Picture Perfect

One of my girlfriends recently volunteered to take pictures of my kiddies.

After I stopped laughing, and realized that she was actually serious, I quickly took her up on her offer before she could change her mind.  

I mean, really, did she not witness El's frequent meltdowns in the line at Kroger?  The ones where she wiggles her body in a 360 degree maneuver to escape the cart's seat belt.  You know, those ones!  For that matter, has she not witnessed E on any given day when he has various goose eggs, scratches, and picked mosquito bites all over his little body?  He is quite often a walking scab.  Not pretty, my friends.  Not pretty!  Finally, has she not seen my darling fashionista, especially when she is trying to smile her model smile?  Interesting, to say the least.

Apparently, if she had witnessed any (or all) of these daily occurrences, she still wanted to preserve them on paper.   Or . . . maybe she just likes to laugh.

Anyway, the photo shoot went as most photo shoots do when three rambunctious children are involved.  It was crazy!  E was literally in a tree, El picked the heads off of the prized tulips in the garden, and thankfully, Ab helped me to chase the other two around.

We did get a few shots that were super, though.

This was shot while E was in the tree. ( My girlfriend is fantastic!)

And this one is a keeper!  It makes me fearful for the teen years down the road.  I mean, (eek!) she is only seven!  (By the way, when this was being taken, I was fishing El out of the gold fish pond.  And, no, I am not exaggerating.)

Here is one of El when she was being jovial.  Sweet, yes?  Notice the wooded background?  We were in a local garden, and she was, as usual, off the path . . . way off the path.

And here is one of El in her meltdown mode.  Notice my hand is holding her wrist so that she doesn't flail her whole body to the ground in dramatics.  I love, love, love this one, and someday she will hate, hate, hate it.  Tee hee!  

Finally, this is the best shot that my girlfriend could get of the three of them together.  No one is looking in the same direction, Ab has got a death grip on El, and E seems like he is just along for the ride.  I love it!  Those are my three to a T, sisters and brother, hanging on to each other. 

So, I would call this photo shoot a success.

And, as for my friend?

She survived . . .  

and, she is still a photographer. 

(**** Seriously, Kim!   You are the best.  I love you girl!  Thanks for the insanity.)