I love this set of pictures. I took the camera out into the backyard to snap some candid shots-- this mix is childhood realism. They are not beaming with joy-- in fact there are times (not pictured here) at which they are all but photogenic. Walking out I realized that Evelyn's hair was still unbrushed at twelve in the afternoon. Hence I was startled when I downloaded the last picture of Evelyn. I am humbled by her loveliness. I am able to step back from the tantrums of the day- she is young, a sapling- full of flexibility and potential to learn and change. They are my children, I am their mother. This is how they grow, this is how I grow.