Christmas Pictures

Today I learned that getting three kids to cry at the same time is easy, but getting three to smile...not so simple. And for each kid you add the difficulty increases exponentially. Getting two kids dressed, posed and smiling may take an hour and fifty pictures but it is possible to get a shot with both smiling and looking at the camera. Getting three kids dressed takes at least an hour from the time the oldest declares he doesn't like his outfit and you finally convince (okay I bribed) him to put it on, the middle holds still long enough to get a hair tie in, and the baby wriggles around and tries to escape the tights that need to go on her legs. Then there is the posing stage. Getting three in the frame was tough so after about 2 min I gave up and off to the WalMart photo studio we went.
Okay, I know it's only mid October, but this is our last free weekend until after Thanksgiving and I just like to be early. Not to mention it's easy to get an appointment now, but early December, no thanks. So all three kids are dressed, hair is semi styled, and we are at the studio with time to spare! The poor photographer asked if we were there for Christmas pictures. I said, "No, we're here for Halloween pictures, they're dressed up as Christmas kids." My humor was not appreciated, so I after a tense minute I said, "Yes, Christmas pictures." Now just to get all three wrestled in front of the Christmassy backdrop. And after nine photos Indiana refuses to sit or stand and only wants to roll around and cry. Oh well, we made the most of the nine shots and got one that will work.

Want some photographic evidence? I thought so, here you go.

Two kids, relatively happy, in focus equals decent picture.

Add the third. One crying but looking at the camera, one singing, and one smiling but looking at something off camera. Oh, and not in focus at all. But at least they are all dressed and in the shot :-D