When I look at my Instagram feed, or any of my photos for that matter, there is one glaring omission.
ME.
I've got pictures of Mazzy, pictures of Harlow, pictures of Mike with Mazzy and Harlow, but I'm almost always the one standing behind the camera.
That's why this week, in honor of Mother's Day, I'm working with Jessica Shyba from Momma's Gone City and photographer, Ali Smith, to encourage moms to take and post photos with their kids on Instagram. Take one in a mirror, take a mom/child selfie, make your significant other take one, ask a stranger on the street, whatever it takes. Just make sure that twenty years from now when you look back at photos of your family, it looks like you weren't vacationing in Mexico the entire time.
We're giving two randomly selected winners (one on instagram and one for leaving a comment at the end of this post) a copy of Ali Smith's beautiful new photo book Momma Love: How the Mother Half Lives.
Ali Smith spent twelve years photographing and interviewing mothers for Momma Love in hopes to depict "an honest portrayal of the highs and lows of motherhood". Her photos are taken documentary style and show moms in their real every day lives, whether they are nursing a boo-boo or shoveling food in their mouth while simultaneously holding their toddler at the table.
Ali has somehow taken images to which all mothers can relate but are rarely captured on film.
Flipping through Ali's book, I am struck by the wide range of mothers represented. From actress Amy Ryan discussing being a mother in youth-obsessed Hollywood to Karen Duffy's unexpected friendship with her surrogate to Kitty Stillufsen's decision to become a co-parent with her gay best friend, it's very clear that although we are all bonded by one significant trait, we each have vastly different stories to tell.
To participate in the challenge, tag pictures of yourself with your kids to #momma_love and tag/follow @mommyshorts @mommaloveali and @mommasgonecity. I think it will be really great to see a steady stream of selfies from different moms all on Instagram. I am so used to just seeing pictures of kids!
The winner of both copies of Momma Love (one winner here, one winner on Instagram) will be announced on Friday.
In addition to the book, I am giving away two tickets to Listen to Your Mother in NYC, directed by my friends Amy Wilson and Shari Simpson and featuring some of my favorite bloggers including Marinka from Motherhood in NYC, Kim Forde from The Fordeville Diaries and Tracy Beckerman from Lost in Suburbia.
I was in Listen to Your Mother last year and it was truly a wonderful experience. Similar to Ali Smith's book, Listen to Your Mother brings together mothers from all walks of life to tell stories about the one thing that unites us— parenthood.
This year, Listen to Your Mother will be playing at 5pm on Mother's Day at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Symphony Space. You can purchase tickets here.
GIVEAWAY RULES:
To enter to win a copy of Momma Love or tickets to Listen to Your Mother, please leave a comment below answering the following question:
If Ali Smith were at your home this morning to take pictures of your every day life, what moment might she have captured?
For instance, at my house this morning, she would have captured me picking the white stuff off an orange for Mazzy, nursing Harlow next to a sleeping Mike and Mazzy peaking into my shower to show me a buttered dinner roll that daddy gave her. She was very excited about it, apparently.
You must be a Mommy Shorts facebook fan or subscriber to enter. Please indicate if you are also interested in the Listen Your Mother tickets in your comment. All winners will be announced on Friday.
Good luck!
In my house this morning Ali would have seen me, 8 months pregnant, trying to consume my morning coffee while simultaneously feeding banana pieces to Noah (14 months), while he is much more interested in banging his toy bus against the living room window while watching real busses drop off kids for school across the street 🙂
Love that you are encouraging moms to get in photos with their kids. I love the examples above where mom is in the photos. I’d love to win a copy of Momma Love. If Ali were at my house this morning, she would have captured me getting up before everyone else to get ready for work, then take the dogs out, then prepare scrambled eggs & toast for breakfast, and then my son refuse to give me a hug or kiss goodbye (turning his face away).
This morning, Ali might have captured my spilling my coffee and getting my son’s pink power ranger mask dirty, much to his dismay.
She would get a great shot of me and my 2 & 3 year old boys digging in the dirt in our pajamas (because its never too early to go outside and play in nature) with me pretending that I don’t want to crawl out of my skin and jump up and down while wildly swatting away all the lovely little buggies that my boys delight in finding.
This morning she would have seen me getting ready to go back to work for the first time after my maternity leave. My daughter asking me to leave her room because I was in the way of her playing. My daughter breaking down into tears because her brother was going to day care for the first time while she stayed home with her Nana for some one on one time. Finally she would have seen me dropping my almost 3-month-old baby boy off at daycare for the very first time. Kind of a sad Momma today.
In my house this morning Ali would have seen me nursing the boy while the sun rose in my bedroom window, me loading the washer with the sheets from my daughter’s bed–a byproduct of the tummy bug that’s got us all home sick today, my absolute joy at hearing my 11 month old say Mama in such a sweet clear baby voice, and all four of us under blankets watching PBS kids trying hard not to be sick. (Can’t make it to NY by Mothers Day so not interested in the tickets)
Mazzy refused to give me a hug and kiss this morning too. Solidarity, sister.
What a great idea! If Ali were at my house this morning, she likely would have snapped a picture with my husband laughing in the background as I chased the dog down the driveway, whose leash somehow got stuck on the front wheel of the jogging stroller, hence towing my 20 month old son with him through the puddle. Dog, husband and baby seemed excited, me, not as much. Luckily the rest of our morning walk went a little smoother.
Oh, Rebecca. I just got a lump in my throat after reading this. We have all been there. At least, I have been. It will all balance out. At least that’s what I tell myself:)
Max FORGOT me this morning, he was so excited to leave for picture day. Could NOT get away from me fast enough.
Me being discovered by my three kids while I was hiding in the kitchen checking Facebook and eating a chocolate chip cookie for breakfast.
My holding my sleeping 7 month old son while playing a very convincing Sir Topham Hat for my 2 year old daughter.
She would have seen me sneak my daughter into her crib from my bed so I could take a shower. And then watched the waking up ritual at 6:45 am. My daughter hates to get up early (she’s 11 months old and likes to sleep until 9 am, I wish I could but I have to work!) Then she would have seen me try to get a picture of my daughter wearing her cute shorts that she never gets to wear in Seattle. It’s going to be 86 degrees today! 🙂
(no tickets thanks)
I am so glad you’re doing something to encourage mothers to be IN the pictures, not just taking them (like I always am).
If Ms. Ali Smith were to take my picture this morning, she would have captured me showering with 200 plastic balls in the floor(because I was cleaning them the night before and forgot to take them out). She also would have captured me holding a baby, a baby bag, my purse, my lunch bag, and a carton of milk for daycare while trying to open the door without dropping everything.
This morning at my house, she would have seen me lie in bed watching my 2 year old sleep. Not wanting to wake her, but had to because I have to work. Also helping my 4 year old get dressed. She knows how, just thinks I do it better.
Right now I am nursing my 4 month old, while watching Up with my 4 year old….she is reading books to herself (making up stories)
This morning she would’ve seen my son and I playing games on my iPhone together OR my son crying and clinging to me while I was trying to put him in my mom’s car. She’s watching him today b/c his daycare unexpectedly closed last week and we don’t have placement until tomorrow. So, tomorrow will be better right? RIGHT????
Me tripping over my 19 month old who was pushing the stool around ad around the kitchen on a quest for blueberries while getting lunch for my husband together, constantly repeating myself to the 5 yr old to get her soccer stuff together… All while randomly stopping for frequent hugs from both kids…
She would have caught me tip-toeing into my daughter’s room, peeking in her crib, rubbing her forehead lightly enough as to not wake her up, then tip-toeing back out of her room.
This morning would have captured Quinn falling back asleep on me after telling dada “b’bye” while I checked my e-mail and later would have gotten her running away from bubbles then coming back to blow some herself.
She would have caught me kissing my 12-year-old on the head just before ruining his life by quizzing him on his spelling words.
This morning at our house, Ali would have captured the Monday Morning Blues. As a working mom, Mondays are so hard for me. I relish every second with my 13 month old on the weekends and I make myself late every Monday not wanting to leave her (my husband takes her to her caregiver’s house so I don’t have to). I was sitting on the floor with her and said “Mama has to go to work now.” She handed me her goat that goes with her barnyard toy and said “Mama” and blew me a kiss. We’d worked on blowing kisses all weekend. I kissed her forehead and left before I began to cry. Sweet Butterbean.
Love that image of the mother kneeling in a cocktail dress to kiss her sleeping baby’s head. Beautiful!
This morning, Ali would have caught me styling my daughter’s wild mane (with product!) while she whined pouted and made terrible faces at me. Which is pretty typical, actually.
If Ali stopped by my house this morning, she would have gotten photos of
– the 3 year old boy’s naked back side as he raced down the hall to the bathroom
– the 7 year old girl collapsed on the floor in her room, still in her nightgown because she was “sooooo tired” and couldn’t summon the energy to get dressed
– the 5 year old boy’s arms wrapped around me in the kitchen during our third hug of the morning
Getting to NY is not possible, so no tickets, but the book would be wonderful!
Thank you!
She would probably have a picture of me, the husband and the baby-unit with animal binkies in our mouths having a dance party. It was a ‘You had to be there’ moment.
Trying to put pigtails in my 4-year old Bert’s hair (I suck at it) while telling Duke (toddler) that it’s okay that Dada took away his hollow tube that he holds the wooden birthday cake decorations in. What?
This morning she would have gotten me tandem nursing my 5 month old twin girls while playi ng word games with my 3.5 year old eating breakfast. Also talking the older daughter through pouring herself more cereal since I was still nursing the babies: )
This morning would have caught me climbing in to snuggle with my son on his bed because he wasn’t ready to wake up yet, but didn’t want me to leave. 🙂 OR, she would have caught me giving the stink eye to my husband when he finally came downstairs (at 10A!) while I was struggling to convince my son that he needed to wear pants to go to the store. It’s all about balance here.
This morning would have caught me reflecting on leaving my 27 year old back in Nebraska after having thyroid surgery. He’s still my baby and I really wanted to stay and be there just a little while longer.
We had a late morning today, and if Ali came in at 11am she would have photographed me and my three children sleeping on my bed in a dog pile (with me on the bottom of course) and my husband on the floor =)
If Ali were at our house this morning, she would have captured me chasing my one year old around trying to wipe the loads of snot off of her face, as she kept diving head first into the couch, wiping it all over the couch cover.Glad it’s washable! All the while, my three year old running around us in circles singing a song he made up about whores. Well, it sounded like whores, but I think he meant horses.
She would have captured my 9 year old getting a huge hug and kisses at the bus stop – because she still allows me to, and I recently realized she likely soon won’t, so I better get in my PDA with her while it’s still received as a gift rather than punishment.
She would have seen me pumping at 5:00 this morning (I HATE pumping, but I was never able to get my daughter to latch, so pumping it is until my supply runs out). She would have seen me getting my 3 year old into his PJs for the trip to Nana and Pops’s, where they both stayed today (he sleeps in his underwear, and I have to get him in PJs at least until it decides to act like spring).
This morning she would have captured me half awake talking to the kids on skype before they went off to school and I started to get ready to go to work. We currently live in different states during the work week and skype is our savior in fact, I would love to have that moment captured.
Book sounds amazing and in fact my instagram feed IS filled with photos of my kids sans me!
This morning Ali would have captured my five year old, crouched in front of his dresser when I walked into his room to wake him up. He was picking out his own clothes especially for today’s kindergarten sneak peak at the elementary school.
If Ali was in my house this morning, she would have seen me (wearing a shirt with my kid’s face on it from when I was on the Tyra show) squeezed into the toddler bed with my 4 year old and 1 year old, both in pajamas. Squealing with delight. (It was a good morning here)
I would love the tickets!
I breastfeed my 10 month old when she wakes up. Then let our dog outside to potty. My daughter tries saying dog but ends up yelling “daaaaaaa.” She then plays in the living room with random objects from around the house while I prepare my breakfast and coffee (ie, measuring spoon, old identification card). Once breakfast is prepared I put my daughter in her high chair. I eat my oatmeal/banana while I tear pieces of a banana for my daughter to eat. After I clean up the meal I set her back down to run rampant. She’s been really into pushing chairs around.
It gets better!
If Ali was in my house this morning, she would have captured me negotiating with my 2 1/2 year old about everything from eating to getting dressed so that we could head to the gym. Then once we arrived, she would have got a picture of me nursing my 4 month old while standing up leaned over her car seat. She had fallen asleep, but woke up once the car stopped. She was extremely tired, ready for a nap, and is teething horribly. She was just not having it and I couldn’t leave her like that with the sitter so we ended up going back home. I loaded them up in the double jogger for a walk. That huge stroller with my two girls plus my golden retriever is quite the site to see!
I love reading about everyone’s every day moments.
Mine would be drawing a heart on my daughter’s hand and filling it with kisses before her first day of preschool.
Snuggling and nursing my 5 week old in bed while it poured outside.
Fist pumping in excitement when I read the text from my 14 year old telling me she got her first A in math this year.
Me standing in the doorway wrapped in a blanket watching my 3 year old catching rain drops with her butterfly net wearing nothing but Wellies and a yellow raincoat.
I just had my son’s first communion party, and in between all the running around, I managed to take a bunch of pictures with my son and with different people at the party. I finally had stone cold evidence that I existed. When I went to download them off my iPhone they somehow all got deleted. I am still mourning. Sigh.
Ali would have seen me before dawn, curled up in my daughters comfy nursery chair, nursing her while she snoozed, trying to cuddle for as long as possible before leaving for my 16hr+ work day. Then me frantically trying to get both of us ready since we stayed a little too long….
If Ali was in my house this morning, she would have seen me, dressed to the nines for work, carrying my soundly sleeping 2-year-old out the door, barefoot and in his jammies, to go to the babysitter for the day. This makes me want to set up the tripod and timer and get the picture myself because those sleepy snuggles and kissing those little bare feet goodbye in the mornings is one of the best parts of my day.
She would have captured my 3 year old son, my 3 month old daughter, and I cuddling in bed beside a crumbled muffin since I decided to let him have breakfast in bed (and to be quite honest, cuddles are better than crumbs in bed anyways) 🙂
If Ali were at my house this morning she would have seen my one year old and myself in our living room…one year old standing up in her pink Pottery Barn chair and me saying “sit on your bottom” sternly and her crouching down and saying “huh” in a high pitched voice and then standing back up – around 20 times. She is just starting the stage of “testing the limits”…I hope Ali would have captured the laugh I was having to hold back every time she stood back up!
If Ali were in my home this am she would have been shocked to see me reading this blog while my naked 5 year old son jumped up and down in the window. (I was so distracted I didn’t realize what he was doing for a whole 5 minutes!) Then later she would have seen me chasing my naked 17 month old son around the house with a diaper! My boys don’t seem to understand the importance of clothing. Then later she would have seen us reading a book about green sea turtles before we watered our newly planted flowers.
This morning she would document my daughter awake at 5am pulling on her eye lashes. Gross I know but she just discovered them and loves pulling on those lovely long lashes, much to my disapproval!
Love these! This morning Ali would have captured me sitting on the couch, makeup half put on, outfit half put together, but stopping because my son wanted to nurse. He snuggled up next to me and smiled, and it made it all worth it.
Alana,
i had to share this with you, because, well. You will see.
Here’s the background, we are fostering a momma cat and her two adorable kittens.
This morning, said two adorable kittens fell asleep on my chest, it was super cute. But, my son kept trying to wake them, so I put him in time out, more about that later. Back to the kittens… I tried to get a picture of them, but again, they were on my chest and asleep, so I am craning my neck back trying to get the shot, no dice. At this point, my husband gets out the shower, sees my contortions and the absolutely adorable sleeping kittens… I ask him to take the shot. He comes over in his towel and tries to get it… no dice.
So if the photographer came to my house today, she would see my naked husband standing over me on the couch, trying to take a picture of the sleeping kittens on my chest, while I laughed hysterically (messing up the shot)and tried to get my head out of the shot and my son sat in time out reading “Max and Ruby” to Momma Cat.
Sorry, I didn’t mention my naked husband was standing on the couch trying to take the shot.
If Ali were in my house this morning, she would have seen my youngest son and I getting ready for work and school, our normal weekday routine.
He did great at day care (better than he does at home with Daddy!). It was harder on me than him. I’ve done it once before at 6 weeks, so getting three months with him was a huge bonus. It’s always those first days that are the hardest as we try to readjust our routines. Thank you for your thoughts. 🙂
She would have seen my child covered in blue cotton candy as we left Chuck E Cheese. My son bouncing on my to wake me up. And, my son running away from the car to jump in a puddle.
Me loosing it as I have lost count how much milk regergitation I have cleaned up today alone. One time included it going all over my face
I love the image of the heart on your girl’s hand as you fill it with kisses. So so sweet.
You would have captured me laying in my bed with my littlest as I counted his fingers. I tell him that if he wakes up not grumpy that morning, he has 5 fingers. And on the days where I have to go into his room to cuddle up and wake him, I would count his fingers while his eyes are close, and tell him that he has 6 fingers…well, that usually gets his eyes OPEN and he’ll make sure its still 5 🙂 Oh! and you would also be capturing me with warm heart that is extremely full and grateful that each morning I get to wake up knowing that my son is in remission from his Leukemia and that we have just 4 more chemo treatments and one spinal tap left on our 3 year chemo schedule!!
She would’ve definitely seen more than she bargained for, that’s for sure. With 3 kids, 8 and under, there is always something going on.
Well, THAT would have made quite a picture!