This project was a vow to myself to take and edit at least one photo a week. I started it to push myself technically and creatively, and ended up with a great chronicle of our life through the year.
Tamra Yandow retains sole copyright to all photographs contained in this book. The layout designs are copyright of Š BOOK THIS PROJECT, LLC, 2012.
Project 52 2011
A photographic journey
01/52 Scenes from a playgroup.
And so it begins again. I am thrilled to be doing another 52 weeks of photos! I think you’ll be seeing lots of black and white over the next few months. It’s so dark at this time of year in our house, which means noisy pictures, and I prefer B/W noise to color.
02/52 Sewing and some stations.
My girl was SO proud to be using a sewing machine for the first time, to make a bag for her new doll.
This is one of many “stations” that the kids created for various trucks and construction equipment. Love these blocks!
03/52 Winter’s beauty.
I seem to forget every year how stunning snowflakes really are. What a marvel of nature!
These were all taken with my “poor mans macro,� i.e. my lens flipped around and held by hand. It is SO hard to keep everything still enough to get anything in focus!
04/52 Winter fun.
Winter sure is fun when it’s this warm out (in the 30’s!), and we’ve been taking advantage of our little “heat wave” this week.
05/52 Skiing in the street.
Well, sidewalk in these pictures, but we really did ski in the street, too! There was so much snow that it was hard to tell that she even had skis on.
I always say that if it’s going to be winter, there’d better be snow. This winter certainly hasn’t disappointed!
06/52 Plan B. I had a few ideas for some Valentine shots today. “Mom, there’s an almond up my nose” sorta’ changed my plans! With a visit to the ER (our very first!), said almond was expelled and life has since returned to normal. So, instead of Valentine shots, I’m going with “things they love,” since love is what Valentines Day is about anyway, right?!
Alexandre LOVES his drums. And he’s got a very specific routine when he starts and stops playing them, including placing his things just so on the stool and putting on/removing his “drum shoes.”
Anika loves Gorilla, and he is frequently by her side. She also loves dressing “fancy� in her skirts, tights, and fancy shoes.
07/52 For the love of carpentry. I joined a group of other “Project 52ers” today, and they use a different theme each week for their photos. I’m hoping it gives me a little creativity boost. The theme this week is “love,” and I’m using a picture I had already taken for the week. My son loves working with his Daddy, and takes his job very seriously!
08/52 “It’s all how you look at it.”
She’s playin’ in a cardboard box Cut-out windows and cut-out doors It’s her beautiful house Fifteen rooms and eighteen floors
And just because I love this little peek.
It’s all how you look at it It’s all how you look at it And How you look at it Is really up to you (Lyrics from Putamayo Kids Folk Playground, “It’s All How You Look At It,” by Brady Rymer.)
Self portrait, sort of. 09/52
We’re headed to the sunshine tomorrow, for a little over a week - woo hoo! This is what I’ve been doing all day, so it’s about the best I could come up with for a self-portrait in the midst of the packing madness.
10/52 A classic.
The dump truck. A timeless childhood toy. Made even more fun when it’s filled with sand at the beach!
And since I’m talking about the beach, I couldn’t leave out the results of a sand bucket, another timeless toy!
11/52
Green.
These boots are very patiently waiting for this...
The annual St. Patrick’s Day cement mixer parade! They’re all honking their horns, so it’s REALLY loud!
12/52
It’s sugaring time!
Lots of these (maple trees),
make a whole bunch of this (sap),
which is gathered and cooked down here, at the “sugar shack,” to make 3 very happy people eating sugar on snow. (for those not it the know, that’s maple syrup poured over snow, which hardens into a caramel-like consistency).
13/52
Hands.
I just love little kids’ hands. Even when they’re past the puffy-knuckle stage. I can just see his concentration through his little fingers!
14/52 Grass? Our prompt for a photo this week was grass. Old man winter had been holding strong until the last few days, leaving us with snow piles here and there that seem like they will never leave. Thankfully the prompt wasn’t “pretty grass.”
15/52
“Is this a real smile?”
My girl loves to practice smiling in the mirror, and she comes up with all sorts of funny smiles. Unfortunately, this often translates directly into what I see through the lens. So when she smiles the real deal, it’s irresistible.
I couldn’t resist adding this one, too. He’s got kind of a goofy smile here, but there’s something about this image that just grabs me.
16/52 Egg on deck.
And a few finished ones, with their fabric friends.
17/52
N is for Night.
B is for Bud And a few others from the A-Z challenge over at Clickin’ Moms. C is for Cup of Coffee
18/52 Me, finally. I finally stepped in front of the camera! My kids were very excited to try a selftimed shot, so I was quite enthusiastic about the potential results. I didn’t even care that my hair cut was the very next day. Their enthusiasm lasted for one entire shot. One. Needless to say, that was the test shot, where half of me is cut off and we’re blurry, but the kids are smiling beautifully. Oh, well. This is what we got instead. A leg in the way, a squished girl, and a hand in a mouth, but still very us.
19/52 Colorful fun.
This mural is right outside the restaurant that the kids and I went to for Mother’s Day breakfast (DH is working every single day this month :(,
so couldn’t join us). They were so excited to check it out, and Anika wanted to be IN the mural for the pictures!
20/52 Vintage. This week’s theme had me stepping outside my comfort zone (where are the kids?!), but it was the perfect opportunity to showcase two of my most prized possessions, my Grandmother’s watch and ring.
21/52
Construction.
The boy loves construction. So when a paving project, which was already exciting, turned into a huge sinkhole, mega-project, it was entertainment for days! We decided to do our own construction while watching the real stuff happen.
Yam Scram. 22/52
That’s the kids’ version of the Vermont City Marathon. It is such a wonderful event, with 3 different race distances for the kids. Every kid gets a medal, so everyone feels super special! Anika and her friend Olivia held hands the entire way!
23/52
You know it’s summer when…
The lemonade stand begins! This was their first time to have a lemonade stand, and everyone was so excited!
“Lemonade! Lemonade for sale!”
Drinking the profits before even the first customer!
Filling an order.
So careful not to spill!
24/52 Mmmmmmm. One of summer’s finest treats... the creemee (that’s Vermont-speak for soft serve ice cream!).
Ho Hum. 25/52 Something’s always gotta’ give, doesn’t it? Over the past few weeks, since I’ve been getting myself into shape (go TurboFire!) and working on a few projects for Anika’s preschool, I have hardly picked up my camera. I figured this pic was appropriate for this week, as it’s pretty fitting for how I’m feeling about my photography, or lack there-of, lately.
26/52 “A super, duper fun day.”
That was the declaration by Alexandre at the end of our first camping day of the summer. And indeed it was. The “super-ness” started when we spotted a MOOSE on the way!
And no, I didn’t have my camera ready. Nor was it ready for the BEAR that ran in front of our car the next day! It was ready, however, for many other camping highlights...
Lots of jumping. Into a few inches of water.
Foot burying.
The requisite s’mores.
A hike. With appearances by Mr. Grumpy.
And even some tranquility.
27/52 A bike parade.
Every July 3rd, our “North Quarter” neighborhood pulls together a kids’ bike parade followed by a party in the park. We live in a very mixed neighborhood, in a University town, with college students and families. It’s events like this that make all the trials that come with living next door to college students so worth it!
Face painting, done by kids, beforehand.
The girl in the flag robe is actually playing the trumpet, and reading the music that is pinned on the woman’s shirt in front of her.
Can I just tell you that I love that he loves his pink bike?! Never a word said about a pink hand-me-down from his sister!
The cake game; hands down every kid’s favorite game there! The winner gets a cake, so you can see the appeal.
“I can ride in the middle of the street?!”
The Grand Marshall, keeping everyone in line, making sure the big kids don’t get too far in front.
Sno-cones in the park.
28/52 Fairy Princess Dance Camp.
29/52 He’s 4!
Well, he will be in a few days, and we already had a party to celebrate! Happy Birthday, my Rock-and-Roller!
30/52 Swimming lessons.
It is with great joy that I introduce to you Mr. Fish and Ms. Mermaid.
31/52
A Messy Party!
I gave them a bunch of (washable!) paint and some cans of whipped cream, and told them to go for it!
P.S. Whipped cream turns into sour whipped cream a few hours later, which a quick shampoo in the sink may not get our. Ewwwww!
Blue sky silhouette.
32/52
33/52
When It Rains.
on vacation‌
find alternate uses for your rain boots,
get wet,
and do lots of reading.
34/52 From the other side.
Every summer, friends and I take the kids on a ferry ride to Essex, NY. There’s a beautiful park they play in, a small beach to splash in, and the day is always topped off with a trip to the ice cream shop (that we are convinced is actually a cover for something else). We are so used to seeing the Adirondacks as our mountain view, it’s nice to see what our lovely “Green Mountain State” looks like, from the other side of the lake.
“A, come lay your head on Mommy’s tummy to rest a little.” And this is what she got - so cute!
35/52
Kindergarten!
Our oldest started Kindergarten this week. Oh, how bittersweet it is. Thankfully, she was SO excited, and I know she’s so very ready.
Don’t you wish you had a pair of purple sparkly shoes like that?!
“The road ahead.”
36/52 Off to preschool.
This boy was jumping-out-of-his-skin-excited to go to preschool. And I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such love for a lunchbox before!
37 & 38/52 The Magic Mailbox. There is a magic mailbox at A’s school. At every Friday “town meeting” (a school-wide end-of-week assembly, but really more like a rally, with videos/ slideshows/music), a question is posed to the students. Over the following week they create their answers and place them in the mailbox. Their answers may be in the form of a drawing, story/poem, song, or clay sculpture. Last Friday, the question was, “If you were King or Queen of IAA, what would you serve for lunch?”. On the way home from school, A decided it would be cucumber salad. The girl loves cucumbers! Then she asked if we had any clay. Well, “no, but we could make some, I guess,” was eventually my answer (it took me a while to figure out that we could, indeed, actually make some!). And so our weekend project began. Other than cutting the “cucumbers,” she did the entire project herself, and she was so proud to place it in the mailbox on Monday morning.
39/52 A fall tradition.
Making applesauce every fall has been a tradition in my family ever since I can remember. Growing up, I knew nothing other than homemade applesauce. I had no idea you could buy applesauce in a jar! I must admit that all that homemade goodness turned me into a bit of an applesauce-snob, and I refuse to buy the stuff at the grocery, unless it’s for cooking or a very occasional small cup purchase to bring on trips
for the kids. It’s a whole-day affair, with enough made to enjoy hopefully until next year’s apple harvest. The cooked apples, cinnamon and nutmeg make the whole house smell delicious! I am so thrilled to be able to pass on this tradition to my kids, who now look forward to grinding it through the mill every year.
40/52 Money, money, money.
41/52 Pumpkins, big and small.
42/52 A red barn.
43/52 She’s 6!
We had lots of celebrations this week, for one very special girl. I love you like crazy, little missie! Happy 6 years old!
44/52 My favorite part of the night.
From earlier that evening, here are Rapunzel and Harry (from “Harry and Horsie�).
45/52
Light.
Jeh Kulu 46/52
Jeh Kulu Jeh Kulu is a West African drum and dance group that did a 2-week residency at A’s school. They ended with a performance with all the classes. What a great, energy-filled night!
47/52 Jumping, in Montreal.
There was also some hiding, with penguin, in Montreal.
48/52 Before.
Before the mouth was wiped after lunch. Before the shoes were put on. Before the fake smiles came out.
Mister Elfie. 49/52
50/52 After the party.
51/52
Letters to Santa.
52/52
Music.
the end.