Can’t help myself - have to post this one! I’m in the process of editing a maternity session actually but we added in a few family shots and oh my gosh - let’s just say the new arrival will have some serious cuteness rivalry! Look at this little face and that smile. And though we didn’t do many pictures since it was a maternity session, every single shot with him is like this. Tooo cute! Too yummy!
Hope everyone is having a GREAT weekend!!!
Please excuse the diary week of my kids…it’s been a big week and this is where my mind is at…
I make no bones about it - I love my kids. They are my one and only. I also make no bones about the fact that parenthood is hard. For all that love there is a whirlwind of other emotions they’re able to bring forth with geyser intensity. I feel like since I’ve been a mom I’ve gotten a 365 degree personality view of myself as I never had before and I’ll admit - parts of it make me cringe. And once in awhile parts of it make me saunter with pride. And then parts of it leave me floundering and feeling around for familiar footing. But such is parenthood - it continually brings forth situations and emotions that have yet to be defined.
Such as this week…and seeing my little girl off to her first day of first grade. And seeing her battle tears as I prepared to leave which beyond broke my heart. I worried about her all day (if you’re on FB you know this as it was the only thing I was capable of doing that day…suffice to say, not a lot of work got done between 8 and 2:40). But she came home full of smiles, talking about the three - yes, count them - three recesses they got, about the piece of candy they got and not a whole let else. It seems things like your teacher’s name, other kid’s names and what you learned pale in comparison to three recesses and a Hershey’s kiss. Hey, can’t say I blame her. 
To make her first day completely fun and special, we did a girl’s afternoon after school which consisted of (okay, this might have been more for me than her) Starbucks and back to school shopping where we picked up some cute new dresses but mostly had fun talking clothes, things we would and would not wear and you know, just a general discussion of world politics and such. Total typical conversation.
look at that little eager face!
my powershot totally stinks sometimes - yo, can you say blowout? 
my baby at her desk!
SB here we come! total rockin buddy holly music going too which had us bopping in our seats…
So, tomorrow my little girl (my baby) starts first grade. The day hasn’t yet arrived and I have to admit, I’m a bit emotional about it. The funny thing is when she started kindergarten last year I fully expected to be sad and I wasn’t. In fact, I had some mom guilt over the fact that I was totally not emotional over it. I was happy for her - she was more than ready, made new friends and loved almost every minute of it. And I was (shhh… secretly), a little happy for me too - it meant 3 hours added to my day. In mom time that is like adding in two nannies, a house cleaner and and a scoop of chocolate ice cream (I don’t know, just throwing that in because it sounds good right now and I’m trying to ignore the seductive whisper beckoning from my freezer. Now, if my freezer really knew and loved me he’d leave a trail of mm’s to his door and have a cup of ice cream with mms sprinkled on top waiting for me. Obviously, this relationship has issues… which is probably a good thing. :))
Anyway! So. Tomorrow I kiss my baby goodbye as she begins a whole new adventure. And I will try not to cry…at least not while she’s watching.
A recent pic of my ‘baby’ taken during a quick session in the studio…
I’m noticing more and more in life that everyday comes with it’s own rhyme and reason; for example, be a girl with me for a moment - dressing in the morning. You can have a new outfit in your closet or new accessory or new piece of jewelry or new shoes and you can be dying to wear it. So, along rolls Monday and you eagerly slip on your new shoes with that cute whatever whatever and - ohhhh...ughhhh It just doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t look cute. And back going flying those new shoes you were dying to wear. But come next Tuesday, you slip them on and for whatever reason it’s the right day and the right time and they fit and look exactly like you hoped they would. And you wear them with confidence and a sassy swing all day long.
A rhyme and a reason. And the funny thing is, call it the lunar cycle, the angle of the sun, energy, the season…who knows but it feels completely and randomly at the whim of something greater than me, us. And, if I force it, it just doesn’t feel right.
Such is life with kids. They come with their own little built-in rhyme and reason and no amount parenting or reasoning can change it once they set their little, but oh so fierce, minds to it. Saturday I had a family session which included one of my favorite little people (my son’s girlfriend, or so I jokingly say since they are too cute buddies) who very much had her mind made up that day about some things pertaining to our session - like what she would and would not do. Being a mom of three little children (one a fierce five year old redhead), I get it completely. I have tricks and I’m so not above bribing but when it comes down to it, if it’s not the day, it’s not the day and re-shooting is always an option.
Now, mom and I have worked together several times - she knows all the great tricks for session prep but for prospective parents thinking about a family or child session I thought I’d mention a few here that aren’t guaranteed to work but usually help out quite a bit:
All that said and done, you may be surprised what we get too…such as with this session…total cuteness.
and when we are done with the family ones, it’s totally okay to be relieved!
I.LOVE. THIS. ONE.
So, tonight is carpet picnic Friday. This is how it goes down (after gym time mind you): pizza, clear out the living room floor, cover it with a blanket and we all cop a squat. To a movie. And dinner. And then my special homemade popcorn that is the best popcorn you’d ever have in your life. So, okay, my domestic goddess routine (see two posts down) is a work in progress but my popcorn rules. Don’t even try stepping on this turf. It’d be a smack down.
Hope everyone had a great week and is heading into a fabulous weekend. Tomorrow I see a family I absolutely adore and I have some fun ideas in store! Will be excited to share that next week. In the meantime, ending the week with a few from a cutie who was in my studio last week…
Hey,
You have a great blog! I love the pics and the kids are ADORABLE!
Kudos!
Aug 22nd, 2010 7:21 pmLovely photography. Sometimes it’s hard finding a portrait photographer who can make each photo something unique and new. You make it look easy. And this little guy in this post is absolutely adorable. =)
Aug 21st, 2010 1:52 pm