Picture day one:
I call Kim the photographer. She says "I can do it tomorrow, Wednesday." I say, "Wow, great!" She calls back and says, "Whoops, I forgot. Dentist appointment tomorrow." I say, "oh well." We decide on next Monday at 4 p.m.
Next Monday Morning:
Picture Day Two:
There is a fair amount of weeping from a certain girl getting up, getting ready. We are all behind and it is only 8 a.m. Grace is finally dressed. I take a look at her and exclaim:
"Grace! What did you do to you EYE?!"
She replies, "Oh, just some of that crusty stuff got in there from the other eye."
I call Kim and ask her if she minds if we come with pink eye. She agrees. So I start calling trying to figure out how to treat the pink eye. (Do we have to go to a doc.? Can I use the medicine that's expired 4 years ago?)
Brittani calls and asks if we are still doing pictures. I start to tell her we are working on it, trying to decide.
Right about then: Emma cries and runs for the bathroom.
I call Kim. Cancel.
Then remember. I think I prayed last night... "If we should just not try to do pictures tomorrow, just make it so we can't."
Silly me... I'm glad .....I guess!
(Clara had a great day. Jumped on the tramp. Threw her clothes off and ran naked through the house a few times)
About a week later......
Picture Day Three:
Saturday. Picture time: 3:00
7 a.m John goes to work. Pretty stressed. Saying "well...I'll try to make it."
8 a..m. I take my shower. Dry my hair.
9 a.m. Emma and Clara have breakfast.
10:00 Emma and Clara get into one bath. Grace in the other.
10:20 Clara has a little accident in the tub. Emma flies out of the bath.
10:20 I call Laura who is coming over to help us get ready. Tell her not to rush. We are behind .. a little.
10:30 I empty the tub. Clean it. Bleach it.
10:45 Grace gets out of the other tub. Emma gets in and I wash her from head to toe.
11:15 Laura arrives, plugs in her hair straightener. Pulls out lots of nice clothes for everyone to wear. Fancy boots, great jeans, sweaters, etc.
11:30 Clara gets into the bath.
11:45 I call Brittani to see how she's doing getting her and Isaiah ready. She is shocked because the day before John told her we just couldn't do the pictures. She has made plans with other people all afternoon. Feels very frustrated. Doesn't even know what to wear.
12:00 I start to wash Clara. A favorite neighbor, who moved last year, stops by to wish us Merry Christmas and chat for a minute. Laura washes Clara's hair, gets her out, dries and puts a diaper on. She comes and clings and whines while I talk to the neighbor. I send Laura over to help Brittani.
12:25 I start to get Grace dressed. Clara runs around in just a diaper.
12:50 Brittani, Isaiah and Laura come back to get ready. Laura flies into action. Straightens Grace's, Emma's hair. Helps with my make-up while I argue that it's too dark. I get used to it but Grace says (in a very shocked voice) "MOM! You look so different!"
1:00 Isaiah falls asleep in the middle of the living room floor.
1:15 I put Clara down for a nap. She just plays and yells around.
1:30 Laura tries a few outfits on Emma, finds a cute one. Emma says, "Mom, I can't wear these pants. They are too big." I say, "Hurry, put on your boots and then you can play computer games."
1:45 Laura helps Brittani decide what to wear. It's a little tricky but gets figured out.
1:50 I fix a big plate of chicken nuggets. The kids eat them and play computer, giving us strange looks once in awhile.
1:55 Laura helps me figure out what to wear. I tell her, "I'm just not wearing skinny jeans. I HATE skinny jeans!" She says, "I just want you to try them." I try them. I really don't like them. I try my own. Laura says nope, too short. I put her skinny jeans back on. She has me put on boots. I like them a little. Laura reassures me that they are great. Brittani reassures me that they are great, and yes, modest. I try to get used them.
2:00 Kim calls. I say we're planning to make it by 3:00 but not sure we can. She says ok but no later than 4:00.
2:15 Laura works on my messy hair. Straightens it. Then parts it in a new place. I tell her I never part it over there. She works hard and then tells me it will go down a little before the picture. I am a tiny bit worried. Brittani looks doubtful and then impressed. I decide I actually like it and Brittani decides to have Laura do hers.
2:45 Laura Straightens and fixes Brittani's hair. I get up Clara up, dress her, wipe her up, start working on her hair. Laura is sweating.
3:00 It's snowing pretty hard. Wet snow. Laura starts ferrying people out the cars one by one, insisting that Brittani and I go one at a time with the umbrella and no kids or bags, to protect our hair. She brings everyone else out and all our bags.
3:15 We drive through really messy snow. Stop to get gas for Brittani. John beats us to Kim's.
Clara eats cheese and chicken nuggets. Gets cheese on her cream tights.
3:20 We arrive at Kim's. She gets her things together and rides with Laura. We go to the picture taking place. Everyone gets out shivering in the snow and posses. Laura flaps the umbrella wildly behind Kim and helps everyone stop crying and laugh for the pictures.
4:00 We all climb into our cars. I take off the skinny jeans and put on my own too short jeans. We all drive off in a cloud of relief and gratitude at having gotten the job done!
(Grace feels like throwing up and Emma's tummy hurts pretty badly- the flu has still been hovering around our house).
Thanks Laura! Thanks Kim! Thanks John, Brittani, Grace, Emma, Clara, Isaiah! Wow is that it? It seems like there were a lot more people involved that day! Oh, Yes, Thanks Kevera and Annie for spending a week trying to help me find something for everyone to wear in the pictures.
I was slogging around in the kitchen, trying to clean up the dinner mess and not feeling very enthusiastic about it. John pulled up a music station on his little Blackberry cell phone and set it to play 30's to 50's Big Band style music. He set it in the kitchen window and started helping me with the dinner clean up. We laughed that we could brag that with 60 to 80 years of hard research we can now brag that we have just as wonderful sound quality (you know, small, tinny sounding) as they did back then.
Grateful too that he even felt inspired so far as to do kitchen repaires!!! Yay!
One very reluctant Emma Angel
One Happy Emma Donkey 
One strange Jackie Joseph 
One Cute Clara Baby Jesus 
