i don’t tend to like the word mother. It sounds so distant. But i happily answer to mommie and mom and my favorite, as it sounds coming from my 4 year old’s lips, mama.

i took these photos of my son and his cousins so we could give a keepsake photo to my mom, their grammy, on this special day. Three families came together and parents bribed children with lollipops and cajoled them with googly eyed silly faces. We maneuvered a step ladder for the first pic and were basically breaking a sweat by the end. In all, i’ll guess i took about 60 pictures. But when narrowed down to the ones where nobody is crying, mid-sentence, or wandering out of frame…..there were only a few left. These 3 are my favorites. The effort was worth it.

Yes, my child is scowling at the center of one….but it sorta suits him. He’s stubborn as an ox. The 2nd and 3rd photos, in my eyes, show a true representation of the group dynamic in a large family. Someone’s always unhappy, someone’s usually goofing off. Then you’ve got the one or 2 kids behaving nicely, primly, properly. And another who’s looking a little dazed and ready for nap. Such is life.

i’m sharing these with you today because even though most of these children are nieces and nephews, they have all turned me into a mommie. i see the beauty in each face and know the personality behind it. i get a little misty knowing that one day, big strapping teenagers will be reminiscing over these images, barely able to remember being so small. But i cherish their smallness now and am soaking up every second of my mama’s day. As it should be.

And to my mom, with whom i’ve just shared lunch and conversation; i know you will be reading this and getting all misty-eyed yourself. i learned how to be the mom that i am because of you. i am proud of it. You are an excellent mom. You gave us as perfect a childhood as anyone would want. i hope you like the photo of the kids even more now knowing that we parents, your kids!,were all just a few feet out of frame, egging the kids on, and watching out for traffic, and adjusting legs and arms, just because we wanted to give you something perfect too.