21/52

A portrait of my babes once a week in 2015 (21 months)

Up until now, both of you have referred to Florence as Anna. I even wondered if you would always call each other Anna, thinking that's how you refer to your twin. Anna often calls Florence "Pom Pom" (a family nickname) but she has just started to say Florence now and then, or her version, "Flontence."  Florence still proudly calls herself Anna.

20/52

A portrait of my babes once a week in 2015 (21 months)

"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget." - Arundhati Roy

19/52

A portrait of my babes once a week in 2015 (21 months), your first hair cut

Florence, when I ask you how many hadedas slept in your hair last night you eagerly reply "two" but when the birds nests started to look more permanent, I feared it was time for your first hair cuts. This was quite a step for your soft-hearted mama. It seems like such a big milestone, snipping off that baby fluff that I run my hands through as you fall asleep in my lap, and stroke to comfort you after a fall. Another indicator of your growing up.  My instructions to the hairdresser, Alice, were to cut it so it doesn't look like it's been cut. As it were, tears were shed, although not mine(!) and there was barely enough cut cut off either of your mops to scrape together in an envelope.

18/52

A portrait of my babes once a week in 2015 (21 months), celebrating Bear's 60th at Sibon

We celebrated Bear's 60th birthday while we were at Sibon. He was happy to be celebrating in a place he loves with the people he loves. You were most happy to taste a lick of icing. Old and young and everything in between. It's quite emotional to see your parents age, an acute realisation that even your rock succumbs to the passing of time. I've learnt a lot from my dad which I hope to teach you - the importance of family, a love of the bush, standing up for what I believe, and believing I can do any thing I put my mind to.