Picture-Taking with Toddlers
After Jackson's morning nap and some play time for Gabriel and Bronwyn, I drew a bath. All 3 children were soon splashing and grinning. Perfect. Everybody happy.
Green plaid, red corduroy, a hand-me-down reindeer sweater: the pile of clean clothing awaiting my children was certainly of the festive variety.
Hair was brushed, moisturizer applied to chapped cheeks. Every shoelace was tied, every collar adjusted. And everybody was still happy. Wonderful.
Bronwyn, stand next to Gabriel.
Nothing.
Bronwyn, did you hear Mama?
No movement, just a scowl.
That quickly, all my picture-taking efforts were thrown out the window. That quickly, a full-blown, 20-minute training session was begun. (Trust me, even after the obedience issue was dealt with, there was no way any nice pictures could be taken. Unless, that is, you want to record puffy and red eyes, standing tears, and quivering lips.)
It's mornings like this that make it difficult to answer questions like, What do you do all day? Hmmm... What do I do all day?
When people ask me that question I always tell them what they want to hear - "I ate Bon-bons and watched soap operas, of course."
ReplyDeleteFlippant I know, but if someone hasn't spend a full day alone with small children, they will just never get it.
wow - i feel your pain. kayla has been a real handful lately... i pray for grace, patience and wisdom all day long!!
ReplyDeleteNo one's ever asked me that. With a preschooler and toddler making a three-man hand holding chain with their mother, who's woefully pregnant with a 1yo on her hip, they just gawk at how I manage to walk through Sears without losing anywone or anything! But when the subject does come up, I sometimes just mention that I run a daycare full of my own children.
ReplyDeleteI've loved your posts lately. I don't know why... the descriptive entries about your festive life and the pictures make it all the nicer. Our digital camera is messed up, so that's slowed me down a lot.
So, when exactly did you manage to snap that perfect photo you're using for your profile pic? I bet that whole disobedience/training thing never happened. You're just making it up to get attention and gain sympathy. After all, MY children have never acted in such a way! :~) On that note... I said something today to Emily (Bronwyn, Jr.) that I promised I would never say to my children. "Please, please, please choose obedience. Please?" She looked at me with this confused frown as if to say, "Wow- mom's gonna lose it. She's dealing me some emotion here that I'm not equipped to handle. Better do the right thing." And she quickly and cheerfully obeyed. PHEW! P.S. For the record- I'm not proud of my begging. It was just a day that just called for desperate measures.
ReplyDeleteA few short years ago I would have been the one with the puffy eyes, standing tears and quivering lip in this situation! Praise God for His never ending grace and mercy. Were these at a store or ones you were trying to take?
ReplyDeletePictures, pictures...
ReplyDeleteThey always seem to come with a major breakdown of some sort and yet we moms still find them important enough that we're willing to go through the clothing selection, bathing, hair-combing, smile-practicing preparation and the "stand closer", "smile nicer", "don't pick your nose" execution.
I've spent the evening framing photos of chubby faces and cheesy grins and right now I'm thinking it's worth the trouble we go to... to me anyway. Don't ask my kids how they feel about that!
Wow... my heart aches to hear this, but the dad takes great comfort knowing that business is being taken care of in their absence during the day. This confidence is powerful for a guy. Dios te bendiga.
ReplyDeleteAnd I thought organic chemistry was hard. More power to ya, Brietta. ;)
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