Favourite Photo Friday - 22/5/15

This weeks photo Friday proudly features the brown furry bear hat we bought for Astrid while in Europe in 2012, I'm fairly sure it was purchased in Switzerland.  As we were travelling in late Autumn/early Winter it was fairly chilly and most of our Europe photos feature Astrid in her red coat, furry bear hat and Amsterdam purchased Zara boots.  The hat is lovely and warm and got a good work out.  Now it has been recycled for Master Soren to wear.

Soren at 19 months (May 2015)  - Canberra, Australia

D7000 with Nikon 35-70mm f2.8
ISO 1600 focal length 70mm

Exposure: 1/640 @ f4.0

D7000 with Nikon 35-70mm f2.8
ISO 1600 focal length 70mm

Exposure: 1/125 @ f4.0

Astrid got to wear it in far more exotic locations, I think that hat has been to at least 7 countries and kept her head warm and cosy on very chilly days.  Here are just a few of my fave pics of Astrid sporting her furry bear hat.

Astrid at 16 months (October 2012) in Paris, France

D80 with Nikon 50mm f1.8
ISO 250 focal length 50mm

Exposure: 1/400 @ f1.8

Astrid at 17 months (November 2012) in Arvika, Sweden

D80 with Nikon 50mm f1.8
ISO 1250 focal length 50mm

Exposure: 1/640 @ f1.8

Astrid at 16 months (November 2012) in Brussels, Belgium

D80 with Tokina 12-24mm f4.0
ISO 1600 focal length 17mm

Exposure: 1/100 @ f4.0

I must do a proper updated photo comparison of the two of them, but I can definitely see similarities! Astrid is such a girl, and Soren, such a boy, but they both have the same cheeky grin!!!

The sick, the snot, but oh so cute together........

Oh how we all hate sick kids! The best bit about more than one kid is that they make each other sick (and usually us too!).  Twice the germs, snot, tissues and grumpiness. I feel for those of you with three and four kids, it must be a nightmare when they get sick one after the other.

We've had more than our fair share of colds and ear infections this year. It's been pretty much constant since about February, with the maybe a week here or there without someone being under the weather.  Now the cold weather has hit and of course we all have colds again.  A nasty, sore throat, sore eyes and sneezy, snotty (oh the snot) cold.  We can't even blame Astrid for bringing this one home from preschool as Søren had it first.

When sick Søren turns into a grump (understandably), but wants all the cuddles and all the attention. It used to be that only I would do, now his sister is just as good, if not better.  Normally I'm made to sit with him while he eats, drinks or whinges but when Astrid goes into big sister mode and gives him cuddles and attention it is the best thing ever.  He loves having her feed him biscuits and hold his drink bottle for him and generally be his slave.

He went from bottom lip out like he was a pelican out fishing, to grinning like a Cheshire cat once his sister was 'helping'.

A couple of days later and Astrid is the one who is feeling very under the weather. Despite being sick himself Søren felt the need to return the cuddle favour to his sister.  Astrid was curled up on the lounge looking very miserable and Søren would take himself over the lounge, crawl up and give her big squeezy cuddles. It didn't matter how many times I removed him, he would run straight back and lay on the lounge cuddling his sister...........  he also likes to poke her eyes and eyelashes and generally climb all over her - but it was done with the utmost care and affection!

Oh the cute, even if Astrid was not feeling well enough to appreciate the gesture.

Playing in the Autumn leaves..........

Autumn has been pretty non-existent this year. No gentle transition from Summer to Winter. It's been hot then cold and damp with lots of wind.  Sadly, very few of the glorious Canberra Autumn days we are normally treated to. Even the poor trees are confused, a lot barely changed colour before dumping their leaves in a hurry.

We did manage to pick one nice May Sunday morning to have a play in the leaves and a gallop in the sunshine.  When you are almost 4, and 18 months old, running around flinging huge piles of dried leaves into the air is pretty much the best thing you can do. Who needs toys when there are leaves ready and waiting to be thrown?

When you aren't throwing huge piles of leaves on yourself and your sibling it is good to run around in the sunshine, play hide and seek in the trees and enjoy the lovely Autumn weather......... which incidentally didn't really last past that day!

Even thought they do fight a bit these days, they are still best friends some of the time.  It was worth the muddy and wet clothes just to get them being cute together on camera.

We did manage to get the adults in the odd photo (rudely interrupting the leaf throwing fun)........ one day we might manage to get one with all 4 of us again!