“Smile! Please just stop making that face and look at the camera. Okay, no — stop touching your brother. Just. Smile. One good picture! That’s all Mommy wants!”

Sound familiar?

How many of you have said some version of this while sweating through a “quick family photo”? 🙋‍♀️

Because let’s be honest — behind every perfect family photo is a parent quietly (or loudly) threatening their children with the loss of snacks, screen time, or future joy unless they JUST LOOK AND SMILE.

What You Don’t See in the Picture

You don’t see the meltdown 2 minutes before the shutter clicks.
You don’t see the bribes, the bargaining, or the staged “act like you like each other” poses.
You don’t see the mom crouched behind the camera making wild faces and promises she has no intention of keeping.

You just see the photo — the one where everyone is mostly looking forward, mostly smiling, and looking like we’re having the time of our lives.

But You Know What I Remember?

I remember the fit that came before the photo, and then the hug that came after.
The haggling. The pouty lips. The reluctant, slightly suspicious smile.
The way one of my twins tried to sit on the other one because “there wasn’t enough room.”
The way I hissed, “Just ACT like you like each other for 10 seconds!”

Those are the moments that stick with me.

Because those real moments — the chaotic, imperfect, messy ones — are where the memories really are. That’s when my boys are often having the most fun. That’s when I see the biggest belly laughs, the funniest expressions, and the truest versions of our life together.

So Sure, I’ll Post the Cute Photos…

I’m totally guilty of sharing the one where we look put-together. Where no one is mid-scream or mid-eye-roll. But the ones I love the most?

The ones with scrunched-up noses, windblown hair, sideways hugs, and the chaos that defines us.

Because perfect pictures are nice.

But real moments?
Those are magic.