CHICAGO FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER: MELISSA MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY: MADDING FAMILY:
My husband is a twin, and even as little kids he's always been super different than his (supposedly identical) twin brother. His brother is the laid-back, stay to himself type. My husband...Boundless energy, and center of any room he enters. One of my favorite stories of them growing up is when they were two years old, my now husband, went missing. His parents and older sister frantically running about the house trying to find him. Where was he? Well, this little two year old, climbed the kitchen cabinets, got on top of the fridge, and quietly (or more like sneakily) ate a box of cookies on top of the fridge watching everyone look for him. We laugh about it, but I honestly can't imagine what his parents must of been feeling at the time! I ask his mom fairly often (Now being a mom myself), how on earth did you do it? She says it was their norm. Everyday you're outnumbered. Some days were great. And some days there'd be a kid on top of the refrigerator. (:
So I give the super hero mom award (which really should just be a vat of wine) (: to Jennifer. How in the world does she a.) look like that after 3 kids; 2 of which are twins!) She is a babe! and b.) how easy she makes it look to just roll with the punches of kids melting down (somewhat literally, it was so stinkin' hot) meanwhile teetering the balance of keeping her family Covid safe. (Don't worry, I had my face mask on, but still, a public garden being outnumbered isn't easy!) It's parents like that, on days like these, in times such as this that I'm honestly kinda in awe of how they're able to do it. And not only do it, but do it really really well. With patience, grace, and understanding. Taking a page out of her parenting handbook!
