Anyone reading this who has had the privilege of being around Katie Wynn in person knows how incredibly shy she is. She is the very definition of shy - around strangers she wants to be held, fingers go in the mouth, head ducks down or burrows into my neck/chest, no smiling or talking whatsoever. For people she doesn't know, she has perfected the art of staring a hole right through them, especially if they A) think they've earned the right to speak to her or B) think they can get her to smile for the camera.
She is the exact opposite of shy at home or around her "safe" people - grandparents, cousins and aunts/uncles (after she warms up to them). Obviously we hope that she will grow out of this shyness stage but for now, we'll continue letting her hide behind us and allowing her to somewhat get away with not speaking to people. It's just a phase, right?
Where am I going with this? Well, I was going through some pictures this week trying to fill up some new frames when I noticed a recurring theme in every picture that daycare has sent home to us: Katie Wynn is always wearing a frumpy face. Now, before you assume that it's because she hates daycare, let me assure you that she does actually like daycare and is her normal chatty, silly self when she's in her room with her teacher and her classmates (a safe place with safe people). It's just when the daily routine is interrupted for a holiday party (usually the reason for the camera to come out) and someone that is not her teacher is making the rounds snapping pics of every child there. Katie Wynn is not about to give said photographer the satisfaction of getting a decent smile!
I think I've gotten the frumpy faced pictures in chronological order. The first ones we received were from a Valentine's Day party in 2014. She had only been attending her daycare for a little over a month at this point. Maybe the one on the left could be called a smile but I'm guessing they caught her off guard while she was discovering that pink cookie!
I do not miss those pacis one bit. Man, am I glad they're gone!
St. Patrick's Day 2014 and she's looking beaten and abused. But she had a good day that day!
These are pictures I took of her later that same day...happy and being silly! Doesn't even look like the same child, does it??
For Easter 2014, she got to take her bunny basket to daycare for an egg hunt. Looks like the photographer was not successful in getting her to happily pose with the Easter sign.
You would think having Mom and Dad present for the picture would get a smile out of her, but even we can't break the shyness around strangers! These two were taken for Mother's Day (Muffins with Mom) and Father's Day (Donuts with Dad) when each of us got to eat breakfast with her.
This past summer's Water Day actually got a teeny tiny smile out of her! But these pictures are still kinda sad because they were after a mosquito had gotten into her crib one night and made her look like she had the chicken pox. :(
This fall she got to wear a costume for Halloween so she wore overalls to be a cowgirl. It looks like she didn't want to cooperate and sit up on the hay bales with pumpkins for her picture.
Funny enough, this might actually be her best picture with Santa Claus. Sure, she's making a frumpy face but at least she's not crying! (She still will walk past this chair on our way out of daycare and tell me "That where Santa sit!")
The 2015 Valentine's Day party pic is the most recent one we have. It's been displayed on the fridge for the last few weeks and Katie Wynn will point to it and say, "I not want to have my picture made."
Also, several people have seen this picture on our fridge and asked if that was her lunch. Goodness, no! That's her party food and yes, it's a lot of sugar, but they don't eat that every day! (Actually some of that is probably sugar free, but whatever.)
Also again, after this picture was taken, she spilled some kind of red drink all over her Valentine's outfit and had to have her clothes changed. And she got TONS of Valentine goodies from her friends and came home in the best mood!
So, our precious little girl is not exactly the biggest poser for pictures at daycare. I do know, though, that while she is being shy and reserved, she is also being a quiet observer. She can always tell me things like
- Ms. Hannah's full name is Hannah Grace.
- Abigail's daddy is a police man.
- Benton's mommy got a haircut.
Which are all pretty impressive things when you consider that
- Ms. Hannah is not her teacher.
- Abigail is not in her class.
- Benton's mommy also just had a baby so there's lots about her that looks different!
I am assuming that there will be another Easter egg hunt at daycare this week so another opportunity to have her picture taken. Maybe I will try to talk up smiling in pictures this week and see if that helps. Fingers crossed this will be the time I reach into her box to find a picture of a big ol' grin!