I just read a photography tutorial that I found on Pinterest over at tater tots and jello on taking real-life pictures.  It is a good reminder not to save the camera for the staged events in life (i.e. birthday parties, sports, vacations) but to document the day-to-day things as well.  In her tips on photographing real life events, she also encourages us to “be real”; don’t clean up the house and make life look different than it really is, show your life for what it is.  That inspired me to pull out these pictures I took a couple weeks ago.  My kids in their pj’s at 10 am on a Wednesday morning, not doing homework, not reading great literature, not sitting around the table with me doing a great craft, but doing what they love to do most–playing video games.  Yes, this is real life in our house.

In the pictures above, boy #2 “helps” boy #5 play Mario Cart–it’s the ultimate sacrifice, as you can tell.  Apparently, boy #5 can’t win if he plays this game on his own, so his older brothers “need” to play for him.  It’s the very definition of brotherly love.  Below, boys #3 and 4 watch their brothers play video games intently, because the only thing better than playing video games yourself is watching someone play them…if you’re a boy.