Moments of Sweetness

Anyone who has raised children can attest to the fact that it is not simply ALL wonderful, sweet moments, strung together like some lovely set of pearls that a mother can wear proudly as she joins other similarly adorned mothers in a tea party or such.  No, there are many more, "Mommy, I'm Ready!!!"  which, loosely translated, means, "I've cacca'd in the potty like you wanted, so now, please come WIPE me," or "Mommy, Jennifer is LOOKING at me!!!"  (the unpardonable sin of siblings). 

Sometimes, in, fact, it seems impossible to think of these little creations of ours as sweet at all, despite the promise that "what are little girls made of?  Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice, That's what little girls are made of!"  Even little girls, at least MY little girl, was not ALL sugar and spice and everything nice.

Still, there were just enough of those sweet moments to hold the rest of the not-so-sweet ones together, to give a better valuation to the sweet moments, I suppose, a better appreciation.  I was looking through old photos this morning (again) and laughed when I came across some of the scenes I felt camera-worthy.  Back in those days, the film and developing was not cheap, and the cheap cameras at my disposal certainly produced a less than quality product.  Still, the focus of most shots was something "pleasing,"  -- no need to waste money on something displeasing, yes?

Well, sometimes I just could not restrain myself.  I have shots of my two, "hiding" from me, seriously thinking they could avoid the bath that was their daily routine, if Mom could not find them.  Of course, the fact that they chose to hide AFTER getting undressed for their bath rather limited their hiding places, then, didn't it?  Oh, what terrible mother I was... I snapped their picture and STILL required they take their bath.

Please don't notice the EMPTY TP!!

Yes, back in those early days, they bathed together... not so much for the "green" aspect of it, but I needed to be able to keep my eye on them and together was easier than separate... I only have ONE good eye, after all!

But also in the mix of photos I found some very sweet ones... candid ones where the children had no idea I was capturing their actions.  And these photos are my favorites... they are not necessarily smiling or "pretty" for the camera... they are just doing what they did... natural.

Stephen, 6 Reading to Jenn, 4

Of course, they also had their posing moments... the moments they worked hard for...  and for these I obligingly also snapped their picture.  Hallowe'en was always one of their favorites for such posing. 

I have no idea who this is!

On this Hallowe'en 2010, my children, now 29 and 27, are, I imagine, prepared to give candy to the little angels turned terrors for the night (or vice verse), in their own neighborhoods.  I will have no such trick-or-treaters out here in the boonies, but I have photos of sweet moments with which to remember those days!

Teddy, RIP, Our Black Cat of those Days

Happy Hallowe'en!!!