happy mother's day

What a year!I was recently reviewing my favorite shots from the family shoots I had last year (just a small handful are above! Those cards covered a ton of my kitchen floor!), and it really got me thinking about what all this year has held.I keep hearing that parenthood has different "seasons," and I do agree with that. There have been times when it is so, so good (and I have been lucky enough to recognize it and bask in it) and other times where it is so, so hard (like the many sleepless nights and ongoing exhaustion). And now that Ezra is 2.5, we are stumbling into the "season of never-ending negotiations." Or, as I'm calling it, the "season of patience."It is so wonderful to see this little human wanting to be independent and wanting to do things himself and not wanting to be bossed around. Please, please hold onto that spirit.But it is also very hard to be on the receiving end of said wants and needs and to be saying the same thing over and over and over again. (Let's brush our teeth! Hey buddy, it's time to brush our teeth! You don't want your teeth to fall out, let's clean them! Real quick hon, we need to clean your teeth! OMG GET OVER HERE SO I CAN CLEAN YOUR GOD FORESAKEN MOUTH. Don't worry. That last sentence is just what's in my head.)But there are also some really fun times. Last night, when Ezra got home from school he was a bit upset because the main floor of our house was empty. Like, literally empty. We are having the floors redone today, and so all the furniture is gone, and this really bothered him. He was about to break into tears, but I offered that we could run and play in all the space, and how about we have dinner as a picnic on a blanket in the middle of the living room! He loved that idea, so this is also the season of "thinking fast on your feet to avoid a meltdown."Anyway, I'm sure I have many, many more challenging seasons ahead. But I also know I have a ton of amazing and fun seasons ahead as well. I'm just trying to enjoy all of them while I can.For your internet shares of the day:+ These human landscapes of Mexico are breathtaking. I cannot get over them.+ I loved this essay on age and how it makes us feel. My mother-in-law and I have talked about this a lot -- how you feel so young, and sometimes seeing a quick reflection in a store mirror can catch you off guard!