The Chaos That Is Motherhood in 12 Hilarious Photos
It all started with a traditional back-to-school photoshoot, as most fun things do. Anna Angenend and her 2-year-old daughter Mia commemorated the big moment, but then an idea clicked. "I shot the first photo as a joke about my real feelings on school starting up," Angenend tells The Stir. "I had a lot of fun creating that first photo and my friends got a kick out of the shot. I had plenty of other ideas to portray the chaos of being a stay-at-home mom, so I shot another photo, then another."
And like that, her hit series, "Mom Life," was born.
Since then, Angenend's photos have gone viral, most likely because they perfectly capture the chaos, hilarity, and love that every mom experiences on a daily basis. We chatted with Angenend about her journey, her favorite memories, and the most messy (but but charming) motherhood moments.
Take a look at the slideshow below and check out Anna Angenend Photography for more photos!
What's your favorite "Mom Life" moment?
Image via Anna Angenend Photography
Silent Nights? Forget It
"Mia turned 2 in October," says Angenend. "At this young age, every month makes such a massive difference in her development and personality. When I first started shooting the series, she was almost 2. Back then, I think she mostly enjoyed the fact that mommy would act very silly to try and get the expression from her that I envisioned for the photo."
Hide & Read
"A few weeks ago, we were playing hide and seek," she adds. "I was crouched down behind some furniture trying to reply to a week-old text from my friend and occasionally shouting, 'Come find me!' as Mia wandered through the house shouting, 'Mommy, where are yeeew?' Three days later I shot 'Hide & Read.' Each of the photos has a similar back story."
Santa's Coming
"The dynamic of our relationship evolves as she grows, so each new photo is a different experience or challenge for me," she says. "I can communicate with her better now, but she has her own ideas too. It's actually made it more difficult for me to get the photo!"
Makeup Mishap
"Every couple of months, I say to my husband, 'This is the best stage yet, she's so much fun!'" adds Angenend. "Granted, each new phase Mia goes through brings new challenges, but that's also what I enjoy about parenthood. Being a mom really encourages a lot of personal growth. Plus, the rewards always outweigh any of the stress from parenting."
Potheads
"She likes to pull a step stool up to my camera and act as though she's making a lot of important adjustments," she adds about the above photo. "During the most recent photo, it took a good three minutes for me to get her to move past sitting on the couch saying, 'cheese' to resuming her playing. She was also extremely particular about where each of her stuffed animals would sit."