Photo collection

As mentioned previously I am currently (actually just finished) making a group scrapbook for a mummy friend who is moving away.

We have 10 "babies" of the first generation, plus 2 second gen (with 2 currently baking) Our biggies are all now past 3 years old and the group was started with its 8 founding members pre first baby. We had a year of maternity leave together and as many parties as we could cram in since. So that's a lot of events and a lot of photo opportunities.

And now to gather them all together in one place and in a short-ish amount of time. Well pre digital photos I would say it was impossible. No one would have had the opportunity to dig through boxes and boxes of pics to get copies done in time. And we probably wouldn't have had the variety.

Post digital, I had the first 3 girls pics within 24hours, which I received, checked and and saved to a central file, all from my phone. Group shots were plummed from Facebook and candids from our WhatsApp group chat. I have photos for the mummy that is going away without having to resort to sneaky spousal intervention.

But with all these images at our fingertips, it was still a bit of a struggle to find enough of the right pictures. Ten "babies" with equal coverage over 2 books (1 for Mummy and 1 for daughter) is actually a difficult ask, and we're a pretty tight knit group. We haven't got a single photo with all 10 mummies and babies in. We can't always manage to get 10 of us together anymore and spending time together is so precious that we have had to swap to the majority availability plan for selecting dates.

There is always too much happening when we do get everyone together to be thinking about pictures, though we constantly try to make the effort. And any parent will tell you that getting that many toddlers to look in the same direction, at the same time, is virtually impossible should you even get the opportunity. But it is such an important and magical thing to capture if it comes off and well worth the effort every time.

As I always tend to do when making things for someone else, I think about them, and our relationship and I'm so glad that we will be able to pass on this book of wonderful memories of such an important time. But it also reminds me that in this age when taking and sharing photos is so easy, it is almost a crime to not stop for a minute to capture the memories before they float away.

Love Elliefantasy xx

JYC 2014 - 3rd Dec - Party time

Now I think of it, the fact that I don't do any hosting over Xmas is a bit odd as I do love to have a good party. But we are so far away from everyone that it just makes more sense to head towards the crowds and be guests, not hosts, over Christmas.

A new tradition is for the NCT group Xmas party, and it's funny that we plan it in a way that my parents used to plan parties with their close group of friends. Everyone brings something to eat and it's all fair so that the burden for the host is reduced as much as possible.

I love this kind of party, despite the small stresses of picking what to bring and hoping that it is up to snuff\not extravagant or show-offy. But it's miles easier than doing it all yourself. And frankly toddlers aren't very fussy so long as you stick to a staple menu of bread, crisps, sausages and cake.

This year we're being extra sensible by enduring the exhaustion of the toddler party in the afternoon and then treating ourselves to a posh meal out in the evening. Fully resplendent in festive knitwear.