Since I never got around to mailing out Christmas cards, I am sending out some holiday cards today. They feature the kids’ photo that they got me for a surprise Christmas gift. The photos turned out great and I actually teared up when I opened the gift because it did remind me of the days not so long ago when they were little and we got their annual Christmas pictures taken. I cried, nostalgic for:
- Waiting forever for your turn in the studio even with a reservation.
- Keeping their outfits clean until it was their turn.
- The kids crying when they needed to smile.
- Acting like a monkey when trying to get them to smile.
- One would always poop just when it was our turn.
- Wiping away large amounts of drool in between shots.
- Debating what background to use while a very tired photographer waited, sometimes patiently.
- Propping babies up on stands hoping they won’t fall or move until the photo is taken.
- Refereeing fights over props toys that the kids fell in love with while there.
- Distracting them so they would leave the toys in there and not scream when it was time to go.
- Being very tired when it was all over with.
- Having to decide what pictures I wanted from so many cute choices.
- Paying a fortune for them when it was all over.
Yes, folks. So many good memories. That was what made this mom cry. Sad part is, I really mean it.
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“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.” ~ Rajneesh
7 responses so far ↓
1 Karen Vogel // Dec 27, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Oh, dear, I’m feeling guilty again.
2 Mary // Dec 27, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Karen – Just to set the record straight, I don’t think it proper for a parent to begin feeling guilt until their oldest child enters Sr. High. You don’t want to rush the natural order of things. I think you have many guilt-free years yet to enjoy!
3 Peter McCartney // Dec 28, 2007 at 12:39 am
Hi! We have amassed an enormous amount of family photos that remind us also of so many good memories from long ago. Thank you for sharing this story and all the best for 2008! Regards Peter
4 Kim // Dec 28, 2007 at 3:41 am
I am still going through each one of those stages you posted above which is why I decided to do my own picture this year.. I don’t know if I will feel the same way you do with missing it, because I did not this year.. but.. I do know that I can’t stand how quick they move from baby to a three year old who thinks he is 30. LOL
5 RaeJane // Dec 28, 2007 at 11:32 am
Lovely!
We always do our own photos.
Sometimes I dress the kids in PJ’s with santa hats.. sometimes they are outside under the large pine tree.. sometimes we are on a beach (that was this year’s card).
The pictures are not always ‘perfect’ but they sure are fun!
And if I’m yelling at them to “STOP MOVING AND SMILE!!”
No one hears me
6 Rebecca // Dec 29, 2007 at 3:11 am
Oh how sweet! I tried doing a professional picture of my kids for my parents, upon the request of my stepmom, but it didn’t happen. I made the fatal error of trying to get them to sit still, look at the camera and smile all before lunch & naptime. It wasn’t pretty. I much prefer the candids or even posed at home pictures now – my only trouble is actually printing said photos. Glad you got a gift that made you cry.
7 Patricia // Jan 1, 2008 at 10:04 am
Your listing of memories of the portrait studio were spot-on! Nothing has changed! I have 2 and 5 year old sons and we recently did a portrait session with their 3 cousins (ages 3, 6, and 9) as a gift for their grandparents for Christmas. Yes, 5 little boys in a sitting! We had to wait to be seen despite the appointment we’d made, then we had to pry the kids off the props to go to our sitting, two of the boys crashed into each other in the middle of the sitting which resulted in some tears, and the photographer waited as patiently as she could while the tears cleared up, then we had to choose which of the portraits to purchase as the gift. Out of 25 proofs, only 2 of them featured all 5 boys looking at the camera at the same time, but it was all worth it!
Grandma cried when she saw the end result. To quote a Mastercard commercial: “Priceless”.
Thanks for the wonderful blog entries…you’re right on!