P/HD+M [1:52]

     So, here it is.  My Project 52 "launch." This year, will be for me and my girls.  Just us.  No one else. It wasn't until late this afternoon that I decided on this topic...
     I was racing home from a family photography session, just wanting to spend the last fleeting hours of the weekend at home, relaxing.  As I drove into my neighborhood, I was enjoying the fact that the sun was shining and that there were so many families out - working in the yard, walking, riding bikes and the list goes on. Then I thought, crap, when was the last time I walked with the girls to the park? It had been awhile.  Since summer most likely.  I enjoy walking to the park (about 1/4 mile from my house), but since the start of school, I frequently find that I don't have enough hours in the day:

                    After picking up the girls from school/daycare, going to dance, gymnastics, swimming or even a last minute weekday session on my end, I'm exhausted. Not to mention, I still need to cook dinner, get the girls into the bath and ready for bed all before the, "witching hour" aka 8 o'clock. Honestly, if the girls are not SLEEPING by 8 o'clock, they'll never wake up in the morning for school. Now, yes, I do have an amazing husband who helps me out a ton and I'm so thankful for that, but I still feel like there are definitely days where I feel like I don't even have time to go to the restroom! Mix all of this in - working full time as a middle school teacher (I have 226 students this year), being a full time mom and wife, a part-time housekeeper (yeah, part time, if it was full-time it would be way cleaner, but honestly a messy kitchen = my kids are fed, laundry = my kids are clothed, towels in the bathroom and toothpaste in the sink = my kids are clean) AND running a business is all pretty daunting.  Don't get me wrong - I love it all - but I realized something tonight -

I  need-no I must-spend more one on one time with my kids.

period.

     I pulled into my driveway, walked into the house to find my youngest still napping (right where I left her 1 1/2 hours earlier) and my oldest watching Carebears.  Boo. She should be outside, running around, enjoying this warm January weather.  Before I even said, "Hi," I looked at her and said, "Get your shoes on. We're going to the park. Do you want to take your bike or scooter?" Needless to say, my husband was totally caught off guard, fine. I didn't really care. I wanted my kids to play - together - I wanted them to play with me!

     So, tonight around 4:30 pm (I guess that's more of a late-afternoon, but, who cares, it was getting dark), as my girls and I walked to the park together, I decided that I will do one *fun* thing with my girls every week. No - dance, gymnastics or swim lessons do not count, nor does having a movie evening.  It has to be something that is outside of our normal day - takes us out of the house (hopefully) and gets us interacting together, genuinely. Now, before you think that I'm an awful mom because I saying all of this - I do a lot with my girls - it's just more likely on my, "terms." I need to go grocery shopping, go to Target, the mall or whatever, 99% of the time the girls come with me or at the very least one of them does. Sometimes we will stop at the park for a few minutes or get a yogurt or even stop at Startbucks for a, "warm coco," but we rarely do anything outside of my errands that lasts for more than 15/20 minutes. We (my husband and I), do take the girls to fun places such as Disneyland (heck, we went 5 times in 2011) or Monterey - but it's a family thing, not a mommy and me thing. So, in 2012, I am dedicating this "project" to them. To us.

     The title of my Project 52 will be - P/HD+M - which stands for - Project/Hayden, Delaney + Mom.

     The last hour of the day light was spend right on target. We got to the park, Hayden ran straight for the big slides, while Delaney was still waking up from her nap.  Both girls went down the slides countless times. I secretly wished my big rear would fit down those slides! Delaney was the star of the park (after she was fully awake of course) laughing non-stop on the swings.  Seriously, non-stop. There were a few times that I, in fact, thought she was going to pass out from laughing so hard. Then Hayden had her time on the big-girl swings - always asking to go faster.  I swung next to her - I can't remember the last time I was on a swing. Delaney, watched us laughing away (she's such a happy girl) and she even spent a little time swinging on my lap and then again by herself - holding on for dear lift with a huge smile on her face. As the sun started to go down, all of the other kids and their parents started walking home or hopped into their cars.  We were one of the last ones there, Hayden put on her shoes and socks and we were off. Just in time to get ready for dinner.

So, here we are, the first image of P/HD+M.  Yeah, I know, I didn't have my camera. So what. My kids are happy and smiling - with me.  Does it matter that I took this with a piece of $400 equipment versus $3K? No. Does it make me less of a photographer.  Some may say yes.

But, let's not forget, this Project 52 is about being Mom, not a photographer.