Capturing Motherhood In a Photo

 You never know what you'll find in our laundry/dryer.

One thing is for sure.

Attempting to do laundry with Clara around never gets boring!

Capturing Motherhood in a Photo

Big car. Little car.

PS ~ Thank you so much, Leslie!!!  Clara is totally smitten with the Coop.

Capturing Motherhood in a Photo

This is Hubbell's water bowl.

If you're asking yourself which of my children would have done such a thing, well, you probably don't know Clara very well.

Enough said.

Capturing Motherhood in a Photo

Oh, I do love Sophie's imagination. That girl is quite creative and enjoys some serious role-playing on a daily basis.  It's one of my favorite things....

Last week, we were at a friend's house setting up for a birthday party. The birthday girl was putting out plates on the table and Sophie asked if she could put out a plate or two. Her friend said no.  Sophie was crestfallen and cried sad tears the entire way home.  It hurt my heart to see her that upset so, when we got home, I pulled out the party supplies and offered her six party plates, napkins and cups......and suggested maybe she have a little party with her "Care Bears".  Well, the tears stopped IMMEDIATELY and she disappeared to her room.  A short while later, I turned the corner to find this.....

Grumpy, Oopsie, Cheer, Funshine and Share (from left to right ~ in case I forget one day) had a marvelous time and Mommy only saw huge smiles and received many hugs from Sophie the rest of the evening!!!

Capturing Motherhood in a Photo

Sophie & Oopsie

I always heard that age five is a BIG year developmentally.  I never quite knew what to make of that statement and often questioned the truth of it.  Now I am experiencing that it is indeed true and I am watching it unfold daily.  While a five year old seeks more independence, at the same time they still want cuddles and attention and praise.  They start to develop deeper relationships with friends and family members.  They really begin to grasp more complex concepts and feelings, etc. and, as I know from my own life, start to have memories which can last their entire lives.  In Sophie's case, this is all true.  She can really articulate her feelings well. She tends to listen a bit better than before but she still has tantrums and emotional breakdowns.  In a few weeks she'll start school and spend more time away from home than maybe ever before. She'll make new friends and establish a foundation for a life outside of our home and family.  It's a lot for a mother to take in. It went by so quickly.

The four of us went out one night last week for a quick burrito.  Sophie asked to sit at a chair in the window by herself.  Not entirely by herself though....Oopsie joined her.  She got a booster seat for him and everything. Alain, Clara and I sat at a proper table just a few feet away yet I couldn't tear my eyes away from my baby girl sitting at the window with her animal friend.  So big yet still so small.

I fought back the tears in the restaurant but they flow freely now.

I am so proud of her and I am madly in love with who she is becoming!

PS ~

As is very common in Sophie's life these days, Lil' Sis had to interrupt to see exactly what she was missing out on.....I just had to include a photo of that!

PPS ~

Nonno Carlo, thank you for that most adorable outfit for Clara. It's perfect!

Capturing Motherhood in a Photo

Sophie had some friends over to play one day last week. After the girls were in bed I went outside to make sure all of the toys were cleaned up. This little sidewalk drawing was there to greet me. Could it be a solar system?  The rings around some of the dots make me believe they're planets.  The large yellow dot in the forefront seems like a sun. Or they could just be random colorful circles. Whatever it is, it's colorful, whimsical and happy.

One day, when the kids are too big to want to make sidewalk drawings, I will miss their sidewalk art. No question. It always makes me so happy!!!

Past Capturing Motherhood posts can be found here.

Capturing Motherhood in a Photo

One thing I absolutely LOVE about motherhood is sleeping babies. Ha ha. What mother doesn't love sleeping babies? They're just so sweet and precious when they're snuggled up and breathing heavy. I always sneak in to peek at them when they're peaceful. I love it. So here are two photos of my sleeping girls....at about the same age.....to me, they don't look anything alike.

Capturing Motherhood in a Photo

(Audrey, Sophie & Clara)

As my girls get bigger, the one thing I know for sure I will long for and miss are their precious, perfect little feet. There aren't many things on Earth I love more than sweet little baby feet. Both of my girls love to have their feet massaged and it's one of my favorite things to do. Alain took this photo over the weekend and I thought it perfectly captured a motherhood moment that I love.

Capturing Motherhood in a Photo

In my life I've been pretty fortunate to have a strong sense of self. I've always known who I was, where I came from, where I was headed, what I wanted in my life. The only time this boat was rocked was when Sophie was born. Truthfully, I wasn't ready to be a mother. I didn't want to make all of the sacrifices it takes to be a good parent. Even more so, I did not want to relinquish my freedom. Ask anyone and they'll tell you that I had a very tough few years.

So you can imagine my surprise when my first reaction to the below picture was, "Oh there you are!". I was referring to myself.

This was my first moment at home with my two girls. It's not a great photo.....my shirt's all messed up, you can see my nursing bra and Soph's eyes are closed. Yet this is how, deep down, I always envisioned myself.

I think people don't talk honestly enough about their transitions to motherhood/parenthood. For some, I'm sure it's an easy and seamless transition. For others, like me, it rocks your entire world, your very being, to the core. I'm not ashamed to admit it. And I'm glad I now realize this for myself. I'm pretty sure I've made my peace with all of those hard times. They've only made me stronger and more resilient. Now I am only looking forward, with tons of joy in my heart, to the next chapters of the agony and the ecstasy of motherhood!

Capturing Motherhood in a Photo

In my personal Capturing Motherhood series, I am adding this new photo.

Sophie's favorite toy(s), without so much as a distant second, is her cars. She plays with them daily. I love to watch and listen to her play cars. She lines them all up or parks them all in a very straight line. Over the years I've bought two different little "towns" for her to play cars on. The car rug from IKEA is the newest one (which she loves) and the older one is interlocking soft play squares with an imprinted town that I bought at a consignment shop. This new photo is one I took after a "car wash session" in the bathroom, after Sophie arranged all of her cars on the bathroom rug to allow them some drying time.....

One day I know I will miss rounding the corner to find Sophie's car collection spread all over the floor.

Capturing Motherhood in a Photo

Last May, The Stir sponsored a "Picturing Motherhood Photo Series" (in celebration of Mother's Day 2010). Essentially, different photographers, through photos, shared a glimpse of their own motherhood stories. I enjoyed seeing all the different photos and I've thought of them often over the last year....I often catch sight of something in my home that I know provides an insight into what motherhood means to me.

This came to me again yesterday when I was cleaning out Sophie's "paint pots" in the sink. The colors were so pretty, so primary. And this is a sight that you would NEVER see in my sink if I didn't have children. Also, I groan internally when Sophie wants to paint because the cleanup is so painful. It always takes way longer for me to clean up than it does for her to paint. Yet, I give in from time to time because I know how much she loves it and I do think painting is a wonderful form of self-expression. It's so therapeutic. Giving in to the occasional "art project" is just something mothers DO.

In this one instance, I actually made time to go grab the camera and take two quick shots. I'm going to try and do this more often and, one day, I'd like to make a "what motherhood means to me" slide show of my own.