Favourite Photo Friday - 5/6/15

I've been a little slack with the photo taking and blog posting the last few weeks.  Everyone has been sick, it's been cold, and we've been trying to organise our next overseas trip (I'll post more about that later).  I have managed to take the odd picture or two though, and I'll catch up on some blog posts in the next week or so, but for now here are a few of my favourite snaps of the week.

Astrid 3 years 11 months & Soren 19 months

D7000 with Nikon 50mm f1.8
ISO 160 focal length 50mm

Exposure: 1/160 @ f2.5

D7000 with Nikon 50mm f1.8
ISO 200 focal length 50mm

Exposure: 1/1000 @ f2.0

D7000 with Nikon 50mm f1.8
ISO 160 focal length 50mm

Exposure: 1/800 @ f2.5

D7000 with Nikon 50mm f1.8
ISO 200 focal length 50mm

Exposure: 1/320 @ f2.0

D7000 with Nikon 50mm f1.8
ISO 200 focal length 50mm

Exposure: 1/400 @ f2.0

D7000 with Nikon 50mm f1.8
ISO 200 focal length 50mm

Exposure: 1/640 @ f2.0

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.

Partners in crime.......

Since the moment he was born Miss Astrid has loved her baby brother.  When he was tiny she loved to cuddle him, and help me look after him.

When he started moving they would sit, playing with toys. Astrid enjoyed Søren crawling around and playing chaseys.  She wasn't such a fan of him emptying all her toys, pulling bits of out of her dollhouse or taking what she was playing with for himself, but they still generally were best buddies and loved each other to bits.

I last posted photos of their sibling love about 4 months back, when Søren was about to turn one.  Oh the cuteness.........  Now that Søren is up and walking/running everywhere, things have changed again.  These days, there is a quantity of hair pulling and toy snatching. Astrid is prone to several tantrums a day when Søren takes something off her that she was playing with (and refuses to give it back even though it was his toy to start with).  Søren gives as good as he gets and loves to pull her hair at every opportunity.  Yes, it hurts as he does it to me too!........but she does wave her hair in front of him taunting him to do it. On the upside, he also gives Astrid cuddles at every opportunity, often climbing up on the lounge to give her a good (if sometimes hair pulling) cuddle.

I do have to separate them some days as when both tired there can be a few tears. Luckily it doesn't last for too long and they are laughing and giggling again in no time.  Astrid still loves to help look after Søren. Changing his nappy, helping put him to bed and even hand feeding him crackers with hommus or sultanas (which he thoroughly enjoys).   Søren loves to copy everything his sister does (sadly this involves copying her dance moves). He loves to play with whatever she is playing with, usually while she is playing with it - to shouts of 'Søren is ruining my game'. Lately he has been rocking her dress ups, also sporting a bright pink purse and playing 'wrap the doll' up with his big sister.

Astrid has well and truly indoctrinated Søren into the land of babycino drinking and bowl licking when baking.  She loves having someone to play with, but would prefer he followed her rules!

This pretty much sums it up...........

Luckily there is still a healthy dose of this!

Double the chocolaty joy.........

When Astrid was a bub we introduced the babycino fairly early on. She has always loved going out for morning teas, and a frothy, warm , chocolaty milk drink was a big hit.  It didn't hurt that both her parents are coffee fiends.  She had plenty of opportunity to indulge in her babycino passion while out with us at cafes and at home (everyone has an industrial coffee machine at home, right?).

Since is big sister was forever getting babycinos, Søren quickly learnt what they were all about.  Now if you ask him if he'd like a coffee he immediately runs over to the helper stool and tries to climb up. He certainly knows what he likes.  Here he is eagerly anticipating his babycino.........

Yep, we are pretty sure that Master Søren Augustus is a babycino fan!  He downs one in about 2 minutes flat. If only he were more gentle with his cups, he could progress from the paper cups to the ceramic ones (which hold much more!).

Babycinos are pretty good, but even better when you score morning tea along with your milk drink.

Søren definitely gets himself in a mess with his babycinos. There is not much doubt that he is a fan of the chocolaty milk, the grins say everything!

Søren has absolutely learnt his frothy milk loving ways from his big sister!  Miss Astrid is a bit of a fan of her babycinos.  These days she is in charge of making them. This results in a lot of chocolate powder on the bench, Astrid and the helper stool.  She is not yet allowed to steam the milk but turning the coffee machine on and off for Mum and Dad's coffee is almost as good.

Astrid takes her babycino drinking very seriously, be we still can't figure out at 3.5 years old how she gets into quite as much mess as she does.

We have two rather spoilt kids, not all small children get almost daily home-made babycinos.  It turns out that the helper stool is also one of the best things we've ever made (royal we, Anto made it!).  Between cooking, baking,  meal preparation and babycino drinking, the kids spend a fair amount of time on their helper stool. It's paid for itself several times over in just keeping the chocolate mess confined to a small space.........