Slices of life | 1 – 6 | #PhotoADayJuly | School hols

Playing along with this month’s ‘Photo A Day’ challenge at ‘fat mum slim‘ blog, because it’s fun to see the day through a different perspective (especially when much of the day revolves around cleaning up after children, feeding and watering them – many times over, peace keeping, entertaining, facilitating and chauffeuring…).

1. SELF PORTRAIT

For this self-portrait (yes, I totally hid and cheated!) I really didn’t feel in the mood for posing in front of my camera at arms length – or taking a photo of my reflection in a house-hold mirror (all too embarrassingly dirty – and I felt more like playing the piano than cleaning mirrors). Also, it was a Sunday. I’d spent the morning at the swimming pool with two of my children and didn’t bother to do my hair (let alone put on any make-up/war paint) afterwards. The afternoon I’d spent indoors, mostly playing the piano (well it would be rude not to after it was tuned on Friday), and wasn’t at all interested in tarting myself up for the purpose of #PhotoADayJuly (sorry to disappoint – but I really wasn’t a pretty sight).

I momentarily toyed with my reflection in the window (it was dark outside), but the effect wasn’t great – I even tried a ‘tree pose’, with my iphone, pointing vaguely at my reflection from my clasped hands above my head (the extremes I go to!).

In the end I decided to capture my ‘self’ doing what I was enjoying most on Sunday – playing the piano. Nothing quite like a newly tuned piano to inspire a little of everything – from Mozart and Beethoven, to a selection of Ballads and Disney favourites, with a dose of scales and arpeggios for good measure. My young two year old, Alice, told me off for playing ‘sad music’ as it made her toy trains (which she was playing with around my feet) sad! I even felt like singing, which my older girls occasionally joined in with (and tolerated well!).

2. BUSY

It’s winter school holidays here in New Zealand. Most schools get a two week holiday. My oldest daughter gets three weeks (my other two daughters are at home with me anyway). So… it’s been a little busier with an extra body in the house – but actually kind of easier (that is, once my oldest and middle child relearned to tolerate each other’s company after having quite a lot of space from one another in term time!). On Monday I took the girls (and my oldest daughter’s best friend since birth (who now lives in OZ, but is visiting NZ for three weeks – yippee!) to the wonderful Chocolate Fish Cafe in Shelly Bay, followed by a brief tour of Westside Studios opposite (where the above photograph was taken – do not fear, there was no unlawful gambling – just a ‘staged’ shot!).

We all had a great laugh (apart from young Alice – who’d woken early from a nap in her buggy and was just a little confused with the sight of pirates, bears, Elvis, an astronaut, yellow people – the Simpsons – and much more!).

She was a little happier by the shore-line – where she watched her sisters and friend making a beautiful nature circle (but really just wanted to be back home).

3. BEST PART OF MY DAY

In the afternoon I actually found time to enjoy a good read! When I’m in a good book I seem to find more time to read than I ever think I have (but the piled up washing, carpet in need of a vacuum, toys disregarded all over the floor and pile of dishes in the sink kind of give me away…!). I’ve since finished reading ‘Daughter of Smoke and Bone‘ so the housework is a little (just a little) more under control (erm… not inviting any surprise visitors though – give me at least two hours notice!). It’s the first in a planned trilogy and I can’t wait to read the next book – expected to be released around November 2012.

4. FUN
noun
1. something that provides mirth or amusement: A picnic would be fun.
2. enjoyment or playfulness: She’s full of fun.

I spent most of the day struggling to think of what to photograph that would do justice to the word ‘fun’. Certainly, my children were having fun, but I’m not sure I would call being jumped upon, climbed on, pinned down and forced to smell a daughter’s sock and run around chasing an invisible cat – which kept running away and getting stuck in high places – ‘fun’ – at least not for me – though I did try – and I did laugh – but it was definitely ‘fun’ in a ‘mother entertaining her children’ kind of way – not ‘fun’ as in ‘kayaking the Abel Tasman and camping on the beach with my husband’ kind of way. (I’m not sure what my old English teacher would have to say about that extraordinarily long sentence!).

Anyway, here is a photograph of my youngest having ‘fun’ in a toy car at ‘Tiny Town’ – Kilbirnie Recreation Centre (wonderful place for children to burn off some energy when the weather isn’t at its best).

5. ON THE FLOOR

My middle daughter loves to dress up and ever since she put on these heels there’s been a welcome transformation in her behavior… she’s taken on the role of ‘waitress’. She got her older sister in on the act too (though she despises high heels) and I enjoyed the rare treat of being waited on (there was even some washing up done in the ‘cafe’ kitchen!).

Of course the initial idea turned into so much more (as it always does) and we spent the day baking up a storm and inviting friends around to help us eat all our sugar laden goodies. My youngest made berry muffins with me, my six year old chose Venetian Fingers (we kind of created our own version… with a little experimentation – but they looked and tasted mighty fine!) and my eldest made her favourite biscuits. And whilst I was doing the laundry (with my youngest daughter keen to help), my other two decided to come up with an ice-cream, berry sundae (I walked into the kitchen to see them sitting on the floor, sharing their creation between them!).

6. CHAIR

After a 4am wake up call (followed by a relaxed morning with the little culprit asleep on my chest in the lounge – whilst my 6 year old treated me to the film ‘Sense and Sensibility’), we spent the afternoon at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre (with my oldest daughter’s wonderful friend from OZ – who is also sleeping over).

All the girls loved it – the pool, the inflatable dragon, having a go at diving in the 5 metre pool (the 9 year olds) and the trapeze swing. We also enjoyed a lovely late afternoon eat at the cafe, sitting on the brightly coloured chairs).

6. chair - photoadayjuly - wellington regional aquatic centre

Unfortunately – the excitement of the afternoon wore out my two year old and she crashed to sleep at 5pm… it’s now nearly 11pm and I suspect she may wake for a couple of hours soon…

Thank goodness for a comfy couch in the living room! x