Staying in the Picture

I was inspired by this blog post, "The Mom Stays in the Picture", along with thousands of other Mommas.
The idea is that Mom's are so present with their kids, but are often not in photos.  We don't know how long we'll have with our kids, and one day they will want to look back to see us, with them, documented in daily life.  I am frequently in the "unshowered, hair a mess, no makeup on, clothes at least a decade old" motherhood camp, and I skirt photos as often as possible.  Plus, those kids are just so darn cute, do I really need to get in the picture?
The other day the girls and I were walking home from school.  We pass a playground when we take our shortcut through a field next to the school, so of course the kids wanted to stop.  The sun was shining on their pretty faces and I took my camera out.  But then, remembering the blog post, I asked the kids to take some shots with me, using the self timer.  I love the photos of the kids by themselves . . . their expressions, their interaction with each other, their sparkly eyes.  But, I also love to see my arms around them, the slight ways we resemble each other, and the obvious mutual love!  I can't promise that I'll stop dodging the camera (ask Uncle Matt whose camera I tried to avoid for most of the day Saturday!), but I am going to make an effort to be present in more photos for my girls, and to make sure that I get other Mom's and Nana's and Gran's in the photos that also have a tendency to be avoidant.  (You know who you are ladies!)

P.S.  However long you stay at the playground, it is never long enough.