I've moved!

August 24, 2006

A little story for the guest book..

August 22, 2006

I wanted to post my vacation pictures but there are way too many. Wish I could link to a blog gallery. Guess this will be the reason of my switch over.
My mother keeps a guest book at her house in the South of France. I usually print a couple of pictures that tells the story. Well I guess this year will be more than a couple. LOL.

2 x A4! I will use the blue picture I posted a while back for my cover story. Yes, I'll still do the hand written journalling. But will keep it short: the pictures tell everything!

Finally..

August 17, 2006



Time has come to go and pick up the boys. We fly tonight and will be staying till Sunday morning. They start school again on Monday so we get a half day to get everyone in the mood again. I did miss them A LOT but they are having a great time and although they ask everyday how many more sleeps before we come, they have not felt home sick at all. My mother has been wonderful entertaining them and doing all kind of fun stuff..Like going on a kikker hunt yesterday!! Yes, you've guessed it for Nathan!!!

Till then! Have a great weekeend everyone!

Business card, update on new website and a bruise..

August 15, 2006

I think it's time to show my business card! It had to be DD helping me selling my photography. At the time she was my best model...
My new website is coming up. It will go live on September 1, so just a little bit more patience.

In the meantime, take a peek (business card only. Anne, you'll have to wait till September 1, for the Grand Opening. LOL!):

Front:


Back:


On to the bruise... Manouk took a big fall this morning. A big one and a bad one: she hit the side of her eye against the edge of our bed. She's now walking around with her first bruise, blue and yellow... She's a tough cookie: only cried for 2mns and off she went again. I tried to make a picture tonight but she was not having any of it. Too busy was she with her belly button. She has been passionate about it for the past 6 months...

18 months...In Black & White...

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Everyday I have to remind myself to be happy with what I have. I can be impatient, wishing for tomorrow, for something else (like living somewhere else, shhhh don't tell DH)...I can be fun too!
So today Manouk was good to me. Instead of running away from me the instant I showed up with my camera..No.. She gave me a split second for every pose, before running off to something more important in her life. You see at 18 months, there's so much to discover, to touch, to push, to pull, to scribble on, to tear off. And if you don't manage these things or someone try to interfere, you only need to throw yourself on the floor, screaming, kicking, feeling really sorry for yourself until someone picks you up....

Ok did I really forget how these toddlers work.
Or are girls so much different than boys.
I must admit that I never had so much drama with the boys.
Is this what's really coming in my life for next year (I try to stay positive here, only one year!!)

But coming back to what I was saying: today I should be very happy. I could have had no pictures but I got a few keepers.

Don't get me wrong, she's a sweetie, sassy, adorable...But she's 18 months...


A new favorite:


This one is getting printed big:


She's such a goof:

United 93

11 August 2006

We went to the movie last night. First time in quite a while.
Da Vinci Code.
But that was sold out, so we saw United 93..............................

I still have no words to describe the emotions. And I can still remember every minute of that day, what I was doing when we heard the news.
Switching on to CNN
The disbelief.
The sadness.
The suffocating feeling.

These feelings for someone not even American...I always wondered what an American could have felt.

With the events in London yesterday, the movie hit even harder.

Can you feel the peace?

10 August 2006



So we're back..Well not all of us, the boys stayed behind at my mother. We're going back next wek to pick them up. They're having a blast, we miss them more than they miss us I think! After talking to Nathan last night on the phone for exactly 10 seconds, he said: ok, I'm going back to play on my gameboy now, bye.....And put the phone down. Hmmm...Yes bye darling....

It was a great 4 weeks. I will post more about it later. And post some pictures. For now let say that being back is kind of hard: I miss the place, I miss my family....

These make me HAPPY!

So I'll be leaving you with a smile. I never thought I'd pull some good ones. My boys are tired very quickly of my posing directions....Nathan would not stay long enough on the chair for me to snap any: he always saw something crawling on the ground that needed his attention. This, the green cast I'm getting anytime I go in the field, their impatience, the rain (we went in between 2 showers), were all obstacles..And I'm still happy with what I got. I actually really enjoyed that session. I loved putting that chair there, in the high grass, with the trees in the b/g...Ok maybe I can't get ideas myself and that's the shame..But at least why not enjoy the experience? I went a bit overboard on the color conversion but I like it...

Now obviously my neighbours think I have lost it. I rolled my chair on Manouk's buggy, passing an incredulous neighbourhood....Who cares, when one needs THE shot!!!

So these are my boys, fresh 5 years old, just being a blast and pushing my buttons right at the same time.

See you all in August!

First day of summer vacation!

Ok it was yesterday..I am only a day late, ie getting better at this. Honnestly I wish I had more time, so many things I want to post.
So DH has been sick. It's going on for 2 weeks now. I will spare you the details but he's been bed bound for all that time and the kids are becoming kind of edgy. They miss the attention obviously. So yesterday, first day of summer vacation and our departure being delayed, I had to keep them occupied...I did pretty well (patience is not my main characteristic). We even went outside for some bubble fun after dinner (please note the clean face and gel in the hair!!! LOL! They are not a photographer's kids for nothing. We need to take every session, practice or not, seriously). They look serious on the picture but they actually had a lot of fun.

Tomorrow I have planned their 5th birthday photo shoot. 2 boys, a field and a chair...I have been inspired by the talented Stacy W. Check her blog: www.bluecandyland.blogspot.com her pictures are simply beautiful. Will see if I manage to get a couple of good ones. Fingers crossed!!!

Goofs!

I am very lucky! Many reasons to be, but yesterday evening as I was watching the boys play in the garden, having such a good time..Together...I did envy them...Laughing so hard, they could hardly breathe anymore. Their bond is so strong at the moment, the strongest it has ever been. When I told them that we were going up to have a shower, they just ignore me (or did not hear me). Ok so i did haveb to threathen a little bit and finally managed to get them upstairs and cleaned up. But then when they were ready to put their PJ's on, they started to goof around: Maxim trying to throw his pants over the shower wall, Nathan - the best public who can dream of - was hysterical! It was getting late and I tried to hurry them, to get them dressed...But there was no way, it was their moment, and I could only join in and laugh with them. I did and I could hardly stop myself too. They were just too funny. We laughed till it hurt, till the tears came.
When I laid you down to sleep, you told me it had been a cool day... Yes indeed, and I hope you will have many many more of these days.

The downside is this:
- Faces whenever I pull my camera out
- Authority is not working anymore...Anything I ask, they look at each other and start giggling...Any tips for me??

Cousins of Summer 2006

I know, blogging should be about writing things when they happen, and not coming back to them later on...Maybe that gives you a glimpse of how organised my brain is....I've always called myself a control freak. I could wake up and by the time I had set foot on the floor I knew exactly how the day would go..Well, shame enough, not anymore..When did that happen? I'm not sure, but my house is now filled with little yellow sticky notes to remind me to do this or that..I hate it!

The weekend of the 10/11 June, my sister, her DH and their 3 kids invited my 2 boys to Eurodisney for the whole 2 days. A dream come true.. From the moment my boys saw their cousins, they were gone! They love their cousins, and it is so funny to see how close they can be even if they only see each other 2/3 times a year.

They had a blast of course, went on many rides, never minded the queue, the heat, the crowd. Just happy. I just love seeing them beaming of joy, embracing the moment. Cousins of summer 2006. The Saturday evening we joined them for dinner. It was not planned and our boys hadn't been warned. When Maxim saw us that night in the restaurant, his jaw dropped, he was so scared that we came to pick them up, robbing him from a night at the hotel with his cousins. He was so relieved to hear we'd leaving him here after dinner. He turned around, did a little dance, threw his arms in the air and screamed: YESSS!!! My boy is 5, growing up, and needing mama and papa a little less everyday!!

They're FIVE!!!!

I can't believe it...I could handle 1, 2, 3 and even 4 although that's when they started school and they got to spend more time with someone else than me...But 5! Hello??? It's funny how from one day to the next, sometimes, they just grow up. They're suddenly different. THey come down for breakfast and you just see it. Being twins you'd think they'd follow the same pattern but they are so so different. And I love that about them. Just brothers born on the same day....But very close..In the past weeks Maxim has changed so much. He's become so funny with a very dry sense of humour. Nathan has always been our joke maker so it's nice to see Maxin joining in too.

Yesterday they took control of the day. It was THEIR birthday, THEIR PARTY, THEIR friends...They just loved the attention and lived it to the fullest. That's when I realised how big they are now. It was fun to watch them from the sideline, beaming.

Here they are, before everyone arrived. I wanted to make sure I got a picture of the 2 with the cakes we had chosen together on Tuesday.

Oh and just a side note: it's impossible to be the mum and the photographer. What a disappointment when I downloaded the pictures, for a perfectionist like I am. But the emotions are all there captured and that's what counts.

Fun at the beach..

For those in Europe, check out this website: www.slaapstrandhuisje.nl We had a wonderful weekend in Zeeland. I had found that website 3 years ago and had wanted to book a beach house for a weekend. But it was full. Tried against 2 years ago: full! Last year: full! But this year BINGO! Got it. So all packed up we left last Friday afternoon till Sunday evening. Where we met some very good friends. 6 happy kids and 4 delighted parents. The kids thought they had arrived into paradise. They could do as they pleased on our "private" beach. Babies could have their naps inside whenever suited them, and the parents tried to relax. As much as relaxing is possible with 6 kids. A great weekend. I even got time to practice my full sun shooting technique. I find it so hard! Inside is so much easier..No shadows, no blinking highlights all over the place on my LCD, no frantic in camera meter going from right to left and back....

As a picture speaks a thousand words, I will leave you with our weekend story....



The gang...












With 6 kids, you always need a bit of that!

Fun traditions..

I am still trying to catch up on my posts. I promised myself I'd be good and not fall behind..Well it has happened again! Maybe I am having too much of the above..It's true it's been such a nice weather, nothing like a good rose to refresh you!
These past 2 months have so so busy. Good busy. We did some really fun things at the weekend with friends, family etc..And I want to post about these things. It does not matter if I'm a bit behind.

We have this group of friends. We are 4 couples. We met back in the days when we all worked in London, UK, in the early 90's. It was a big party time there: first job, fresh from university, no mortgages, no kids.. We all went back to The Netherlands over time. And now we have kids, mortgages, jobs, so time is scarce but we keep some traditions going. Since 1992 we have a Xmas dinner organised by a different couple every year in December. A few years back, we added a weekend in June with kids. It is always fun, always relaxed, nearly always sunny. The 8 kids (soon to be 10) have a blast every time.

This year was no different. F & A organised a picnic. It was perfect as usual, because they are so thoughtful and he is a super cook! They are expected their first baby for August and I am just so happy for them..They will be some perfect parents I am sure. And that little girl will be very lucky to have them.

It was a warm sunny day, one you want to remember...

A Pirate Birthday Cake!

Today I took the boys to order their birthday cake in that real nice shop. I know I know I could start baking my own cakes but well this month is busy. And I just want to make sure, the cake is eatable!!!
So after school, we all went to that shop and see what they had. We ordered one with 2 pirate ships on it. One for each boy. They were so happy, just did not understand why we could not taste it and/or take it with us!
Manouk came with us too, feeling miserable (stomach flu), but I could not find anyone to stay with her at home. She cannot keep anything down at all and is just feeling very bad...

So the party is on Saturday (actual birthday is on 7/7) and we are taking 6 boys in addition to Maxim and Nathan to Piratenland. They have been counting the days since Manouk's birthday in February. They just litterally cannot wait, and tonight, counting only 4 slaapjes to go through made them VERY happy.

Here's the invite that went out.

The hip bunch!

I had a fun photo shoot with these 4 kids last week Tuesday (yes always late with my blog posts!).
They wanted a portrait as a present for their parents 25th anniversary. They are a real cool bunch and did everything I asked them to do. Hopefully their parents will pleased.

They ordered that one:


My favorite was this one:


Some more: