42/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: Stomping in a creek, in the wrong boots, his PJ's, an awesome jumper, Granny's badge, and a bandaid covering some self-inflicted carpet burn.

And if you ask, he'll demonstrate how he had his hands on the carpet and how he was dragging his face on the carpet. We hardly noticed it until about 30 minutes after he had done it, even though we had seen him in action, and by the time this photo was taken the scab was starting to come off, so the bandaid was there to stop the scab coming off before it was all healed. Michael took these lovely photo - thanks!

39/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: Yeah... I think you do have the wrong lense on your camera, Daddy.

From the mouth of babes? Except that he's taken something Daddy said and turned it around correctly. Michael captured the moment beautifully (wrong lense and all), as we made our way up to the magical place to show it to Pop and enjoy the sunset. Oh and Jimmy spotted an echidna while riding Pop's shoulders.

37/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: Wanna help Daddy.

Jimmy loves being involved in the things we do and especially in the kitchen. It started with the dishes and while that continues, Jimmy is interested in helping make food and taste all the ingredients. Yes. Even corn flour. Here, Jimmy is helping Daddy grind up some pork, prunes, and bread for pork pie.

36/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: I have some bones...

It was Father's Day, we were out with Granny and found a magical spot less than 30 minutes from Warwick, Daddy found some bones and Jimmy thought they were very cool and brought one home - holding on to it while he slept in the car. 

35/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: Stomping on shadows while not dropping the bread...

We were on our way to lunch with friends and Jimmy was running and stomping on shadows (Pop's I think), while Daddy was taking photos. Daddy was the "official photographer" of the event and didn't have to carry any lunch supplies - Jimmy was required to help, and help he did and he did not drop that plate. 

Thanks for the lovely photo Michael!

26/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: At LAX...

This was not our gate. It was also 6 hours before our estimated departure time. And I just missed the moment Michael's hand was on Jimmy's head (sadface), but we were there. We'd made it and we could relax because we had a 7 hour stopover to recover from the last of the clearing out of our apartment, the drive to Kansas City International Airport, the returning of our hire car, the check in and baggage drop (and shuffle) and the flight to LAX. It was a long, long day and Jimmy was a brilliant travel companion. 

And that night we left the USA...

24/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: Kicking up some dust at Konza Prairie...

We kept asking him not to! He even walked through some dust he'd kicked up and didn't like it, but he didn't stop it. Going to Konza on Sunday was the highlight of the week and Michael has captured Jimmy in all his Kansas-ness while at Konza beautifully.

Jimmy has grown so much since we left Australia, but Kansas-constants have been those fruit shorts, sunnies, him stricting out and exerting his independence, long sleeve tops with buttons (we've all collected a few while we've been here), my old backpack, and a bold combination of colours and prints that clash but work together because they clash. That's our boy.

23/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: Posing on the tennis court.

The reason Jimmy stopped going to school when he did was because Michael had some leave saved up, so Daddy is taking a staycation, I'm still at work, and Jimmy is at home with Daddy. Or on the tennis court, playing with tennis balls, and posing for Daddy.

Ok, so Jimmy might have just been taking a rest, soaking up the sun as Michael took this photo, because...

Unfortunately, Jimmy was a little unwell the week Michael took this photo of our boy. We're not sure that it was hand-foot-&-mouth disease, but he had a fair few of the symptoms. He was mostly fine and bouncing around, but he had a fever and cough and runny nose and what might have been a tiny blister in his mouth. And HFMD was at his school the week before. Anyway... He's well and truly back to full health.

22/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: Starting his last week of daycare/school in style.

The last week was serious business: lots of colourful clothes, much to the enjoyment of his teachers; lots of puddles to jump in; and cupcakes on the last day. Even with the outbreak of hand-foot-&-mouth disease in his classroom, it was a good week. Actually, as Jimmy was fine all that week, it was a great last week. And it started with this photo taken by Michael.

Jimmy in an Akubra!

Because it's so right, even if the Akubra in question is too big for him, because it's Michael's. One day Jimmy will have his own, and Michael will take a similar photo of our boy (this photo was taken by Michael).

Missing/enjoying: Spring showers...

I really, really like spring in Manhattan. Once the fear of tornadoes wears off, we are left with comfortable days, light showers and scattered storms.

And puddles.

Lots of puddles for jumping in, especially after school and work, so that we don't have to worry about gumboots that are no longer water tight or wet and muddy clothes.

Everything turns green and flowers, and the air smells fresh and clean and a little sweet. There might have been muddy or wet (or both!) clothes in need of washing every day, but when it was so nice outside and we didn't have to worry about the extreme cold of winter or the extreme heat of summer.

I think spring has become my favourite season and I miss the cooler weather, now that we are definitely in summer with days over 30C, and forecasts for 36C by the end of the week...

I already miss spring showers in Manhattan, not just because of the heat, but also because going home to Australia means that we will not experience such variation in seasons again, and that makes me a little sad... Hopefully we'll find some spring showers in Australia before too long.

The first photos was taken by me, all the other photos were taken by Michael.

21/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: Want to go on the jumping castle...

The Flint Hills Discovery Center hosted a festival last weekend, celebrating all things flint hills and local and there was a jumping castle. It was Jimmy's first time on one and he loved it! Even though he was one of the smallest children using it and he had trouble getting up sections and almost squished in the last section, he kept going back for more.

Michael took this photo of Jimmy on his second or third time. And after he'd had enough of Annie Wilson and the Tallgrass Express String Band, Jimmy wanted more jumping castle action, so Daddy took him back and left me with the camera.

We returned home exhausted but happy and a little sad, because we're only here another month.

20/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: It's a fountain!

Oh man... my boy and his love of water... We went to K-State, because I had left my glasses at work, and spent some time at the K-State Gardens and the Insect Zoo - Arrow was closed for private graduation functions, so we had to do something to appease Jimmy. Mild disappointment aside, we had a wonderful time at the Gardens and Insect Zoo and the weather was perfect: warm without being hot, cool without Jimmy getting cold even though his top was wet from fountain water by the time we wanted to head home. 

Michael took this photo of Jimmy at the fountain right outside the Insect Zoo. It's such an elegantly simple fountain, it's my favourite one around here.

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a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: Chocolate cake and bus rides...

Mother's Day weekend... It kinda sucked because I was working, but Michael and Jimmy had a great time together, involving the Discovery Center and a trip to the supermarket to get treats for all of us, some for Sunday and some, like the chocolate cake, were for then and there. 

Naturally, Michael took this photo, and naturally Jimmy's hands are as messy as his face.

18/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: Running around, splashing in puddles.

It was a rainy weekend and yet, Jimmy wanted to go outside. He's a toddler, and toddlers don't do too well it they have to stay cooped up in an apartment (even if that apartment has plenty of space to run around - it's just not the same as fresh air). Rain/waterproof clothes and not-so-waterproof gum boots plus a Daddy with camera in tow and we had a recipe for one happy boy and some lovely photos... But this is the best one.

17/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: Blow dandelions!

Ok, so he's running through a field of them, but the joy is the same because the seeds fly away and it's wonderful. So is Michael's camera work.

16/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: Ice cream on a stick...

There was a bus ride with Daddy to Cico Park, and a visit to MATC and they found vending machines... including one with ice creams (!!). Needless to say, it was a hit and Michael took some sweet photos of our boy.

15/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: Going through tunnels...

Seriously, this is one of Jimmy's favourite things to do with Michael. It's a thing Michael did as a child and he may yet write a blog post on it, but for now there are these photos, taken by Michael of course.

I love these photos. The joy. The energy. The long limbs and changing face. My baby boy is changing into a boy and I'm getting glimpses of a school aged boy. (Not yet, not yet! There's still a few years!)

14/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: Disk-covery-woo center...

Daddy took Jimmy to the Discovery Center on a Saturday when I wasn't feeling well, so yes, Michael took this photo. Jimmy will spend an hour or so playing with the train set there because he's obsessed with trains, but after a while he gets bored and wants to play in the tunnel and go down the slide. And in the tunnel there is this porthole which looks out over the ground floor - it's a great spot.

12/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: Goofball.

A pair of goofballs, eating cookies and chilling on the stairs after a day at school/work. Photo taken by Michael, butterfly by Granny.