Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Family Pictures and a Tiger Mom

Each November I feel compelled to take family pictures for the Christmas Card. Everyone in my family hates this, probably because pictures bring out my dark side.  We have rarely gotten through a photography session without me completely losing my cool at least once.  This year I swore would be different. I was not going to get angry. I was going to be patient and loving and kind.  I was going to look at the big picture and not sweat the small stuff.  Guess what?  I did it! I did not get mad and it was actually a semi-pleasant experience. We did them ourselves in the backyard. Here are a few of my favorites.
 




I know what you are all thinking right now. Wow, I wish I were more like her. She is such a great mom.  Well, before you lay out the red carpet and engrave my mom of the year award.  Let me tell you a little story.  You know how there are certain moments that you remember as a child, certain words spoken to you good or bad that you never quite forget.  Well, today I am pretty sure I said something that Atley might never forget. I was having one of those Tiger mom moments and in a super misguided attempt to motivate him to practice his piano and violin more and better I pretty much told him he sucked.  Yeah, I used those exact words.  I said something like, "Atley your violin and piano sucked today.  If you want to be good at something you are going to have to put in a lot more effort than that."  Brilliant parenting right? Not so much. He was crushed.  Why, oh, why must mothers also be humans?  Tired, grouchy, impatient humans.  Hopefully, he will forgive me. Because he truly doesn't suck. He is actually quite brilliant, but for some reason that is harder to express sometimes.

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