2016 Me & Mine Portrait Project at LadyBug Home

In 2016, we will be joining in for another year with the "Me and Mine Project" that was created by Lucy of Dear Beautiful. On the last day of each month, I join a group of bloggers to document being a family. There is lots of photos of my husband or I with our children but rare photos of all us together. I have learned how to set the timer on the camera and every month we commit to taking a photo of the four us together.

Search #MeandMineProject on Twitter and Instagram or follow @meandmineproject on Instagram to view the monthly collection of photos.

SEPTEMBER 2016

September was a busy month and we did not take many photos. This family photo was quickly taken at the park this last weekend. It was early evening but a beautiful cool and bright sunshine day. Little Ladybug was very busy on her scooter so we barely were able to take this family photo. The main event this month was the start of "Big School" for Little Ladybug and everyone adjusting a new weekly schedule. Little Ladybug loves school but does have days when she rather stay home to watch movies. Bumblebee Boy is enjoying spending two mornings with a very caring childminder while I get to focus on some work. I think he still prefers quiet mornings at home with Mommy but he always has fun with the childminder.

We have big news that we are moving in November. Our landlord would like to sell the home we are living in at the moment. Our main priority is to stay within walking distance of Little Ladybug's school. We are starting to decorate with Autumn and Halloween items. We are hoping to take a trip to the pumpkin patch and looking forward to half-term break. We are definitely going to have some "pjs days" during half-term.


AUGUST 2016

I love this family photo taken at Little Ladybug's graduation from Preschool. Our beautiful little girl! She is our imaginative girl that loves wearing her super hero t-shirts and trying to climb trees or play behind the bush with her friends. She rarely wears dresses but she wanted a pink dress for her graduation. She picked out the gold glitter shoes also. With rhinestones in her hair, she still was running around with her friends and trying to the climb the trees. We were very proud parents.

We made it through the Summer Holidays! We are now just days from Little LadyBug heading off to Big School. She asks everyday if she can put on her uniform. It does feel like it is a new phase in our family's life. She is going to quickly learn so many new things while we miss her terribly. Daddy will not be able to do school run very often and I think she is going to really miss seeing him during the day. I think Little Brother will feel a little lost without his sister but he and I will have some new adventures together.

We have been busy documenting our summer on YouTube channel. We did not go very far from home but we had fun.

Look forward to sharing our September adventures next month. New school and new routine around the home. I am also hoping for a more organised home and healthier diet. Exciting times ahead. 

JULY 2016

The last two months have flown by and we never got the June photo taken. Little Ladybug is finished with Preschool and starting Big School in the Autumn. She is super excited about her new black school shoes. We have had several settling sessions in her new classroom and spent some time exploring the school playground. Bumblebee Boy is going to miss her terribly when she is at school.

In July, we went to several Christmas in July events in London. We loved seeing all the Christmas decorations and gift ideas. We are vlogging our Summer Holiday 2016 and just enjoying spending family time together. Happy Summer!

MAY 2016

I am completely amazed how quickly time is moving these days. I can't believe that we are almost half-way through 2016. In May, we celebrated our wedding anniversary. I can't believe that we have known each other for over 15 years now.

Our beautiful children just keep growing and keeping us busy. Their favourite activity these days is to fill plastic containers or blocks with water and putting them in the freezer. They spend hours playing with the ice as it melts. Playing with water and digging in the backyard has also kept Bumblebee Boy busy this month. Little Ladybug just continues to ask us interesting questions about the world around her and often can be found creating some creative masterpiece.

We finished the month of May with a family holiday to the Norfolk area. We rented a small cottage that was 10 miles from our favourite beach town of Cromer. We had lots of fun adventures around the Norfolk area but my favourite part was one hour of swimming with Little Ladybug in the private pool located next to our rented cottage. We had lots of fun kicking around the pool and just spending quality time with each other.

The top photo was taken on the Bure Valley Railway. We travelled on a rainy morning from Aylsham to Worxham in Norfolk. We were very cosy and dry while travelling along the tracks. Bumblebee Boy took a nap on the outward journey and we had lots of snacks on the return journey. We then headed into Aylsham for lunch at The Black Boys Hotel where I had the most delicious cheeseburger with bacon and onion rings. After lunch we stopped by Carousel Chocolates.

We could not leave Norfolk area without stopping by Cromer beach for ice cream. June should be a quieter month. Hoping to get the house organised and clean so we can just focus on having lots of fun during the upcoming Summer Holidays.

APRIL 2016

This was definitely a last minute effort to get a family photo. I love this photography project because it motivates us to take a family photo every month. This photo was take on April 30th by my niece. It is very similar to last months but different fence and everyone is a month older.  I think Bumblebee Boy's hair is ready for a his 1st official haircut in May. This month, we had two week break from school and it was actually not as challenging as I expected. Little Ladybug loves spending time with her friends at Preschool and I do enjoying have some time to work on projects during nap time in the mornings so school breaks can be stressful. There is lots of crafting and spending time around the house. We did take a family outing to the movie theatre. BB is definitely enjoying walking and now is in constant movement. Our trips to the library is very interesting now because BB loves to walk around and say 'hello' to everyone.

The biggest news this month was finding out what school Little Ladybug (LL) will be attending in Autumn 2016. We were very lucky to get our 1st pick even though it is not our nearest school. Her closest friends are not joining her at the new school but other children from Preschool will be at school with her. I think she is very excited but I am sure that we will have some mixed emotions over the next couple months. I was very excited for her but there is a little part of me that wishes she was attending the Elementary School that I attended. We have no plans on moving back the USA in the next 4 months but it would have been fun if she could been the 4th generation to attend my Elementary School in my hometown. This school was attended by my Grandfather, Mother, my siblings and me. I know she will enjoy her new school and I will missing her very much.

Bumblebee is chatting away these days and amazes me with the new skills he learns everyday. He is just so funny and clever.  He loves pulling my socks off and trying to tickle me. He loves taking lids off of pens and drawing on the floor but he equally enjoys using a baby wipe to clean up the pen. He got his first pair of shoes and now loves exploring the backyard with his Daddy. I can that there is 

going to be lots of muddy clothes and hands in the future. 

I started working from home as social media manager this month. I never have enough time to accomplish all my personal and professional goals but it is nice to making money for some of my efforts. Husband and I are constantly challenging each other to work towards creating new professional opportunities in the future.

We are hoping to finalise a family holiday away this month. We feel very blessed to have two healthy and amazing children in our lives. 

MARCH 2016

We love that the sunshine is starting to come out more this month. These photos were taken on a lazy Sunday this month when we were enjoying being outside. It is hard to believe that we are a quarter-way through 2016. We are definitely working on decluttering and focusing on brightening up our home this month. Little LadyBug (LL) is loving her new bunk bed and storage units in her room.  I am preparing for a complete overhaul of our dining area (part of the kitchen) to create a home office/craft area this next month. 

Our Toddler Son has been walking and sometimes trying to run after his sister. He is definitely keeping us busy chasing after him and trying to keep him from drawing with pens of the floor and furniture.

This month, we have been mainly focusing on some Easter and Spring crafting. We had a fun Easter weekend where we ate too much chocolate but had lots of fun. We head off to Whipsnade Zoo for Good Friday. Easter Bunny hide plastic eggs around the house that were filled with Play-doh and tiny toys. LL enjoyed searching and opening the eggs. She spent hours playing with the Play-doh the next couple days. The Easter bunny brought lots of chocolate and treats. 

Little Ladybug will have two-weeks off for Easter/Spring School Break and so I am sure we will use lots of paint, paper and craft supplies. We are all looking forward to sunny, dry weather soon so we can start heading to the park. The biggest event in April will be finding out what school LL will be attending next year. Excited but also a little sad that the preschool days are limited. We also will be planning our annual May family holiday. We normally stay around the UK but we are hoping to visit Oslo, Norway this year. Always love hearing about what your family did this last month.

FEBRUARY 2016

Little LadyBug (LL) is missing this month from our family photo. She is sometimes hard to catch. February had been a filled mostly days around the house but also a few childhood milestones and challenges. Early in February, we hosted Little LadyBug's 4th Birthday party with her friends. We arrange for a group of her first to join us at the Make Believe Cafe in Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire for cooking making, crafting, story time, and food. Majority of the children were from LL's Preschool. LL had been attending the same day nursery since she was 1 years old. It was been amazing watching my daughter's friends grow up the last couple years.


We had a fun Valentine's Day filled with lots of yummy chocolate and surprise for the children. Grandma and Paps sent a box of Valentine surprises including new University of Oregon t-shirts. During Little Ladybug's week off from Preschool, we did some painting and played Monopoly Junior during Bumblebee Boy's naps. Each game of Monopoly Junior took around 30 minutes and was good practicing counting skills. Little Ladybug also discovered my high heel collection and spent days search through my shoes for imaginary parties. The Valentine decorations are packed away and now we are decorating for Easter and Spring. Several craft projects planned in March.

The last week of February was focuses on milestones and breastfeeding challenge with Bumblebee Boy. He now has 7 teeth with 2 trying to poke through. No details required but there has been some tears by my son and me. We are probably moving toward stopping or at least reducing breastfeeding in the next couple months. The biggest milestone for Bumblebee Boy was walking. The last couple days, he had been walking tons. Thankful for a soft nappy protecting his bottom for bumps. You can see how excited he is to be able to chase after his sister and grab her. Sister not exacting loving being chased but she is encouraging of her baby brother actions. March is going to be a busy month with Mothering Sunday, birthday parties, and Easter fun. We have a new bed being delivered for Little Ladybug. The journey of learning new professional skills for blogging and new opportunities continues.

JANUARY 2016

After a very busy and festive Christmas season, I think we were ready for some calmer times in January. The month started with a visit from my sister from the USA. She flew into England on Boxing Day to visit friends and then spent the New Year Weekend with us. Little LadyBug (LL) loved spending time with her Auntie and getting some extra Christmas gifts. I loved all the Christmas gift bags and tissue paper that my Sister brought with her from the States.

We had a cream tea in a local cafe and then a "Sisters" dinner without the Little Ones. She rushed back home to return to work and Little Ladybug headed back to Preschool. The first week back to school and work was hard on all of us but I did sneak in a fun trip to London that week. LL and I had a "Mommy and Daughter" date when we went to see Peppa Pig Live in London. I loved spending quality time with my daughter and she keeps asking when we can go back to London together. 

The middle of the month we had snowy Sunday. It was fun that husband was home from work and he could spend hours building a family of snowmen with LL. Bumblebee Boy (BB) put on his black bear outfit and crawled around the backyard. It only lasted a day but we were thankful for this fun family day. 

This month's biggest event was LL's 4th Birthday. We planned a last-minute trip to a charming cottage in Salthouse on the Norfolk Coast. Saturday was windy but sunny morning so we walked along Holkham Beach and had lunch at Beach Café in Wells-next-the-Sea. Little Ladybug loved opening presents very several days. She did come down with a tummy illness on Sunday so was not feeling perfect for her birthday celebrations at Nanny's and Grandad's house. 

Little Ladybug

I can not believe how quickly the last four years have gone by. LL is busy at Preschool learning her alphabet, practising writing letter and working on her counting skills. She has been pointing out letters in books and creating letters from pretzel. She was very excited for her birthday celebrations and loved getting surprises in the mail from friends and family. I loved that she was so grateful for each gift. She would open a gift this month and always sweetly say "I always wanted this". 

This month, LL is very interested in discussing how the "solders" in our body help us heal and stay well. We had many discussions about blood, organs and what is happening inside her body. She has been encouraging her brother to try walking. She loves holding his hands and making him walk fast across the living room. She made me laugh when she decided to stand on the sofa and pretend to be a carol singer. Who does not need a loud performance of Jingle Bells on a January afternoon? She has packed her bag and pretended to travel to space, beach, camping, and many other places this month. She is looking forward to her children's birthday party in February.

Bumblebee Boy

Our baby boy is growing so fast. He now has 6 teeth & molar coming in. I keep being surprised when I look over and discover him standing next the furniture without holding on to anything. We have had a couple small steps but everyday I wake wondering if this will be the day when he walks toward me or his sister. He loves climbing up the stairs and seems very proud that he learned this month how to climb off the bed and down the stairs. He now says "UP" and"Daddy". He learned how to point with his finger and loves pointing at you or items he wants. He discovered his nose and ears this month and loves to play with them. He also now gives you hugs or tries to tickle your neck. My favourite new skill is how he puts in head on my shoulder or snuggles into my neck. We are still exclusively breastfeeding but he also loves to drink water from a baby cup. 

Goodbye January & Hello February 

The last week of January was a week filled with lots of cuddles and lazy days around the house as we all had tummy issues. We look forward to February and illness to leave the house. February will be exciting with LL's birthday party with her friends, Pancake Day and Valentine's Day. We are focusing on cleaning and organising every room of the house.

Love to hear about your favourite part of January? Do you have any exciting plans for February?