Avoid picture Christmas Cards.
I am assuming you all received your cards or will soon, so now I can blog about the fun filled experience of how they were created. Now to give my kids credit, their mother has not leared a thing in almost 4 years. Why why why did I try to take the card picture the same day we went to see Santa?! I guess I was in the fa la la spirit...or maybe it was because Emma would not shut up about putting on her Christmas jammies.....and subsequently about not taking them off.
Task, get my 3 1/2 year old to hold her 2 1/2 month old brother and get them both to smile for the camera. Easy right? HELL NO! One would think that it would be the baby that was the problem....nope, he smiled alot. It was Emma. Miss diva herself. "Emma, just smile and keep looking at the camera while I get Nathan to smile." Eyes to the left. "Emma look at the camera" followed my stupid sounds to get Nathan to smile. Eyes to the right. "Emma the camera". Fake smile, and so on. Now Nathan starts slipping (note, leather chair not a good idea) and Emma decides to hold him "close" around the neck. Struggling for air ensues prompting Emma to announce she does not want to smile or hold Nathan any longer. Fabulous......repeat above directions with threats of no TV, or naptime, etc. Can you feel the Christmas spirit now? Can you feel the overwhelming love for my children? The butt shots came out ...good angle. Who needs faces and smiles?
So then the task of picking out a card. I had a good pic of their smiles and a good pic of their bottoms. So all I need to do is find a 4x8 photo card with a spot for 2 pics. So I searched shutterfly since I had a coupon and Snapfish since I use them for everything. Did you know that 1-9 pictures does not mean that you can do 2? Oooooo Nooo Nooo Nooo, it is 1, 3, 4 or 9! In fact there was not one card with 2 openings. So after an hour of searcing and dispensing holiday cheer in the form of curse words, I went back to the pics and got the best one I could find. My little faker and a baby who was sick of the flash!
Now on to the actual sending of cards. It really is a nice idea and all, but I am starting to think we send way too many. I mean I ordered 80 cards. Off go cards to Aunt so and so and friend of mother in law and step grandma with dementia who doesn't even know I have kids. Off go cards to people I have not seen in over 2 years. Off go cards to family members who barely even acknowledged I had a baby, or didn't acknowlege at all. Why you ask? Well I guess it is etiquette, but each year I really hate it more. I mean all the people I care about , you guys :), hear from me throughout the year, get pics of the kids often and actually keep in touch. I want to send them to you guys, however you see the kids pics all the time. So do you really need another one? Maybe we should just avoid cards all together and pick up the phone to wish each other a Merry Christmas. And all those other people will just have to ask if they want to see pics of the kids, or better yet come visit. Is this horrible of me?
Ah the holidays. The wonder and excitement of children really means the repetition of "how many days till Christmas", "Can we wrap presents?", " I want that", "Are we bringing presents to Grandmas?", "What do you like best about Christmas?", "What do you want for Christmas?", "You can get me ____.", "Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy!" Thank the weight watchers Gods for giving each serving of alcohol points, otherwise Mommy would be in the bag...or Santa's sack, since it is Christmas.
Enjoy the outtakes. ( I deleted all the really bad ones ).....
