Category Archives: P365

Project 365

Many directions

I have nothing fun to say today. Work is incredibly busy and is sucking every single creative word and thought from my body.

Don’t get me wrong – I love that I have a creative job and that I can spend more than an hour choosing a colour palette (happened today) or conjuring up ideas for a fun video (last week and the week before), I just feel a little drained.

But then I come home and my two year old is standing at the door saying “mummy, mummy, mummy!” before I can even turn the key and my 4 year old manages to get Star Wars Cantina running through my head over and over again (to the tune of Copacabana).

Let’s just say I have a life that pulls me in many (mostly good) directions. The following P365 photos just reinforce that fact…

Tonight Samuel said “my best friend is Thomas”. I think they had a good day together.

Where I spend a large proportion of my time. I took this at about 9pm on a Friday night during an emergency video editing session. Oh, and I don’t work for the post office. That was just a random box.

Dancing with Thomas at our local kid-friendly pizza and music joint.

Same night. This is obviously not my child, but I just love this photo of my friend’s daughter. That’s my friend in the background as well as her other daughter.

The closest thing we got to a family portrait last month.

And finally, a rare quiet moment.

Blue

It’s been a while since I’ve posted any P365 pictures and, to be honest, I really haven’t been doing the photo-a-day thing. Instead I find myself taking a bunch of photos on one day and then a few another with days in-between where I won’t take a photo at all. It seems to be working for me right now.

School finished on Tuesday but work is crazy and I feel a little overwhelmed and stressed. Adding one more thing to my list of to-do’s is just not on the cards. Instead I think I’ll just give myself a little break and let myself take a photo when I feel inspired to do so.

I am excited about one planned photo opp, however. I signed up for the Scott Kelby photowalk this year. The bad news is that I’ll have to drag my butt out of bed at 5:00am on a Sunday but the good news is that I’ll be free to take photos inside a local amusement park before it opens. I can’t wait!

I have also been lacking in the P365 photo share department so I’ll share a few recent pics that share the a common hue.

(Thanks Obachan for the Hapi coat).

Reminders

Today is the last day of the school year. I have been looking forward to this day for a few weeks, not because I desperately wanted Thomas to finish his first year of pre-school, but because it means that both children will be attending the same daycare for the summer and I will be able to shave about 90 minutes from my commute each day.

I am hoping that this extra time (and a little stress relief) will help us get back on track. The past couple of months have been challenging for a number of reasons – rain, work challenges, cranky toddlers, sassy pre-schoolers, and did I mention rain? I think we’re all suffering from a severe vitamin D deficiency and a sunny day would go a long way to helping us get back on track.

We went out for dinner tonight and, as we left the restaurant following a quick but impressive rainstorm, we saw this…

It reminded me to look on the bright side and consider the many small wonderful things that are happening in our lives right now.

  • Samuel is learning to dress himself and managed to get his legs into two different holes of his pajama pants tonight.
  • Thomas has a best friend who will be in the same class again next year. We’re setting up a few play dates and sleepovers during the summer.
  • Our veggie garden is growing – at least half of it – and we have a few strawberries ripening in my new hanging  baskets. We’ll tackle the second garden bed this weekend.
  • We have family coming to visit in July – I am excited to see how much my nephews have grown over the last few years. It’s been far too long since we’ve seen them and I can’t wait to have a house full of boys (ok, I’m a little frightened as well).
  • We are planning another overseas trip – this time to Japan. (yippee!)
  • Thomas knows how to write almost the entire alphabet – in Japanese and English. I am so proud of how much he has learned in just one short year.
  • Samuel still says “I love you” every day and doesn’t hesitate to give me big hugs and kisses whenever I ask (and sometimes when I don’t). He also went to bed without crying tonight (a small victory) and has completely given up the binky (aka dummy or pacifier, depending on where you come from).

I am also grateful that I stumbled across these pictures tonight. A reminder of that special brotherly relationship.

Also a good reminder to never let your guard down with a two-year-old.

Friday Flashback

Nearly three years ago I traveled with a teeny tiny little boy to Australia and took this photo. He was not quite two years old, an only child and kindly waiting until after we returned home to hit the dreaded terrible two’s (actually, he waited almost until he turned three to hit that milestone – his brother, however…).

This morning that same boy declared to me that “My brain is the Policeman of my body. If I feel like I want to hit, then my brain tells my body not to do it and my lungs put my body in jail”. It’s crazy how much change can occur in just three short years.

On this Tuesday (one that feels like it really should be Friday)

Can’t stop looking at... this favorite photo from our beach trip. I have always wanted to spend a stormy weekend at the coast and, judging by this picture, I got my wish.

Unashamedly enjoying…

Oh how I love Glee. This show takes me back to that very special time when I thought I could sing and enjoyed a split second of fame as I sang a solo piece as “Bet” in my high school production of Oliver. There’s a teeny tiny little part of me that still wonders what if…

Oh, and “To Sir With Love” is one of my favorite movies. Genius!

Way too excited about…
Toy Story 3

We’re looking forward to our very first all-family movie night/day. I think I may be more excited than the kids.

Putting my order in…

I have waited far too long.

And seeing…

Yes, blue skies. Just barely visible through the pile of work that awaits me at work tomorrow.

But I know they’re there.

Good Night.

Playing

This week’s I ♥ Faces challenge is all about play – not something we are short on in our house. I didn’t fully appreciate how powerful the concept of play is to a child until I gave birth to my own. Thomas can actually get very upset when he doesn’t feel as though he has a chance to play – although admittedly his distress is strongest when this realization happens to coincide with bedtime.

This week’s photo was taken on our recent group family trip to Netarts on the Oregon Coast. It’s always wonderful (and a little frightening) to watch the boys interact with other children their own age – especially children that they don’t see on a regular basis. It’s fascinating to see the different personalities shine through as you observe them playing together (or alone, as Thomas likes to do on occasion), watching them resolve conflicts (sometimes with parental involvement) and just generally enjoy each others company in a completely neutral location, rather than at someone’s house.

I was reviewing photos of our trip when we returned home and, when Samuel saw this one he was horrified and exclaimed “Oh No!”. How dare that other child touch his face! I adore the colours in this photo and the way Samuel is looking directly at the camera as if to say, calmly, “Mum, why is he doing this to me?”

Believe it or not, Summer is almost here

So the weather may not exactly scream Summer in Portland right now, but school will still be closing next week. Thomas’ last day of his first year of pre-school is next Tuesday and I am in a little bit of shock over how quickly it’s come, but how much we’ve progressed in such a short time.

Last September was tough – lots of crying and “mummy, I don’t want to stay heeeere….”, but we persevered. This morning as I drove Thomas to school as he talked to me about how much he loved going to school, sang songs to me in Japanese and talked excitedly about how he was going to play Star Wars with his best friend who he insists on referring to by his (very long) full name. He even walked into the classroom by himself without needing me to stand beside him as he answered the question of the day (sort of like a secret password). Thankfully he came running out of the room as I walked away because he’d forgotten to give me a hug. Glad to know he still needs a hug from Mummy.

Thanks to a September birthday, Thomas will be spending another year in pre-school and I am grateful for the extra year of socializing and playing and napping and snacking before the really serious work begins.

As a a farewell to the school year, I share a few of my recent P365 photos taken in the halls of the school that Thomas has come to love.

We catch the elevator every day and, of course, Thomas insists on pressing the buttons. I realize that walking down a flight of stairs would be less lazy but, honestly, this saves us precious time as we turn up late every single day. It’s something we’ll work on next year.

The aforementioned stairs in what is one of the oldest school buildings in our city.

And of course the boy who is growing up way too quickly. It’s a good thing he’s staying in pre-school for one more year. I don’t think I am emotionally ready for a kindergartener.