Have yourself a merry little pirate...
Ah, the joy of Christmas card photo shoots.
Growing up, my siblings and I used to joke that at least one of us had to cry while my father was taking the Christmas photo. Invariably, before the shoot was over, someone--a child, not my parents--always complied and burst into tears. When the prints were developed (do I sound old?), we kids always wanted one with a funny face. My parents always picked the classiest one where the six children were looking in the general direction of the camera.
When I came home the other night and announced that I had a coupon and we were getting the Christmas photo that night, there were no tears. The reindeer sweater went on, the camera came out, and I asked Louis to smile.
He announced matter-of-factly, "No pictures today."
Louis was willing to wear the sweater--and even smile occasionally. He just didn't want to look at the camera.
And even though his face is very handsome even when he's not looking at the camera, I had my heart set on a more direct smile.
After all, I don't need to tell you that this boy can smile.
He beamed at his cousin Lily's birthday party.
(Of course, it's hard not to smile when you realize you'll be allowed to sink your teeth into one of Aunt Katie's cakes.)
He always smiles when we visit his caboose, a trip we make every few weeks or so.
He smiles when he's playing with Baba.
He smiles when he's wearing not entirely Christmas-card-appropriate head gear. (Though I will admit I briefly considered going with a "We three kings" theme this year when I saw this shot.)
He smiles when every toy in the house is scattered across the living room floor.
Every once in a while, he does give me a nice cheese smile.
Still, I really wanted something Christmas-themed. So we tried a new tactic. I suggested that he sit on his ride-on engine.
Well, that made him smile, but it also made him impossible to catch as he sped around yelling "Fast engine! Fast!" And he was fast. Dasher and Dancer would almost certainly have been easier to photograph.
Then Louis thought of something.
I don't know what I might have said--though it could easily have been "Aargh!"--but Louis suddenly remembered his pirate hook.
Moments later, he was running around the living room yelling "Aargh, matey!"
In desperation, I quickly decided that I had no problem with a pirate hook on our Christmas card--not if it meant I had a good, memorable picture of our son.
But--even in pirate mode--he still didn't want to smile for me.
And no rounds of "Jacket Monster" or coaxing or pleading won him over...
not until he remembered he had left a piece of his Lego train track in the car.
So, forgetting our parenting classes for a moment, we struck a deal.
Mama would go get the train track piece out of the car BUT Louis had to sit still and smile for a photo first.
I should have asked for two photos. Live and learn. I got one...
...and then Louis took a flying leap off the couch that rivaled any springing Santa does to get into his sleigh.
Last year's card? Oh, along with a photo of Louis laughing and one of him in his regal Chinese emperor outfit, it had a photo of Louis watching snow falling outside his window, his eyes aglow with the light and mystery of the season.
This year's card? Well, it features a bribed Louis sitting still for a split second and giving a somewhat forced smile at the camera.
Still, instead of a pirate's hook, he's holding the hand of his buddy, the Cat in the Hat. And even if it's not the natural, candid smile I was hoping for, he is awfully cute.
In the end, Louis and I both got what we wanted: he got his piece of train track and I got to use the 40-percent-off coupon.
Yo Ho Ho Ho!
Too bad that Louis isn't carrying on the family tradition of bursting into tears during Christmas photo shoots. If you need me to come over and demonstrate this for him, just let me know. :)
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