30/52

Ellery: digger obsessed

Aubrey: next steps, hills

Last portrait as a three-year-old. So naturally, there are two. In the thick of three, it has been difficult at times to see the good, but there is so much good in him.

Aubrey, mastering tricky terrain (and delighting in peeing everywhere).

28/52

Ellery: like a watercolour

Aubrey: toddler-dom

Major heart pangs this week. 

The sun sets on three // The feisty toddler blooms. 

The babies are gone.

27/52

Ellery: portrait of the artist at work

Aubrey: dabbled in watercolours, prefers sitting at the big table

Love the Winter light in this front room in our city house - it feels just like a studio space.

Also, first non-beach portraits this Winter!

26/52

Ellery: our original Storm Boy

Aubrey: spotting 'tweet tweets'

Ellery, you are energy itself. An amazing composition of a boy. Loud and wild and dramatic, and also prone to quiet, thoughtful bookishness. You're full of spellbinding wordsmith-ery far beyond your (almost four!) years. Highly resistant to change, you shun affection and yet crave it, it soothes you. You're becoming so long and lean. You've recently learned to skip, and you've almost got whistling down. It's your last month of being three.

Aubrey, you are such a sweet, sweet child. You kiss and cuddle your teddies, animals in books, and us. You insist on rounds upon rounds of kisses when saying goodbye. Your dimpled smiles and cheeky looks melt us all. You are mad for pretend drives in Daddy's ranger car, real drives in Daddy's tractor, dinosaurs, birds and balls. And you've started to sit still for books!

24/52

Ellery: little merman

Aubrey: chasing seagulls

A big week, filled with lots of little memories and milestones.

Rainbow star making, outdoor orchestra playing, road network building, whole body mud squelching, cubby making, bed jumping, make believe games of billy goats and angry trolls ... the smallest's first chocolate cake and first paintings ... the big kid learning to skip.

And gems like "You're my favourite brother in all the world!".

And no illness! Hurrah!

23/52

Ellery: wild and wonderful

Aubrey: delightful little imp

These portraits. Gosh. They pretty much sum up my relationship with each of these kids.

Ellery, at a distance, hard to pin down, let alone photograph. And so. much. energy.

Aubrey, the face says it all. Cheeky and delightful, he likes most of all just to be with me.

And yes, a wintry beach. My forever favourite.

22/52

Ellery: the lopsided mouth! - pretending to be unimpressed

Aubrey: exploring all the things

You wouldn't know it from these pictures, but it has been the week of gastro.

Please, please, please, let it end this week!