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Matilda: If you haven't woken up to use the toilet before we go to bed, we will take you to the toilet ourselves. You hardly wake at all, it's very cute and pretty funny, too.

George: Oh George. Most photos of you look like this one recently. You spot the camera and out comes the crazy cheese face! Think I'll have to get using some sneaky picture taking tactics.

Joining in with Jodi and many, many lovely others for the 52 Project in 2014.

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Matilda: Messing around in some very rare recent sunshine.
George: "Eddy, deddy, GOOOOO!!"

Using photos from my phone for the first time ever. I cannot make them any bigger and I can say that the Blogger for Android app is rubbish. Hey ho - I hope everyone is having a good week, we are, too.

Joining in with Jodi over at Practising Simplicity

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Matilda: Always in character.
George: And then he was two.

I am a little excited to be joining in with Jodi's 52 project from the beginning this year. I decided to hop on the bandwagon partly through 2013 when I started this little blog and am very glad I did. In another 51 weeks from now there will be a whole set of 104 portraits of Matilda and George and I'm looking forward to seeing them, start to finish.

So, the new year is upon us, evidently and oh I am glad. Am I the only one who is relieved to have Christmas done for another year? I'll be packing it all away into boxes tomorrow night once the littles are in bed and then that's it. Mister 2014, you'll be good, won't you? Yes, yes, you will. I'm not making resolutions. I just don't like them but I do have a pretty exhaustive list of goals and aims. Some big, many small or just for fun but all important. You can miss one or two goals in a match and it's not a total fail, is it? It just feels better, for me anyway.

I couldn't write a post without mentioning that our lovely George turned two on Hogmanay. I keep reminding myself that it happeed, that he is two now. And while of course it is bittersweet to be growing out of his baby skin, it is with enormous joy, we watch his little personality grow and unfurl. That boy, he gives the fullest, warmest loves I've ever known and I often wonder when will it be that I stop wanting to actually eat him a bit? Yes, we love him a lot.

Happy new year to you! Here's hoping the first week of 2014 has been good.

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Matilda: Forever fond of your reflection. Less for the vanity, more for the intelligent conversation. (Maybe a little for the vanity...)
George: When I first met your Daddy he made me laugh by saying what a great Batman he would be because of his good jaw and mouth area. It's true! And you have inherited his lovely lips it seems.

Joining in with Jodi once again. (Despite completely missing last week - I know it's a bit cheating, since the whole idea is a photo a week but while life definitely was happening, the blogging of, was not - life just got the better of me for a small while there )

Tonight we had a pre Christmas dinner with Tom's parents as they're off down south and we're staying put so we won't see them 'till after the new year. A lovely time and a gorgeous feast was had- Venison Wellington made by Tom. Tasty doesn't cover it, just SO delicious. So I'm going to sleep tonight with a happy tummy and a happy heart and looking forward to what will be a quiet but lovely Christmassy time with my favourite small people and Tom too, of course (when he's not busy making Christmas happen for lots of people at the Hotel, that is).

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Matilda: Carrot cake maker face.
George: The best colour is... All of the colours!

Photos this week are pretty grainy. Gloomy skies don't make for clear captures and I've not had the time/patience to mess about with settings. That's my excuse anyway. Hope your weeks are being good to you! Busy times.

Joining in with Jodi again over here.

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Matilda: In the garden, in the snow! Such fun. We played outside together while George had his nap. You are the best little companion. If I could be small again, I would really want a friend like you. We had a cold snap earlier this week, followed closely by a storm. Now we're back to beautiful early winter weather. Warm sun and crisp, cold air.

George: Dancing his way up to the top of the stoney beach.

Joining in again with the lovely Jodi's 52 project.

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Matilda: Ocean light dances when you wear a dressing gown to the beach, it seems. (Along with a tutu, pink knickers on head and every other pink item you could manage to wear in one go.)
George: Throwing stones in the sea, a very happy thing.

The weeks are flying by, aren't they? Winter is surely creeping in. I hope your weekends are good to you. Joining in with Jodi's lovely 52 project.

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Matilda: Helping Daddy to remove old nails and staples from the stripped staircase. I am always amazed at how capable children are when we give them the time and patience to say "yes, you can." It can be all too easy to say that It's a job for 'grown ups' when really, there's rarely a good enough reason to say no.

George: Mud, mud, glorious mud.

Joining in with the lovely Jodi and many others over here.

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Matilda: Every single morning, without fail, the very first thing you say to me after you wake up is "Mummy, I want to go and find those silly cats. I want to go and see Mog." You adore her. When you get home from Croileagan, you spend a little while quietly giving her a love, too. BFFs forever, fo sho.

George: Two things you are always doing, eating and playing with hair. Usually mine, but when I'm out of arms reach you make do with your own.

Joining in again this week over here.

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Matilda: Showing off a little plasticine flower made for her Granny. Mostly things  made by her hands are always for Granny, or Aunty Abigail. She loves them, very much.

George: Finished! Or... "Nineeeeshd" As he announces after every meal and snack.

Pretty late with what are now last week's portraits. I haven't picked up the camera much lately and I never seem to find the time to sit down and write here. When I started this little space I had small but big-ish plans for it. Real life's just too busy, I'm alright with that. It's how it should be. I'll get back on it sometime soon.

Joining in with Jodi and many others for the 52 project.

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Matilda: Autumn suits you well.
George: My little wild one loves the "wowers".

A portrait of my children once a week, every week. Joining in with Jodi and many lovely others over here.

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Matilda: Laughing at your very funny Granny as we climbed higher and higher up the stoney steps of St. Clements church in Harris.

George: You CAN fly! Pure joy.

We're just back from a beautiful couple of days together not too far away from our actual home but down on the Isle of Harris. The weather was spectacular and the setting even more so. Happy times, indeed.

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Matilda: Just feeling the breeze.
George: Great works in progress, most definitely.

A portrait of my children, once a week, every week. Joining along with the ever lovely Jodi. 

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Matilda: Hey... She's coming for you, rocks! Little girl taking on a big world.
George: Boys together.

Joining in with Jodi and the 52 Project... A portrait of my children, once a week, every week.

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Matilda: Admiring the flowers. The left a sweet gift from our neighbours garden to you and the right a beautiful bunch from my lovely Ma-in-law. (Just because SHE is ace). I think I will forever and ever be in awe of those gorgeous curls, Matilda.

George: DINNER WINNER!

A portrait of my children, once a week every week.

Joining in once again with Jodi.

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Matilda: Gathering leaves to make a nest for a little small wee bird. We draw and we cut and we stick and we write and we have been more and more and more this week. Your drawings are amazing. Lots of tulips and mermaids and bears and rainbows.

George: Yes we dance in our big boy pants!

A portrait of my children, once a week every week.

Joing in with the lovely Jodi.

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Matilda: That cheeky face.  So excited to get your favourite dress on for school. I love it too.

George: Oh George, little monkey TurboGeorge. You are picking up new words rapidly at the moment, it is excellent. "Goo, Mammy! Gooo! Gooo!" Yes glue. Then you pulled a piece of paper from the drawer and began to stick the screwed up flower petals you had clutched in  your clammy palm to the paper with the goo. You really do love gooing.

A portrait of my children, once a week every week.
I loved Bijou and her beautiful flower crown last week.

Joining in with the lovely Jodi's 52 project.

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Matilda: Just having a moments rest on the way to the park, mostly to admire your new shiny, shiny shoes.
George: Poised and ready for action. Splatty, soupy action.

I really loved this shot of little Olive from last week. Such lovely light. And Bo's beautiful, big teary eyes.


Joining in with Jodi's lovely 52 project.

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Matilda: Shiny new red shoes. I crept up on you as you were nibbling on pomegranate on the back step.(Not so photo happy were you today...) I think both you and George's most favourite ever snack. Especially if you get to whack the bejeebers out of it to get the bits out.

George: Look at that little face. I mean really... I am head over heels for this little boy.

A portrait of my children, once a week every week and joining in with Jodi's lovely 52 project.

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Matilda: The new school year started on Thursday and with it you began a full time spot at Croileagan. From now on each and every weekday morning we walk together to Stornoway Primary School and then meet again for lunch. I've been feeling in equally full measures; sentimental, proud and excited for you.

George: Here, I was just about forgiven for putting beetroot on your plate. You were VERY unhappy with the situation. You're so funny. It's lovely to have some time with you while our big girl (who insists she is absolutely not big) is busy at school.

Joining in with Jodi's lovely 52 project.