behind her curly mop of hair. 

Sometimes, when she was hungry, she would push the step stool into the kitchen and climb up to the fruit bowl. She liked to take small bites from oranges and lemons and apples too. And then her Muma would find her and say "Get down from there!"

When Poet Winter wasn't climbing she was standing. She would stand in the bath and in her highchair and on the bed and her Muma would say "On your bottom!" But Poet Winter didn't listen. She kept standing and dancing and giggling and smiling. 

After the bath she would crawl away so fast that her Muma couldn't catch her. Around and around the house they would go and her Muma would say "Poet Winter, come back here now!"

At bedtime, when the night was dark and the lights were dim, Poet Winter lay down for stories and sleep. No more crawling, no more climbing, no more standing. Sleep time. And her Muma would say "Good night Poet Winter. Sleep tight."

almost five

At around this time every year I wander through the days leading up to his birthday, trying my hardest to accept that he is one year older. The universal experience of the mother.

I could write about how difficult it is to comprehend five.....because five is a whole new stage and a much bigger world.

But instead I will just say... I am so very happy that he is five. I am so very sad that he is five. 

I snapped this photo of him a few days ago while we were discussing his birthday presents. He hasn't asked for much and I'm sticking to my golden present rule. On Saturday we will celebrate pirate style with his Montessori friends and on Sunday we will stay home, eat pancakes for breakfast and bask in the sweetness of five-year-old Che.

hello!

Our beautiful friend Sarah Humphreys sings the sweetest tunes. Her latest album is hello and Daniel filmed the music video for the first single Like a House Needs a Door.

I took on the role of Creative Director (not really) and was there for the two days of filming. Apparently standing behind a camera unleashes a significant amount of confidence; enough for me to ask the waiter at the cafe to "...be a bit sexier." 

I hope you like this rather nostalgic film. It's so very Sarah - fun, whimsical and a little bit quirky. 

hello is available to buy on itunes and in your favourite music stores - you and your kids will love it, promise.

grounded

At the moment the days are rolling into one another; a blur of emails, stories and day-to-day busyness. Somehow, three editorial deadlines have fallen on the exact same day as Che's birthday. Throw into the mix a pirate party and a request for the best chocolate cake with strawberries please mum and I have a ridiculously full week ahead of me.

I'm a thinker, a dreamer and a worrier. Often I spend far too much time in my head. When I need clarity I go for a walk and most of the time I take the children with me. Che, like most little ones, is fascinated by the minutiae. When we walk he's always ten steps behind; following the ants, inspecting the broken fence, collecting fallen blooms. Before long I join him and whilst it isn't purposeful, I end up crouching to his height, gathering pods and leaves and seeds, and grounding myself. It's like a beautiful yoga practice, where I settle into my body, connect to the earth, and exhale. 

When people discover that I am a yoga teacher the immediate presumption goes something like this: vegetarian, 5am sun salutations, ever-calm-(((((((om))))))))-muma. The reality? I eat meat, I can't remember the last time I rose with the sun to practice and I om to calm myself when the stress-levels peak. When I birthed Che and tried to navigate that strange first year I came to realise that yoga isn't my asana (posture) practice at all. My yoga is staying present when the tasks ahead are overwhelming, practicing a few rounds of cat stretching on the kitchen floor while dinner cooks, breathing bhramari (humming bee breath) in the shower to settle my nervous system. 

Yoga is an afternoon walk where I mimic the pace of my little yogi. Meditation is arranging our treasure on the table when we return home. 

38/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2012."

Che: Sensitive, thoughtful and so very engaging. He turns five this week. Sigh.

Poet: ...climbs everything. "She's cute but gosh, she's hard work."

Last week on facebook I asked whether many of you were interested in doing your very own 52 next year. There was a resounding "yes" ... so it seems that 2013 will be the year for a portrait a week. Will you be joining in?

52

sakura bloom - a silk and linen giveaway

After winning The Sling Diaries I was given a gift voucher to Sakura Bloom. But, as you may have already noticed, I own a few gorgeous slings and if I add more to my collection I may be setting myself up for a quadruplet pregnancy.

So...I'm going to play it safe and pass on some babywearing love.

I'm giving away two slings - one simple sling featuring a double layer of dupioni silk (valued at $180usd) and one pure sling featuring a single layer of Irish linen (valued at $88usd).

There will be two winners. The first name drawn will get to choose either the silk or the linen. Both winners will get to choose their very favourite colour - like lavender, wheat, shale, terracotta, sangria....good luck with that!

You can enter this giveaway a maximum of three times:

• first entry - following Che & Fidel over there on the right
• second entry - popping over to Che & Fidel on facebook and hitting 'like'
• third entry - sharing this giveaway on either facebook/instagram/your blog

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. (If you can't see your comment press the 'load more' link under the comments box). If you like, tell me whether you would choose the silk or linen and what colour you have your eye on. The winners will be chosen by the random number generator and published in this post on Wednesday 26th at around 9pm EST. Winners will be contacted by email. This giveaway is open to international readers.

Update: comments closed. The first winner is #230 Max, the second winner is #71 Kate. Congratulations ladies....I'll be in touch x

photos: (left) I wear Poet in the simple silk sling in amber....photo by tim (right) I wear Poet in the pure linen sling in twilight...photo by tamara

an unhurried childhood

I clearly remember the first day we took Che to Montessori. We walked slowly, following his amble, and when we reached the gate his teacher welcomed us. "I like that you let Che take his time," he said.

I thought about that comment as I drove Che to school yesterday. I thought about it in reference to the hurriedness of our morning; the bread that I eyed as it took forever to defrost, the lost drink bottle, the blankets and books that went flying as we hunted for a hat.

This morning, just like most days, Che was unperturbed by time. He sat in a cardboard box popping bubble wrap; Poet was close by marvelling at a balloon. I was thinking about my role as the gentle hurrier - c'mon, c'mon, c'mon as I mentally tick the list - bag, jumper, hat, drink bottle, sunscreen, book for news, fruit for snack. If I didn't hurry we would never get to school on time; hurrying is necessary but sometimes I wish it wasn't so.

              This week the new issue of Little One Kids comes out and in it is a feature about Elsa and Hugo's rooms. I had the pleasure of interviewing Michelle (the muma) and writing the story. Her two children, older than mine, are beautiful - kind, intelligent and thoughtful. Out of all the questions that Michelle answered there was one about extra-curricular activities that really resonated with me. She is passionate about an unhurried childhood -.slow days spent close to home without the need to do every.single.available.activity. As a result her children have a palpable love of their abode and are happy to spend their weekends in the garden, down the dirt road, chasing the rather endearing Spoon - the dog. 

As a writer one of the best things that can come from working on a story is understanding. I loved reading Michelle's words as she discussed the considered rhythm of their days in country Tasmania. I've been thinking about Che and how next year, as he trots off to school, I'll do my best to not get caught up in the whirr of schedules, after-school activities and weekend to-dos. 

Our mornings will be rushed, our weekends will be pyjama-clad and, hopefully, I'll be able to slow childhood, just a bit. Am I dreaming?

photo: a little cottage in berry....

37/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2012."

Che: His behaviour was appalling...and then I realised that it was dusk and he hadn't eaten since lunch. 

Poet: Like the cat got the cream, Poet got the sugar.

By far and most definitely my favourite portrait of Poet. Do you agree?

52

sakura bloom sling diaries....a win

A big thank you for following my six diary entries over the past few months and for leaving so many beautiful comments. The winners were announced this afternoon and I'm delighted to share the win with the lovely Mary Catherine and Carolee.

Babywearing...it's been so nice to share the Sakura Bloom love.

spring : a new kind of normal

I've just realised that for the time being, I'm never going to get to the bottom of my list. 

For the past few weeks I've really struggled with my lack of time. I've wondered why, at this point in my mothering journey, the professional opportunities keep arriving in abundance. I have tried over and over and over again to get to the point where my work is done, the house is clean and I can just sit with a cup of tea. It hasn't happened, I haven't come close.

Yesterday Che received a letter from his new school, detailing dates and times for orientation and I sat bemused trying to fathom where five years went. As he asked Daniel about buddies and canteen and wide-brimmed school hats I reminisced about his birth and his blonde curls and his love of the stars.

Today I went to the shopping centre and there were Christmas decorations and 2013 diaries. But it's only just spring. If I stepped outside tonight I would say it was still winter.

                             ...................................................................................................................................................................

Since reading Maxabella's post last week I've been thinking about my normal. I said to Daniel: "I spend so much time trying to get back to normal - I should just accept that 'juggling' is normal." The revelation. 

So, instead of wallowing in the unproductive days and the long list of to-dos, a few things have changed. I'm listening to my own advice and reminding myself to be here now. For now, just be here. I've declared 4:30pm 'play in the garden time' for Daniel and the kids so that I can cook in relative quiet (I do quite enjoy it). I have accepted that although I could work seven days a week, I can't and I won't. I'm revelling in the slow and steady spring clean that's happening one drawer at a time. And if the decluttering falls into summer, so be it. 

I'm also accepting the fact that Che will start kindergarten next year and it will be wonderful. But because I am his mum I am allowed to cry every time I drive past the school gates, every time I think about him in a too-big-for-his-head hat, every time I smell wattle, gumtrees and vegemite; the scent of the playground.

the make believe collection, by udder

When I visited Fliss and sipped just-made chai in her kitchen, she told me about her hopes for udder. At the time, her little boy Art was 1, and like all mothers she had just lifted from the fog of the first year. She was eager to see her sketches become handmade friends and she desperately wanted to create a collection of children's clothes.

So she moved her family to Bali, set up home in a sweet villa and enjoyed regular jaunts to the beach and the rice paddies. Once settled she established a relationship with boutique manufacturers and gained access to the Italian designer "off-cuts" that are created using ancient Indonesian techniques - Batik, Tie and Dye, Shibori. 

Before long she was swept up in the creative process and was witnessing her designs become clothing in a fabulously sustainable way - recycling fabrics and preserving traditional crafts. Last week The Make Believe Collection launched - a celebration of quirk and whimsy. it's wonderfully bohemian with a necessary dash of practicality.

I'm so inspired by Fliss' journey and her determination to create a unique and sustainable business. My favourite pieces? Most definitely the tin tin pants (for my tin tin fan), luna's swimmers, Oki short and Ringo tee. 

spring : a giveaway to celebrate the season

Oh spring; the season that inspires with its warmth and light. It most definitely deserves a celebration so I have gathered a collection of beautiful products to give away.

Some of my favourite brands have generously donated a range of gorgeous bits and pieces to make your home a lovely one. Valued at over $600AUD this is oh so wonderful (and I wish I could keep it all for myself).

The winner will receive the following:

1.16 piece Garland dinner set by Royal Doulton (set comprises: 4 x dinner plates, 4 x dessert plates, 4 x cereal bowls and 4 x mugs). Made from porcelain this delightful set is valued at $249. 

2. Everyone wants fresh, new linen for spring and these two pillow slips by Oh Mabel are absolutely perfect. Made from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton, 300 thread count cotton sateen, they feature the 'eloise' design in blush - rings of rosies and posies to imbue your bed with a little whimsy - valued at $70

3. So many of you wanted to know more about Murchison-Hume after I mentioned them last week. Well, the winner will receive a "Classic Six" boxed set in the 'fig' scent - everything you need to keep your home naturally clean and fresh, the six bottles come packaged in a bamboo caddy - valued at $73

4. A home isn't complete without beeswax candles...Queen B are giving away a set of their Bee Lights and Tea Lights...I consider them absolute necessities - they purify the air, emit a warm glow and leave a fresh, honey scent - valued at $50.

5. Of course, spring cleaning isn't quite the same unless you have a relaxing cup of tea to look forward to. Clipper Teas have just released a new range of infusions - six fresh, uplifting teas that feature the most stunning packaging - valued at $25

6. Fancy some pretty pictures for your walls? LittleGreenShed is giving away "Treefall" A4 print and "Spring Flowers" A3 print - both prints of original pen and ink drawing, printed on archival Premier Fine Art Paper using archival inks. Artist Lou Archell has signed and dated each one and they are all ready for framing - valued at $55

7. Playfield -  design for modern parents and style lovers, were inspired by Pantone's colour of the year and their favourite children's book - the result is this unique design. "hello baby !" is a 50x70cm high quality print on beautiful satin stock ready to frame - valued at $50

8. Linen, muted tones and playful prints - no wonder Maze & Vale is one of my very favourite brands. These two oversize (50x70cm) limited edition tea towels are worthy of a place on the wall (I don't think I would ever use them for the dishes). Screen printed by hand in limited editions of 4 to 6, creator Leslie Keating loves to experiment with colour and overprinting design - valued at $44

You can enter this giveaway a maximum of three times:

• first entry - following Che & Fidel (over there on the right) 
• second entry - popping over to Che & Fidel on facebook and hitting 'like'
• third entry - sharing this giveaway on facebook/instagram/your blog

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen by the random number generator and published in this post on Monday 17th September at around 9pm EST. Winner will be contacted by email. 

Very best of spring-time luck....

Update: comments closed. The random number generator chose #73 Mother Down Under - congratulations lovely one! x

graphic designed by the wonderful Lena of Playfield 

sakura bloom sling diaries - wrap up

A few of my favourite captures from The Sling Diaries.

Later today Leigh from Marvelous Kiddo will be posting her most-loved photos from the series. She will also be announcing a few exciting things about The Sling Diaries Facebook Page. If you like babywearing and love Sakura Bloom I suggest you head over there and 'like' - hint hint, wink wink.

Thanks so much for all your lovely comments over the six posts. I'm a little sad that it's all over but so grateful for the babywearing moments that have been documented. 

Photo 1 & 4 - Tim Coulson
Photo 2 - Luisa Brimble
Photo 3 - Tamara Erbacher

mexican bohemian

I easily forget how nourishing the ocean is. Thursday just gone we were barefoot and dressed for summer so come late afternoon we headed to the beach for salt air and even saltier hot chips. 

Regardless of dusk falling the children were happy and so we stayed a little longer to soak up the space and the quiet and the promise of warmer days to come.

Stunning Mexican Oaxacan Florecer Blouse and Cotton Serape c/o the beautiful "little tienda". Thanks for satisfying my inner-bohemian Em! Cotton, stripes, floral and colour; just a few of my favourite things x

36/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2012."

Che: Delight at dusk....there will be so many more of these evenings at the beach

Poet: The late afternoon sun streams through the front door. She sits on the stairs; so very Miss Muffet.

52

spring : seasonal reads

As a new season approaches I go through the bookshelf and take out the relevant stories. At bedtime and wake time and afternoon in-between-time we read together and talk about the pictures and the words and the quirky characters that fill the pages.

So, it's spring, and here's what we're reading to welcome the season:

• Spring is Here by Taro Gomi. I bought this for Che when he was a little one and now it's one of Poet's favourites. Sweet illustrations and simple yet evocative sentences lure the tiniest of imaginations
• Bumping and Bouncing by Alison Lester - the one who glorifies Australia and Australian families in all her wonderful work. This is a lovely little rhyming book, easily held by chubby toddler hands. 
• Thanks to Lauren Clare who recommended the breathtaking A Forest by Marc Martin. Dubbed one of Australia's "most talented new picture-book creators" Marc has created a timeless tale complete with the most beautiful illustrations and paintings. I purchased our copy in a little bookshop in Berry and when it hasn't been on the bed-side table it's been decorating my mantle. 
• I discovered All Through the Year by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker a little while ago. I was delighted to finally find a book that followed the Australian seasons(at the right time of year). Told through the eyes of a child this is a beautiful story complimented by Anna's whimsical and utterly lovely illustrations. 
• Today and Today is the creation of Brian Karas. Inspired by Issa's emotive haiku poetry, Brian tells the story of a family who endure loss and experience healing. A celebration of the seasons and the simple wonders in the days, this is a precious book that I'll be keeping even when my children are grown. 

...........................................................................................

I think the books we read was one of my all-time favourite posts. The comments section became a fabulous list of 'highly recommended.' I suggest you pop back there - it's perfect inspiration for your next library visit.

I'm expecting some spring-reading suggestions from you too - what's your favourite story to read in spring? And, if you're venturing into autumn, please share your much-loved tales about the leaves falling....I'll keep it in mind for next year.

a seasonal series
turn of the season
notes from my naturopath
at home

finally.....

After months of procrastinating I finally got organised enough to create a facebook page for Che & Fidel. So...if you are on facebook I'd love it if you headed over there and 'liked' me.

I'll be on there daily, sharing snippets of inspiration and information. See you there....

the hammock beckons from the balcony. it takes all my self-discipline not to curl up in it every afternoon and wile away the hours...

snarl

I never knew a snarl could be so endearing. 

frequently asked questions : some answers

If you commented or emailed me in response to my frequently asked questions post - thank you. I've thoroughly enjoyed considering the questions and creating the relevant 'answers'. But, you know, time time time. 

I'm in the midst of writing a few posts including: "an insight into Che & Fidel - behind-the-scenes" and "establishing and growing a freelance writing career." There will be more posts in my Q&A series about yoga and birth too, as well as the creation of a FAQ page on my sidebar. 

However, waiting can be tedious so I thought I would answer a few FAQ here. And to all those readers who emailed asking about the big, evenly spaced photos....read on.

What did you study at university and did it influence your writing in any way?

I studied a Bachelor of Arts in Communications (Journalism) at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). On day one I was asked to go out and find a story - journalists are never shy. Over three years I studied a range of subjects including the mandatory theory classes, media and law, radio, television, investigative journalism and feature writing. I also delved into fiction  and loved classes on short story writing, poetry and novel writing. I think what I learnt most upon finishing my degree was that I would never be a gritty, up-all-night-to-find-the-story journalist. I was never interested in the graveyard shift (the very beginning of a cadetship) at the local paper nor did I have aspirations to be the next Kate Adie. What I did have was a love of words, the ability to write a good sentence and the desire to write stories that would inform and inspire. I started writing freelance for magazines shorty after I graduated.

What skincare products do you use?

I started using Aesop about a year ago and I absolutely love it. I have quite dry, sensitive skin so the parsley seed facial cleansing oil and parsley seed anti-oxidant facial toner has worked wonders. Once a week I use the purifying facial exfoliant paste and I always moisturise with camellia nut facial hydrating cream. Happy to say that my skin is the best it's ever been. And the lovely glass bottles look rather lovely all lined up in a row. 

What's the hardest thing about being married?

I couldn't tell you because Daniel and I aren't married, yet. We'll say 'we do' sometime soon in a very simple and personal ceremony. The only thing we've organised for our wedding day - the photographer.

How do you make your photos so big and evenly spaced?

Ok....here goes.

I'm a perfectionist so uneven spacing and photos at different widths just won't do. Hence I've spent hours figuring out the world of html. 

First things first....make sure you have the updated blogger interface. Then...

• go to design and then 'template'. There's a button titled "Edit html" - click it. 
• ignore the warning and press proceed
• scroll down until you see the words header-wrapper - underneath this title is a number followed by px (pixels) - the width of your blog in pixels. Mine is 940px
• scroll down further and you will come to main-wrapper - this is your post section. Mine is 740px wide (I recently widened it from 640px so my photos are bigger)
• so now I know that my photos need to be 740px wide (if your main wrapper is only 350px wide, or thereabouts, your photos are never going to be that big because there's just not the space needed in your main wrapper aka post column. So, you need to widen your post column by adjusting the size of your left and right columns and adding the extra 'space' to your post column). 

Now it's time to upload your photos. 

If you re-size your photos before uploading, resize them to 740px wide (or whatever the width of your main-wrapper is) and once they are uploaded choose to make them original size by clicking on the photo while composing your post. 

If you upload your photos as full size (which means they're really big) you need to make them original size and then click HTML (it's next to the compose button in the top left-hand corner). In the HTML is the photo information. You'll see s1600  - change it to s740 or whatever your main-wrapper is. However, if you are uploading a portrait photo instead of landscape you need to do some maths. Basically you need to half the main-wrapper number and add it to the original main-wrapper. Hence I would halve 740 (370) and add 370 to 740 = 1110. If I'm resizing a portrait image I change the s1600 to s1110. 

Breathe. 

For those wanting to know more about the diptychs (two photos side-by-side) that I feature - I create them in Photoshop.

Perhaps this makes no sense whatsoever. If you have any more questions about photos and sizing I'm happy to answer them in the comments section. And I'll bring tech-savvy Daniel along for the ride.

spring : at home

Have you ever come across The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin? It's a great read and I especially love her musings on de-cluttering. Upon discovering the joy of a clutter-less wardrobe she goes about simplifying her entire home and discovers an enormous sense of happiness in the process. 

I'm a big fan of making space - getting rid of the unnecessary; simplifying. Some may say it's the practice of non-attachment - a common goal for the yogis among us but not always easily achieved. For me, spring is the time to de-clutter. The home-body in me loves to potter and clean, sort and rearrange. It's non-pregnancy nesting and I revel in it. 

Over the past few weeks I've been collecting my spring cleaning essentials...a few things to make the clean a little more enjoyable (and aesthetically pleasing). Here's my list:

• I'm not exaggerating when I say that Murchison-Hume's "Boy's Bathroom Cleaner" changed my life. I detest cleaning the bathroom but this lightly scented spray is powerful. It smells delightful and leaves my bathroom shiny and squeaky clean. I also use Murchison-Hume in the kitchen - the Superlative Hand Soap is a fixture on my windowsill and the Counter Intelligence Food Safe Surface Spray is used daily and loved. 
• As well as burning frankincense, lemon and eucalyptus oils I light a beeswax candle everyday. Beeswax is a natural air purifier - it clears the home of odour, pollens, dust, mildew and mould and leaves a fresh honey-scent. I always buy Queen B candles - highly recommend. 
• We've had a bit of a problem with mould in the past but my home-made concoction has worked wonders. I fill a spray bottle with water and add eucalyptus oil, clove oil (not recommended for use in pregnancy), lemon juice and a little white vinegar. I usually give the area a clean with straight vinegar and then spray the concoction on and leave to dry. Clove oil actually kills the mould.
• Just-picked freesias are my favourite bloom. They grow wild along our street and one particular neighbour (a dear old man who was born just over the hill) has a plethora of them sprouting in his garden. I stop for a chat and he picks a few for me to bring home. Freesias on the windowsill - hello spring!
• Linen tea-towels....make the dishes slightly enjoyable. I treated myself to a few of maze&vale's handprinted, handmade designs. 

One of the biggest jobs on my list is sorting through the children's clothes. I have saved all of Che's clothes so far - 0000-4 - and I'm wondering whether I should hold onto them or not. There will be more babies but it seems silly to keep every piece of clothing when they could be worn by someone else. Perhaps I should just save the special and sentimental things? What do you do with all your outgrown children's clothes?

gorgeous accent plates from the Fable collection c/o Royal Doulton. 

35/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2012."

Che: Since we dusted off the hammock he's been in there everyday - soaking up sun and reading Tin Tin.

Poet: Oh gosh. I see the little girl!

52

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. Hope you get pancakes for breakfast, a few pairs of new socks and a well-deserved afternoon kip.