School has been in session here in Kansas City for about two weeks. Back to School is always such a fun and busy time. I had so much fun creating the "Back to School Photo Guide - 5 Photos To Take This Year" and hope you were able to grab a copy. If not, feel free to download it now and save it for next year.
My kids are in "school", i.e. daycare, year-round so back to school doesn't mean the same thing to us yet as it does for most families. But the new session starts, the kids change rooms and the teachers redecorate the rooms. And we get to go back to school shopping with a supply list for each boy. This year I took Bryce, my 3 1/2 year old with me to help get everything on the lists. He loves going shopping with me, putting things in the cart and going through the self-checkout lane.
I brought my DSLR camera with us on this adventure so I could capture some special moments with a little more intention than I would if I just used my cell phone. And I am so glad I did! I love the picture of him in the cart looking at all the stuff because next year I bet he won't be able to sit in that part of the cart anymore. And next year he probably won't have to get on his tip toes to reach the second shelf.
I wonder how tall he will be next year when he pushes the cart down the aisle. Will he be able to see over the handle bar? I can't wait to find out.
We had a very successful shopping trip and filled our cart with tons of goodies. When we got home, I let him open everything, lay it out on the table and sort through it all. In a couple years, I know toothbrushes and baby wipes probably won't be on the school supplies list and I'm sure his pencil box will be much larger and filled with a full stash of #2 pencils. But for now, we'll stick with crayons and glue sticks.
I loved seeing his pure excitement for all the school supplies and taking pride in getting everything packed up just right.
In addition to the school supplies, I made sure to capture some of the little details of his daily life to always remember this stage. He can finally put on his shoes and socks by himself. And maybe next year he will be learning how to tie his shoes?!
Another thing I love about Bryce is his honest desire to want to please me and his love of just spending time together. I told him I needed his help with a "special project" and asked if he wanted to help me by wearing his back pack and taking pictures with me. He was such a good sport - he's learning to be a child of a photographer perfectly - LOL!
These couple of pictures aren't from his actual first day of school but he was a great model for the images that I needed to create the Photo Guide. But I treasure them because they capture his personality perfectly and will always remind me of his sweet heart.
I always love photographing his love of reading and organization. If you notice the neatly stacked piles of books lined up in his bed - this is a must have each night before he will get in bed. From a young age he has loved being surrounded by his books and it is not any different now - and I love that about him.
This is one of our new Usbourne books and I love how big it is compared to him.
I can't wait to see what the next year brings for Bryce (and Landon) as well as myself as I continue to build my business as a family photographer. We got this, kid!