nifty fifty (day 17, or back to school calls for back-to-school photos)

Okay, quick disclaimer.  The following images were not captured today, but instead, were taken about a week before back-to-school to celebrate the joy that we all (I am definitely no exception) feel at this time of year.  I am talking intense, staggering, earnest, heaps of joy that bubble up inside and make us wonder (sometimes aloud), “why did our kids ever stop going in the first place.”  I love having my kiddos around and I certainly don’t want to send the message that I feel otherwise, I just genuinely believe that I appreciate them more if they are not glued to me all day, every day.

So here is a mini photo shoot that I did with my youngest before entrusting her burgeoning mind into the judicious care of her teacher.  I will be doing a similar shoot for other kiddos at her school (although probably even more mini than this) in an effort to fundraise for the fifth graders’ class trip to France.

50 at 56 (day 11, or taking photographs can sometimes feel like pulling teeth)

Today is the kiddos’ first day back to school and yes, I’m taking advantage of the blissfully quiet afternoon by writing about it.  Nan was so excited that she (and I’m quoting her here) “did not get any sleep at all.”  I know she did get some sleep because ever since she was born, I have been sneaking into her room multiple times each night to make sure she is still breathing (you would think that at the ripe old age of 9 I could give her lungs some credit, but you would be wrong, I’m still checking).  By the way, I do the same with Grant.  There’s no favoritism here.  No Sophie’s choice-like scenario.  So yes, she was excited for school.  Grant, to his credit, was actually happy to be going back as well.  I suppose it helps that he digs his new teacher and will be glad to have company that isn’t his mother for a change.  Though they were both happy to be going back to school, they were not, I repeat, were not, happy to have their photographs taken to document the momentous occasion.  It really, honestly, felt a lot like pulling teeth to get them both in a picture, looking at the camera, and not grimacing at me or at each other.  No amount of, “get on that front step and look like you love each other!” was going to do the trick.  I resorted to, “Oh, look.  It’s after 8.  You both are going to be late on your very first day of school and we are not leaving this porch until I have one decent shot.”  So it was challenging and in some of the shots they look challenged.  That said, the moment was documented and that’s what this is all about anyway.  I will forever remember what a pain in the keister they were on the first day of school in 2015.

this is how they felt about having their picture taken. Nan is clearly very, very sad.

then Grant attempted an escape. it was a success.

Nan tried to make up for his absence with her effervescent personality.

she definitely put a good face on the situation, but we needed Grant back in the shot.

this is how they both felt about standing next to each other.

why can’t they just smile! by fourth and fifth grade, shouldn’t they be hiding their feelings. i.was.begging them at this point. Grant just wasn’t having it, any of it.

Nan loves when Grant is the one causing trouble. it’s actually kind of her favorite.

she isn’t sure what to think of his sudden change in attitude.

i wanted a shot of him alone, but he didn’t think i had worked hard enough for it yet.

close enough. i’ll take it.