A&W - 4 Years | Minneapolis Child Photographer

It is the eve of my twin boys' four year birthday and my head is swimming with memories, the joys and frustrations of the past four years. When my boys were babies, I remember seeing older kids and not being able to imagine them ever being that big. Of course, I still do this, but all of a sudden I find myself with kids tall enough to reach most of what they need, strong enough to climb just about anything, old enough to put their ideas/thoughts into words, and capable enough to do an ever-growing list of things without my assistance.

In the thick of parenting young children, I have often longed for short breaks and looked forward to times when I don't have to do "everything" for them. I dream of days when they can find and put on all their own clothes, read a book to themselves, or make their own lunch. But tonight, as I look back to the memories of the past four years and realize just how quickly the time has passed, I am thankful for what I still CAN do for them.  I am thankful that they still want their mommy's help, that they aren't embarrassed to be affectionate, and that I can "make it all better" with a magic kiss, a ruffle of their hair, or a tickle on their belly. Though I know the frustrations of early childhood will remain ever-present, I will do my best to cherish this precious short time I have with them while they are still little boys.

Happy Birthday Arthur and Wesley!

Read more...

Month #8

Our babe is 8 months old!

These days she responds equally to "Genevieve", "GV", "Vivi", "Baby", "Bubs" (derived from the original nickname: chubba bubba), and "Baby Genevieve June Pruett", as Arthur likes to call her...apparently "Genevieve"just isn't long enough. She is officially able to walk with push toys and is using her voice a lot more to babble, "sing", and protest when her toys are taken away. She is mastering her fine motor skills by constantly picking up tiny pieces of carpet and putting them in her mouth (awesome.) and I am getting pretty good at the finger sweep method of removing said carpet pieces.

I just LOVE babies this age.... and not just because they usually have such squeezable cheeks and thighs, or because they are sturdy enough that you don't have to worry so much about breaking them. I love them for their intense desire for discovery and their all-consuming excitement. They find joy in all the "right" things....things that the rest of us take for granted too early and too often. Like how she just can't smile big enough when she wakes up in the morning and sees all her favorite people. Like how she squeals with delight when the cat runs through the room. Like how she belly laughs at a game of peek-a-boo.

This kind of joy is contagious and I am so grateful to be constantly reminded of the really important things in life. To an 8 month old, the "simple pleasures" are not so much "simple" as they are "pleasures". We should all be so lucky to be able to take that perspective...

Enjoy today.
Gretchen

Read more...