Last week, Ari sat beside me as I edited photos from a family outing. He was fascinated by cropping. He has been taking poorly framed photos ever since just so he can crop them!
This morning, Ari accompanied Isabelle to her bi-weekly allergy shot appointment. There wasn’t an additional chair for him to sit on so he asked if he could take photos.
“Are you going to take a shot of the shot?”
“Mmm-hmm,” he replied.
I handed over my phone and implored him to stay out of the nurse’s way. He found a vantage point he liked across the room from Isabelle.
What I noticed this evening — 12 hours after this photo was snapped — was the way Isabelle was bracing for the needle to plunge into her skin.
Fists are clenched.
Ams are stiff.
Eyes are closed.
Isabelle has become braver since she started getting allergy shots in August 2021. She complains about the itchiness afterwards, but she no longer balks about the needles. I didn’t realize, until Ari took a shot of the shot, how unpleasant these shots must still be for her.
Raising Literate Humans 
Ari has an eye for capturing the emotion of the shot.
He really captured THE moment.
So amazing what our phones can help us capture and see later. I often take photos in classrooms to help me remember what I have seen. But the real amazing moment was Ari’s perspective.
I find many of my slices when I look through my camera roll.
Isabelle looks very brave and Ari is a budding photographer! It’s amazing how our kids can do hard things. I’ve seen Alex go from a young boy who couldn’t stand getting bloodwork or shots to a kid who would get steroid injections in his face (very painful) and repeated laser treatments. I, of course, wish I could take the place and do it for him but I guess it builds steel inside. Isabelle is bracing herself but is sitting calmly and accepting her allergy shot. That is awesome.
Our kids have had to endure a lot. It will make them tougher adults.
I remember needing a blood test the fall of my freshman year. I wanted my mom so badly. I made a friend come with me to hold my hand. Ridiculous. That said, our kids will be brave enough so that they aren’t whining for their mommies when they’re 18 (like me).
Your son gets interested in some interesting things!
So true!
I see she looks so grown up here. She also looks brave and strong!
She’s got 5 inches to go ’til she meets my height!
Wow! Ari took a great photo! Did he use the phone camera or his little camera? Oh, how many allergy shots will Isabelle need? Will this be a summer/fall thing for her?
He borrowed my iPhone.
In terms of allergy shots, she gets two every other week since she’s past the weekly visits. Once April rolls around it’s once every three weeks. Then, by mid-July, she’ll only have to go every four weeks. That’ll be great since she won’t have to miss as much school next year.
oh my – a great photo but also I realized how long I have been here at Two Writing Teachers and following your blog and your children. She is all grown up in so many ways. I remember a little one. The photo took me by surprise. What a beautiful young lady. Thanks for sharing this moment with us!
The SOLSC is almost as old as my marriage so people who’ve been here for a while — like you 🙂 — have really seen me go from no kids to, well, this! Even though I’m in my mid-40s, I still cannot believe that I have a pre-teenager!
Wow! Love the shot of the shot…and the story the image tells. There’s probably another slice here!
What a great shot of a brave strong girl!
My daughter is diabetic and would have to give herself 4 shots a day (until she got a pump to deliver her insulin) and my son just started bi-weekly shots for his extreme eczema. I wish I could take it away from them and put it all on me, but our kids will be some of the toughest adults in a few short years!
Indeed! And that’s a good thing! I once watched my boss (at an internship over 20+ years ago), who was a tall guy in his early 40s, practically cry when he got his flu shot during the office flu shot clinic. At least our kids won’t be that guy!
Oh brave girl and such a great shot (unintended pun!)! I guess the anticipation of having something regularly must be quite stressful. Glad to hear she doesn’t have to have them as often now.