Moments

 You know me. I like to create things, and Shutterfly is one of my favorite mediums for creating those things. When Elle was just a tiny tot, I made an ABC book for her through Shutterfly. I used pictures I had taken of her and added a little rhyme for each letter. I am positive I had it done well before she turned two, as she is pretty little in those pictures. I made two copies – one for her house and one for Grandma’s house. I always knew I would make an ABC book for Liam as well, but I didn’t get around to it until recently. He is older, and I think that’s actually better. The pictures were fun to collect. It is precious to me that I have the opportunity to spend enough time with Liam to gather the images I needed to create this book. 

I used Elle’s book as a template. There were some pages that would have been unnecessarily difficult to recreate, like the title page with the whole alphabet that was created from 26 different graphics. Additionally, I just think it’s cool that the books are similar, so the kids can compare. There are many differences between the books, too. I added a wrap-up page in Liam’s book, a feature that I really like and wish I would have done in the previous book.

I found many ways to obsess about the details of this book for months before printing it. The little poems came harder this time around. I changed pictures and changed the focus for several different pages many times over, right up until the day I ordered it. I hated to say I was done and then think of a better way I could have done things, but in the end, I placed the order on the last day of a good sale on photo books – and then I waited. (Here are a couple of screen shots of pages in the book.)

The book arrived one afternoon this week when I was outside playing with the kids. I opened it and asked Liam if he wanted to read it with me. This boy loves books, and as soon as he saw himself on the cover he was IN. He sat right beside me at our picnic table. His reactions were priceless. He lapped up that book, fully enjoying those carefully-selected images of himself and those he loves. I sincerely enjoyed creating the book, but that joy was nothing compared to the joy of reading the book to him and seeing his face light up each time we turned a page. He is just shy of two-and-a-half and full of enthusiasm. He remarked about every single page, sometimes noticing things in a different way from the way I noticed them.

Elle is now five-and-a-half years old. She was outside playing with us. As I was reading the book, I thought about how it would be nice to capture this moment with Liam. I asked Elle if she would record us. At first she declined, but in the end the appeal of using my phone to video something turned out to be too strong to resist. She accepted the challenge. She knows how to operate a phone to take pictures and videos, for sure, as she practices often and typically only stops reluctantly. She has an artistic style and enjoys making cinematic choices with her camera work. I have worked with her in previous times, encouraging her to keep her subject in the picture. It’s all a challenge, when you’re just learning. In this case, I think her video work was outstanding.

So here is the video. I love everything about it. I love watching the experience I was having with Liam. I love hearing his little voice. I love the way his legs dangle on the picnic bench and how cute that shark hat is on him. I love that the video goes sideways every few seconds because of Elle’s creativity. I love hearing her glee in the choices she is making with her videography. This little video captures joy in a very special way.

Elle will head off to kindergarten next fall, and I won’t have as much time with her. Everyone grows up. My own kids did it to me and now my grandchildren are doing it. Life passes by in a blink. I am a nostalgia junkie, but even more than that I just love the moments as they happen. This “every-day Grandma” gig is the best. I am blessed.