So Sweet.

Yes. It's yet another blog post wherein I talk about how much I adore our children. Cora is at the age right now where she knows where the camera is, but doesn't yet put on an "act" for it. Beck does this. I can't take a picture of him any longer without this cheesy smile immediately appearing on his face. It's not his real smile, and it drives me nuts. So, I am taking advantage of every day that Cora has not learned how to play it up for the camera.

What I love so much about young children, are the glances and sometimes deep (or not-so-deep) thoughts they appear to be thinking when nobody is paying attention. It's getting harder and harder to capture those moments with both kids, because they are on the move. All the time. Anyhow, here are a few more of Cora, and those sweet (to me) little moments.

Beck's Photos.

The other day, as I was reading to Cora, I had the camera lying beside me. It occurred to me that Beck was probably old enough now to at least hold it upright, and (hopefully) couldn't really do much damage. So, I showed him how to look through the little window, where to click, and he was off and running! I am actually quite impressed...below are a few of my favorites.

We Love To (part 1):

Play Dress-Up.

(Beck is dancing, in case you didn't catch that.)

Oy.

So much to keep up with, I can't even stand it. In a good way. I always think this time of year will be slow enough to get some projects accomplished, and get caught up on blogging and such. But, nope. Again, over here, I've once again bitten of a little more than I can chew, with the 365 project. It's not hard taking photos every day...the challenge for me is having enough time to really take the ones I want to show on my website. Which means more time on the computer. Maybe I'll change it to a photo a day...regardless of when the photo was taken.

Anyhow...time for updates. Cora is cute. Big shocker. She's just beginning her journey with the baby-talk/english language (which I fondly refer to as "banglish"). Some words, with translations, follow below:

"buckkk" - Beck
"Bapaaaa" - Papa
"Mamaaaa" - duh.
"wffwfff" - Dog
"a-noise-that-sounds-uncannily-like-a-cat-in-pain" - Cat
"buck buck buck" - Chicken

Other words that she repeats but only she knows what she's saying:
Grampa
yogurt
Avocado (sounds something like "cgcgcgsgsysygdcgyrpaouierufh"...similar to yogurt)

Words/phrases she can pseudo-sign:
"All done"
"Hungry"
"Ball"
"Key"
"Banana"

Also, she's loving books right now, and changing her diaper...not so much.

Beck, on the other hand, is amazingly and increasingly self-sufficient. I take advantage of this fact probably more than I should. He's a great helper around the house too, and love to be in the kitchen with me when I am cooking or baking. He loves to paint and do projects, and just recently, I can trust he and Cora to play together without much crying from either party. Actually, the cutest thing EVER happened yesterday when he asked Cora if she wanted to go play upstairs with him (mostly because he doesn't like being upstairs by himself) and he would even let her play with his trains. If you know Beck, this is the ultimate offering. She reached out her hand, he took it, and off they went. They were upstairs together for about 45 minutes playing quietly. I actually though maybe something had happened, and had to go check on them. For this last scenario alone, it is worth having more than one child...entertainment value goes a long way.

Anyhow, some recent photos below, which are mostly from the other website's 365 project.

Happy New Year!

Well, not only did I manage to skip right over a Christmas post, I actually took no photos on Christmas day. That's right...zip, zero, zilch. Yes, I feel bad. But it was also (kind of) a conscious decision. I really wanted just to enjoy the day, and even though there were plenty of opportunities, I really didn't feel like pulling out my camera. Because, to a degree, I have to distance myself from a situation in order to photograph it. And it was such a lovely day, I didn't want to distance myself from any part of it. All immediate family was here, and it was a picture perfect day. The snow fell lightly all day, and it was magical!

On a different note, I am beginning a project of monumental proportion (for me, that is). You can read more about it over here.

In any case, a very happy new year to you and yours!!