I LOVE holiday card season.
There’s something about pulling up to the mailbox in December, eagerly anticipating what might be inside. About bringing the stack of envelopes inside the house and opening them one by one. About standing in my kitchen, looking at the smiling faces of friends and loved ones both near and far, marveling at the growing families and sunny vacations and silly grins.
Now making my own card? Well, that’s another story.
I know I am blessed to have the opportunity to celebrate another wonderful year of our little family and show friends and family how much Buddy and Mimi have grown. But capturing that all-important “perfect” photo when both my kids are smiling and wearing something besides gym clothes and don’t have peanut butter smeared on their face?
The thought makes me break out in hives.
The ironic part is that we stress and struggle to capture that “perfect” photo…one that doesn’t reflect our day-to-day life.
Take this year’s card for example.
Sure, on the surface, it’s a lovely card, a sweet photo of the kids in my backyard. And — bonus — they look like they actually like each other. Plus PhotoAffections had some super cute card designs this year. In fact, this might be one of my favorite holiday cards.
But maybe it’s because I know what it took, and what we went through, to get that photo.
Tears.
Tantrums.
Swearing (ok, that was me).
Begging.
And bribery.
Oh, you parents know what I’m talking about.
Here’s what occurred in the two hours leading up to this photo…and what you didn’t see:
- Mimi, who has decided that she detests tights but wanted to wear a dress for the photos, pitched a fit about wearing said tights and launched into a full-fledged batten-down-the-hatches, I-feel-like-we’re-in-The-Exorcist tantrum for 45 precious.
- When we finally compromised on leggings that were only kinda dirty (bless you, Photoshop), her face was still all splotchy and there was no way I was coming at her with a hairbrush to calm her unruly hair.
- Of course, after all the stress and tears and insanity, you don’t even see the stinking leggings and you can’t tell she has about a thousand tangles in that hair.
- You also don’t see the $2 my kids “earned” by cooperating and the $20 I owed Buddy from cashing a birthday check that I held for ransom until we were done. Say what you will, but I learned to pick my battles. #sorrynotsorry.
- You don’t hear me yelling “Say poopie!” and “Say butt cheeks!” instead of cheese. Not my proudest moment. But, hey, it worked.
- You can’t see my eyes welling up behind the camera as I tell my kids to look at each other and laugh, and watch in surprise as they truly turn to each other and grin, their eyes smiling just as much as their faces.
- You can’t see my heart bursting when I look at this photo, which I caught “off pose.”
Okay, so I guess at the end of the day, being able to capture and freeze these moments in time (and my children’s personalities) is worth all the stress and chaos.
Because I know I will someday look back on these photos and not see the tears and complaining, but the smiling, goofy faces of my two little monkeys.