Family Pictures- Part II

So this recent opportunity…

My family posed for some stock pictures for our local hospital.  These will be pictures they can use in their advertising.

Hospital Photo

We arrived color coordinated as a family for our pictures in the morning.  The kids were forewarned that not only were these pictures but they may have to do a little acting in them.  Not all of us visit the ER or the doctor with big smiles on our faces.

While you can reason to some regard with my two oldest, it is hard to prepare a four year old to what is about to happen.

And the shooting begins.  Kid one does well.  Perhaps not the best acting skills I’ve seen, but for the first time on the “set” we’ll give it a B.

Kid two is up next.  Let’s just say that I won’t be dragging any of my kids out to Hollywood just yet.

And then we come to kid number three.  Oh dear.  Things start off slow.  Number three wonders just why should she smile at said nurse that she doesn’t know.  Was there something funny to smile about?  Mom has to stand behind the nurse to even get her to look in that direction.

But things get worse.  A family shot is taken but they want to finish with number three and a doctor alone, after having the sheltering of the family all around.  The doctor is a very gentle and sweet guy but number three wants nothing to do with him.

Begin mommy sweats.  I have come completely unprepared to bribe number three.  And I’m not even sure what kind of bribery this undertaking would require.  Ice cream? Lollipops?  A trip to Disney?  What could entice my youngest to just even look at the poor doctor?

Number Three

Nothing.

Enter mommy and daddy frustration.  What should be a simple task is just not to a child. While the shoot wraps up for our family, I was left feeling all sorts of emotions- frustration, anger, embarrassment.  But also grace.  There is only so much you can expect out of one too young to understand.

So after we were home and dressed in our uncoordinated clothes, number one and two went off to celebrate their acting debuts.  And I was left to explain as best I could why number three did not get to join.

I think she ultimately got the message.  But so did I.  We both apologized and I figured I had to just let it go.  And that is what forgiveness, even for four year olds, is all about.

Meanwhile, I’m not going to be scheduling family pictures anytime soon…

#familypictures

Family Pictures- Part I

Not until you are a mother do you understand the nightmare that family pictures entails.

It starts early.  You work around breastfeeding at the JCPenney studio, traveling 30 miles with an infant around naptime to time your picture session just right and hoping that new outfit won’t get spit up on.

It gets worse.  Suddenly you have two.  A toddler and an infant.  Getting a three year old to smile at just the right time.  Hoping the baby won’t have a meltdown.  Photographers who don’t have children freaking them out with a furry puppet that plays peek a boo over and over again.

And then you hit the worse time of all, multiple ages.  You begin sweating before you’re even dressed for pictures.  Planning what to wear for more than four people gets harder. Your oldest has hit the stage where every picture needs rabbit ears or a tongue sticking out.  Whining and I’m bored faces are coming from everyone, even your spouse.

Family pictures are never fun.  And typically require a trip to time out, even if it is only for mom.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you all about a special project we did as a family that involves family pictures.

And then we’ll plan a few outfits for your next family group shot.  That is, if you’re woman enough to go there.

#familypictures

Summer Begins

I know most of you are in the “the fourth is over and so is summer” slump but my summer is just beginning. I can officially say that only after VBS is over at my church. We are struggling to return to “normal” here but I will have a new post for you soon! !