I have always been amazed by the beautiful pictures that photographers are able to capture. Why are all of the other newborn babies on the planet sleeping through their newborn sessions while mine are pooping on the backdrops? How is it that every other toddler is seated calmly on a tiny bench, holding their chin in their neatly folded fingers while mine won’t even venture into the shot of the light on accident?
Then, I became a parent. I was let in on the little secrets that you aren’t privy to until your status changes to “Mommy” or “Daddy.” I learned that photographers work hard for those smiles. I learned that Smarties are a good candy to bribe kids with at a photo shoot, because unlike M&M’s, they don’t leave a trail of chocolate to expose the evidence of negotiations. I learned that sometimes kids are put in risky positions, unsafe spots, and fields of poison ivy…. And no one blinks an eye or notices in the final proof!
Check out the below picture. Aren’t we cute? A mom and dad in love… Two small kiddos loving on each other… Everyone enjoying a casual care-free afternoon next to a red barn 🙂
The Truth: My husband and I were quietly squabbling over something. (I no longer remember the details, but if I had to guess, I would put my money on the kids.) Our 4-year old had just been disciplined for not being a good listener….. No surprise there, that seems to be a theme 🙁 Oh, and if you look closely below, you’ll see that our 1-year old is in the midst of falling to the ground. OUCH. At the time, it must have seemed like a good idea to let our rambunctious #1 be completely responsible for our squirmy #2 while we made out for a few minutes. Needless to say, we had to take a brief intermission to collect ourselves, wipe the grass stains off of #2’s face, and hand out more of those Smarties to get her back in the mood for smiling once again!
Our beautiful family photographs (and extra loving care to the kiddos when ouchies occur) provided by Debra Goebel Photography.
