The Showroom

Reading....

I have 2 boys, 9, and I need to chase them so that they pick a book once in a while to read.

I have a daughter, 5, who I need to chase so that she will do something else than read! She taught herself to read when she started school this year. She just loves it. Whenever the house becomes too quite I know I will find her, with a book, on the stairs, in the playroom, at the dining table....reading. This was taken last week, ski socks and all...

She is so driven, it's quite scary. But funny to see the she never let got of something before it's fully mastered!

First week

Everyone survived it pretty well. Well except for the weather. Pouring rain in the middle of August (which in my mind = summer month) is rather depressing. Calling my mum to hear that the swimming pool shows a water temperature of 29 is even more depressing....

I did much less that I had planned to this week. Instead I caught up with friends and tried to think of the 5 weeks ahead leading to THE move.

So many things must happen, I'm kind of getting overwhelmed somehow. I really need to chin up and start packing, and start throwing (ugh) and really get organized. Instead I'm editing pictures of the sumer...

 

 

 
 

It's been very quiet at my house today....

I caught the kids just before they hopped in the car on their first day at school. I did miss them but 3 o'clock came sooner than I expected to pick them up again. The big change is that Manouk will stay 3 day/week at school for lunch. And the boys are getting even more homework.

And me? I went to town with a friend grabbing lunch, coffee and a bit of shopping.

 

It's raining outside...

Just a few days ago I was looking at this...

 

SPUNK!

She keeps me on my toes, my little smartie pants! And when I try to capture our moments, she gives me this....

 

Summer....

 

When the going gets tough....

they are always there to make me laugh!

 

Last week was.....trying....to say the least. I woke up every morning, after a long night with little sleep, every limb in pain from the stress. This renovation is big lesson in mankind. It is amazing to see how many people will just work against us rather than with us. And sometimes just for the sake of... Of what actually? I would not even be able to tell you. I guess some people need the drama, the fighting, the confrontation to feel powerful and alive? Not sure. Our relationship with our architects (well the wife part of the team) hit a bottom low. I hope to have seen the worse of it. There were days last week when I would have sold the house at the first chance. Then again there were days when I received emails and other messages from  people being just so nice and normal, days where I heard the husband of a friend had an heart attack and is lying in hospital.... Watching the series of pictures I made of my 3 kids, pulled me back up and filled my heart with lots of blessings.

But today, Maxim sent me an email that touched me deep inside he would never even imagine. Not for a long time anyway. It hit me so hard that I started to cry and could not stop for 2 minutes long. As a joke, he wrote an mail, as written by the architect. It was so true it took me a few seconds to realize what was happening, and it was so sad that he, at 9 years of age, had to carry my building worries on his shoulders. That he was so grown up about it. And me, the adult, had not been able to shelter him from all these problems.

To a very special kid.....

 

 

Stabilizers gone...

We call them petites roues in French. The boys got rid of them very early, I think they were 3.5. Manouk never got the chance to bike really, being the last one has his disadvantages also. But last week she told me that she wanted them off, because she was no baby anymore.

Off she went just like that. I am alway amazed at how quick this goes. She is one determined child in everything she does.

 

A new phase.... And a new haircut (yes again!)

About 3 weeks ago, Manouk entered a new phase. I seem to remember that we had the same thing happen at that exactly same age with Maxim. Limits, boundaries and rules are no way of life for her anymore. She has become this little anarchist that talks like a 14 year old (Maxim did that much later, but yes girls are earlier with everything). The problem is that she does it in such mature and clever way.

My days are filled with:

• I've told you 3 times already
• Yes, of course
• It does not have to be, per se
• I knew it already
• Don't you know this already?
• Okaaaay!
• This is so boring

with the emphasis on the bold and italic words.

I know marketing gave us tweens, like teens are now tweens...But do we have pre-tweens? Which would mean that teens would snatch 5 year old bodies??? I am not ready for this. Nor is DH.

Oh and she cut her hair AGAIN today.....The front bit. I was looking at her thinking she looked different. She did it in a very subtle way. She's actually getting quite good at it. Sigh...

 

 
 

 

Lens love....

I bought it about 2 years ago, it shot a hole in my wallet, but I have never been sorry for a second.

 

85mm f1.2, ss1/640, iso800 (forgot to change my iso after I opened up) 

My 50mm is broken, I think. It does not focus anymore. I just love shooting 50mm so what do I buy? I really need to try that 1.2!