Me and Mine - A Family Portrait Project November

Now I know... this should read December in the title, but this past month has been even more of a whirlwind than ever and I am determined not to miss a month of capturing my little family. Even if it is exactly a month late and the next one will follow tomorrow! This project is about to enter it's fourth year, which is an amazing achievement by Lucy who founded this group of bloggers who host every month and all the families who stop for just a moment and snap their changing and growing sons and daughters. It's the blog post I most enjoy writing, it's the one that makes me realise just how quickly time is passing, how important capturing our family in a photo is and each month I rush to frame our Me and Mine.

November for me was all about preparations. For launching the backdrop store at long last, trying to squeeze in as many photo jobs as I could to be able to have the Christmas holidays off and desperately trying to get our house as straight as possible before my sister and her family arrived for a week long stay on the 23rd December. And we had a special event.

We all gathered around a font in a lovely church in Berkshire for my nephew Logan, our Logibear's christening. Celebrating this beautiful little boy who completed their family. My sister was totally in love with him from the moment the midwife passed him to her and Sammy was just the same, even before he was born. He'd longed for a boy cousin and almost a year on the novelty has absolutely not worn off and he shows this powerful (sometimes overwhelming!) love for Logan. When we are together he can't help but stroke his face, asking to hold him over and over again and when we are not with them he's constantly making cards and drawing pictures for him.

He's protective, proud and just wants to help look after him and it's a pleasure to watch. Little did he know that when my brother in law stood up and gathered everyone together at the party afterwards to toast and thank the godparents, that he would be getting a very special mention.

They talked about how there was an extra person in the room who has loved Logan from before he was born, someone who is so kind and is so special, and as he spoke I glanced to Sammy who looked back at me with the widest grin and the brightest eyes, half believing they there actually talking about him and half hoping he was right! 

They presented him with an honorary godfather sash and he was deliriously happy! A role he takes so seriously, asking to speak to his godson on FaceTime and telling him how much his godfather loves him when he holds him. Although it really was more of a gesture, I have no doubt that Sammy will be the big brother and protector to Logan, guide him through his future and we can't wait to watch their bond grow.

I don't know anything other than raising boys. Boisterous boys with a sensitive side and as much as I want the boys to excel, it's their characters that are most important to us. 

Everything shapes who they are going to be. Their school, their friends, their grandparents, their peers. We know we have one more natural sportsman and one showman. We have one who shows incredible promise in Maths and one who struggles. We don't have geniuses we have happy, hard working young boys.

Every term we get their school reports and this term they made me want to cry. Not for the attainment grades but for the words right at the end. In fact I went straight to the last page before I read how they were doing in English and Science. Because that's the bit that matters to us the most. Whether school sees what we see. I think it's a wonderful thing that we have social media to share how proud we are of our children, not just for the photos of them coming first in a race on sports day or holding up a certificate, for the little things, the acts of kindness, the friendships they are making and the achievements that have nothing to do with how clever they are. 

And this is what they said. "Sammy has embraced life in Year 3 with great enthusiasm and energy. I am delighted with his attitude and wonderful, steady progress. He has made the most of every opportunity both with friendships, activities and lessons. I admire his positivity and the way in which he approaches every task by looking to make things more interesting, giving his very best. Sammy is the first to help a friend, lending equipment or leading them somewhere. He is a charming, happy child who has consistently given 100% to all he has encountered this term. He is a delight to teach!"

"Ollie is a happy, sociable little boy, with a gentle, easy-going nature and he is eager to please. He is an extremely polite, co-operative member of the group and enjoys the responsibility of helping in the classroom. He is very relaxed in the company of his friends and shows kindness and generosity towards them. I really appreciate his patient, tolerant approach to life and the way he is able to share and compromise in his dealings with his classmates. He is such a lovely little boy who enjoys playing with his friends and is kind and caring towards others. He is interested in all that is going on, is very well motivated and always gives of his best."

They may not be top of the class but this is all we want for our boys. Kind boys who are good friends to someone. Our big boys, our mini mes, in big boys suits. 

This project isn't a weight around my neck, it's the one photo I take each month that is the most precious. Thank you to everyone who joins in and to my cohosts Lucy, Katie, Alex, Jenny and Fritha who put up with my terrible lateness!

Happy New Year everyone! I'll be back with my festive photo for December asap! :)