The day I posted the purple carrier and cried a lot...

Was the SAME day I caught a photo of a superhero... 

We walked home from school together - she was in her one-piece snowsuit and I had her baby brother on my back wrapped under my giant down coat. She told me about a little guy in her class who was having a tough time.  "He's sad, Mom.  He knows what he needs to do, but sometimes he just gets so excited that he does things he shouldn't.  Then he gets in trouble and he cries."

I asked her to tell me more about her day and she talked about playing "Tag you're it" outside and how there are new games on the tables in her classroom.  We got home, she kicked off her boots and pulled her winter-chapped hands out of her damp mitts and left her snowsuit on the floor. 

I reminded myself she was only 4.  "Please hang your snowsuit on the hook so it will dry."  

"Eeegghhhhhh Mom.  Why?"  You know that sound right?  

Snack.  Water.  Blocks.  A few misunderstandings between her and her brother and she growled and took a moment in her room.  She returned a minute later.  "Mom, can you put my cape on please?"  She passed me a clip.

She stood there looking out the window for a moment - by this time I had grabbed my camera to freeze the bubble-wrap cape in time.  Hands on her hips, she turned to me and said, "You know, that little boy who's sad?  I think he needs a friend because he had a hard day. It's hard being four."

And that's when I realized that yes, the baby and wrapping days are done - but a new chapter is strolling - (I mean flying) - in.  As the wraps move on, there's more room for capes.

Capes and conversations with a wise nearly-5 year-old superhero.
 

Join me in February for the kick-off of the Ottawa Motherhood Selfie Challenge.  I will share some of the basics of using your DSLR and offer some tips and tricks to capture beautiful unposed images of YOU and your family in 2017.  The challenge (unlike this image) is that YOU will be in the photos too!  Stay tuned for more details coming soon!