The morning after....A Mother's Day PSA

As I'm cleaning house today there are all kinds of shows on about Mother's Day.  One showed glittery crafts and projects that you can do with your children for a "fun Mother's Day activity".  I'm pretty sure whoever came up with that statement has never had the job of cleaning up glitter.  And it was probably a man.

I feel like it is my civic duty as a mother to let all of the world know that we don't want to do projects with our kids on Mother's Day.  We don't even really want them to bother us.  I love my children more than anything but I don't want to deal with them on Mother's Day.  About 80% of you are thinking, Yes!  Finally someone gets it.  The other 20% of you are liars or just haven't reached that point yet.  Just wait.  It will happen.

Now I love my little darlings and do want to be with them on Mother's Day in a fun and drama free way.  I guess I should clear it up for you dads that just aren't getting it yet.  I don't want to referee, I don't want to wipe butts, I don't want to clean, I don't want to prepare meals, I don't even want to dispense medicine or think about planning something to do.  Basically, I want to be a dad for the day.  Can you make that happen??  Maybe just for 8-10 hours?

My kids are older now (14 & 10) so they are pretty self sufficient.  Most things they can do for themselves or I just do because it's easier.  I haven't had to wipe butts in several years but I did have to clean poop off the dog this morning.  (I will not be doing that on Sunday.)  When my kids were younger, they'd bring home handmade gifts or poems and I loved it.  I even cried over a few.  Moms eat that up.  My husband would make a big deal of taking them shopping to get a gift.  It was a production.  The last few years I've gotten a mani/pedi gift card.  I love it but where's the thought?  I know he ran by the place on Friday on his way home and got it and that's fine.  But then there's all the questions...what do you want to eat, where do you want to go, what should we do?  Um, isn't that part of the "gift" too?  I plan 99% of our family activities, I don't want to plan this one.  Make some effort dads.  Put some thought into it.  We carried each of your children for 9 months and then birthed them...and for those of you with big heads...maybe throw in an extra gift!

What moms really want is to not have to do their every day tasks of being a mom.  We grew humans for goodness sakes!  Show us some love.  And this is the part that gets fuzzy for most men....we don't want to do our daily task....which is code for WE WANT YOU TO DO THEM!!!!  There's the secret men!  When we say we "don't want to do anything" on Mother's Day, it really means that everything we aren't doing that day, YOU NEED TO DO!  That doesn't mean just making the kids do it.  You ALL need to do it.  The morning after shouldn't be full of dirty laundry, a messy house, a sink full of dishes because we took a day off.  When asked what we want for Mother's Day, we aren't going to list chores for you to do because most likely it's not going to happen.  But that's what we want.  We want to be pampered and loved and appreciated.  We want to know that you see all the little things that we are doing on a daily basis to keep the children alive and the house afloat.  We want you to notice and say thank you without us having to point it out.  We want you to throw a load of laundry in and clean the toilet.  We want you to prepare a meal and clean up afterwards and be patient when everyone complains about what you made and one is crying because he doesn't like brown rice.  We want you to wash the dog and her bedding and wipe the poop off her fur.  And we want you to just do it all with a smile because you love us and want us to be happy and to feel loved.  We don't want you to point out how easy it was or how we've got it made because you did it all and it wasn't a big deal. Just do it and smile and move on to the next toilet.  Then maybe the morning after Mother's Day won't be so bad for any of us.

Dog with a blog

Have you guys ever watched that stupid Disney show called "Dog with a Blog".  It's pretty corny. The dog has his own blog and writes about the family.  Well yesterday I posted a picture of our puppy on facebook and a friend said I should have the dog write a blog post.  Brilliant, why didn't I think of this sooner.  So without further ado, here is Rebel's first post.

Hello from Rebel!
I'm an almost 6 month old Standard Schnauzer and am living it up with my new family.  So far I have it pretty good.  I've been with these 4 for almost 4 months which is most of my life.  They spent a fortune on my and then gave me a stupid name like Rebel so I feel like I have to live up to it.

There are 4 people that live here and I think I have them pretty much figured out.  

The girl doesn't have too much to do with me.  She pets me and will occasionally throw a ball.  She loved me when I was smaller and could put clothes on me but now that I've ripped two pairs of her favorite leggings and her new shirt, she isn't as thrilled with me.  Her room is off limits but when I do manage to get in there, I immediately grab anything I can get my teeth on like make up brushes, ear buds, kleenex, well you get the idea.  I just want to be one of the girls!  Her EOS lip balm is my fave.

Then there is the boy.  He's probably my favorite.  He plays with me and takes me on walks.  When I go on walks with him, I don't have to behave. At. All.  We basically run the whole time and splash in the puddles.  He plays ball with me and lays on the floor with my after school.  He wears these clothes that taste amazing!  His Nike apparel is seriously my catnip!  For some reason I get yelled at when I taste it.  I haven't really figured that one out yet.  My favorite thing is to lay on his back.  And he lets me!   I used to be able to go in his room and loved to lay on his vent but now he's building something called a Lego project and I'm forbidden.  I tried to help him build something but apparently when legos are covered in my crap, he doesn't want them anymore?

Then there is the mom.  I spend most of my day with her.  She thinks my name is No.  I'm not sure why but she calls me that all the time.  We play games all day long!!  Some of them include chase (when I steal stuff from the laundry basket) yelling chase (when I steal stuff from the garbage) you stupid dog (when I lick the clean dishes in the dishwasher) or my favorite which is mud on the carpet.  That game is so fun!  I basically go outside and see how muddy I can get in 7 seconds.  Then, since I'm black and she can't tell I'm muddy, she lets me off my leash and I run as fast as I can all over the carpet!!  I try to cover as much ground as possible.  I really think she likes it because she starts chasing me and yelling "NO" like she's cheering me on so I keep going!   Then when the carpet is good and muddy, I take a break in my kennel and she crawls around counting the spots...or maybe she's cleaning them up?  I'm not sure.  I just know that I won because she's really mad that she lost.  Poor loser.

The mom may have some confusion issues, I'm not sure.  One day I jumped up and knocked her water on to her laptop.  She yelled "Son of a bitch"  and duh...I'm a daughter of a bitch. Get it right mom.  Anyway, we spend a lot of time together.  Some times I miss her so much I cry for her in the night so she can come and see me.  She never seems as happy to see me though as I am to see her.  She also loves when I bark at stuff...like leaves, my bone, birds, the wind.  We are working on our relationship issues but I know in time she will come around to love me.  Maybe if I stop wrapping my leash around every single thing possible she will like me a little sooner.  Hmmm, something to consider.

Then there is this guy called the Pack Leader.  I'm not sure of his real name or why he calls himself that.  All I know is that after 8 hours of playing all those fun games with the mom, I am exhausted when he comes home so I'm very well behaved.  Maybe that's why he thinks he's the Pack Leader?  He plays with me and calls me his big sweetie.  He lays on the floor with me.  On nights he doesn't lay on the floor I go to the door 97 times until I trick him in to getting up.  One time he didn't lay on the floor by me, so I decided to pee next to his chair.  Take that Pack Leader!  He gives me hair cuts and clips my toenails.  I don't like either.  Last time he clipped my nails, I thrashed around and he ended up cutting one too short.  Looked like a murder scene but the Pack Leader hasn't tried it again.  Winning!  I'm pretty sure he wants to be my bestie but the verdict is still out.  I'm pretty sure a few more trips to Pet Smart and Rural King will seal the deal though.  Although we may not be welcome back at Rural King.  Last time he let the boy push me around in a cart and I peed all over.  May have to rethink that.

Anyway, every day is something new that I have to teach these folks.  I have a pretty good gig going here.  I don't know how often I will post because it really takes away from my game time with mom!  Plus with spring coming, there are going to be a lot of birds to bark at and mud to get in to!

Until next time!

Rebel

Guilty as charged

I watched this video today that really has me thinking.  I'm sure many of you have watched it.

Take a few minutes to watch it.  It will make you think.  I definitely am guilty of this.  Are you?  I find myself pretty much attached to my phone.  It's a problem.  I know I'm not alone in this.  Maybe you are better about it than I am but I'm trying to change.  This video really hit home with me.  

In today's world, everything is literally a quick click away.  While this is sometimes helpful, especially when trying to help my 8th grader with math, it can also be a problem.  For instance, I try not to be on my phone when I'm spending time with my kids.  After school we usually sit at the kitchen table and do homework.  They don't really need my help but when they do, we often look stuff up on my phone.  So then my phone is right there and they are busy...why not hop over to facebook.  10 minutes have now gone by and I'm still on my phone.  Granted, my kids are busy doing work but this is just an example on how quickly we can get sucked in and not even realize it.

As adults we are supposed to set an example for our kids.  If I'm that bad on my phone, then why should I be surprised when my 9 year old wants to always be on his Ipad or when my 13 year takes her phone to the bathroom with her?  They are just following my example.  Yes I can limit their time on their screens or only let them use them for educational purposes but who is going to limit my time?  I'm not knocking screen time because I love it for many reasons.  I guess there's just a time or time limit for everything.

Last weekend we were at my son's basketball game and my husband got him by a ball....because he was looking down at his phone.  (I can only point this out because I've been guilty too.)  Granted, he was answering a text from one of his students but still...I'm sure it could have waited.  I looked around at the stands and at least another 5-6 people were looking down at their phones.  Imagine if your child had just scored a basket and looked up at you and you were on your phone?  I'm sure in most cases, whatever you were looking at could have waited. 

Or what about when you are at a family member's house visiting or at a birthday party?  Are you really in the moment with that family or friend that you are there to see?  Or are you on your phone checking facebook, watching videos of someone else, texting??  We had a family member visit a while ago and my son commented after they left that they were on their phone the whole time texting and looking at facebook.  He made a comment along the lines of "I thought they were here to see us."

I'm not writing this or pointing it out to make anyone feel guilty because I, myself, have done EVERY. SINGLE. ONE of these things.  And sadly, I do it without even realizing it or realizing what I'm missing.  Granted, some nights we are just sitting around watching TV so I'm on my phone or computer but do I really need to be?  Can't it wait another hour until my kids go to bed?  Is someone's status or tweet really that important?  Probably not.  I don't want my kids to think back and just remember me with a phone in my hand or screen in front of my face.  

So starting right now, I'm going to be better.  I'm going to be with the people I'm with.  I'm going to stay in the moment and not miss anything.  I'm going to be more aware.  And I'm going to have you all watching me and holding me accountable.  I can't promise I'm going to be perfect and hopefully if you see me with my phone out at a sporting event it's because I'm snapping pictures.  I hope you will all try harder too.  Because before we know it, these kids are going to be off on their own and the moment will be gone.  And then you will have all kinds of time to stalk their facebook page.

Parent Fail

Lately I haven't been the best parent.  I'm not talking about anything significant or detrimental to their life.  I've just been slacking.  Tis the season maybe?  I don't know.  I'm not really worried about it too much but the whole story that prompted this post got me thinking about my parenting fails lately.

First, we don't even have our tree up yet.  Sure it's only December 11th but we've usually decked the halls by now and then some.  We've been busy and this new puppy is pretty time consuming.  Plus, I know the puppy probably isn't going to leave the the decor alone so I'm kinda dreading that.  The kids keep asking when we are going to put the tree up but in my defense, last weekend when I wanted to put it up, they both went to friends.  So maybe it's really their fault?

Then we have this puppy.  We love her to pieces and know the puppy phase is just a phase but oh mercy!  She is a handful!  I feel like we are constantly bickering over the dog which creates negative energy...or so Cesar Rowland has told us (repeatedly).  It's like having a baby all over again.  You really do forget!

So the big fail last night came when Bobby asked some questions about a song.  If you are easily offended or don't like butts, don't watch the following video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDZX4ooRsWs&list=RDLDZX4ooRsWs#t=0

I'm sure most of you have heard Anaconda by Nicki Minaj.  It's a catchy tune.  Yes, we let our kids listen to this music and I'm sure some may not agree with our choices but these kids are our's to screw up so we pick our battles.

Anyway, yesterday Bobby came home singing Anaconda.  They were singing it at school, then on the bus, so by time he got home, it was stuck in his head.  So he was dancing around the kitchen singing and then stopped and asked what an anaconda was?  Then proceeded to sing "My anaconda don't want none unless you got buns hon"  I told him an anaconda was a snake.  He was so confused.  He was like "well why would a snake care about someone's butt?  I mean, is is gonna try and bite someone on the butt?  That's just weird"  I did what all good parents do.  I told him I wasn't sure and to study his spelling words.  On the inside I was part cracking up and part mortified at my bad parenting.

I know we've all had these moments.  I know I have many more to come.  I think as parents we have to laugh at our mistakes and just do better the next day.  I know I've said it before but I was a perfect parent....before I had kids!  I learn every day from my mistakes but you just gotta keep moving forward.  And maybe eventually you will get your tree up!

So as I wrap this up (unlike my gifts that aren't wrapped yet)...I will leave you with some photos.  When I started to write this post, I looked on pinterest for pictures of parent fails.  These two came up....

Maybe it's just a coincidence but I posted the following on FB today from 4 years ago:

Um, wow.  Apparently this failing started a while ago?

Puppy and the Dog Whisperer

For the past 10 years, we've been blessed with an amazing dog.  She was a Giant Schnauzer and most definitely the best pet I've ever owned.  Sadly, she died in September.  Since I stay at home, I really missed her.  She was my companion, second set of eyes for my babies and our protector.  It was horrible when she died.  I always said that after Raven, no more pets.  But....the minute she was gone, I knew we'd have another dog.  My kids are still young enough and I feel they need a pet.  Not to mention that talking to a dog seems much less "crazy" than talking to myself all day!

After Raven died we started our search for a new puppy.  Raven was a Black Giant Schnauzer.  She was huge and we have a small house.  Plus she was 80 lbs. which made trips, bathing, etc difficult.  So we decided to be a little more practical this time and go with Standard Schnauzer.  We wanted a black one.  Which turned out to be quite difficult to find.  Apparently they are rare.  And expensive.   We found several breeders but had to wait until a new litter was born.   We continued our search while my husband binged watched Cesar Milan, Dog Whisperer.

Before I go any further, let's talk about Cesar.

I have nothing against Cesar.  He's great.  I do agree with a lot of his theories.  But too much of anything isn't always a good thing.  When I say my husband binged watched it, I don't mean like when we binged watched 5 seasons of Sons of Anarchy.  I enjoyed that.  There was a story line to follow.  Did you know that Cesar has several shows?  Yep, he does.  And they are all on several times a day which are all set to record on our DVR.  Every night for at least 2 months we've watched hours of Cesar.  At one point my son wanted to be Cesar for Halloween.  I didn't think his pale ginger complexion would work but he does have the accent down now.  If you've watched Cesar you know he does the "Tsk/PShht" sound to distract a negative behavior.  My husband is now trying this on the kids.  (It didn't go over well when I was "tsked".)  And if I hear one more thing about negative energy, I may lose it.  

So by this point we've all been forced to watch Cesar and had family movie night when the Bringing Home Puppy episode aired.  My 13 yr old daughter did not partake in the viewing and almost didn't get to go pick out the puppy.  Luckily, my husband and son had plenty of time to educate her.

Finally, after a long 8 weeks, it was time to get our girl.  We were giddy with excitement.  Names were picked and debated, a sweater or two may have been bought.  

A few friends told us we were crazy.  We were like...what??  I knew it had been 10 years since we had a puppy and almost as long since we had a baby but come on?  A cute, cuddly little puppy would be the best thing ever!  Right??  Right?  

We went in "Cesar" style with our calm, assertive energy.  There were 2 girls to pick from and we all immediately agreed on this tiny, cute little baby.  We named her Rebel and brought her home.  It was a 3 1/2 hour drive from the breeder's house so we made a stop at PetSmart.  She totally stole the show there and was the center of attention.  Several people were like "Good luck tonight"  "You won't get any sleep tonight".  Then they would laugh and walk away.  Whatev...we got this.

Rebel got tons of attention that night and stole our hearts.  She had about 30 minute spurts of energy and then would sleep for an hour.  The kids love her.  We went to bed about 11:00 and she cried for about 30 min.  Not too bad.  At 4:30 she started crying so I went to let her out.  And that's when I was reminded how much work a puppy was.  Her little crate was covered in poop.  Not just the crate but the blankets and her were also covered.  I scooped her up the best I could and took her out.  Luckily we made it out before she went a few more times.  Then she had to get a bath and I had to clean up the mess.

Have I mentioned that I love my sleep?  Like, I have to have it or I'm a mess?  Well she had other ideas.  It was play time.  I ended up falling asleep on the floor with her until my husband came out at 7:00.  I got up said "she just peed on the floor, I'm going to bed."  It was pretty much just like when we had a baby.  He had slept through it all.  

The next night didn't have any accidents but she was up and crying every 3 hours much like a baby.  My son thinks we should just strap a diaper on her, he's tired of cleaning up messes.  She does go out and potties but cries her little heart out when you put her back in her crate at night.  

Yesterday she went in to get her ears cropped.  She spent the night and came home today.  Last night my son said, "ahhh, I can finally relax without the dog here."  Apparently, he's also realizing how much work a puppy is.  We had a restful evening and a quiet night. 

So now as I'm typing this, my husband just got home with Rebel and her little cropped ears.  She's literally flying around the house and crying like she's on crack.  She is very excited to be home.  And has a lot of energy from being locked up at the vet for 24 hours.  Also, she seems to be looking for the kids.  Luckily they get out early today!  

We have to travel a lot this weekend for the holiday so it should be interesting.  I know that she will outgrow this phase much like a baby does.  I thought that it would help with missing Raven but I think it's just made me miss her more.  And why didn't we consider getting a dog that was a year or two old?  Ugh.  She's lucky she's so cute. I just hope she realizes that Mama needs her sleep.  And probably new carpet.  Until then I will just keep calm and be a pack leader. 

My dirty little secret

I have this little (uh hmm...okay big) secret.  Or it could be seen more as a problem.  I guess it's not really a secret because some people know about it.  And maybe it's more of an obsession?  Either way, I needed an intervention this past week.  Here it is....

I am *slightly* obsessed with office and craft supplies.  Yes, you are laughing at me.  That's okay, we all have our problems.  Acceptance is the first step.  

I'm not a big shopper.  I don't love clothes, fancy shoes or expensive purses.  I could care less about going to the mall or buying designer things.  But get me in a Staples or a Hobby Lobby and my supply lovin' heart pitter patters a little quicker!   And don't even get me started on kitchen supply stores....I have to limit myself on that heart thumping exposure!

Staples is my go to for office supplies.  No, I don't have an office or even work in one.  There's something about all the organizational possibilities in there, the different colored paper and labels for everything.  Magnets, markers, post-its...oh my!  I went in yesterday for a new wall calendar and had to really practice self control around all the super cute chevron notebooks that were on clearance! And don't even get me started on Sharpies.  If I didn't already have every color, I may have bought a few more.  They make everything bright and cheery.  

I love me some sharpies!

And when I go into places like Hobby Lobby, I just see so many cool projects.  I want to do them all. The problem with said projects is that I always have supplies left over.  I love to make hair bows but when you only need about 10 inches from a 3 foot spool, there are always leftovers.  

So why am I telling you all this....it's leading to the big problem.....THE CLOSET!!!  So you are wondering where I keep my stash of office supplies and craft supplies?  I don't have an office or a craft room yet I have all the supplies for one.  I've gotten WAY better and really only buy what we need now.  I like to buy school supplies on clearance and then I have them throughout the year as markers run out, things get broke, etc.  But then all the half used items come home in June and also get shoved in the closet.  Plus it's where we also keep games and books.  Add all this together with the kids rifling through it and shoving items back where ever they may fit and the closet gets SCARY!  In fact, by the end of summer, it was so scary and such a mess, you couldn't close the door.   Every fall I have to reorganize the closet and get rid of stuff that no longer works, is missing pieces, or is just junk.  I haven't done this in a long time.  It was out of control.  I'm pretty sure I had craft supplies in there from when my daughter was still doing Girl Scouts.  (she hasn't done scouts in 3 years.)  An intervention was needed.  And since I share embarrassing things about my kids, I thought it was only fair to post a picture of my horrendous closet.  We like to keep it real.  (this is also for all my friends who always say "your house is always so clean")

My OCD mom is now disowning me. 

So that's what it had become.  It was a hot mess.  Nothing could be found.  You can tell that things were just shoved in and then the door was closed.  Things were falling out.  It was bad.

It took several hours and two garbage bags.  It wasn't pretty.  It wasn't pretty at all.  I'm not sure how I had accumulated over 60 spools of ribbon and 23 additional folders.  I'm also pretty sure I won't have to buy school supplies next year.  Or until the youngest goes to college.  Anyone need Mod Podge because I have 3 jars.  On a happy note, my bedazzler and the heating pad were both located.   Luckily, one person's hoarding can become someone else's bargain.  I was able to sell lots of my accumulations!

Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!!

Yes folks, that's the after picture.  Ahhhhh!  It's so organized!  I just open the door and stare at it.  To say we got rid of a lot is kind of an understatement.  I think if we haven't used the 3 red craft pom poms in 4 years that I was saving, we probably won't need them.   Yesterday I was in Staples and Hobby Lobby and didn't buy a single thing except the one calendar I needed.  Progress.  We won't mention all the things I'm obsessing over at Bed Bath and Beyond.  That's a whole other post.

School Pictures

It's that time of year again.  Fall is in the air, the thought of holidays are starting to creep into your mind and school is in full swing.  The month since school pictures were taken has flown by and the next thing you know, you open your kid's school folder and staring back at you are school pictures.

School picture day is usually a few weeks into the school year.  Most kids are still sporting their freckly cheeks from summer.  They usually have a new(er) shirt or outfit to wear because you've just went school shopping.  It usually means a morning of stress and drama for most.  My daughter has massively thick, wavy hair so it's always dependent on the weather how she styles her.  My son just doesn't care.

We've had our fair share of rough "picture day" mornings.  One time I told my daughter she couldn't wear super shiny lip gloss to school for her pictures.  (I think it was 3rd grade)  She took it in her pocket and wore it anyway.  I had no clue until we got pictures back and she not only had it on her lips, but also all over her chin.  Karma.  Listen to you mom little girl.

We've also had the years of bad hair days and crooked teeth.  Not to mention, last's years pictures sported the colored braces which my daughter coordinated with her outfit.  We've had the year that we spent an hour straightening her hair only for it to be big and poofy by picture time...we've learned to go with curls.  And don't forget the younger pictures where I got to pick their outfits and now they think they look super dorky.

When my kids were littler, I went through a lot of stress getting ready for picture day.  I'd make sure everything was perfect.  I'd order a big pack and plan to send them out in Christmas cards.  I remember my mom cutting our pictures out and writing my name and grade on the back.  I used nonacid ink so it wouldn't ruin the picture.  I was all in.

And then I realized what a waste it was.  A month went by, the pictures came home, and I was always disappointed.  Don't get me wrong, the pictures were fine.  They were exactly what I paid for...a school picture.   I paid $30, I got a $30 packet of pictures.  Why was I expecting professional, studio type photos from a school picture.  I quickly learned.

The past couple years have been better.  I don't worry about it.  To me, school pictures are just that.  This is what my kid looks like every day at school.  They aren't normally polished and in fancy clothes.  They usually roll out of bed, run a comb through their hair and go.  So I guess to me, I want to remember what my kids look like on a normal, regular basis.   If I want a nice picture, that I can look at proofs and pick from, that I can guarantee a great smile and photoshop, I'm going to take them somewhere else.  You get what you pay for.  Also - did you know that you can volunteer to help at picture day?  The company that our school uses does a great job.  Yes, they herd them in and out but they are on the ball.  They really do take the time to make sure necklaces are fixed, hair is in it's place, etc.  I've helped the past two years and they do try and get the best smile.  Sometimes kids just smile gooney for other people.  I know my kids do.

So all that being said, let's get to this year's pictures.  I don't have my daughters yet but my son's came home yesterday.  As I mentioned, I don't put a lot of thought into it.  I let him pick his outfit, do his own hair, etc.  As long as his teeth are brushed, I'm good.  A few days before picture day, I noticed him checking out last year's picture.  I didn't think too much of it.  After asking what he was going to wear for pictures, I was on to his tricks.  He kinda giggled and said he had it planned.  He mentioned that he wanted to wear his Nike shirt and then laughed.  I didn't think anything of it.  I didn't realize he meant the same shirt he wore last year.  Once I figured it out, I joked with him that I was going to hide it.  Little did I know, he had already hidden it.

Picture day rolled around and he came out of his room proud as a peacock, wearing that Nike shirt.  He has two, one is navy, one is black.  I didn't mention that he had the wrong color on from the year before.  I considered it a small victory.   About 10 minutes before we were to leave, he looks at last year's picture on the mantel and then dashes into the bathroom.  He was in there for a while and came out with a massive amount of hair product on...just like last year.   So without further ado...here is last year's and this year's.....

I'm going to have to make sure to write the year on the back of all of these!!  Other than his face being a little chubbier, it's pretty much identical!  He was so proud of himself.  Luckily, I've learned.  I buy the smallest package and basically just use it to document the year.  I remember my pictures being pretty crazy (I liked aqua net) but it's so fun to look back on them now.  I want my kids to have that experience too.  If I want good pictures, I will get those taken elsewhere.  And since they got to pick their outfits for the school pictures, they know they have to wear what I want for professional pictures.  Mom wins!