Lulu Carter

family daze

Did you have a happy fathers day? Ours began with the usual. The night before, the boys came to me in a panic asking what "have we got Dad"? I showed them what I, the fascilitator of all occassions success or failure, had bought. Actually what their father had bought as he'd been totally indecisive with me about what he fancied for fathers day and I'd got fed up with it and announced he'd get diddly squat. Hmm.

I showed them the shirts, wrapped them because they were busy freaking out over their identical drawings on their hand made cards, and organised a hiding spot. They decided my hiding spot was not up to scratch and, when I wasnt looking, moved it to a better one.

Alright then.

On Sunday we woke to no Daddy. He had raced off to the airport because his parents needed to catch their flight back to melbourne. A bowling tournament commitment I believe.

While he was gone, Henry and I went crazy making crepes, caramelising strawberries and bananas to go with the crepes and decorating the kitchen table. Oliver sauntered out in time to greet Ashleigh and dig in to his breakfast.

There is something I'm not doing right isnt there? Somewhere along the line between toddlers who love to dust and make beds to practically adolescents who step out of their knickers and walk away, the wheels have fallen off. Crashed into the gutter leaving the house proud in feotal position by the side of the road,wine in hand.

Oliver turned nine on Friday. He did so without one single gift handmade by me. Now there is a slippery slope if ever I felt one. 

I think the entire restaurant singing 'Happy Birthday' to him and his local football team dining at the next table was the best gift he could have had though.

He seems taller. I bought him size ten pajamas from Boden and they fit him. I couldnt believe it.

Sunday we got dressed up and went off to Rozelle for some family photos. This is something we have been meaning to do since Henry was a baby. I imagine being married to a cinematographer/photgrapher is not unlike being married to a builder or landscape gardener. Your own is never done.

Well tripod in hand and Ashleigh in shoot mode, we stood and posed and turned and froze and sat and stood and looked this way and that. We dont quite have the shot I wanted and we certainly dont have enough with him in them, but there was only so many times he was going to focus, set the timer and run to us.

But it went well.

Until I realised that there was not one shot of Ashleigh with his three boys and he should have told me to put my feet together. Nothing is ever perfect though is it?

I think we do perfectly well being not remotely perfect. Somehow it fits.

xxxx

Family Photography........ and a little husband promotion

Remember the other week I mentioned that we had worked on a family photo shoot? Well we were the ones behind the camera. Nothing unusual about that for my husband but lots of fun for me who got to enjoy wearing an 'art director' hat for the day.

I love what we ended up with. LOVE them!

 I think its so easy to ruin a portrait, either because its too "out there" and dates quickly or too "safe" and fails to capture the character of the people in the frame. We took a lot of fun photos with the children then changed location and spent time shooting the family together. It worked really well. There was a lot of planning and hard work on the day ( the children were amazingly patient! ) but the results are absolutely worth it. Ashleigh waded through nearly 1000 images he took and edited the best. This family now have a gorgeous group of photos they can have printed to adorn walls and make grandparents deliriously happy.

Of course the best part was that the family we were working with were absolutely thrilled. You can't ask for more than that can you.

If you are in Sydney and interested in booking a photo session you can contact Ashleigh via email-

[email protected]

 

Four

Four months. Four super fast months.

He has:

-found his hands =which was hysterical to watch as he twisted and turned and unfurled fingers with utter amazement on his face.It reminded me of those scenes in "Look Whos Taking" (thats aged me hasnt it!)

-learnt to reach out and hold things and successfully cram them into his mouth

-tried repeatedly to get both his fists into his mouth.So far this has not worked for him 

-discovered the world of raspberries

-been sleeping through the night since week 13 ( Woo!!!)

-given us a taste of how much this child will use his voice once he discovers the world of words

-learnt the fun of rolling side to side and flinging his legs up over his head

-roared with deep belly guffaws as we behave like complete launatics for his entertinment

-realised we have a cat

-admitted that she is appallingly uninterested in him

-continued to stop the tears and have a little chat and a kiss even when he is extremely upset

-reminded us constantly that we are all ridiculously lucky that he is here and sweet and healthy

-cottoned onto the fact that these felt numbers his mother positions above his head once a month are quite good to gnaw on

 

photographing feet

Twelve week old feet. 

Doing it yourself

I used the timer. Do you use it to get photos of you with your children? I find as the one who take the photos I am never in them. This is the only way I'm going to have a chance at some photos of me with this little guy.

It took no time really, but can be awkward getting into the right spot. I was trying to capture the way he looks at me. Remember the way your young baby looks at you?  I didnt get it but I did get some sweet shots which I'm very happy with for my first attempt. Every time we have a moment and I stick the camera between us, of course 'the look' goes. He chats to the camera with a frown on his face. Gorgeous. If I then turn the camera onto video mode he stops chatting. Of course. Trying to capture those magical moments are like trying to make the water boil faster by standing there and watching the pot. It doesn't seem to work.

The timer is my new favourite toy. Next up photos of me with all my boys.

Hello timer. Its nice to finally meet you.

Thank you

 Thank you so much for being wonderful and sharing your own moments or just understanding. I still havent heard anything so I expect I won't now. We just suck these things up dont we. Moving on.

I hope you have a beautiful weekend. School goes back on Monday. Woohoo!!

Nope.

That was not me ; )

Aaand....the gratuitous baby photo. This little bug is getting more and more fun. He is giggling at his big brothers here. Lifes a party.

xxx

if you can stand it-some of yesterdays photo fun

There are some absolutely gorgeous photos of bumps and little people on Pinterest.If you need inspiration you will find it there!

Have a happy weekend!! I'm off to finish these monster sized quilt.

xxx

 

 

our photo shoot afternoon

Wanting something better than my hand held bump shots we had a little fun in the kitchen today.It seems while we were getting busy, a little cast member not right then required, grabbed my camera and took a snap

I like it.

 

 

 

 

I had forgotten

 

You know the way everyone is an expert.The way they must have an opinion on your pregnancy and then your mothering.

"You're how far along! You're too small"

"Wow you are HUGE now arent you! Last week you weren't showing!"

"Are you sure its a boy? Really??"

Um.Yes.I have the test results.

Oh it gets boring. I know the fun really reaches new heights once they are out of incubation. Its all come flooding back to me.

One of the reasons I didnt want to tell people for some time was that I did not want anybody saying to me

"You poor thing.I'd hoped you would have a girl"

Only one friend slipped up but she realised that I was so damn happy it was obviously not important. She didnt actually say anything-her face just fell a bit.

Earlier today though, I had a wowzer. 

"So.....another boy. Thats just what you need" Slap.

Really.Some people should not open their mouths.Except to eat.

Nah. Maybe they shouldnt even open it for that.

 

This photo above has nothing to do with anything at all but Henry took it last weekend in the garden.

I think its gorgeous.He's going to enter it in a school photography competition so fingers crossed for Mister bug finder!

Take care xx!

 

last of the odd number

My sister is cranky with me that I have been neglecting this space yet again.Please forgive me.I have been so busy leaving the Uk,getting settled again being back home and all the chaos we had along the way.But thats boring.So...

Its my birthday!! Although if we're being technical-until 5.20pm I am no older.Oh who cares about being technical right?!

The boys thought this entitled them to stay home and celebrate all day with their mummy.No my darlings.Mummy is going out to lunch! Perhaps it was a ploy?? I like to think not and that if I had caved we would have spent the day making cake and doing silly drawings.

The boys have given me the new compilation of Elizabeth Davids Table.I adore her.I have read her books cover to cover over the years and it is lovely to have a large hardcover with photos rather than the flimsy well thumbed paperbacks of old.A treat indeed.There is a delicious looking photograph of some leeks in there that I intend to feast on before too long.

Also filling my thoughts at the moment is the bump my sister is carrying around.We are soooooooo excited and I will be an aunt for the first time.The boys say that they will go back to London in time for the baby so they can play with it.I have explained they will need to wait a while!

So the bump has been named "Sprout" for now and I have been searching indecisively for English summer weight baby knit patterns.I would love any suggestions from you.All I do on Ravelry is fill my basket and add to faves.Then I cant decide.Its a veritable candy store and I have not clicked away since our arrival in the Uk back in November and my fingers are getting twitchy.Its time people.

I am going to leave you with some photographs that arrived in my inbox the other day.The mum is from Helsinki and found the perfect vehicle for her creativity during maternity leave.You can see more and read about the project here.Very imaginative and utterly gorgeous.I wonder what happens when she wakes up.......

So I am thinking you have a huge smile on your face right now.Looking at these how could you not : )

Have a wonderful day!!