Just a little mine on monday post today with a difference.

Do you remember this post?  Well, I finally had the chance to meet Tine in person, and she is exactly the wonderfully gorgeous bubbly person in real life as she is online.  I am just so overwhelmed with the amazing photos she took of Andy and I.  Everytime I look at them, I feel the tears of excitement, and I am sure that she will never really understand what these images mean to Andy and I.   She has captured a moment that will be forever etched in our lives.  She will remain a very special person in our lives for the wonderful gift she has given us.  If you would like to see some of the images, you can view a couple of them here.

So below are just a few images I took whilst I had the chance.  These images, along with many of Tineke’s images, are taken from our wonderful little apartment.  We were in the Latin Quarter, just a hop, skip and jump from Pont Neuf.  A quirky, little top floor apartment with wonderful views of the Louvre, and the even the Eiffel tower.   We woke up to these beautiful views every morning - they are all taken from our precarious little verandah.

For some of these images, I have to give the credit to Andy.    He had many a lesson in the basics of photography while we were away, it was so funny to watch him learn, well at least Tine and I thought so.   I hope you enjoy these images, as they have such a special place in my heart.

I love you Paris!!!

What a productive morning I have had already.  I have been awake since 2.00am, up since 3.00am, and pottering around the house ever since.  Yummy orange and poppyseed muffins for the kids school lunch boxes have been made with tender loving care, and have just come out of the oven, a load of washing has been done, bags unpacked, kitchen dishes washed and put away.  I sound like the perfect housewife and mum don’t I, but no, I fool you all - It’s a lovely thing called jetlag.  Hey, I could get used to this, imagine all of the things I could get done if I always had this sort of energy at 3.00am every morning.  I am looking forward to seeing the sunrise, something I rarely do.

So I am home, and whilst I have a squillion and one images to show off, I will spare you the holiday flicks for the time being, at least until I can knock off some of this jetlag.  I am quite positive that by lunchtime today, I will resume my comatosed state and slip into survival mode as I pick the kids up from school.

Here is just a snippet of the AMAZING time I had.  Did I say AMAZING, SENSATIONAL, AWESOME.

Paragliding over Lake Annecy in the French Alps.  I was perfectly calm until he gave me the controls and suggested that I pull the left to spin us - of course this is the part you are seeing here - the part that he filmed (the rest of the time I was cool, calm and collected - I know you don’t believe me).

You can view Video HERE

Just a short post from me today because after finally getting the kids back to school after the break, I have come down with the dredded lurgy.  I am determined this lurgy is going to have it butt kicked out the door within the next couple of days, because I now have a trip to France to prepare for.

I have been working very long hours to ensure all of my lovely clients will receive their orders before I go (and so I can have a totally guilt free holiday).   I feel great, but the sore throat is taking grip at the moment.

So before I go, I wanted to share some images I snapped of my girls yesterday.   My beautiful girls.  They fight, but they just adore each other.

And now off to plonk myself on the couch with a hot cup of honey and lemon tea.  It’s time to catch a bit of the Tour De France on the off chance I might see Andy on the side of the road.  He rang me this evening with strict instructions to watch tonight.

When I was One, I had just begun.
When I was Two, I was nearly new.
When I was Three, I was hardly me.
When I was Four, I was not much more.
When I was Five, I was just alive.
But now I am Six, I’m as clever as clever,
So I think I’ll be six now for ever and ever.

AA.Milne

To my girl that dances to the beat of her own drum.   To my cheeky, cuddly, giggly girl.  To my big girl that turns 6 today.    There is no other like you.  I can’t help but adore you.

Ah Harriet, you are as clever as clever, I will love you for ever and ever.

One might be forgiven for thinking this was an add for converse sneakers - well Noodle is not wearing them.  No, it simply highlights the fact that there is someone missing from the family (I couldn’t get the chicken’s feet in here, phew, it was hard enough to get Noodles).

It is Andy’s feet.  The reason for this is because his feet are over in France at the moment.  For those of you that are crazy cyclists, you will know what a huge event the “Tour De France” is, and you will understand the attraction of travelling half way around the world to see it is.  So this is my 40th birthday present to my husband.  For me, the thought of going to France means, wandering the streets of Paris and finding quaint little cafes and shops, travelling through the countryside staying in little bed and breakfasts, eating  food food food and cheese, sipping wines, soaking in the history, marvelling at the cobbled streets, chateaux’s, and most of all finding that perfect room with a view in Provence.

On the 25th of July, this is exactly what I plan to do.  After 11 1/2 years of having our children by our sides every step of the way, it is time for Andy and I to reconnect.  It’s time for us to be us again - just Andy and I.

I really couldn’t be happier, although the thought of leaving the children is something I am finding a little, well a very emotional.  No doubt once I get on that plane, with a gin and tonic in my hand, movies at my disposal and just lil ole me to look after, the tears will dry up.

For us, this is also a celebration of our love.  It is not a special anniversay this year, but 13 years married to the most amazing person I know.  I have planned a surprise photoshoot in Paris for Andy.  A Love Shoot by one of my most favourite Euopean photographers.  Tineke from Spaghetti Photos is flying in from the Netherland to photograph our love story.  I have been following Tineke’s work from the beginning, before she was discovered.  I have admired her perfectly imperfect style from the beginning as well, and now her signature style is admired around the world.  I have been friends with her since we first met online many years ago now.  I simply cannot wait to meet her, sip coffee in a little Parisian cafe, and most of all, be on the other side of the camera.

I also cannot wait to see Andy, for this is the longest we have been apart since we met some 16 years now.

Will be home on 15 August.

Just the usual routine today, up earlish, OK 8.oo ish (not good), quick scramble to get the kids ready for school - we’re running on time - all is good.  Come home, the usual chores - a quick clean up only to find this.

There is no guessing who this belongs to.  The little girl that went to school this morning wearing her hair in a headband.

Now I was told that when Ruby cut her hair to the scalp, that haircutting was  a “right of passage”.  Ruby has cut her hair once, Will has never cut his hair, but Harriet - well, where do I begin.  She has cut her hair 3-4 times a year ever since she learned how to hold a pair of scissors.  Not only does she cut her own hair, but there is not a single barbie (or any other doll in our household)  left with long hair, Noodle receives the odd haircut, and the gorgeous chinese hat that my parent’s brought home for her is also missing it’s plait.   Sigh, it’s been 18 months since she last cut her hair, I thought she had grown out of it.

She said that her hair was hanging in her eyes.

What can I do with this?   What can I do with this child?

post one day early.

You know when your children are growing up when they ask you for a pair of skinny jeans for their birthday.  So yesterday, Will and I headed out to buy a pair of skinny jeans and today, he very proudly wears them for his 10th birthday.  He looks oh so trendy and very grown up, but very very handsome.  So today we celebrate the big one - 10 - he is no long in single figures.  I think every year on Will’s birthday I say the say the same thing, I say that I simply adore this stage of his life, I want to bottle him up, as he is, right now.  Well as the years go by, I am realising that this is not just a stage in his life, this is just who he is as a person - this is Will - this is the young man he is growing into.  I feel so very blessed.

Happy 10th birthday my gorgeous boy - I love you all the way to the moon and back plus infinity.

So I have just returned home from Melbourne, tired and exhausted, but so so inspired.  I have just attended the PMA - a huge photography trade show.  My head is bursting with fanastic new products and ideas, and I now really need to get it all down on paper so I can just process it all.  It is also just a time to mix and mingle with other photographers, and talk shop, and meet new people and rub shoulders with the who’s who’s of the industry.

I arrived home last night to be bowled over by my children at the airport.  When the excitement of the PMA and the Industry Awards are all over and done with for another year, there is nothing better than coming home to be treated like a queen.  So many things to tell me, who has played with who at school, fallen over and grazed their knee, won a swimming race, gone riding with daddy,  wait, we need to catch a breath.  I do really know that I am the luckiest person in the world.

Just another pic of Will.  It’s been a little hard for my to capture life recently, so I am cheating here by putting an image up from my last shoot.

I have a wee back log of blog entries to make at the moment, so I am going to let my images doing all the talking here.  Just a few shots of my boy being a boy.