Sand play is a big deal around here. They're immersed in their activity while I soak in their time together. I watch how they sit side by side tonight, building mounds together and smashing them down. Over and over. Big brother is the builder and he starts to giggle as he coaches his baby to to "demolish" his creation. That's the role baby little has played. When he wasn't big enough to build things on his own, big brother would make things for him to tear down so they continue their tradition even though baby little has grown into a builder himself. It's their thing. Canon 5D II | Canon 35 2.0
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I am such a sucker for the baby-looking-out-the-window shot. I think it's how he is this tiny guy looking out onto the world. Ok, maybe just our neighborhood...but he's still so little in comparison. And yet, he is growing each day, right before my eyes. And that tiny newborn baby has somehow turned into a walking, talking little person with his own ideas and his own mind. I am just lucky I get to be the one to hold his hand along the way. Canon 5D II | Sigma 50 ART
I was having a conversation with a man who has a daughter and a son. He was explaining how different they are...how his son is a ball of non-stop energy. They do have a lot of energy, I won't deny that...but having two boys, I don't have much of a comparison. I imagine that girls quietly play on the carpet with their puzzles or drawings for hours on end. I never find myself wishing for anything different than what I have. I have always wanted boys. Our house looks like a tornado hit, EVERY day. They are running, giggling, jumping, climbing. But there are quiet moments. There are those moments where they stop and stand in one place for a moment. I don't quite remember why he paused in this very moment, but I took it in. I watched the quiet on his face, wondering what he was thinking. When I spoke to him after this moment, he flashed me his big goofy grin and went back to playing with the lincoln logs cowboy who so obviously belongs on the hot wheels track. I wonder what he was thinking. A secret I will never know. But I am here to tell you that boys...well, at least my boys, have quiet moments. They stop and take things in from time to time. Canon 5D II | Canon 35 2.0
There are so many things I love about this image. The way he's gripping his pencil; the focus on his face; the Toy Story bandaid on his thumb. This is 4. He requested some paper in order to write the biggest number he could. I assumed he was taking about a large number one that would fill the page. He wrote a number 1 with countless 0's to follow. He asked if I had that much money. I couldn't help but chuckle. It's an honor to watch him grow, learn and explore his ideas, his imagination...all those things that make him the most incredible 4 year old to me, his mama. Canon 5D II | Canon 35 2.0
I know what will go through this mind when he sees this photo. He will eye will go to his fresh out of bed hair or the beginnings of a 5 o'clock shadow...things that will bother him. But he doesn’t see what I see. This moment makes my heart swell. I see the love they have for each other. I can hear my little’s voice when he says “daddy daddy, cawee* me” (translation: carry) That’s what photographs do. They take me to that moment and make me feel what was happening at that exact slice of time. I hope that maybe, just maybe, my love, you will look at this image and look at the feeling....the love, and how much that little boy adores his daddy. See what I see. Truth be told, I am incredibly proud of myself (yes myself!) for choosing the most perfect guy to be my best friend and the daddy to our babies. I consider myself pretty smart for that choice. The best choice I have ever made. Canon 5D II | Canon 35 2.0
I did not grow up on the technology my boys know. I realize this statement alone makes me sound ancient. When I say that there were’t cell phones when I was little and how I remember the sound of dial up, it might not sound strange to you. But to my boys...they will never know a world without iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, movies on demand and all those gadgets I cannot even fathom that will be created in the years to come. I only hope that I can find a way to help them learn balance. I need that for myself. I am a work in progress. My biggest little had some iPad time while our baby was napping. It was so quiet in the house and he was very intently focused on making spider webs in his drawing app. He barely noticed me while I clicked away, capturing a part of his childhood. Although I worry about how to teach him balance, I can't deny how this technology has opened up a world he would not have seen otherwise, or could not fully understand by just our explanation to him. What do you mean a french fries are made from potatoes (a dinner time discussion poked his fork into his potato at dinner with a look of disgust). YouTube and a bit of "How It's Made" cleared that up. When he made a plane/boat (as he called it), I pointed out to him that this is actually a real thing. What?? YouTube and a search for seaplanes. Awesome. I enjoy watching the look in his eyes when he is exploring something new like this. Thanks iPad. Canon 5D II | Sigma 50 ART
Gave the babies a break from the lens tonight :) I decided to experiment a bit tonight. I turned all the lights off in the kitchen and used a single light. Can you guess what it is? iPad light. I think it's pretty sweet! I used my sons drawing app so it was just a bright blank screen that would give the the most light. And Voila. There it is :) Canon 5D II | Sigma 50 ART
Just a typical winter evening. Swords, rides and and a baby in the back of a cozy coupe. Canon 5D II | Tamron 17-35
Two tired babies and two tired parents make for a tricky evening...especially when it's a work night. I knew It was quite possible that a decent photo wouldn't present itself. But no matter how grumpy we might be, the boys still giggle as they run down the hall after their bath. I have to be honest that this image isn't completely representative of our typical bath night, as my two little rascals prefer to run in the buff...but I decided their little hind ends don't belong on the internet. We turned their towels into capes and they ran down the hall to the Imperial March. This is my life with boys and I wouldn't trade a second of it. Even the tired grumpy parts. I was meant to raise little stinkers. Canon 5D II | Canon 35 2.0
Snow suits for 2 might be a 20 minute process, but worth every minute. Snow pants, hats, gloves, coats, long socks, boots, camera. Check. Check. Check. Check. Pure joy on their faces. Cleveland winters can be hard. I am not a native Clevelander...my first winter up here it snowed in October. In April I was wearing shorts, riding my bike and getting a sunburn. Two days later we were shoveling a foot of snow out of the driveway. The weather here is schizophrenic. It has taken me some time to find an appreciation for our strange seasons, but I can honestly say that having kids has made me see the beauty in what I once (and sometimes still) complained about. I have lived here for over 11 years. I am a Clevelander. I am grateful for the change in seasons, the surprises in weather and the ability to see where we live through through the eyes of my two little people. Canon 5D II | Tamron 17-35
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What now?It truly is a labor of love each day to search for just the right image(s)...the ones that represent our daily lives...edit them, organize them, write about them. What a wonderful experience and an amazing amount of growth this year for me. It has been a great journey but one I am not jumping into again just yet. I am going to take a breather, let the dust settle and let inspiration find me and lead me to my next project. For now, I will continue to post about our lives but only when I feel it.
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January 2016
Moriah Icewife. mother. Categories |