Is there anything more beautiful than a newborn? It seems not. Congratulations Lynette & Mick on the safe arrival of Eli (at home no less, I take my hat off to you both!). He is simply gorgeous and it was a pleasure to meet & photograph him.

With last year’s Australia Day image splashed across Womans’ Day & New Idea, I set out this Australia day to catch some more fabulous images on the shores of Pittwater. I was thinking bright and colourful images of sunny skies, tattooed faces, crystal clear water….all of it! Of course Australia Day down on Pittwater had different ideas for me this year. It was drab and dull. The waters weren’t sparkling and the sun wasn’t shining. But what it was, was fun!

Now that image is my stand-out favourite for the day. I LOVE it. And here’s another, when all three kids got in for the fun and games:

We’ve had an annoying patch of earth in front of the cubby house for ages. Awkward to mow. A cut off tree stump in the middle of it. Finally, it got a makeover.

How cool is their cubby house? One of the benefits of having a builder for a Dad. It’s got a kitchen, running water, electricity, an undercover sandpit & stairs up to a cool lookout. The kids spend a lot of time there.

Little miss serious. A little less than happy with an ear infection giving her grief.

Just look at the wonder in those eyes as the story unfolds……

With his big sisters away for a few days with the Grandparents, Declan has been really enjoying a little time to himself. And time to be with us without the big kids always in his face. He really is such a sweet, sweet boy. Quiet. Intense. A wee bit quirky you could say. Loves his alone time. And we’ve been blessed with a boy who loves books. Just like his big sisters.

He and his Dad picked this one out at Dymocks a few days ago and it is just perfect. Dinosaurs for starters. He loves books with dinosaurs in them. One of his favourite Christmas presents was a box of Rascal the Dragon books from Aunty Holly (thanks Hol). And like the Rascal books, this new one is aimed right at his level. So he can read it all by himself. Makes for one happy, happy boy. Now if only I could get him to sleep…

Today’s challenge photos are a little different. They’re client photos. But they do contain one of my children as swimwear model, so I’m letting them slip in.

Great shoes heh? I now have 3 pairs, and have worn little else this summer. Take a look at the facebook page of IN2HSOE for more details. And seriously, grab yourself a pair. Or two.

Then get to the beach. Pronto.

Missed a few days. Oops. Here are a handful of shots to make up for it. Miranda and the pony playing in the paddock.

We’ve been having a little bonding trouble with the pony. He’s become somewhat naughty over the summer holiday break. To say that he’s “full o’ beans” is an understatement! So much so that I’ve had to be riding him to see if we can get him back in line. Poor, poor pony!

And ponies, just like children, get tired of being photographed….

But you see what I mean about him being a little, ahem, spirited!

What’s a girl to do when her brother and sister are being right royal pains in the butt? Seek her own private space wherever she can get it apparently . Even if it means sitting in a sock drawer.

Weird kids. Love them, but weird.

Now I could have shared an iPhone shot again today, I got a pearler from knee-deep in the Colo River. You can see it on Flickr. But I got home exhausted, and with a real urge to get the Canon out for a little play in the evening light. Glad I did really.

Today was an endless round of inside activities. Cooking of cakes and shortbread. Cutting. Pasting. Drawing. Crystal Growing. Volcano Making. General chaos all round really. But fun. Notably it’s 1.20pm in this shot and these two are still in their PJ’s. My kind of day really.

For today, an iPhone shot. Knowing I didn’t yet have a photo for today I couldn’t resist this sunset when we stepped out of our local Golf Club after dinner tonight. Beautiful.

Now hopefully tomorrow I will get the big camera out again. After all, this challenge for me is not only about documenting the kids during the holidays, but about getting back a bit of my personal phojo after a year of buckling down to work. Not so much in a planned way, but in a follow the mood of the moment and see where it takes me kind of way. Dependent of course on the mood of the models I’m blessed with too We’ll see what tomorrow brings.