38/52

"A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2014."

Lucca: being fifteen, sitting on the table, licking every last drop of peanut butter off her plate.

Jackson: laying on my lap at lucca's soccer practice, waiting for his turn to play next.

37/52

WEEK 37. See what I did there? Skipped the whole summer! But jumping back into my weekly photos of my children, even though I still haven't replaced the lens on my "real camera" yet. It's on my wish list and Christmas can't come soon enough!

lucca: giving us daily glimpses of her older self, she is such a breathtaking beauty 

jackson: 100% irresistible! getting longer and leaner by the minute, completely losing his baby look. And jumping off the top of slides if you look away for just one second.

20/52

"A portrait of my children once a week, when I can remember, in 2014."

Lucca: Taking a break from doing cartwheels at the park tonight. And being beautiful as always.

Jackson: Watching the birds in the tree above us and wondering if they are going to come eat the crumbs we left from dinner.

Life Lately

A glimpse of our lives lately from my iPhone photo feed.  Every night before bed, I look at my pictures taken throughout the day and remember the best moments we shared.  

I love doing this, and I think it's sweet the kids love it too.

 

April was awesome + quick + packed full of fun.  It was also the first month of 2014 that we actually stayed home!   No trips to NYC, Hawaii, Tahoe or Disneyland this month...we were home and enjoyed it!  We planted a garden, had a sick day, had a rainy day (!!!), celebrated Easter in Folsom, turned THREE, visited Daddy at his San Francisco office, danced ballet, cheered on the Giants, and have basically enjoyed every moment of this beautiful season called spring.  The older I get, the more I think spring might be my season. 

Clockwise: Our sick day, when my two sickies piled into my bed and watched Frozen on the iPad vs watching on the couch on the big TV downstairs, just to be close to mommy.   The first time the ballerinas got to practice their dance in costume, which was the most magical thing that's happened in Lucca's life to date.  Jackson's homemade birthday crown, which he insisted on wearing all day so everyone would sing him Happy Birthday.  The start of our tiny backyard garden.  And my first time starting a garden from seeds, which is why there are SO MANY seedlings clumped together, because who knew you only were supposed to drop a couple in each pot rather than the whole packet?  :)

Lucca is learning how to read and it blows my mind.  She can read all her princess reading level 1 books out loud to us, and it takes everything in me to not give a standing ovation after each book.  I love watching my kids learn, and love seeing their look of pride and accomplishment on their beautiful faces.  I also love that Jackson is starting to not be afraid of worms and snails...but spiders and flies?  FREAK HIM OUT.

11/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

lucca: Queen of the monkey bars.  She can go across and back and across again.  And then probably again.  And her latest and greatest trick is pulling herself up on the bar to do flips or hang upside down... all by herself!

jackson:  I could kiss this face forever.  

10/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

lucca: Hanging in Sausalito, our favorite place.

jackson:  Shopping for a BIG BOY BED!

9/52

Still iPhone pics, obviously.  And sadly.  

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

lucca: Working on her class Valentine's.  She had to make 30 and was just about over it.
jackson:  We finally got rain in California!  Happy dude!

8/52

Wouldn't you just know it, as soon as I start a photo project with my "real" camera, my real camera breaks?   Don't take your cameras to the beach you guys.  Sand, I have learned, is very, very bad for them.  These are iPhone pics until I get a new lens for my Canon.

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

lucca: Her very first time in the snow (that she remembers!). The real 1st time was at Mimi and Papa's house on Christmas when she was only 1.  
jackson:  He takes music class very seriously.

7/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

lucca: Candy Memory, played at least once a day 
jackson:  Super Why, worn at least once a day

Sledding!

Today we took a last minute weekend trip to the mountains!  

We had one goal: find snow and play in it. 

Mission accomplished! And as a bonus? We picked up Grammie & Pops on the way...

The kids loved it. Lucca sang Frozen songs the whole day while imagining she was Elsa. Jackson liked making yellow snow. They both liked warming up with hot chocolate at the ski lodge...

Such a fun, spontaneous snow day.  Good memories were made.  I love when that happens. 

6/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

lucca: Going through the Valentine loot from her class party when she got home from school.
jackson:  Checking out his own loot from his 2 year old class buddies.

5/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

lucca: This treasure hunter imagined to find only lavender shells and rocks
jackson:  My tan boy having the time of his life with that blue bucket

4/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

lucca: Boogie Boarding in Kona like the 4 year old rockstar that she is. 
jackson:  Water baby. Only cries when it's time to get out of the ocean.

3/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

lucca: She absolutely has to put on her soccer uniform every time she plays soccer, even when playing in the backyard. 
jackson:  Moments after waking from a good nap.

2/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

lucca: Checking on her secret fairy garden.
jackson: He chose golf for his special 1:1 time with Daddy this week.

1/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

lucca: my little flawless beauty and the freckles that remind me she is mine.
jackson: eyes constantly on sister, watching her every move in the bird's nest next to him.

I'm excited to take part in the 52 project, capturing a portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 52 weeks.   I already take a million photos of my kids, but usually with my iPhone.  This photography project will force me to pull out my "good camera" (the real one) at least once a week and document the weekly changes as these beauties grow up right in front of us.  What a treasure these will be when the year is through.  There will be 104 portraits, telling the story of Lucca and Jackson's year in 2014.

Lulu's 3rd Birthday!

WEll, well, well....turns out life is BUSY with a 1 year old and 3 year old.

Someone coulda told me!

We've had a pretty jam packed month, can't really imagine it being any more full (or awesome) than it was. In the past 30 days, Lucca turned THREE, we had a birthday party, Mimi & Papa came from Atlanta, the Swishers from Washington, Grammie & Pops from Folsom, we went to Paris (!) for our 5 year wedding anniversary, we came home, repacked and went to Augusta for the Masters Tournament, flew back home across the country on Jackson's 1st birthday, and then went to Folsom for a week while Daddy was shooting a commercial in LA. Whew.

So, rewind, and take a peek at Lulu's 3rd birthday :)