It is that time of year! The kids go back to school. So how was your summer? Did you do as much as possible or just sit and relax? Did you take enough pictures to preserve the memories or were you so busy in the moment that you never took your camera out to take that picture? Did you leave your kids with great memories? These are some of the questions that go through my head the days leading up to that first day back to school! I will be honest I HATE back to school!! I enjoy my kids being home yes even the fighting that makes me go crazy. I will cry I admit it. I go through it every single year!! My daughter is 12 heading into 7th grade, my son is 8 heading into 3rd grade, and home with me is my 3 year old daughter and 1 year old daughter. Yup 4 kids in total and I will miss the older two. But I must say having the younger two home takes the sting away a little. But back to my questions ugh it is so hard maybe you work or you are a stay at home parent that reached burn out by August!
We didn't do much we stayed home and before I knew it July was over and I realized not once did I go to the beach yet! So we went in August once! Just once. If you have kids you know what a chore this is! the amount of stuff that you pack into the car, the potty breaks, the food, the no I don't want to eat that. But we do it! I LOVE the beach. I was all set to go another day and it rained well I was not doing that again. two summers ago I was pregnant and I went with three kids and my mom. It was a 20% chance of rain so I took an hour to pack up my car and the clam on the top get my mom and go. Lugged all my stuff to the beach set it all up sat my pregnant butt down to eat and boom. My mom looked at me I replied I hear nothing that was then followed by whistles telling us to get off the beach! 20 minutes I spent 20 minutes on the beach that was how long it took to set up. Then I had to break it down oh and don't forget those wonderful pop up tents that some times make you look like an idiot when you want to fold them up. So I spent 2 hours driving paid $27 to be on the beach for 20 minutes. I sat in the car with my kids for an hour before we drove 3 hours to get home. So this year my husband says if no one can go just go with the kids. You enjoy the beach and find it relaxing! Umm hello not relaxing by myself with 4 kids ages 1,3,8, and 12!
Yesterday as we are driving to pick up some last minute back to school items my sons says to me "2016 was the best summer we did so much!" I have no clue why that year was great. But he thinks it was the best! He said we did nothing this year! Ummm yeah dude we went to Disney in April that was fun and that makes for a laid back summer! Disney poor is real my friends! I took a lot of pictures there!! Over 1,000 and if you go yes memory maker is worth every penny! I said but we went to the beach, we played mini golf, we went to the drive in and regular movies, we swam in our pool and you got to hang out and play with your friends everyday I would say you are pretty lucky and had a great summer. Kids can be so hard sometimes.
Did I take enough pictures!? As I looked at my youngest one day while we were at a picnic and I thought about how cute she looked I wanted to freeze time and I realized that this time next year she will be a year older and everything will be different. Ugh man that pulled at my heart strings!! I wish we could keep them little, hear those little voices forever, touch those little hands, feel their little arms around your necks! Then I realize that I did not take enough pictures! Me the Photographer DID NOT TAKE ENOUGH PICTURES!!! I say what the heck was I doing? How did I not do that!! I realize at that time that I was too busy enjoying the moments instead of thinking about getting the camera or phone out to take those pictures! I wanted to hold onto my kids instead of letting go to grab my camera. The pictures I did take using my phone I thought were backed up to my amazon prime account and when I deleted them off my phone they were gone from the account also! If you have amazon prime look into photo storage it is great!! BUT and really people don't do what I did make sure they are actually backed up before you delete from your device! Lucky almost all of us have Facebook or Instagram, and we always post so we do have them somewhere. Always back up your photos you never want to loose them!!
This summer I did a Pay What You Can Session to help benefit my friends children when their mom tragically died. i was able to donate $620 to the children from these sessions. While I took the pictures of these wonderful families I got so excited I am able to provide families with memories. I can help you preserve these memories and hold onto when your children were this young. Looking at the pictures makes me so happy that I can help my clients hold onto those memories. Pretty much freeze time to when your kids were little.
Today was my sons birthday party with some friends. I made sure to take out the camera so I could take the pictures. So he can look back at the pictures and remember having a great time at his party. Also so he knows yes we did throw him a party lol.
As you get ready to start a new school year I say take those pictures even if your kids don't want you to take them. Do a sneak attack!! I have a friend who takes pictures of everything that involves her daughter and she may not like it know but when she is older she will be happy she has those memories to look through!! Take the picture!! Have your pictures taken!! Freeze this time hold onto this time!! They are only little once. Yesterday is the past and you cannot get it back. Take that picture!! Tomorrow my daughter will start 7th grade and yes I will take her picture, my son starts 3rd and through the tears I will take the picture!
I wish everyone a safe and happy new school year!! Take the pictures!