My Mommy Momment

My mom once told me of a time she took me in to get my pictures made, I was about 2 or so, and I refused to do anything but cry, so she held me while they took the pic. That picture sits on my side table in my bedroom, of her and I. I was teary-eyed and she was beautiful.

I love traditions, probably too much. But one tradition that I wanted to carry through around Christmas time was Santa pictures. We had them made last year with Jeremy and Maddie. Jeremy has a huge, cheesy grin (so excited to be sitting with the big man) and Maddie, you can tell, shed some tears.

This year came around and it was time to go again. Jeremy opted out saying, "I've had enough pictures made with Santa, Maddie can just go alone this year." Maddie and I headed to the mall one day after work, she was all dressed in her Christmas outfit and I was decked out in my work clothes (a tee and jeans). There was a family in front of us that took a gazzilion shots so we waited and decided on which package we'd purchase. Well, I decided, Maddie jabbered about wanting to go into all the stores that were featured around Santa's hang out while I all sneaky like used my Momma magic to keep her entertained.

Our turn came, I plopped Maddie down in Santa's lap (and yes I had prepped her with all the background knowledge she would need to feel comfortable in Santa's embrace) and she screamed. The first pic was taken of my daughter, arms outstretched, mouth opened wide, tears rolling down her cheeks. My hands were folded at my chest and I whispered, "could we get one where her arms arent all stretched out, maybe??"

There was no stopping it. I had turned on the never ending faucet of fits and she was not going to calm down, so I stepped in and plopped my butt down on Santa's lap. That's what Mommies do, right? :)

Maddie stopped screaming, we took a few more pics, and then we said our good-byes to the big guy. I took one glance at the picture and wondered where in the hell that beached whale came from and why did I have my daughter's clothes up around her neck, while I smiled. Thats right folks, it was horrible.

I paid $15 for a picture that sits on my end table, that I cant stand to look at since it only reminds me of the weight I still need to remove, and yet I proudly display it as our Christmas picture.

And here's the awesome part. When we got home, I told her Dad all about it, cut the picture to the perfect frame size, stuck it in, gasped one more time, and then left it to sit on the table, alone.... Until Maddie picked it up, looked down at it, smiled, and gave it a hug. She carried that picture around all evening, hugging it.

I was super mom. Maddie, to me, felt the same way I did whenever I looked at the picture of me and my mom...that's my mom...and me...and aren't we cool together. :)