How do you properly capture a two year old?
I cannot capture this completely with my camera. That joy. …when she finds an airplane in the sky, a squirrel running under the fence, a white fluffy dandelion to blow, the way her paint brush makes stripes of colors on her paper, stripping down to her diaper so she can rub bubbles all over her body while playing at the water table.
I cannot capture the sounds she makes because my video camera is never fast enough – that sudden singing of Old MacDonald’s farm while at Target, playing pat-a-cake with anyone who will have her, “reading” a book to herself.
I have never captured the smile she gives me every.time.she.sees.me or hears my voice and the love screams of ‘MAMA” as she runs full on into my arms.
I have never captured the way she wraps her arms completely around my neck and says “I love you, mama” as she squeezes me until I pop.
I have never captured the way she lays next to the kitties and pets them gently and tells them they are such good boys or when they lick her head and rest a paw on her shoulder.
I have never captured how she repeats everything I say and some of her favorite words are “JCrew” and “Pizza Luce.”
Two.
This is the magical age. Only fully captured in my heart.
I love this so very much. Dylan will be 2 in January, and it reminded me so much of him. Such a perfect age in so many ways.
(And Astrid is so full of joy. Gorgeous.)
I seriously just love this age – before the big tantrums and talk-backs and while they are learning so much.
“I cannot capture the sounds she makes because my video camera is never fast enough” Isn’t that the truth! For every moment you capture on film, there are a dozen more you’ve missed : )
Oh I love this. My son is 2 and his personality completely fills my heart. It is such a fun age.
Oh so beautiful Tracy. My little one will be 2 in 3 months and I know exactly those moments that cameras just cannot capture. Only possible with our hearts and minds.
That picture is gorgeous! I’m loving this age right now, there is nothing like my son coming out of his room and giving me a big hug and kiss in the morning. It makes my entire day better!
Oh happy sighs because I have this same joy in my house. This post made me feel so lucky to head up stairs and get my little guy out of bed. And, of course, they will still marry some day.
Yes, they will marry. xo
Love this photo, so sweet. Her smile is so warming
too quick, too quick – they grow up. We nurture those memories we have tucked away for later days …
Oh, 2. I saw it arrive exactly two weeks ago for Zaid. Astrid is so happy and free in this photo. It makes me warm. And you’re right: I can never capture all that I see and feel. He moves too fast even when I’m holding the camera. Or is it just that it’s too important to see it in real time rather than be able to record it? Because sometimes I AM holding the camera, but…
That smile he gives first thing in the morning when he whispers “Look at mommy. Hi, mommy. Guh morning” with a hug that ends in mmmmph and a grandfatherly back pat…can’t catch it w/anything but my heart.
Oh this age where they will smother you with kisses and love and do not care who is watching. yummy.
My heart is overflowing with so many of the same memories. I try to write them down or capture them on film or video, but I can’t keep up. Definitely a fun age.
You did a pretty great job of capturing it.
Yeah, sure, go ahead and make me cry like a child 2 days before my baby girls 2ND birthday. Thanks a lot.
TWO sweet friend. Can you believe TWO? Hugs. xoxo
So beautiful.
No, nothing can really capture the full joy.
That was absolutely one of my favorite ages with the kids. I think you did a marvelous job of ‘capturing’ it!
Mine too – they are still edible like a baby but they communicate and are so dang fun.
I. Love. This. Post!
I so often feel like I can’t convey the way my children are properly. I wish that I could just walk around running a video camera non stop.
Ahhh…I am all warm and fuzzy over this.
Thank you so much. I know – I want a running video of all my kids at two. Such a perfect age.
I forget 2 but you made me remember and cry.
Love it. (and her dress!)
I can’t believe her favorite words are JCrew and Pizza Luce. Its okay because Bear’s favorite things are Target and the bank for some reason (they give him lollipops, but I wish they gave me money that wasn’t mine!)
Oh she loves the bank also. But whenever I ask her what we should eat for a meal she says “Pizza Luce!”
What is pizza luce? (Seriously. I don’t know.)
She is GORGEOUS and delightful and full of joy. Of course she is. Look at the life you’re giving her…
How could the world be anything less than a marvel to her? This is glorious, Tracy.
And you do capture it.
You have.
p.s. For the record, I sometimes strip down and rub bubbles on myself, too.
I somehow pictured how the bubble scenario played out in your home…
Pizza Luce is a local fancier pizza joint which she loves(and they have good wine).
Captured, Tracy. If anyone can come as close as possible- it’s you. This is lovely.
oh my heart explodes with your photography!!!! wow, look at that little face, that smile, that JOY. thank you for sharing a little piece of it with us.
I LOVE it. Just this morning my daughter and I were on the bus headed to downtown Brooklyn (such a mundane task) and she was SO EXCITED and bursting with joy about the tiniest of details: it made everyone around us smile. Such a remarkable age.
I love having a two year old out in public..when they are not screaming they are the best companions ever…and everyone around us melts with their charm.
Once you capture it, bottle that stuff up and sell it, you’ll be a billionaire.
Seriously, gorgeous post, one that Astrid will be thrilled to see one day in the not too distant future.
Every day, I have my phone out, trying to capture the moment that the two of mine, neither of them yet two, realize I’m home and come running to me (well, Leila can’t run yet, so she part-waddles, part-walks, part-falls). It really is magical.
I love it when they are 2. I think you captured her happiness beautifully in that pictures!!
I think that beautiful photo goes a long way towards capturing the joy for life that is 2. But you are right, there is no way to adequately capture the way your heart swells & feels like it might burst or the precious way they talk or precious way they run or the way they play. Your words also are so beautiful & really do capture much of this priceless age…but as I held Lucy extra long this evening sleeping soundly on my chest, willing her to stay a baby just a bit longer than the rest, I had to agree, the joy of motherhood is only fully captured in the heart!
My daughter is 17 months and I drink her in everyday. I can’t get enough.
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Aren’t you glad you blog? Wish I had been, when the girl’s were younger. Makes me sad, all the things I’ve forgotten.
Dana
“2 – only fully captured in my heart.”
And if we don’t try we’ll forget so much of it. We watched a video of one of our kids the other night and had totally forgotten about this thing she did at that age that was soooooo sweet.
Sometimes life goes by too fast, doesn’t it?
It looks like you did a pretty good job of capturing the joy in this shot! She is precious!!! And I love her dress too. It is so classic!
http://mrsgardengirl.blogspot.com/2011/10/peppers-and-onions.html
I LOVE this post. She is adorable!