Annual School Pictures

We had a photo session this evening with our photographer to get family pictures before the start of the school year.   We met in what seemed like an unlikely location: beside an abandoned white building and shed in tall grass near trees—at 6:30PM.  

My children were cleaned, their hair was done and my husband and I had even gotten into more than our typical summer casual clothes.   We met our photographer and her assistant and trudged through the tall grass to a partially cut section where we sat down and “got close” for the first set of pictures.

My daughter got upset about three minutes later because her legs started itching and she was highly agitated.   Calagel was applied and she calmed down once her shoes were off.   I was afraid she had some sort of allergy but I think now it was just the grass tickling and irritating the heat rash she already had on her legs.

We did several other photo configurations and then I got bit by something black and small that held on and looked ant-like.    I got several bites before I could dislodge it, mostly because my daughter was hanging on my leg at the time and my first two swings missed.     We moved locations and after doing another three or four group and single settings, we finished up and headed to dinner.

It looks like the pictures are going to turn out better than I’d hoped they would.   Getting my daughter to do a natural smile has been tough because she has learned to present the fake, “cheese!” smile when asked.    Deanna, our photographer, had some tricks that got her real smile out.

My son was very natural and photogenic today.   He doesn’t mind pictures, but he doesn’t play to the camera like he did today.   I’m looking forward to seeing the pictures in a few weeks.  

The Big Boy Update:   My daughter was cold at dinner.   For some unknown reason, in the ninety-four degree weather today, my son wanted to wear his San Francisco hoodie Aunt A gave him.    He was wearing it at dinner and when he realized his sister was cold he offered to let her wear it.   He helped her put it on and even helped her zip it.    What a guy…

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  We were packing up to go to the pool this afternoon, getting ready to leave in short order.   My daughter thought she must have missed a departure call because she said to me with a sad note in her voice, “oh no, they forgot to bring me to the pool.”