The absentee mom

Sometimes, being the family photographer stinks. I love taking pictures, love learning about my camera and getting that perfect shot (it doesn't happen often but when it's a keeper - it's a thrill.) And I'm picky about my pictures, so I would often rather do it myself than leave it to someone who sometimes doesn't think about things such as, a thumb covering half the lens does not make for a good picture, and neither does the camera strap dangling in the way (Chad!!!!!!!!) There are, however, a couple of downsides to this. Number one is that, whenever I see a picture of myself these days, which is relatively rare, I am shocked at how old I look. Where did those lines around my eyes come from? How did I get so freckly? (So much for the daily sunscreen...) The other downside is that, to flip through Liam's photo album, you would sometimes think he lives in a single parent family with that parent being Chad. When you're always behind the camera, you're never in front of it. We just don't have that many pictures of Liam and I together. Occasionally I get to thinking about this and decide to take matters into my own hands. So when we set out to the post office for a walk yesterday, I brought along the tripod:



Of course there's only so much you can do with a tripod. It's difficult to focus, you're guessing at the composition and without someone to wave and holler at Liam, he is looking off the other way into space.

Sometimes, though, luck is on my side. As it was yesterday. I still had the camera set up and, by coincidence, sitting on the dresser when Chad came home from work. Liam and I were sprawled on the bed reading a story called Everywhere Babies. I love this book. It's silly and sweet and has a wonderful cadence to read out loud. Chad came home early and I spotted the camera still sitting where I had left it earlier in the day - so I asked him to take a couple of shots of us. When he gets it right, sometimes he really gets it right. Love these.