Freeze powder

My mom used to say that the baby gift she most wanted to give to new parents is a little vial of “freeze powder.”  So at those times when life is so sweet that it almost hurts, you can freeze the passing of time and just keep those little babies their current age for an indefinite period of time.  I would have frozen my babes at around 7 or nine months.  And I would most definitely freeze them right now.

Spring has finally finally come to Wisconsin.  We went from weather in the 50s to weather in the high 80s.  The grass is green.  Our yard is a carpet of violets.  The cherry and magnolia trees are a profusion of pink.  The maple trees are transitioning from their sprigs of light green flowers to their tiny, bright green leaves.  I pulled our hammock out of storage yesterday and curled up on it in the afternoon with a couple girls…reading stories and swaying in the soft breeze.

So I’d like to freeze May for at least a couple months.  More than that, though, I’d like to freeze Andrew and Sylvia right here at 3 and 3/12 years old and at 5 and 10/12 years old.  While we certainly have moments of angst, sadness, and hair-rending, in general, these two kids are sweet beyond belief.  They’re playing together with energy and delight.  I wake up to the sound of their collective giggling.  I have to pull  Andrew out of Sylvia’s room at night, because he snuck in “just to read her one last book.”

Andrew is so inquisitive and smart.  It’s a true delight to explore the world with him.  Sylvia is in an emotional place of increased stability and calm.  She’s delightful and conversational.  I love the way her limbs fold up on my lap.  I love the way her breath smells and that when her tears fall think and hot down her cheeks, I can make things better.  I love her sense of style, the way she spins and jumps and shrieks with mirth.  From this vantage point, I feel grateful for the sometimes-trials of parenting as I feel an inner expansiveness borne through the combustion that can be children.

I’ve assembled a collection of some of my favorite images of the kids below.  So many adorable moments in just the last few weeks.

Maybe that’s one of the reasons I like photography so much.  Since freeze powder is in short supply, these images we take and share and hold are our best alternative.

Thanks to Jessica for taking these pics of me and Sylv.

I feel so lucky that I can be at home with the kids and spend many sweet hours in their company.  Enjoy some little Dotzour silliness.