Have any of you ever tried to get a good picture of a 2 year old and a 4 month old together? It's hard. Like, insanely hard. In fact, it might not even be possible.
Let me take you through one of our recent photoshoots. These pictures were taken on a Saturday afternoon after they'd both woken from naps, a time when they're generally in a good mood but still sitting semi-still as they really wake up. I asked Katie Wynn if she wanted to have her picture made with Thomas in their matching shirts and she excitedly said "Uh huh!!" and climbed up in the chair.
I sat him in the chair too and we were ready to start.
But obviously the blanket and paci needed to go. When I took those away from her, her body stopped working. She could no longer sit up on her own.
So I sweet-talked her and promised her a treat and wrestled her back into an upright position, but by then Thomas was mad.
She stole her treat - a blueberry muffin - off the side table and consoled Thomas as if she hadn't just had a meltdown herself.
I'm not exactly sure what happened next but I think she jumped down and ran off and Thomas fell over, because when the pictures start again they've switched spots.
I tell her to sit up so I can see both of their shirts. She gives me this.
Followed by this.
And then she jumps down and runs off again. I give up and take pictures of Thomas who is much happier without his crazy sister around.
He doesn't even mind sitting up if he doesn't have to worry about her jumping over on him.
Sister returns and wants back in the game.
"Oh, you want to lay down? Yes, that's a good idea! Let's lay down! Isn't this fun! Wait, where'd you find that paci?"
I take the paci away again because we haven't met our quota of meltdowns yet.
Dangling the paci overhead like bait for a smile doesn't seem to be working.
Yes! Now all the pumpkins in the pumpkin patch are crying!
I give up. Where are the plugs? Everyone gets a paci.
The blanket returns and we're back at where we started.
My precious little rotten pumpkins win again.