These Moments

So true that a picture is worth a thousand words. If these pictures could talk, among the first things they would say is that when I scheduled these pictures back in March and was so thrilled to get on this photographer's schedule, I should have wondered why she had an opening still on Friday evening, August 25 when everything else for the year was booked up.  I was thinking of pictures in Chicago in the summer with the beach and the city in the background.  I was thinking of how beautiful Chicago is that time of year.  I was thinking of how lucky I was to get that open slot.  I was not thinking about how that would be the Friday after the first full week of school.  When the kids are totally shot from the stress of the first week of the school year with new teachers, new classmates, new routines.  Rookie mistake on my part, all the more frustrating because this was my sixth year of having kids in school.  Next year, the Friday after the week of school will be marked off in red pen, as in do-not-plan-anything-for-this-night-under-any-circumstances.

The kids totally and completely were not having it during this photo session.  I apologized profusely to the photographer, who was so gracious about their refusals to smile or even look at the camera.  She was incredibly kind and sent me a sneak preview a few days later.  I replied to tell her how grateful I was for her kind reaction to our less than polite response to her attempts to photograph us and she told me that she sends sneak peeks so that the parents can see something good came out of all the crazy of a photo shoot session.  Good move on her part.

Now, if a picture can tell a thousand words about the people in these photos, it would talk about how AJ has found a new confidence in his first few weeks of fifth grade.  He had a group of friends who he likes, he has a great teacher this year and he loves to play any kind of sport at recess, after school and whenever he has a free minute in between.  He reads like I remember reading when I was a kid, always carrying a book around with him and reading in bed at night when he is supposed to be sleeping.  In the last six months, he has learned to be better about letting the little things go that annoy him but don't really matter so much.  These things consumed him when he was younger, and this is a beautiful relief in seeing him mature in this way.  He is curious and loves to talk about the world.

The pictures would also tell how David has one of the kindest, sweetest hearts of any kid I know.  He is always in tune with the emotions of anyone in the room and seeks to be the soother, the peacemaker, the keeper of confidences.  He has mischievous blue eyes and loves to joke.  He wants to be just like his big brother and to earn his brother's respect.  He loves to tease his little sister and explain to her exactly how his life is harder than hers now that he is in third grade and has "way, waaay more homework than you will in first grade, Julia."  He is passionate about life and full of intensity, which is one of his strengths.  It can also be a challenge as he learns to let things go on the playground, with friends and in sports.

And my not-so-little Julia.  The pictures would tell how she loves to sing, to dance, to twirl and to be the center of everyone's attention. How she is vibrating with excitement about the upcoming arrival of our new puppy, who she is sure will be her living stuffed animal, her co-conspirator in imaginary play and her new best friend.  They will show that outgoing youngest child who can make friends anywhere we go, whether it is at the park, at the beach, at school.  And the pictures will show how attached she is to her momma.

Most of all, the pictures will capture how we are together.  The volume is always on loud, and there are usually three people talking at once.  There is teasing and annoying and hurt feelings, and then they all come back together and we get something that captures those quiet moments when everyone is in harmony and all is right with the world.  Those are the moments that I choose to remember. 

 

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old

AJ started out August going to his first sleep away camp with Aaron, his best friend from Iowa.   The two of them just clicked and they loved doing everything and nothing together, from playing video games to riding bikes, throwing the football around or catching Pokemon.  It was awesome for them to have the chance to spend a week together again.

One of the hardest parts about moving was seeing the kids go through leaving their great friends from Iowa.  Being so young, they haven't lived long enough to know that it is possible to make new friendships and good friendships in your new place.  I remember moving enough at ten to know that it certainly feels like you will never again have such good friends as you had at your old place. 

After a rough adjustment last spring, it looks like AJ has turned the corner and made a good group of friends.  There is nothing I want more for my kids here in Chicago than to make friends they can count on who push them to be their best and who they feel totally comfortable around.  Having parents who I feel comfortable with and like hanging around with is the icing on the cake.  This looks like a great group of boys. 

Here's to a fun fifth grade year.