Cherished Moments, Teenagers and Tika
I walked into my daughter's room yesterday,
to put something on her desk.
It was one of those random moments we all do...
you go in, you go out and move on to the next task.
She was at school and I was doing my usual morning rounds.
On this occasion I sat down and stayed a while.
Miss Claire expresses herself in so many colourful and creative ways,
as teenagers often do.
I then thought that this is one of those moments I need to appreciate.
She will be off to college in the fall and with our move to Vietnam on top of it....
well, you can imagine the rest.
With this thought, I grabbed my iPad and took a bunch of photos...
for the memory books.
I added a touch of Photoshop to this one...
to me it says Claire...all the way.
This week, Miss Claire is participating in theme dress day at school.
Monday was Pajama Dress Day,
the image of the peace sign below is on her pajama bottoms.
Tuesday was International Dress Day,
she had to represent her home country.
This is when being an Expat kid has it's challenges.
She can never pick just one country and I understand why.
She prefers to proudly display them all...and she did.
From Australia, her 'Aussie Oi' t-shirt,
From New Zealand, her 'All-Blacks' rugby team flag,
From England, one Union Jack logo converse sneaker,
From USA, one American logo converse sneaker.
She was dressed in her International finest.
I would have loved to show you the whole picture...
but you know teenagers. Heaven forbid!
They normally look something like this...
Claire is a very talented artist.
She has a style that is unique and all her own.
Each piece reflects the world she lives in.
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I photographed one of her collages with the reflection
of her bedroom window in the background.
Mother and daughter create...a collage of life.
:)
Claire has a collection of photos of her jumping around the world.
I love her view on life.
I took this photo of her last summer in France.
Ah, to be 18 again. :)
While we are talking life...I came across two articles this week
that I wanted to share. I passed both onto my children but
feel they also have application in many other areas of life as well.
Feel free to pass them on.
I am giving a 'shout out' to Mr. H who returned home
on Valentine's morning with chocolate and champagne for his Mrs.
He is home for five days before heading off again.
Happy Mrs. H. :)
Lastly...if all of this is sounding a bit strange to you,
not to worry, it is known to happen when people are around me,
particularly with our dog, Tika.
Do you even wonder what your pet is thinking when
looking at you?
"You crazy woman"
comes to mind on this occasion.
Best wishes for a wonderful day!
I hope you take your camera and snap
a few random moments,
you just never know...
they could become the most cherished of all.
Jeanne xx
images~me
Jeanne,
ReplyDeleteI love the manner in which you share the moments that many of us are often finding ourselves in these days. I would love to share this with friends who have children of all ages who also are blessed to be at home going through the same routine....picking up after the storm, emptying the dishwasher, being followed around by a loving dog who is waiting for a walk...you know the rounds.
Thanks for reminding us to stop rushing through each day and take a moment to look past the wet towel on the floor.
Have a wonderful day!
xo Lisa
Lisa, you are so very kind..and yes, I know the rounds. That seems to be the best time to take stock and appreciate. :) xx
DeleteCharming. I'm very touched and, also, nostalgic about past years with my daughter. It just keeps getting better. Wait until there are grandchildren!
ReplyDeleteVietnam Nam! Looking forward to learning to normalize my American view of Vietnam Nam through your eyes. A friend's daughter is married to a VN surgeon--educated in the U.S. and practicing in Austin, TX.
Marielle....grandchildren! What a thought.:)xx
DeleteJeanne your daughter is very talented and she follows in her Mother's footsteps, yet goes down her own path!
ReplyDeletePS your husband has great taste! Chocolate and champagne.
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
Agree Karena...chocolates and champagne are the best! :) xx
DeleteI love that image that you have made of Claire's window scape. She sounds like she is very much her mother's daughter.
ReplyDeleteYou must be happy that your sweetheart is home for a few days :)
Thanks Leslie...yes, very happy indeed! :) xx
DeleteAww that was a sweet post!
ReplyDeleteThank you Carole. :)xx
DeleteJeanne how I adore Expat kids...for the most part all of them get it (there's always the ocassional one that feels super-privileged and behaves badly and doesn't), but most of them them know about being new and about being lonely and they know that they have no choice...so they take care of each other. They are brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI get too about the not having a country. When Jessica graduated from middle school in Tokyo the four of us almost fell over with laughter as we SANG the Japanese national anthem when none of us understood a single word. I know this may sound disrespectful to a lot of people, but that's what happens when you realize that borders and language and currency just don't matter any more and people, wherever they call home, are the magic.
p.s. I can sing five anthems now! LOL!
I can relate to what you are saying on so many levels Jacqueline... my kids can too. It took me four years, but by the end I was starting to get the hang of the Maori version of the New Zealand anthem. It still brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. Fond memories. :)xx
DeleteJeanne,
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post, "stopping to smell the roses" as they say. Life is about the little moments. I have been reminded of that alot the last few weeks as I am home with my mom, and I am cherishing every single moment! Although I miss my husband these past few weeks have been such a gift and I am blessed to have the opportunity to have the time. I love the image of Claires art and the reflection in the window...as you say, a collage of life. Beautiful image and beautiful sentiments from a wonderful mom!
I am happy that Mr. H was able to be home for a few days to celebrate with you. I will have to celebrate with mine when I see him next, I did enjoy though the flowers and the chocolates he sent.
Enjoy Mr. H for the next 5 days and your beautiful and talented daughter!
Elizabeth
Yes. The cherished moments seeing her growing up and doing things in her lovely creative ways.
ReplyDeleteA fun post with peeks into your busy life :) Thanks!
ReplyDelete