I decided that the BEST Xmas present I could give to Skip would be for all of us to get gussied up and have our picture taken. I shopped and I shopped and I SHOPPED for just the right outfits for us to wear. It's very hard to get things -just- right when we only have the kids every other weekend. So I had to pretty much wing it. One half hour before we were to leave, Ben put his sweater on. *THUD* It LOOKED like it would fit??!!! What if we just put him on STILTS?! Down to the laundry room we go. Why is it when you WANT something to shrink, it won't? NO time to ponder this...we have an appointment in 15 minutes! I tell Ben to tuck it in....uh, more.......a little more......keeeeeeep going......about another 10 inches should do the trick. Now mind you, I haven't had small children in uh err well...lots of years :) so I wasn't quite in shape to take this "little" project on. I forgot the part about kids wanting to WRESTLE on the livingroom floor after getting dressed and hair combed. I also didn't take into consideration that our white cat, Blackie, would be a part of this photo shoot....some families like including their pets in family portraits, WE travel light and only took his fur :) I was afraid that because Becky doesn't like dressing up she would frown to and from the studio but much to my surprise - she had FUN! After a lot of whimpering about being in *gasp* CURLERS, she looked in the mirror and called herself a "Princess" After a morning of rushing, panic attacks, touch up after touch up, we got to the studio in one piece and these portraits came out great! Mission accomplished. *pant* *pant* Becky asked if we could do this EVERY year! Uhhh...wha?
