I have a summer tradition that absolutely cannot be missed. For the past several years, it has gone a little like this:
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
The best thing about all of those photos is that the drama involved in getting the photos taken has always melted away shortly after it happened. If I think about it, I can recall which years were particularly painful, but it requires thought.
I don't believe in thought.
But if I do give thought a chance, I remember that pretty much every year something has made the process complicated. Some years I couldn't find the white sundress, some years there were problems with acquiring the daisies (they grow in my garden--I've had them since college and have transplanted/divided them all along the way), and often the photography studio is a BIG GIANT PAIN IN THE ASS.
Last year stands out as a perfect example of that.
Last year was so bad that when it came time to take this year's photo, I started convulsing and muttering things about how you can't make me walk into that photo studio in the mall because it is a hellmouth and the devil with the camera will eat my soul and NOOOOOOOO!
So I took the photos myself.
EXCEPT. I forgot a few key things.
1. Alexis' willingness to have *me* take her photo is somewhere between HELL NO and ARE YOU KIDDING ME. Sometimes she poses for me. Most of the time she does not. If I spend half an hour ironing a background and setting up lighting? OF COURSE SHE WON'T STAND THERE.
I had to go to war with a 6-year old in order to get two shots out of her. TWO. That's all she let me get.
2. I don't print photos. Like, ever. I have thousands and thousands of photos of the kid, but I can't seem to get my act together and get them printed. Framing them? That's a whole other level of HAHAHAHAHAHA! AS IF!
That's to say I took this photo over a month ago and haven't done a damn thing with it. If we had gone to the mall, a framed print would be hanging on the wall by now.
WHOOPS.
Oh well, at least I've managed to keep up with the tradition, even if the results aren't quite what I had in mind.
