Picture Day

Friday, September 05, 2008
PICTURE DAY
Picture day.... the torment of parents the world over. I HATE picture day. Our school has 2 a year but the first is the most important because it is in the yearbook. I realize that some parents probably just put clothes on their kids and let whatever will be will be, but not me. I don't actually take my kids anywhere to get family pictures taken so this is my chance. Usually I have outfits picked out days in advanced along with hair accessories and shoes. Not this year.
Last night I was looking at Danie's school picture which was taken a few days before school started. I noticed how nice the white and navy she was wearing looked with the grey background and I had an epiphany. Everyone will wear the same colors. Chase will wear a navy polo. Jessica a navy tank top with a white blouse over it. Megy a white and navy tank with a thin white cardigan. (Danie wore a white tank with a navy v-neck top). Fantastic! The plan is made, now all I have to do is find the clothes. I spent half an hour rummaging through dirty clothes before I realized Jessi doesn't have a white top, or a navy tank. No problem, she can wear one of Megan's. Poor Chase originally was going to wear a red polo until I looked at last years picture and it was the red polo. So at 7:00 Danie and I go to Walmart (gasp) and get a navy polo and white top. The clothes are now set.
I got up early to get everyone eating before I did carpool for Danie. Megy cried the whole way to the car and most of the way thru carpool. I got home and thank goodness Chase is in the shower. Immediately Megan spills her cereal all over the floor. I looked at the dog hoping she would help but evidently she doesn't like Fruity Pebbles. I started curling Jessi's hair while the bathroom was still crazy humid from Chase's shower but I was trying to beat the clock so I didn't care. Megan comes in to brush her teeth and I realize she has a fever. This is where I have to sit back and say what is more important, my babies health or her being in her Kindergarten class picture. So I told her how proud I was of her that she was the only one being good not giving me problems, hoping that would work and she wouldn't freak out when she saw that I changed her outfit, and told her to go get dressed. She can be sick tomorrow but there is only one Kinder class picture.
Jessi's hair took twice as long as planned with a can of hairspray and we ended up throwing in a headband. When I finished she told me she has gym before pictures. Have I said yet that I hate Picture Day?
Megy comes in to get her hair curled and that was pretty uneventful put I did get her in the eye with glitter spray. She asked me to do it to the other side so it looked like makeup. I did.
They grabbed their backpacks and I realized that I never filled out their picture forms. $112 later and they stood waiting by the door because of course it started to sprinkle. I looked at all of them and apologized for how grumpy I was knowing that it would happen again in a few months for pre-spring pictures. I gave kisses and compliments. Tucked a collar, fixed a headband and away they went. I watched them go with great relief because Picture Day for me is over. The pictures will come and Chase's hair will probably be parted right in the middle of his forehead, Jessi's hair will be straight and limp, and sweet Megy will probably be looking at the camera like all she wants to do is sleep.
Why do I obsess about it you ask? To completely understand you would have to see my school pictures. Crooked glasses, hair sticking straight up, polyester outfits, big yellow bangs, blue eyeshadow. That is just a sample of my pictures through the years. The only good picture of me is my Senior picture and I'm pretty sure it's because they digitally enhanced it. We'll see what the kids say when they get home. I just realized that I forgot to tell everyone to smile. I guess there is always retakes.