The sound of a duvet being shifted and little feet scurrying to hide beneath it. Finding an apple with three small bites taken out and put back into the refrigerator. Handprints on windows. The squeal released when going down a twisty slide. A tired head resting on your shoulder. A legacy of little moments.

Steam rises from a hot sink near a window in a moody black and white photograph.

I want us to do something together. Think of your family and those little things that are typical of each member and that you’ve embraced as a part of who they are. Now, close your eyes and walk through each of those things/moments. 


Maybe it’s your six year old daughter’s pajamas left in the bathroom each morning with her boys Paw Patrol underwear (because why can’t she have the cool colored ones?). It frustrates you, absolutely. You’ll have a discussion later when she’s receptive (because that same six year old is currently arguing about how Oreos are actually a breakfast food).  You know these wildings are under your care and not meant to blindly obey, but to grow into critical thinkers...so long as you can hold on and help guide them.

Two pairs of rubber rain boots, one blue with white polka dots and yellow trim, sit beside dark green boots on wooden steps. Whitney Popp

This blog is to you, the parents accepting that you’d rather the half eaten apple, than a child throwing it away out of fear of being yelled at. The parents that take a deep breath (maybe need to step outside and release some curse words) then come back in to do the work.  The ones who can't help but chuckle at the chaos (then get yelled at by a toddler for laughing).


Not only is that work so important now, it’s also incredibly important to document. These frustrating and beautiful moments are what I live for. Taking your kids outside to do some gardening but one decides to plant plastic dinosaurs while the other turns into a dirt monster. Cucumber can wait a few minutes while you convince the dirt monster to harvest some dinosaurs. 


Imagine the photos. Greens of plants, rainbow colors of the toys, the deep brown of soil, smiles, laughter, light filtering through to catch the highlights in your children’s hair that will soon fade with age. Tomorrow your story will have changed. The dirt monster no longer wants to help with gardening and the dinosaur gardener is now a gnome.


Your life is full of highs and lows, but even the lows have their own sort of beauty, a learning in the trenches of parenthood. Maybe you are doing it with a partner who shares the frustration and wonder of the journey. Perhaps it's just you, resting at the end of the day feeling exhausted but determined. You'll remind your son tomorrow about throwing his shoes by the door, but for now you smirk at the faded crocs he wears every day, no matter the weather.


You'll share these moments with your children when they are grown. Remind them of the dinosaur garden and incredible lungs that could roar for hours. And when they ask, "Where are the photos of us together?" what will be your answer? 

Hand holding a small green plant stem with leaves against a blurred pink floral garden background. Whitney Popp, Virginia
Child watering plants with a large green watering can in a garden during golden hour sunset. Whitney Popp, Virginia.
A child in a pink dress plays with a delicate white lace curtain while sitting on the ground. Whitney Popp, Virginia.

You are becoming the ancestor their grandchildren will look back on and call to when things are hard. Make sure there are photos for them to set upon an altar, light a candle, and then go find their own child’s half eaten apple. A legacy of little moments turns into so much more when documented.

Family having fun and playing together, tossing clothes and laundry on a messy bed in a bedroom. Whitney Popp, Virginia.