11/52 - enlighten

Lily

Her new smile. 

While her baby brother is just getting new teeth, this little lady is losing them and moving on to her 'grown up' set. How is this possible?! 

Eli

There were a lot of wild lions, ferocious tigers and scary bears roaming around at Enlighten - 

unfortunately poor Eli got attacked by one, though he fought it off bravely!

Ok, ok, this is actually make up done by a clever young woman at Questacon who was doing free gruesome special effects makeup. One kid got a bullet wound on her temple!! We got quite a few concerned looks as we wandered around and people caught a glimpse of my angelic little man's face so cruelly bismirched. Mark and I had to have several *slightly louder than usual* conversations with each other 'oh, isn't his facepaint marvellous and my oh my how realistic' so no one would call child services!!! ;)

Miles

When a food item does not please him, he tosses it from the tray with the most cavalier flick of the wrist you ever did see. The clincher is when he follows this up by peering at you (or the food), wagging his teeny little finger and saying solemnly 'No, no'. 

It is very hard not to laugh!! 

(Yeah. this is how the baby of the family ends up totally spoilt, I realise!!)

Here he is wagging that cheeky, beautiful little finger at food just 'mysteriously' flung to the floor. 

Mark

Ummm... let's go ahead and say that's a no to a beard, ok, Honey??

Project 52: A portrait of my family, once a week, every week, in 2014.

More highlights from the week that was...

preparing the very first 'tooth fairy' delivery. couldn't resist adding a teeny tiny note :)
she asked me to be sure to dress up in wings and fairy outfit too, haha!

And just like that... she's reading. Like, can we call this really reading?! It's amazing how quickly it all comes together when both opportunity and self-led enthusiasm collide at the right time. Her current fixation is asking us to write lists of new words and then she reads them out to us. Hearing her intently work them through... 'd-o-g... dog!'  is surreal. My favourite bit is how the 'word' is always said with a happy little gasp of surprise after it's been sounded out - an unknown jumble of letters suddenly unlocked through literacy. This is the joy of reading. What a pleasure it is to watch a child move into this incredible new phase of being able to interpret the written word independently. All I can do is marvel :) 

enchanted at enlighten.
for the first time we visited the beautiful light projections and night festival of Enlighten around Canberra's parliamentary triangle. an incredible night, with thousands of people buzzing around soaking up the magical atmosphere. galleries all open (and free!) till 11pm, all kinds of things to see and do and engage with. we had such a blast, the kids were in awe and we already can't wait to return next year... I think we will have to go twice! just another thing I love about this city!

the budding photographer had to make a few 'captures'!

daddy and his mini-me

eli's impression of his scream when a tiger attacked him!

oh, what a night!

the 'projections' on the galleries around the Parliamentary triangle were simply stunning and so fascinating!
they changed every few minutes - a transitory canvas. this here is the Portrait Gallery

most enchanting of all were these 'horses' from France.
they floated and danced amongst the crowd to a beautiful orchestral soundtrack.
it's hard to convey through my measly pictures, but they were just so ethereal and
entrancing. the kids followed them like little zombies, just in awe of the sight. i followed
too with thousands of others - what a special experience!

the fire garden in front of the High Court

the National Gallery, images taken from the current Incas exhibition.
Eli gasped and said 'Look at the moon!!'

Old Parliament House, all decked out!

these boots were made for walking (in winter style)!

he was utterly thrilled to find this little hiding spot beneath some shrubs. tucked away inside, in a world of his own. 

lily makes a food delivery

a child was here // he lingered near // fingerprints mark his memories.

bonds baby with bed hair :)

'yeah... umm... well, Mum, i reeeeeally couldn't say how all that food ended up on the floor....'