I'm Susan — devout Francophile, mother of twins, writer, creative director, and aspiring author. I've been sharing my life here since 2010...thanks for reading!
“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014.”
Even though the nineteen month mark has come and gone, our weeks are still full of newness. New words, new expressions, new sounds…each and every one delight us. They love to display their independence, and have become laser focused on learning, each in their own way. I’m in awe of them daily, and have a hunch the feeling will stick around.
**henry and marie are modeling circle scarves c/o little hip squeaks**
“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014.”
They are my forever valentines…my loves, my heart. No matter how trying this week has been, my love tank is full. Their joy keeps me going on the darkest day…one smile, one hug, one kiss, and my frustration and fatigue fade away.
For their first time crafting, I would say this was a success. In searching for a fun toddler valentine’s day craft, I saw this idea a few times and thought it was appropriate for their age. I can’t take credit for the concept, but I CAN take credit for getting two eighteen month olds to cooperate and dare I say, enjoy themselves! Marie was more into it than Henry (as you can see), but they were both able to make the heart shapes with ease. Keeping the shapes untouched became the tricky part-Henry preferred to smear it all, but in the end the important thing is that they did something creative + enjoyed themselves. After the paint dried, I cut out the best sections to use for valentines…happy crafting everyone!
supplies needed: toilet paper rolls, washable red paint, a paint brush, white poster board
“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014.”
What a week…what started out as a beautiful snowfall turned into a scary ice storm, leaving our area crippled. We’re on day three without power-thankfully my parents live close-by and have taken us in. Before the badness, we were able to get out and enjoy the snow with the kids, and finally put the twin sleds to use. I love this shot–they’re so synchronized! Henry doesn’t enjoy the snow as much as Marie (the girl cannot stop eating it), but we finally got a smile out of him!
“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014.”
This week, we are all reaching for what comforts us most. For the kids, it’s their favorite friends…”baby” for Marie, and “teddy” for Henry. Teddy is well loved-he was mine as a child, and the fact that Henry loves him so much is very special for me. Marie received baby at Christmas, and has since carried her around everywhere we go. After Henry showed so much interest in her baby, we got him one as well…which she very quickly commandeered. So, she is now (quite appropriately and hilariously) the mother of two babies. It’s been an emotional week…with a mix of tears and smiles. Even at such a young age (18 months), the kids are missing Billy and knowing that something happened. They keep us busy and smiling though, and we’re so thankful for their innocent exuberance. It is a constant reminder to celebrate life.