the faces of frustration

every year, we sit the kids down in front of the christmas tree or fireplace or piano or front steps for the annual christmas card photo, and we ask them to please sit up straight, smile, look at the camera. look at the camera! smile! get your fingers out of your mouth! don't do that to your sister. look at the camera! no! yes! right here! AT THE CAMERA! smile smile smile! smile like something is funny! ha ha ha! ....sigh.....

then it turns into bribing frustrated and bored and irritated children with chocolate chips if they continue to do our photo bidding. it never really works.

anyway, we got a good enough photo for the card, the kids got some chocolate chips, and everyone is happy again until next december. the silver lining to the whole debacle is that, of the 100 photos taken, at least 50% of them are hilarious.

these didn't make the christmas card for obvious reason, but they did make me laugh. out loud. like, LOL. maybe you'll enjoy them too.

and my favorite: