Still life

There are so very often random photos on my phone. Both my middle and youngest daughter can't seem to keep their hands off of the phone, and random photos seem to be their thing. Mostly, especially if the preschooler is in charge, they are blurry photos, beyond recognition.

If my 9 year old is the culprit they may well be super close ups of her own face, which, because they are SO close, are rarely flattering. I mostly delete them all.

However, tonight, when I took a quick glance through my photos I came across this one taken by my 4 year old on Monday morning before school.

Let me assure you that the hour from 7 am  to 8 am at our house is busy, and loud, and sometimes frantic, and that I typically end up yelling. "Where are your shoes?!", "Why isn't your hair brushed?!", "What, are you kidding me? Your dance bag isn't packed yet?" and on and on and on and on it goes.

But this photo? Well this photo was snapped at ~7:55 am, on a school morning, right before departure time, this very week, and  it looks so damn peaceful, doesn't it? So bright and domestic and real and true, and I just can't get enough of it. I love our house. I love those widow-cabinets. I love my girls. I love that my way too long hair can currently only be contained in some throw-back plastic banana clip contraption. I love that super orange sweater. I love the hint of motion. I love that I am not yelling.

I get that it probably does not make you, or anyone--even the midget photographer--nearly as happy as it does me, but really this IS what it's all about right? The little moments, the daily routine, the things we do with love, or love and resentment, or purely from a sense of duty that make our minutes, our days, our lives. Welcome to mine. Sorry, but you're too late for breakfast.