So as we have already been receiving Christmas cards early this week, good on all of you organized enough to do that, I decided that it was time for us to take Christmas card pictures. I took some of the kids in the afternoon. This is pretty much how it went. Me: "okay you guys sit there. No, sit. Come on, sit. I'll give you a treat if you sit. Okay now big smiles! Say cheesy! Okay, you have to sit still. Now look at me, no at me, where are my eyes, look at the camera. Okay just a couple more. Now put your arm around her, no don't lay down, come on sit up, sit up, no sit up." And on and on. The kids thinking: "What great fun! I can actually see Mom's sanity slipping away. I know just what to do - laugh and run away from the pregnant lady, Mua-ah-ah-ah!"
So then after dinner McKenzie was a saint and came over to take family pictures where there was more of the, "no, you have got to keep your hands down. Look who's in the camera, is it Annie (Liam, Lenny, Cole, etc.)?" And general begging and pleading and yes, bribing for some sort of decent picture. Jaxon was actually pretty good through both picture sessions, but Sammi, oh Sammi. When Kenzie was over she went through a time where she was actually on the floor kicking and screaming. Awesome. But after all of that we actually did end up with some pretty good pictures, and a lot that need to be deleted after we get a good laugh out of them. Huge thanks to McKenzie for being an awesome (and free) photographer!
So I don't know if anyone else has had this problem this Christmas season, but I thought that I was all sorts of organized and ready for Christmas. My neighbor gifts have been done since October, the kids presents mostly taken care of by the end of summer (thanks to garage saling, of which I am totally addicted to), and everyone else's gifts all purchased and waiting to be wrapped. But the more I think of it, the more I realize that I have got a ton still to do! So much for being ultra-prepared and on top of things. Ah well, 'tis the season! Merry Christmas one and all!
