I’m not afraid to admit I hate holiday cards and photos but with young kids I feel obligated to show them off every holiday. There’s comes the pressure to get them out and as more cards from family or friends it grows more and more stressful. But since I’ve been pregnant for four of the holiday seasons I’ve been able to work in a maternity shoot too, so it’s seemed a little more worthwhile. And we also have a wonderful photographer who was my college teammate and somehow gets all the kids to smile and look great year after year.
Yes the joys of the holiday season. Leave it to me to stress over something that shouldn’t be stressful but that’s how I am!
So unfortunately the weather didn’t quite cooperate for our shoot this year today. It was cold, very cold. So this resulted in our two year old not wanting to take her coat or baseball hat off for most pics. And since she was so difficult, we may have some shots of her in the Shopkins hat she insisted on wearing along with her winter coat. Reese also shut down towards the end of our photos because toddlers.
The effort to get these “perfect” cards each year is even stressful. There’s the outfits which with five kids is a process. I have to find all the somewhat matching shirts, dresses, pants, etc. Forget matching boots, inevitably there were none for Shane so sneakers it is. Convincing the kids to put on their dress kids often results in bribes like we can get donuts and go to the arcade after since we go to Allaire for our photo shoots which is close to Jenkinsons and Point Pleasant.
Then there’s the parent outfits which our joke is we wear the same tops and khakis every year for these pics. I have the same color sweaters, one was a maternity top and one a regular sweater, I would alternate between pregnancies and these shoots. I quite literally never dress up so if I find pants and a fairly nice sweater that sort of fit my bigger than it’s been in awhile body and call it close and good enough.
So all this stress and all this effort for one card sent one time of year. Is it worth it, I debate this every year. But the kids are only young once. I do love seeing them dressed up in their holiday outfits. And since I’m biased and think they are really cute, I do like to show them off to family and friends. And thanks to our wonderful photographer we got some great shots of the kids. So in the end the stress is worth the hassle. I think. Signed one exhausted mom.
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