BABIES WEARING BABIES

I wear Alby in the Ergo Baby Four Position 360 Carrier and Sage wears 'Dolly' in the Ergo Baby Doll Carrier, care of Babes in Arms

52 WEEKS | 3

a portrait of wren and fox, once a week, every week, in 2015

Sage - summer fruits by our kitchen window

Alby - little fox, peeking from your den

Week three portraits of 2013 and 2014

{The 52 Project, inspired by Jodi}

ALBY // 8 MONTHS

"And I'd choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you and I'd choose you."

~ Kiersten White

52 WEEKS | 2

a portrait of wren and fox, once a week, every week, in 2015

Sage - wearing a knit, handmade by my grandmother {who is plagued with increasingly severe dementia}, this is now one of my most favourite images of you, darling girl

Alby - you explore {and destroy} at a wild pace, little man

Week two portraits of 2013 and 2014

{The 52 Project, inspired by Jodi}

PLAY-BASED LEARNING AT HOME [ LIBRARY ]

Sage simply adores the library. We are so lucky that our local is only a five minute walk from home, although it's an expedition that usually takes us three times as long, as I mindfully bite my tongue on the "hurry up, let's go's" and remember it is the journey that's often most important...

Along the way, Sage takes advantage of her mama being relatively distraction-free, and consequently, our dawdle is filled with her constant, bubbly chatter and endless ponderings. Numerals on each letter box we see are exclaimed over and questioned {"Mum! I see a 2 and a 5 -- that says 25!" "Mama? What does a 6 and a 3 say when they are together?"} - a girl after her teacher-mama's heart! We wave a friendly 'hello' to the neighbourhood pets watching us from the comfort of their couches and hold hands as she balances along low, concrete fences, practising her "twicks". Eyes often gaze skyward, spotting planes zooming overhead and a particular patch of yellow daisies on the nature strip is often one or two fewer upon our passing.

Once we arrive, she takes great delight in tippy-toeing her books over the too-high counter, only to go and fossick through the tubs and find very similar - often matching titles to the ones she has just returned! Hairy McLairy and Maisy Mouse are firm favourites, but mama manages to sneak in a few other beloveds along the way.


Here is our latest play-based investigation at home - our very own library to visit each and every day :-)

Library Resources

Large bookshelf, secondhand, from here

Double wooden school desk and chairs, from antique store

'Computer' cash register, purchased from here {similar here} - used to enter addresses, phone numbers, library card codes, number of books borrowed and days books can be kept 

Wooden flower, gift {similar here}

Bell, purchased in-store {similar here}

Barcode scanner - old, cordless phone

Alphabet poster, purchased in-store {similar here}

Blue hat, second hand {similar here}

Puzzles, baskets, fiction and non fiction books, collected over time

{Please note - no new items were purchased for this investigation - all have been collected over my years as an early childhood educator}

See more from the 'Play-Based Learning at Home' series:

[FARMYARD]
[FAIRY GARDEN]
[HOSPITAL]
[DINOSAURS]


Do your children have a love for the library too?

52 WEEKS | 1

a portrait of wren and fox, once a week, every week, in 2015

Sage  -  you laugh {and cry} hard

Alby  -  becoming blonder {and cuter} by the day

There's always something a little magical about the first portraits of the year. 

Perhaps it's the anticipation of the gentle and gradual unfurling that will ensue over the next twelve months... envisaging the growth and development and change that will occur for, and within these little, vibrant souls... dreaming of what their number 52 of 2015 will bring...

As I embark on my third year of the 52 project, I am going to include links to previous years' portraits below; if only for Si and I to marvel and exclaim 'where have our babies gone?!' each and every week!

I can't wait to share this journey with you once again.

Portraits of 2013 and 2014

I also wanted to take the opportunity to say a huge  'THANK YOU'  for your incredible response to this post - your ideas, questions and insights have blown me away and have provided me with much to ponder. Don't worry if you missed it, the survey is still open and I'd love to hear from you! I'm so excited by the possibilities for this space - in the coming months, and most certainly, beyond.

Photography was one element that stood head and shoulders above the rest, and I receive countless messages via my Facebook and Instagram accounts, asking for tips, tricks and camera recommendations, every single week. For this reason, I would strongly encourage you to undertake a 52 Project of your very own. Not only does it provide you with the motivation to grab your camera and snap away on a regular basis - the very best way to improve, but your eyes are suddenly opened to a whole new world of lighting, angles and composition - especially if you learn how to take that leap from 'auto' mode to 'manual'. As you'll see from viewing my old portraits, practice does indeed help! I hope you find it encouraging to witness my own {sometimes cringe-worthy} journey!

And you don't need to have children to begin your own portrait series - photograph your cat, the sunrise, your Dad, your garden... yourself! You can decide whether to share your images through Facebook, Instagram or your own blog, or you can simply keep them in a folder just for you.

I have a series of photography posts planned that will hopefully help you along the way and answer many of the questions I know you're mulling over. But in the meantime, feel free to contact me if there's anything in particular you'd like to know. 

{The 52 project, inspired by Jodi}

DREAMING OF 'FIELDS' IN 2015

As two thousand and fourteen has drawn to a hasty close, thoughts of returning to work this year are weighing on my mind. I am so incredibly thankful for the time that I have had at home with my babies - although at times a monotonous and trying battle, mostly an indescribable blessing.

Since time will become even more precious and even more elusive in a few short weeks,  I'd love to hear from you...

In order for me to create content that you will enjoy the most, for me to gain an insight into new topics or ideas that you'd like to see here, and to make your overall 'Fields' experience the best that it can be, I've created a super short, completely anonymous survey for you to share your thoughts. I'd be ever so grateful for your input!

You can access the survey below or by clicking here.

Despite this little space never quite receiving the love and attention I intend or dream of, I can't wait to continue documenting and sharing small pieces of our world throughout 2015.

My hope for you is that the New Year brings with it a promise - a promise to discover and mold and nourish your own story in order for you to become the very best version of you.

"...go out and let stories happen to you... water them with your blood and your tears and your laughter til they bloom" ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes

All my love,

Anna  x