After about one week of sporadically dipping into iPhoto to organize and clean out the mess, I’m about halfway through the archive. And a project I dreaded has become the highlight of my day.  Yes, Chloe and Sophie were adorable when they were younger, like most kids. Yes, they were silly when they were younger (and they remain silly today). None of that is surprising. But what is surprising to me is how much has changed. And how very little has changed.  I’ve discovered thousands of wonderful moments that seem to support the theory that personalities are formed young and don’t tend to evolve hugely over time.Take, for instance, these two photos of Sophie lounging in forts she built out of our couch cushions – the first from 2009 when she was four years old and the second from last week at the tender age of eight. Sophie has matured and grown into a caring and confident 3rd grader, but she remains our little Sophie Bear at heart.  And she still loves her forts.

And Chloe still loves her books. In the photo below, taken in June 2008 when she was seven years old, Chloe is enjoying “The Witches” by Roald Dahl. It’s the oldest photo I found that captures her engrossed in a book.  Her favorite pastime has not changed, as evidenced by the June 2013 photo below. She now takes a book with her everywhere, mostly as insurance against our conversation not being interesting enough to engage her.

Chloe and Sophie do have at least one thing in common. They love amusement park rides. They shared their first ride together in Paris in December 2006, which also happened to be Sophie’s very first non-car motorized adventure. Their most recent thrill together took place last summer at the New York State Fair. Sophie had a little anxiety about the speed of the ride, as evidenced by her hesitant smile, but wanted to go a second time as soon as it was over.

What is most striking to me as I sift through the photos is how happy the girls look in almost every single picture.  I like to think they’re generally happy kids, but when you’re living in the moment and dealing with their daily drama – and believe me, there is daily drama (it’s not weekly or monthly, it’s every single day) – it’s sometimes hard to imagine that they’re actually content with their lot in life. But the photos don’t lie and that, in turn, makes me very happy indeed.