Early one Sunday morning in June, I arrived at a Megan's house for our 12-hour Day in the Life photo session, and was greeted at the door by her radiant, shining smile and her three gorgeous children. Two of whom were holding guinea pigs. I knew it was going to be a good day.
We dove right in. Their lab was at his labbiest. The kids were each 100% themselves (at moments even maybe 200%). There were no formalities for my sake taken -- just the way I like it.
First order of business? Sparkle nail polish, smoothies, and breakfast, of course. With acrobatic marvels, more glitter, an art project, and slime to follow. And this was all before 11am.
Next up? Some arts and crafts, DIY slime, and a fashion emergency of what-to-wear-to-the-horse-farm from Olivia, the four-year-old diva.
Once the PERFECT outfit was selected, we were off to visit the beloved family horse on his beautiful ranch.
Back home for lunch, and it's hard to believe it's still the same day. After all the morning excitement, it was time to refuel and rest before the afternoon's activities. Being with this family was like a cinematic dream, in a way. Olivia with her outfit changes. Maddox with his sky-high energy and burning desire to be noticed. Maya with her silly, infectious sweetness. Superhero Megan, who -- by the way -- is running this show with such attention, grace, and calm as a single parent. Amazing.
Refueled and rested, we headed to grandma and grandpa's house for a swim, which you better believe I was prepared for. A nourishing, wholesome dinner with the family and some hysterical sibling antics followed. The bond between these three amigos was absolutely palpable. A true force.
One of my favorite parts about working in family homes is absorbing their individual style, quirks, and family rhythms, but also recognizing the similarities that bond us all together as parents and children. Although every family looks different and does their thing differently, parenting -- from a distance -- looks the same in every home I've entered. We all love our children passionately. They always drive us insane. They bicker. They show incredible capacity for compassion and tenderness. The pets beg for food. The children break the rules. The parents break the rules. Everybody piles on the couch or the bed together to read or tickle or wrestle. The action is non-stop all day long until finally when the day is over, we breathe a sigh of relief, reflect on the stress and exhaustion and sweetness and humor of it all, and tumble in to bed, ready to start all over again the next day.
Thanks for sharing a day in your life with me, Megan. It was a true gift to me -- I hope it was to you, too.
More on Family Storytelling Sessions here.