My to-do list for this week: go to a matinee (either "Inception" or "Salt" or both), finish reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, catch up on episodes of "True Blood" and "This American Life," go to the pool with the kids, take a nap each afternoon, go for walks in the evenings, make huge batch of pesto, tomato sandwiches, blueberry pancakes and peach cobbler. When all of these are checked off my list, I'll back in the office on August 2nd. Enjoy your own summer hiatus!

xoxo

People often assume that I have books and boxes and hard drives filled with photos of my own children, but I can promise that if you read this blog you have seen pretty much the only ones I have ever taken of them! I definitely have a clear distinction between my life as a mom and my life as a documentarian of other people's families, and sometimes I enjoy just living my life and not having to be inside it and outside it at the same time.

But Sunday was Lila Mae's third birthday, and I needed to shoot with something better than my iPhone camera. I was incredibly humbled by our neighbors, who hosted a party for her in our across-the-street park. I had just come back from a beach wedding weekend (that post coming soon), so we had planned to do something for Lila next month when things quiet down a bit in our lives. Instead, she was treated to balloons, cupcakes, a bubble machine and presents -- a perfect birthday! Special thanks to Olga and Pat (Bad A** Baby Anya's parents), and all of our Highland Park friends for reminding us what community is all about.

If you are in a browsing mood, you can see what her birthday was like last year, and if you are just tuning in to this blog, here are some more entries about our family. Happy birthday, sweet Lila Mae!

Her big brother takes such good care of her! (As long as she is not messing with his Thomas the Tank Engine set or generally annoying him in some way...)

In doing lots of research and reading on how to be a better parent (my current full-time project, which is why I haven't posted much recently), I stumbled across the most wonderful book: I LOVE YOU RITUALS, a collection of rhymes and games for parents to do with their children as a way to create attachment and closeness. Paul and I are working particularly on creating the closeness and connection that our sweet Joaquin missed in his early months before (and after) he came home from Guatemala. I was 9 weeks pregnant with Lila in 2006 when he came home, completely overwhelmed by being an "instant mom" to one child with another on the way. I had weddings to shoot, and Paul was commuting to Chapel Hill for grad school. It was a whirlwind.

We've definitely gotten a lot better since then at the mechanics of parenting -- bathing, feeding, dressing, getting them to preschool, preparing snacks, sorting clothes that no longer fit, etc. But what we (and they) crave is the emotional part: "floor time," silly games, make-believe. Things that draw us closer together, create memories and rituals, and strengthen the cords of our family. Frankly, these are things that I have completely forgotten about over the years of focusing on my career, my marriage, my creative goals, my clients. At one point during a somewhat heated discussion several months ago about whether I should say yes to an out-of-state wedding inquiry, Paul looked at me and said, "We are your most important clients."

Like so many people today, I struggle with how much time to spend connecting via Facebook, Twitter, and even writing on this blog. Each moment that I spend with my face illuminated by the light from the computer screen is a moment I am disconnecting from the people I love the most.

So, there are 4 inches of snow on the ground here in North Carolina this morning, and in about 45 seconds I'm going to snap this computer closed for the day, put on my snow boots and be with my family. We've got popcorn, hot chocolate, cookie dough and each other.

As if on cue, Lila Mae just wriggled onto my lap (sitting squarely on the laptop keys) and said, "Come play with me, Mommy!"

I'd be honored.

So much to be thankful for, including: waiting so long to have kids that I was sure I didn't want any, then having two arrive within 7 months of each other, then trying to remember what it was like before they got here. There used to be more time to read books, but now there's more time to marvel at the Divine. And for that I am very thankful.

You may notice that the most loyal of my blog commenters is a mysterious person who goes by the name "THADDEUS." He is such a huge fan, and I'm so grateful for his interest in photography, but it's time to out him as none other than my dad (as if you couldn't tell!).

He and my mother celebrated their sixty-first wedding anniversary today (wrap your head around that for a minute, you young 'uns), and they deserve their own post -- the question is, will you comment on it, THADDEUS?

Here's my comment: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!! :) Sure do love you....