“One Evening” is a photo essay series that provides a sneak peek into the everyday lives of the Fairfield County Moms Blog contributors. The evening routine is photographed by Anna-Liisa Nixon Photography and words are written by each mom to tell the story behind the images. It’s a rare and intimate look into each family’s life, one evening at a time.
When I first heard that FC Moms Blog contributing writers were being given the opportunity to have an everyday evening documented by a professional family photographer, I was excited. And unsure. There were lots of reasons why it wasn’t the “right time.” We’re in the midst of remodeling our old house bit by bit (slow going with a 3 and 1-year old underfoot). A typical evening with our two energetic and strong willed toddlers is absolute mayhem – loud, chaotic, and messy. There are lots of emotions, tears and tantrums. Why would anyone want to see this?
But, so much of parenthood is flying by before my eyes. And sometimes I’m so exhausted or preoccupied with doing all the things that I worry I’m missing stuff. Not treasuring the every day moments as much as I should. In documenting the here and now – the messes and the mayhem – I know I’ll be able to look back on this time and really remember it. And it wasn’t until I saw the photos that I was able to see the other more important things – the love, the laughter, and the every day magic.
Here are a few things I hope to remember about this crazy season of life:
TACO TUESDAY
I love how much my kids love taco night! For my 3-year old, it’s the thrill of assembling his own taco with whatever toppings he wants. For my 1-year old, it’s the sour cream. Despite the (epic) mess, it’s a lot of fun.
BACKYARD SHENANIGANS
Our kids are happiest when outside: riding on toy cars, digging in the dirt, creating with chalk, running in the grass. Getting them back inside is the hard part.
TEAMWORK
My husband and I make a pretty good team. Most nights, it’s a race to the finish: divide and conquer until the kids are finally in bed. When one of us has had enough, the other swoops in. Sometimes just switching kids is enough to calm a tantrum or finally get that shampoo rinsed out of someone’s hair.
STORY TIME
Books are everything in our house. Lately, we’ve also been into Moonlight which lets you project a story on the ceiling with your phone, sound effects and all.
A huge thanks to Anna-Liisa of Anna-Liisa Nixon Photography for capturing our family’s every day moments – the messy and the magical. She is as kind as she is talented, and my kids didn’t want her to leave! We will treasure these photos forever.
Images for this project are captured by Anna-Liisa Nixon Photography. Anna-Liisa specializes in documentary family photography and loves capturing the real, silly, weird, and tender moments of childhood. She captures that blur of motherhood — the laughter and tears, the real moments and connections, and the unique rhythm of a family. To learn more, visit her website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
To see all posts in the “One Evening” photo essay series view here.
