The 52 Project: 44/52

'A portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week in 2015.'

Dear Ruby,
My sweet strong girl, sometimes with being a parent, it can feel like you are living in the thick of it all of the time, and it's not until you take a step back that you gain the perspective you need. Of course, I am talking about myself here, but perhaps one day this will help you too. You are changing and growing so much at the moment, and I fear that I have been caught up in the hard parts of this rather than the wonderful aspects.

This photo captures you perfectly as you are at the moment - lover of being outdoors, determined to ride (or sometimes just push) your bike around the garden, insistent on avoiding getting dressed wherever possible, wellie wearer (it took you barely a moment to master how to put these on yourself), and happy in the rain.

Recently, you have been wanting to spend a lot of time doing mark making. You are particularly fascinated by circles, and talk a lot about your marks being circles. You love singing - particularly nursery rhymes when we're in the car (five little ducks, twinkle twinkle little star, horsey, horsey don't you stop, the house song, hickory dickory dock are sung or played on repeat), and if I sing a song that you have no interest in, you have no qualms about telling me, 'no, no, no.'

Your language development continues to amaze me, and I love the way you talk about past events - it's such a lovely insight to the things that you remember. (Daddy catching the train and aeroplane to China this week, where Nanny sat in the car, Rachel's birthday party, jumping at the park and the tiny circles Nanny drew have all been regular topics of your initiated conversation this week.)

Here's to another week of learning and growing together.
All my love,
Mummy xxx