Sometimes you're merely disappointed. You didn't get the one you wanted, the quality kind of sucks, the toy breaks. Your mom never lets you get two in one trip.

Other times, though you have this ennui that you can't quite explain.  Sure the toy sucks, but what is still in the machine will rock your world. If you could only keep getting into those bubbles, it's all there for you to get at.  It only costs a quarter.

A lot of people seem to live their lives like this. They pour their hopes into their own bubble, expecting it to pay out in some grand way. 

The point? We all get caught up in dumb crap all the time. Be it work, petty politics in our little sphere, things outside our control. The best thing we can teach our kids is to look in the little bubble, realize it sucks, and pay attention to the cool, important stuff. Use the grocery trip to ask your mom to make those pancakes you really, really like. It's a better use of energy.

1) When I take pictures I'm trying to recapture the feeling I get from looking at old pictures of my cousins and me, sitting on picnic table benches (they were detached and red and had cut out designs in the legs) in our grandparents' back yard. The picnic table was under a couple of giant trees, up a little hill. The shade kept you out of the heat. In every picture we were laughing and grinning. Giant grins full of missing teeth and innocence. 

2) When I take pictures now I'm taking the pictures that Sean (my son) will look at some day and feel the same nostalgia. 

I guess that's the wonderful thing about kids. You can't relive your own childhood but get to keep creating it again for the first time with new generations.