So being the nosy person that I am I always look at those boxes they have in stores and restaurants that have a pencil tied to them and entry blanks you fill out. Most have a picture of some tropical locale and promise a free ski vacation to the winner. ( if you will just fill out the form and include your name, address, phone number, fingerprint, shoe size, social security number, etc.) I normally scoff at them and say "HA! They'll never get me to fill THAT out."

It was probably about two months ago when I was going in a smaller locally owned grocery store and I saw box that caught my eye. It was an ad for vintage children's portraits like this. Enticed by the thought of my adorable children dressed up like that looking even MORE adorable than usual, I put down my name and number. I forgot about it.

2 weeks ago they called and said they were coming to our area today and were scheduling appointments. It was 9.95 per kid sitting fee and included one free 8x10. They would provide all the old fashioned wardrobe, props, etc. How could I resist???? I set an appt. for 4:15, which would give me lots of time to get them ready after their nap and they would be perfectly rested and content and wonderfully behaved children. Bwah ha ha!

I had been prepping them for like 2 days, telling them we were going to go play dress up and say "Cheese" and if they were really good and did what the nice picture man said to do, we would go to Pizza Hut and then go get a lollipop, which are their 2 latest obsessions these days. (Yes I bribed my kids -so what it worked.)

I honestly didn't think it would work cuz if you remember- like last Christmas, or last week even- just trying to get one good pose out of 'em is like pulling teeth. They normally sense that I reeeeaaaaaally want them to be still and they make it their mission to do just the opposite. Last fall I tried to do a cute little pic with fall leaves and these precious autumn outfits they had and Lily ended up karate kicking the photographer directly in the old pumpkin patch when he picked her up to try to pose her.

However, with highest hopes I put them down at 1 for their nappykins. They always fall asleep right away when I put them down. Today? No way Jose. Nuh-uuuh. Hannah refused to fall asleep after 5 attempts and she was keeping Lily awake too, kicking, talking, and generally being pesky. So when it came time to go, Bob and Sue came over to help and the girls hadn't slept a wink. I said "Well this should be interesting." They said "I feel sorry for the photographer- he really has no idea what he's in for today." Normally no nap= crank city.

We got to the place on time and had to wait maybe 15 minutes but that was fine bc we had to choose the outfits. In one set they were wearing oversized Oshkosh overalls with the legs rolled up (bare feet) and various hats, props, etc. In the others they have on plain white oversized cotton sleeveless old fashioned looking dresses and long strands of pearls. He had alot of cool old looking props like an antique typewriter, birdcage, antique telephones, suitcase with labels all over it, chairs, ladders, bicycles, and lots of hats, flowers, boas, and stuff like that.

I was looking forward to another wild session like we always have where I'm wrangling them to sit still for one second together, but when he started they were like no children of mine. It was like robots or aliens had taken over their bodies and they were just being quiet and doing everything the guy asked them to do. He put them in lots of different poses that I never would have imagined them doing and .....they stayed! It was so unbelievable. It was like he would tell them to sit down, stand up, move a certain way, hold the phone a certain way, and they would just do it. It was like nothing I had seen before. I was so happy and I know the pictures are going to be absolutely prrrrrrrrrecious! Christmas presents- all done. I will hold my breath though til the 28th which is when they're supposed to be back. With my luck the roll of film will be lost or dropped in a vat of something groty at the lab and get ruined.

Epilogue: As soon as we got in the van the real Lily and Hannah emerged from their cocoons and when we got home they proceeded to whine around and wreck the house as usual. They're baaaaaaaaack.
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