08/03/2026
I drove eight hours to and from St. Louis solo with a six and a three-year-old last week.
It was pretty smooth. Until it wasn’t.
Miles from the nearest exit, both girls hit simultaneous potty panic. Full volume. Feeding off each other. The kind of screaming that makes your ears ring and your left eye develop a permanent twitch. I white-knuckled it to the exit, got everyone sorted, and got back on the road.
Yes, there were tears (many). And yes, there was screaming (a lot). And then…it was fine (mostly).
I think about moments like that when a session gets chaotic. A toddler who decides today is not the day. A baby who won’t settle. Two siblings who are absolutely done with each other by minute seventeen. Kids who just want to be kids, not participate in a photoshoot.
I’ve been in that car. So when things go sideways in a session, I’m not rattled — I’ve seen worse. Much worse. You don’t panic, you find the nearest exit, you get everyone sorted and you keep going.
That’s what I’m bringing to every session.
