Living Arrows - Week 50 ♥

I am taking part in I Heart Snapping's weekly Living Arrows project, a photography project to capture an image which represents the magic of childhood through a parents eyes through the actions, likes, dislikes, looks and movements of your own children. Below is my picture for week fifty of Living Arrows.

 This week we went to visit Santa at Imagine in Fota Island Resort and you can't even imagine what we all went through for that Santa visit (see what I did there!). My boy had been out of sorts all day and when it came time to leave to go and see Santa I just knew that there'd be some crying and whinging along the way, oh how wrong I was, there was A LOT of crying, whinging, tantrums, screaming, floppy noodling on the floor not wanting to be picked up, running away and tears. I have to say I was mortified, have you ever had the experience of not being able to calm your own child down when they're screaming and not just any old scream either, one of those deep in the throat screams which seems to pierce at every fiber of your being? If you've also encountered this you'll know how I felt and then imagine that in a room full of people. Imagine is simply not made for toddlers, especially my little one who doesn't understand why he can't go through to the next part of the elves workshop or waiting for a train which was twenty-five minutes late. Even a chocolate lolly wouldn't calm him down and not one of the mickey mouse lollies made from crappy tasting chocolate, it was an artisan lolly from the Christmas market which was €3 a pop, if that didn't work nothing would I quickly learnt.

When the train did finally arrive my little one was filled with glee. His tears turned into giggles and that mouth which was exuding screams of horror just seconds before was replaced with a smile of chocolate covered teeth. He loved the train and I sat there watching his delighted little face with his backwards hat, chocolate covered face and designer coat (not the designer coat the first time he wore it! This was also covered in mud by the end of the experience!) I realised that this was what toddlerhood was all about, the rollercoaster of tears and giggles which make everyday an adventure and an experience to remember.