Picture Day

Imagine the look on my kids faces when I announced that I would not be ordering school pictures this year. It didn't put me in the running for "mother of the year" that's for sure. No offense to anyone, but this year I decided to opt out of the ridiculous scheme by the photo company making millions on stiff smiles and pictures of your children that you hardly recognize and would rather not mass produce and send out to everyone you know. How do they get you? I have 2 ideas. First and foremost is the Guilt Factor. Who can say no to a photo of their own flesh and blood? And this leads to reason number 2. Peer Pressure. Everyone does it. We dish out money on silly pictures every year because we don't want to hurt our kids feelings or worse have the school secretary call and ask us if we forgot it was picture day because we forgot to send a check. Seriously. How many times have you had a child bring a picture home to you with pride and with a hopeful attitude you looked upon it only to discover that the photo assistant must have been on lunch break because your daughters bangs are covering one eye, or your son's shirt is untucked on one side. I know I'm being a bit dramatic, but I believe I have a point. Anyhow, picture day arrived and at breakfast I walked my children through the art of telling the Photo Guy that this year we were not going to order, just in case he or she assumed there was a mistake. My thoughts are, based on last year, they will still get their pictures taken and the photo company will send them home with packets advertising their sweet faces on every product they sell just in case I might change my mind. Last year they had 2 photo shoots. One in the fall and one in the spring. For the Fall session I ordered the smallest packet of pictures they advertised and it still cost a fortune. In the Spring when the photo shoot came around they brought home packets I didn't order and I was furious because I was determined not to order them again and had to send them back. What parent returns their child's photo? I guess I have probably emotionally damaged my children, I hope and pray not, but you never can tell. It will probably come up when I'm 80 years old in a conversation that goes like this, "remember the time you sent me off to school with "return" marked on the photos that were taken?" "Remember how I begged you to buy them and you said no?"... Well, enough of my rant. :) I really don't have a conspiracy against these companies, but with technology these days....I'd rather do my own photo shoot. And those of you who read my previous post will know that I worked harder than any one of those professionals just to get Sophia to smile. I practically stood on my head,  handed out tootsie rolls and almost did a cartwheel when she finally cracked a real smile. Well, my efforts were not entirely in vain and thanks to my dear friend Lori who put up with us (I hope she still want's to be my friend after all we put her through) she got these cute pictures of the kids. Who needs picture day when you can do this for free.... I'm just saying....

This was the very last photo taken....the looks on their faces say it all. I felt just like Eden...but it was worth it. :)