An imperfectly perfect snapshot

This just might be my very favorite picture of Mason to date. I have taken tens of thousands of pictures. I have poured over many of them, editing out harsh hues, clarifying, sharpening and brightening images until  I am happy with the result.   Fundamentally, it's all wrong .This pictures is a snap shot. Looking in the background, you can see that my windows have hand prints and smudges on them, conceding that my life isn't picture perfect .  But this one photo embodies the very essence of Mason at this stage in his life. Set on the idea of independence, determined to grow up, he has learned to use a spoon but also, and maybe more importantly, when to abandon it and slurp right from the bowl, like the big boys do. His beloved fruits snacks at his elbow and the always present Hot Wheels car with in reach paints a perfect picture of life with this 21 month old being. The way the morning sun spills in reminds me of our early mornings together .

 This is exactly why I love photography. In 5, 10, 15 years my mind will be bogged down with new things- report cards, drivers education classes and graduations. Though I never want to forget these things, these tiny details that weave our days into months and months into years, I know I might.  But there is something I can do, a memory trail for our future selves- to dig through piles files of pictures and have memories jogged, to see squishy, sleepy faces and smell his sweet " all boy" smell and to go back, even for just a second, and be in this moment again. That is what photograph is for me. I am their historian. They are mine.

Nutella and Jam in a few easy steps

1: scoop out the good stuff

2:give it a taste

3. Spread it around

4: Hand inspect it

5: Top it and prepare to eat

6: Take a BIIIIIIG bite

6b: and another

7: Wash it down with some milk

8: Eat your fill

9: clean up that handsome face

Bedtime!

Kids Were Here

             “These still life images serve as a daily reminder that my days are awash in chaos, whimsy, laughter and laundry (sometimes all at once). They capture toys and spills and puddles and piles. Sentimental, solitary moments of childhood ephemera. A gentle prodding to live in the now and stop looking toward the “then.” And though sometimes I pray for clean and quiet and still, I know all too well it will come. And I will yearn for tiny shrieks of laughter in my bedroom. For toys and loveys strewn about. For signs of a daily life well lived. For traces of my babies who once were. For reminders that Kids Were Here–and they were life and light and love.”                                                                                   –  Stephanie Beaty

It's funny, the timing of this new project of mine. Remember a few months back when I posted about seeing the " messes " around the house and trying to shift my mind to seeing those messes as signs of life, instead?  Right. Well, recently, a friend of mine invited me to join a photography blog circle called " Kids Were Here".  The idea is that all of us, moms and photographers, would take a moment to look around our lives and document the every day and appreciate it as it is. What's different about this ( versus my usual photography) is that the kids are not in these photos. One day we'll look back at these photos and they will jog our memories and maybe bring a little comfort when our kids can clean up after themselves or have flown the nest, taking their messes with them.

So here is the link to my January post. At the bottom of my post, you'll find the link to another blog and at the end of that blog, another...the idea is that you'll tour the blogs of each mom in our circle and find your way back to mine. This will bring some new viewers to the blogs of aspiring photographers . ( If you are reading this before January 26th, the blog circle hasn't yet gone " live". Check back tomorrow once everyone has made their posts public). 

Star Student

Time for conferences again!  Mackenzie's teacher expected that maybe Mack wouldn't grow as much academically because she'd already reached well above her grade level. She was surprised to see that Mack has had significant growth in all areas, placing her overall at the second grade level and her reading level plateaued out at about early 3rd grade. At our previous meeting, brief mention was made of Mackenzie possibly skipping kindergarten and going into first grade. Both Mrs. Solliday and Mike and I were against that. There were far too many cons and, in our opinion, very few pros .  At this meeting, Mrs. Solliday said that seeing this far jump in Mackenzie made her wonder if maybe Mack was an exception to the rule , would keeping a child this advanced only hinder her growth? She took her questions to the first grade teachers who agreed with our initial thought. Skipping a grade, socially , can be handicapping to a child and place them at a disadvantage. Socially, the current first and second grade girls are worlds different than Mack and Mackenzie has had no social prepping for that(- something that Mike remembered feeling when he skipped the 2rd grade). Since so much of the social issues girls deal with are considered normal, we think it's better for Mack to go through those stages with girls she is familiar with vs. being the new girl. Acadmically, Mrs. Solliday pointed out, there is always going to be a gap of some kind and that gap has to be accounted for, usually at the expense of the child. She wanted to give us the choice, though, about skipping. Unequivicolly, the answer was no. The back up plan, though, is that Mackenzie will be going daily to spend time with the advanced 1st graders ( there was far too much of an age gap to consider sending her to the second grade classrooms) . During this time, Mack will work on reading as it writing as it pertains to reading. She will miss out on some 1:1 time with her teacher , something we also think is very important but at this point, it's probably better for Mack to continue feeding her brain and Mrs. Solliday will find time during the day to touch base with Mack. This is all pretty familiar since both Mike and I were sent up grade levels for reading and Mike eventually was added to the Magnet program, South Lyon's gift and talented program.

Socially, Mack is a great example for her classmates and Mrs. Solliday said that she'd be so sad to lose Mack if we had decided to skip her ahead. There have been times where Mack has needed a bit of correcting and this was something Mrs. S was glad to see because Mackenzie tends to be on the more proper side . I was happy to hear this, too. It's far better to learn the rules ( through correction) in the early years.

So that's that! This week Mrs. Solliday will spend an hour in the first grade room, observing the setting Mack will be in . As long as she ( and we) feel it's a good place for Mack, she will start her new routine on Wednesday! I'm excited to see this progression for her and she is so proud of herself.

Bat MAN!

Mase was wearing a Batman shirt the other day which prompted Grams to sing the Batman theme song. It has since become a favorite , randomly sung, chant in our house.



And one more of a quick chat with Mason. He has a truly amazing vocabulary and understanding of things. I am certain this is because he refuses to be out chatted by his big sister.

More than a blanket

 When Mackenzie was 6 months old, her godmother, Erin, passed along a spare blanket . This blanket was nearly the same as the one Olivia carried with her but Olivia already had two and didn't need another one. I accepted this gift but had no way of knowing how much this blanket would mean to her.  To this day, and never a day missed in between, Mackenzie sleeps with this very same blanket. It's quite dingy, but still soft in a tattered, well loved sort of way. It smells like nothing and everything all at once. And , just as I did for her every night as I settled her in for bed, she cuddles the blanket over her left shoulder and drifts off to sleep.  Because I was afraid it'd become a germ magnet, this blanket is only allowed out of the house on special occassions. If it were ever lost, I know how heart broken Mackenzie would be with out it, and I would be, too. For with each nights sleep and each midday rest, this bundle of mine, no longer little, has wrapped herself in this swatch of fabric, told it her dreams, cozied up to it for comfort. It's been a sled and a fort and it's been twisted into a cape for girl and dog. Tiny hands clung to it like a parachute. It's more than just soft fabric. It's a memory.

The other day, as I watched Mason use his own blanket as a garage for his cars, I began thinking of how special his blanket is to him, too. Admittedly, I got teary eyed as I remembered when their blankets could swaddle them and now they are an accessory that sometimes winds up bunched up in the couch cushions or stuffed in a box as padding for a rocket ship. But every time bed time nears, a droopy eyed child goes looking for this special piece peace because nights just wouldn't be the same with out their blanket. Special shout out to Erin Wilson who shared with us the magic of the blanket. For that, and everything else, we love you.

Dogs love blankets, too