No Pictures

I've totally started seeing things through the camera lens, and I want it to stop.

Today I was sitting on the floor with my three littles, playing with plastic easter eggs and little metal buckets shaped like a bunnies and chicks. Bodie was cracking me up - he'd put the eggs in his bucket, take one out, act like he was going to share it with his brother and then snatch it back as soon as Owen tried to grab it. Then he saw an interesting egg, crawled over to get it knocking his bucket over in the process, came back and threw his hands up in the air when he saw the capsized bucket. He was just so darn cute sitting there with his chick bucket perched between his chubby little thighs. He was wearing a green diaper and a t-shirt with a flower on it (dont' tell his dad!). He looked like spring. :) The first thing I thought was "Where's the camera?"

Then I realized the camera was upstairs at the computer where I'd left it. My first instinct was to get up and run up to get it, but then what? The kids were all happy, and playing....together! As soon as I moved, they'd all move. They'd want to know why I had gone upstairs, so the two older ones would probably follow me, and then Bodie would crawl away since there was no one to play with. I'd have to put him back, put the bucket back, force feed him some easter eggs, and then try to get him to look at me...which would be no fun for him since he wouldn't see *me*, he'd see the camera staring at him. I'd probably have to take 10 pictures to get a good one, and since it's overcast, I'd have to use the flash. All he wanted to do is play with some easter eggs and a bucket and instead, he'd be flashed in the eyes and have me hollering at him to look at the camera instead of the eggs, or his brother, or me.

So I sat there. I played with my kids and some silly eggs, and some buckets. I was actually able to notice the expressions on their faces. I really studied them and let myself just enjoy the moment. It didn't last long. It never does with little ones. But while it did last, I let it sink in. I etched the scene in my memory. But I didn't take a picture.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I think little moments like this... and just letting yourself live the little moments...is worth a thousand pictures.