It Get's Easier. 

The Park at Harlinsdale Farms was packed Sunday afternoon with photographers.  Its a very popular location for local portrait photographers in the area, and always has several, but I've never seen quite that many at one time.  It must have been the gorgeous weather.  There were so many photographers that one lady asked me what kind of event was going on that all the photographers were there for.  I laughed and said it's just a beautiful Fall day at Harlinsdale.  Every photographer I know is working their tails off to finish up the busy season and get clients their edited images in time for the Holidays.

One thing I love about my job is that I get to spend time with toddlers and preschoolers, even though my kids are well past that stage.  It's so much fun to interact with them, and to watch them exploring the world around them with new eyes.  Lydia was a ball full of energy and we had a blast.  I loved the look in her eyes when she saw birds, airplanes and even a blimp in the sky.  When shooting toddlers, I often am running around chasing them trying to get the shot.  I often plop down on the ground quickly to get at their level.  Every time I did this, Lydia would think that I had fallen and was so concerned, asking if I was OK.  Such a sweet baby girl!  Which was a little contradictory because towards the end of the session, I figured out if I pretended to hit my head on the fence, that she would laugh hysterically. (Whatever it takes to get the shot. lol)  I'm guessing it's because she knew I was being silly with the fence but actually thought I fell when chasing her. 

Sometimes when I am at a session, clients tend to ask about my own family.  As often is the case when a client finds out that my girls are much older than their children, Lydia's mom asked "Does it get easier?" The first instinct I think most of us have is to say no.  I mean, have you met a tween?  They put a whole new meaning to the word challenging.  It's easy to get nostalgic about those early days when your babies thought you hung the moon, and relied on you for everything. 

But the fact is, it does get easier (and harder, but in such different ways you don't need to worry about that right now).  I sleep all night long, most every night.  I can't tell you the last time I wiped a bottom other than my own.  If my tween really makes me mad, I go to my room alone and lock the door without fear that she will crawl up onto the dining room table and fall off.  The fact is, it's been a long time since I felt the kind of exhaustion that comes with parenting a baby or toddler and being "on" 100% of the time.  It's a thankless, tiring job that most of us wouldn't give up for anything, but hang in there, because it does get easier.  

And then when your kids are older, maybe you'll be blessed to find a job like mine where I get to hang out with these beautiful human beings, but still sleep all night. ❤️

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