97th Street in Edmonton is an awesome location for family photos!

Driving Daniel to hockey yesterday, I am having a conversation with him about not eating his lunch at school. Typical kid stuff. But then he said something that amazed the hell out of me!

"Wow, what a great location for family pictures!."

What? A 10 year old boy just picked out my favorite location for family photos. The leaves are beautiful at Griesbach every single year. It has to be the best leave display in the City of Edmonton, but really, he noticed!? Men don't notice these things!? Especially 10 year olds who haven't even become men yet.

I decided that he must have been trying to distract me from my lecture about the importance of eating his apple and banana. I remember driving to Sweet Bay, Newfoundland with my dad who was angry with me over a mark from my grade 3 math test (because that was what made all the difference in who I turned out to be). In an attempt to distract him, I pointed to a hill and said, "Gee, there sure are a lot of trees up there. How many do you think there are Dad?' I thought it worked when he said, "Thousands....." but then he proceeded with the lecture. I thought Daniel had taken a page from my book of distractions.

Then I started to think about it. Since he was 5 he has watched me edit and proof wedding pictures and family portraits. He has seen all of the Newfoundland backgrounds I loved, and now he sees photos of the places I love in Edmonton. He has been seated for his own portraits and our family portraits . He has watched me Photoshop for so long now that I think that he could edit pictures on his own. He has on occasion looked at something I have done in a creative state of mind and said 'Why did you do that?"

So I guess really, I have hope for a great assistant in the future. He has the makings of one now, but child labour would get me in trouble. He will do a fabulous job of working by my side, as long as he gets taller! But to do that...he needs to eat his lunch!