Gotta Get a Picture For the Christmas Card

Weeks ago: Look through the pictures taken through the year. Yikes. There is not one picture with all five of us looking anywhere in the same direction. Gotta get a picture for the Christmas card. Mention such to family. Get funny look, like "good luck trying to get us together." Hmmm.

Last Sunday: Tried to get everyone together for a picture before church, but w/meetings and teenagers who sleep, sleep, sleep....then hubby who changes clothes immediately upon getting home, and visits, and ..... no picture taken.

Last Wednesday: Getting desperate and am no longer suggesting times, but giving orders. Picked up T from work at 6 p.m. Hurry and get cleaned up 'cause we're going to take a picture. Push him towards the shower (he works at a car/tire store and he comes home embedded in rubber and grease). Tell R to grab the camera tripod and get it set up. Too much trouble to coordinate clothing, so figure that we'll set the camera for black and white and that'll just have to suffice. R can't remember how to do the black and white setting, so I find the manual and read the instructions. What? It didn't work?

Boys: "Mom, we have to leave for mutual now."

M: "Wait, just one more picture. Go ahead and take it. Forget about the black and white setting. We just need ONE picture."

Husband looks at the screen, the itsy, bitsy screen, and said we got the picture. Good. Deed done. Husband and two boys head off to mutual. I take our ancient (only three years old) digital camera w/the itsy, bitsy screen, remove the memory card, pop the same into computer and bring up the picture. Yikes. Son #3 has eyes shut. How can this be? You closed your eyes on purpose? Are you crazy? Note: M still has camera manual in hand in picture. This same manual gets thrown at son #3 for purposely closing his eyes. By the time sons #1 and #2 come in from BB practice later that night, son #3 and R are in bed, so do I go ahead and use this picture or delay another day?

Thursday: Everyone is home for a few minutes. Quick, grab the camera and let's take a picture.

R: Okay everyone put on a black shirt.

M: Forget about a black shirt. I'm pretty sure I can choose the black and white options at the store when I develop the pictures.

R is very adamant about wearing black.

M: "I don't have a black shirt."

R: "What about the one you wore yesterday?"

M: "It's in the laundry."

R: "Go get it on."

M: "But my hair is pulled up and I look 'frumpy."

R: "Go change your shirt and forget about the hair."

Boys: "We have to leave NOW for BB."

Bottom line: We took one picture, only one, w/mom in a dirty, black shirt and boys needing to be out the door.

MERRY CHRISTMAS.