The House is Quiet

The house is quiet tonight. The Gombojavs have gone home. They went home a little earlier than I wanted (and planned), but their daddy missed them.

The house is quiet tonight. It is not filled with squeals of laughter or stifled giggles. It is not filled with children asking for a drink of water, string cheese, a granola bar, or a popsicle. It is not filled with urgent requests to go potty. It is not filled with the sound of running feet. It is not filled with the banging of the back door as children go outside to play and then back inside to get another toy or a brief rest out of the heat. It is not filled with the noise of hungry children filling the kitchen. It is not filled with Mommy, Papa, and Nana's voices telling children to be quiet and go to sleep.

It is also not filled with loads of hugs and sweet kisses. It is not filled with the dearest of sounds, children calling, "Nana!" It is not filled with the rocking of a baby to sleep. It is not filled with the watching of children playing in the playground made for them and for the pool bought with them in mind. It is not filled with the sweetness of sleeping children's faces.

Deep sigh.

Okay, to lift the mood of this post, I give you a sampling of Luc's (age 4) photography. I love giving the children freedom with my camera -- a luxury other generations of children didn't get (the cost of film and development totally prohibited that!). They see things from different viewpoints than we do. They see importance in things we do not. They see beauty that we often miss. Or don't even understand.

Enjoy. And feel free to ooh and ah.

Grandpa

Grandma

Grandma's foot. Luc's feet.

Grandma and laundry

Fan was on. This thrilled him that he took the picture so fast!

Yes, that's a pig nose.

Izzy.

Odie.

Good job, Luc!