6/52 2016

A portrait of my babes once a week in 2016 ( 2 years 6 months), in your nursery

You sing "Happy Birthday" a lot in this house. Usually to Anna or "birthday girl" or another on of your imaginary friends, or in fact any lucky family member you've selected. You make cakes out of the strangest objects you find lying around (a scrunched up glasses cleaner cloth, a wooden block, an elastic band), you place equally strange objects on as candles, and then you light the candles, cut the cake and make a wish. Mostly you sing the normal "Happy Birthday" but the other day I overheard you singing "Dreams Come True."

Happy birthday to you

May all your dreams come true

May you always walk in sunshine

Happy birthday to you

I feel so privileged to witness these scenes of role play and make believe, a glimpse into your world where your imagine expands every day and possibilities are endless. 

5/52 2016

A portrait of my babes once a week in 2016 ( 2 years 6 months), on top of Table Mountain

We're in Cape Town for our annual family holiday. I love bringing you two here as you make us completely embrace the this beautiful city. Our days were filled with riding bikes on the Seapoint promenade, hanging out on different beaches, exploring the Company gardens, going up Table Mountain where we followed fairy paths and looked for dassies (dissies), visiting different playgrounds, swimming in the public pools, trying different restaurants, eating dinner on the beach with sand in your toes watching the still-sweltering sun slowly slide down the sky, and dipping in cool waves while gripping tightly onto my hand. You sleep soundly at night, sharing a double bed, little bodies resting up for our busy days, and little minds swirling with new experiences and reference points and conversation snippets, little eyes visiting a dream world of new tastes and smells and sights, all absorbed with wide-eyed wonder. Cheska and Francie Sugar join us for the second week. We hire a van and drive around the city altogether in a cloud of giddiness and exhaustion as we continue our daily adventures. With happy minds and happy hearts, we're already planning our return.

4/52 2016

A portrait of my babes once a week in 2016 ( 2.5 years)

We celebrated your two and a half birthday while we were in Cape Town. We took you to The Creamery for your very first ice-creams to mark the occasion. It was a gorgeous hot day and we strolled to a bench on the Seapoint promenade to eat them. As far as ice-cream goes this is right up there with some of the best I've ever tasted. Florence chose chocolate and Anna chose peanut butter. Sticky faces, big smiles, jumping with excitement, sharing spoonfuls with each other, talking about it non stop, the sheer delight in your eyes told me it's probably the best thing you've ever tasted. In fact, Florence woke up the next morning and the first thing she said, whispering in my ear, " I love chocolate."

Happy half birthday baby girls. I love sharing new tastes with you. 

3/52 2016

 A portrait of my babes once a week in 2016 (29 months), Florence Willow

The way you take your dummy out and kiss the crook of my arm as you are falling to sleep

The way you smile with pride and happiness when I tell you how much Anna loves you

The way you spray me with water every night in the bath when you're rinsing you teeth, with a deadpan expression

The way you nap in the nude, as if no nappies meant to clothes either

The way your run is more like a bounce

A portrait of my babes once a week in 2016 (29 months), Anna Clementine

The way your left arm moves back and forth when you run, or when you're in charge

The way you will happily try any new food

The way you ask for "long hair" when you're going to sleep if my hair is tied up and then you hold on to it as you drift off

The way you talk to me non-stop when we're in the car "You know what..."

The way you'd much rather be on my hip than with your feet on the ground

2/52 2016

A portrait of my babes once a week in 2016 (29 months)

"Sweet, crazy conversations full of half sentences, daydreams and misunderstandings more thrilling than understanding could ever be." Toni Morrison, Beloved

One of my favourite things about having twins so far is hearing the constant conversations between the two toddlers. The everyday conversations, the explaining conversations, the I-have-a-good-idea conversations, the make believe conversations, the conversations about holidays and Eeyore and fairies, the role play conversations, the telephone conversations, the consoling conversations, the conversations about what happened, and the conversations about what is going to happen.

You are very caring and considerate. You listen well to each other. You have wild imaginations and tell each other fantastic tales. You seem to know exactly what the other needs, especially when there are tears (even if one of you caused them). You come up with good ideas and practical advice. 

Constantly. In the car. On the dining room table. In your highchairs during meals. While you're playing. In the bath.

I could listen to you two talk to each other all day.

1/52 2016

A portrait of my babes once a week in 2016 (29 months), New Years morning

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy new year baby girls! I can't wait to see you grow, and grow with you, this year.

The 52 Portraits Project, Volume 3

This is my third year of 52 Portraits. I love going back and reading little snippets of each week with my babes, and seeing how much they've changed. For three years I have taken a photograph of my twins on the first day of the year. This offers such an obvious visual of the passage of time that it takes my breath away. I feel million years away from that mama starting off on this journey, and yet it was yesterday I was holding two five month old bundles in my arms. It is heart breaking, and exhilarating, what children do to time. They intensify it. They make it more precious. Find joy every day.

1 January 2014, 5 months

1 January 2015, 17 months

1 January 2016, 29 months