A collaboration between Boston Moms Blog and Leah LaRiccia Photography.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “The days are long, but the years are short.” Well, that pretty much sums up my life right now. As a stay-at-home-mom to three young girls, sometimes the days are very long. (I have pictures here to prove it.) But I also look at these images and find myself shaking my head in wonder, trying to figure out just how my girls got so big, so capable. Here’s a day in my life…

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Sometimes I laugh when people say I’m lucky to have all girls because boys can be so active and wild. Here my girls take turn launching themselves off the couch. (I gave up on having one of those houses where the kids can’t jump on the couch — or beds — a long time ago.)

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My 1-year-old plays her favorite game with me. She can close this French door by herself but then can’t open it again, so she traps herself in the playroom again and again. Humorous and a tad tiring at the same time.

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It’s a small playroom, so we often end up all being right near each other — for better or for worse.

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I love how much my girls love books. The baby is getting into the touch-and-feel ones and grabs my finger to get me to touch the pages (because that’s what we’ve always done to her). It cracks me up.

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Sometimes it’s funny how simple, silly games can entertain both a 1-year-old and a 6-year-old. Or maybe they’re just humoring me.

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Snack time! We eat at our kitchen table — an old one that my family ate meals at when I was a kid. Somehow, it seemed bigger then.

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With a family of talkative girls, I know that sometimes my job is to just listen. And listen. And listen.

I’ve moved around the table in these pictures for a couple different reasons: 1) I never sit still for very long, always fetching someone a napkin, water bottle, etc., and 2) the girls fight over who gets to sit next to me. It’s super flattering, and only occasionally a little exhausting.

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Washing up after snack. It’s so fun to see my 3-year-old doing things by herself — and feeling really proud about it.

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And then she’s on the go again…

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Time for a quick art activity, complete with show tunes.

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Anyone else find that their dining room table has become their kids’ drafting table?

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Another day, another diaper change. Upstairs we go! While I tend to the baby (really? a blow-out in the middle of a photo shoot?), the big girls show off their bunk beds. (And yes, that’s an IKEA hack: I covered the side panels with adhesive shelf-liner. One of my proudest DIY moments.)

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Sometimes getting this one dressed feels like a full-contact sport, and I’m often sweating by the end of it.

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I reward myself with some snuggles for a job well done. I can’t get enough of her soft baby cheeks.

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As the day winds down, we head outdoors for some backyard fun. It’s easy to motivate everyone to get out on nice days like this, but even when it’s rainy or cold, we try to head out for some fresh air. It always improves the girls’ moods (and yes, that includes me!).

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If only every day could end with a backyard swing.

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Watching as my 6-year-old stretches out her legs to touch the branches overhead, I’m amazed by how much she’s growing, learning, changing. At how much they all are.

Did I mention the years are short?


Leah LaRiccia is a documentary family photographer based in Natick who is forever grateful that she got to turn her passion for photography into her job. She loves that her work lets her meet new people all the time, and she loves even more that these people allow her into their lives and trust her to tell their stories.

Leah met her husband when they were both living in New York City. She misses it terribly (mostly the food and theater) but doesn’t think she could live there again. Leah is mom (or “ma!” or “mommeeeeee!”) to an amazing 4-year-old boy who is her best friend. They love to play good guys vs. bad guys, free build with “little Legos,” eat meals on their deck, and make each other laugh.

Leah’s been a Star Wars fan since she was little (before it was cool to be one), didn’t start baking until her 30s (and hasn’t stopped since), hates dressing up, and wishes everybody (including herself) would print more photos.

Jessie Keppeler
A Maine native, Jessie migrated down the coast to Boston after college, and it’s been home ever since. She has lived in various corners of the city — from Allston and Brighton to Newbury Street and then Jamaica Plain — before settling in Brookline with her husband and three daughters. As much as she loves home now, she also likes to leave occasionally: recent family travels include Italy, Belize, and Washington D.C. Jessie writes with a cat curled up nearby and a dog at her feet. And a cup of coffee. Always.

1 COMMENT

  1. As always, Jessie, you fill my heart with triumph and celebration for being a mom of three in during these very short years!

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