Shocking, Truly Shocking
Bradley has endured a lot from me over the last ten years. Writing down things he’s said, publishing them to all my friends and family. On occasion, I published something he wasn’t too crazy about me publishing resulting in me getting the serious cold shoulder before promising not to do it again. Eventually, all quotes involving Bradley needed prior approval before publishing, and eventually, when my camera and notepad were around, he turned the other way.
But then the book arrived. He spent hours looking at it, reading the stories and looking at the pictures. This is his life, too, documented nearly every day with some saying or event, seemingly minor at the time, but when read back over now, evokes memories of the day surrounding it.
A complete decade is there, except for that portion in the last year when Bradley would barely look at me. As he perused the book and saw the part that’s pretty much all-Gregory-all-the-time, he said, “Oh man, Gregory’s in here a lot, mom.”
“I know,” I said. “Remember? You didn’t want me taking your picture?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
After a pause, and flipping back through the pages when he was 3 and 5 and 7 and 9, Bradley looked up at me, smiling. “Thanks mom. Thanks for doing this. I really love you.”
And he added, “You can take my picture if you want.”
Awww
Now Part II can be full of his pictures! 
Comment by kilax — March 24, 2007 @ 9:06 am
Thanks for sharing, Jules! You’re reminding me that I need to shoot my kids more - and giving me ideas for what I’ll do with those images years down the road.
Comment by Aaron Pelly — March 24, 2007 @ 6:48 pm
Very sweet
Comment by Leah — March 25, 2007 @ 11:31 am
Bradley!!! STOP GROWING!!! What a great set of pictures, you are so lucky to have a mom who is good at things like that! You’ll truly appreciate those pictures one day.
Comment by Lauren Schmoltze — March 26, 2007 @ 10:49 am
LAUREN! We’re sending you your very own copy of the book. You’ll LOVE the pictures. (Um, you’re in it a LOT, and Guy too.) Now we have to come down there and get lots of pictures of Lisabeth for the 2007 chapter! So glad to see you on the blog!
Comment by Jules — March 26, 2007 @ 11:36 am
Come on down! We’d be glad to see all of you!
Comment by Lauren Schmoltze — March 27, 2007 @ 5:07 pm