I’m a camera person.
This is no secret. I take a lot of pictures of my three children. In our backyard. On our porch. In the woods behind our house. In our furniture-less room that has become our makeshift dance and photo studio. Hundreds. Thousands. And the truth is, for the most part, they love being in front of that camera, hamming it up.
Mostly.Â
“Again Mama?” they sometimes ask, done with the smiles, done with the posing. They just want to go back to being kids. And I get that.
So, lately, I have been compromising and letting my kids just be kids. I no longer haul my camera to every single thing we ever do ever. They get to go to the park poseless. They get to go bike riding poseless. They get to have playdates and bake cookies and jump on the trampoline and create melty bead projects. There is nothing forced about their smiles. They just get to be kids.
Mostly.Â
In exchange, of course, they give me the shots that I absolutely have to have. Obviously.
It’s win-win for everyone.
It’s interesting, though, for me, as a CAMERA PERSON that I now show up at events like Isabella’s ice skating medal ceremony without my big DSLR. Other people are actually shocked to see me without it.
Instead, I now stand around and watch my kid. I watch her sit around for over half an hour watching all the kids being hoisted onto the fake podium, being presented with medals, waiting patiently for her turn. And then her turn comes and she is so filled with glee. She spots us in the crowd and waves maniacally, watching US watching HER. She is so proud to be standing up there.
(Another thing I do not do: record every moment of every school presentation ever.)
(To quote Sammy in Reality Bites: I just do not understand why this moment needs to be Memorexed.)
Sure, I get looks from all the parents behind their cameras and video cameras. Look at that mom. She obviously doesn’t love her kid enough to have this entire 6-year-old medal ceremony on tape for her to watch back NEVER EVER.
Judge me if you will. But I’m not part of the PARENT PAPARAZZI.
It’s big business, kids.
But, I don’t know, if you ask me, getting that one special shot is so much more meaningful to me.
It’s what I want to remember.
It’s what I want HER to remember.
It’s what I know that she will.

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