Thursday, February 15, 2007

Yesterday I meant to take pictures of the four children, dressed in varying shades of Valentine red. Maria's tights had little hearts around the legs. They all looked beautiful. Max may hate his haircut, but I love that I can see his handsome face. William's hair hasn't been cut in a long time, but as Max notes William has the magical skill of keeping it out of his face. I look to William's calm and handsome face for assurance. He is a dependable, considerate son and brother. Alex is handsome too, and growing taller every minute, stronger every hour. Every day he is demonstrating new skills and abilities that come from his perseverance and hard work. Maria is a dancing, racing, growing light. She does not lack for admirers and she does not lack for joy in living.

I’m not sure how I could demonstrate their successes and gifts in a photograph. I need to take pictures of Max practicing piano. He plays everyday. He plays before school and after school. He plays while his soup cools and last thing before he goes to bed. He can even carry a tune whistling. Alex is approaching life with humor and a powerful moral code. He is a wonderful child. He continues to let his frog drawings express his highs and lows. He also constructed a motorized Lego frog that hops. And he improved his already amazing walking dragon. Now the dragon has no wires, since he found a way to hide the battery in the tail. The new design is a mechanical and aesthetic improvement. William, my introspective son, reads everything. Sometimes I think of something to open his mind to, only to discover he’s read all about it already. Luckily, he has Geoff and together they can explore the vast and wide-open world of graphics, software, innovation and speculation. William shares things to open my mind. He’s a patient teacher. Maria can be found wherever her family is. What I mean is: She loves her brothers and seeks them out for fun, comfort and learning. She loves her mommy and we dance and cuddle together, explore and delight in pretty things. And when her daddy is home she finds a willing playmate, one who reads to her and feeds her sliced bananas, and can make her happy no matter what.

Yesterday I finally started reading the user’s manual for the new camera. It’s dense and full of instructions, details and codes for using my highly advanced and complicated new camera. I thought I was doing well enough feeling my way around the new buttons, but I really have not been satisfied with the results. Maybe it’s the children that inspire me. They are so curious, determined, disciplined, and they work so hard to accomplish things. So, if I want success capturing their beauty and skills, then I had better muster more curiosity, determination and effort in trying to be master of the camera.

Our Valentine’s Day was not too different from most other days. There were more treats and favors from school. I brought home pizza for dinner, which we LOVE, but that was more about being too sick to cook. Yet the day was special… I paused to reflect on the generally exceptional health we enjoy, the ample and warm shelter we share, and the fabulous taste of hot pizza… Geoff came home before 9, we laughed some and talked a lot. No hothouse roses, no diamonds; we’re in this for keeps and that takes a whole other kind of gift.

Here are two pictures for fun...


1 comment:

cristina thornburg photography said...

I love Max's new haircut. Maria's expressions always bring a smile to my face.

What new toy did you get, Natalie? Tell me about your camera! :) Fun!