Impromptu toddler portraits

Those who know me know that I am not just a planner; I am an over-planner. Therefore, when I scheduled a photo shoot with less than 24-hours notice, I was rather curious to see how this would go down.

As it turned out, it went quite well. It didn’t hurt that the main subject was an adorable cherub with a totally chill attitude. It also definitely didn’t hurt that his mom was gorgeous.

I must also disclose that the reason for the short notice was entirely my own doing. We had planned to do these toddler portraits for many months, but hadn’t put a date on the calendar. When I checked my schedule, I realized that it was fuller than I had realized, and the next day was one of very few available days I would have for several weeks. Also, the weather forecast was favorable, which is certainly not something to take lightly this time of year. Besides, my older son, who serves as my assistant in charge of entertainment, had been anxious to schedule this session, possibly because he discovered a few juicy prizes in my reward stash.

Luckily, the mom was amazingly willing to be spontaneous, and we made our plans to meet up the next morning at a local park, where our cherub showed up in a new shirt and dapper little boat shoes.

See what I mean about his mom being gorgeous? Honestly, when my kids were this age, it was all I could do to brush my teeth and put on pants that weren’t obviously pajama pants, and I can’t say that I’ve really gotten much more polished since.

To encourage those sweet smiles, my son used the cherub’s little toy truck, rendered all the more exciting by being mounted on a stick. Because, to a boy, everything is cooler on a stick. Pretty soon, the cherub wanted to try his hand at wielding the truck himself, and his mom tried to help him.

Of course, the stick by itself was pretty darn cool.

And just exploring was pretty nice, too.

Then there was the bridge episode. In my mind the little boy would just walk contentedly along the bridge with his mom, enjoying the novelty of the view. In reality, he wanted to clamber over the railing and throw leaves over the edge. Mom kept a close hold on him.

But sometimes she let him take a few steps on his own, when he looked like he was heading for a wiser path.

Even though it’s not a traditional portrait, this is the one that tugs at my heartstrings the most. It’s kind of symbolic of what mothering young children is all about, isn’t it?