Smiling at the Same Time?

Every mother has a goal by which she measures her "motherly progress."  Mothers rate themselves based upon a number of milestones that former "Moms of the Year" created and achieved. Among these are the following:
1.  Is your child sleeping through the night by 6 weeks?
2.  Is your child's pincer grip perfect by 8 months?
3.  Is your child successfully potty-trained by 2 years?

Another set of situations that moms use to harshly judge themselves often happen with visits from long lost family members or strangers in the grocery store...those standards are as follows:
1.  Where are your child's socks (shoes)?  Don't you know you need to keep shoes on that child.
2.  Why doesn't your child use his fork?  Aren't you teaching him the proper way to eat?
3.  Why is your child only eating cheese?  Doesn't my day old goulash sound appetizing to your toddler (Actually, goulash does taste better once it's had time to sit for a while)?

Obviously, this is meant to be funny.

Well,  I can tell you right now that I am no "Mother of the Year."  I love my boys more than I ever thought possible...but I never seem to have the right answers to the aforementioned questions.  My children are the ones who are up all night, who will pee outside on command (Emmanuel), and who never have on both shoes at the same time (Reese).

Really, I am ok with it.  I spent a long time trying to be a part of the "Mom of the Year Club," but it was absolutely no fun.  So, now, I have created my own goal....

I would like to have more than one picture where Emmanuel and Reese are smiling at the same time.

Reese with his silly grin!

Emmanuel cheesing it up for the camera!

I haven't quite figured out how to get them to smile at the same time.  And, I am slowly becoming ok with that, too.  Pictures...real pictures are supposed to capture the essence of the moment.  They are supposed to show the truth.  In 30 years when I look back at these pictures of my kids, I want to see them for who they are...not with smiles that are forced and tired...but in laughter that is organic and pure.

It is sort of the same with my mothering...I don't want it to be forced or to conform to someone else's standards of what it means to be a "good mom"...I want my mothering to be pure and true for what works for our little family...so far, we are having a great ride...and I am so thankful for that.