Owen's Christmas pictures

These are the pictures Owen took with the camera Santa brought him. They were all taken on Christmas day.

Here is Aldo looking intently at a gift under the tree.



Santa brought Aldo a Clone Wars trooper helmet --just like Owen's so now they don't have to fight. Thank you, Santa.



This may be the best picture of Greg that I've got. He usually has a look of reluctance or "Can you take it already?" in pictures, but Owen got him to smile.

This is Greg from Owen's eyeline.

Aldo playing with a remote control toy. It's marvelously loud.

Here is another remote control toy. Notice how Owen got in good and close to get the detail. They love remote control toys.

An impressionistic capturing of the dining room table.

The Christmas tree?

Study of Harriet's foot at the edge of her bed with large-eyed toy near her shoulder.

Goldie--another favorite toy of the year. I like the way he chose the slightly off-center portrait.

And a hand-held video game, literally.

That's the end of the gallery showing. All works available for purchase.

The unexpected

We've gotten the routines of boy-raising down, I'd say, but it's those sudden unexpected things that keep getting me. The sudden hunger/exhaustion that can turn a reasonable child into a screaming brat, the poop in the pants that can happen anytime and anywhere because the three-year-old thinks the toilet seat is too cold, and then there's the scary stuff: the illnesses that turn serious just at the hour the doctor's office closes for the weekend, the accidents and daring games they like to play.

Two days ago, Owen was having a minor meltdown which I diagnosed as tiredness and had him lie down in my bed. Aldo and I were sitting in the livingroom when our next-door neighbor stopped by to talk about taking care of her aging stray cat. I jumped around the hedge to see where the cat slept, but had to come running back after I heard Owen's panic shrieks coming from our house. I ran in picturing blood, but found him still in bed, wrapped up inside my duvet cover. He had crawled in and couldn't find his way out.

I hope that's the scariest story I ever have to tell about this subject.

Pictures by Owen 2009

How does my child see me? An interesting and largely hypothetical question. Unless your kid gets a hold of your camera.

A little off -center? I guess that's accurate.

He sometimes looks down on his brother. (Look at those chubby cheeks and pouty little lips!)

Harriet at rest.

An interesting perspective.
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At Starbucks, "Please pretty mommy can I take some pictures?"

Who can say no to this face?

Not me, obviously. Especially not when we're out on a Mommy-Owen date.

I edited out the ones of the light fixtures and window shades.

He gets a new camera from Santa in less than a week. It'll be interesting what comes out of that. Stay posted.