Anna Gets a New Look

 

 So, last Saturday I went to pick up the kids from the Kesners. Tawny and Brian took care of the younger four so that Maren could have a slumber party at our house. I had a Groupon for a family picture at Target to use that day, and I was running a little late. I planned to get the kiddos showered and dressed in the hour before our appointment. After chatting a few minutes and loading kids in the car, we realized we were missing Annalisa. We called throughout the house and no one answered. I heard Tawny searching upstairs, then I heard her say, "Oh no." She said it quietly and seriously, and I knew there was trouble upstairs with the girls. I braced myself for the bad news and went upstairs.

There stood Aubree and Annalisa- Aubree holding scissors and Anna with a pile of blonde hair at her feet. I think I would've been less surprised if she had been bleeding or throwing up. I took a closer look at her uneven locks and was at loss of what to do next. I can't remember what I said or did after that, but I vaguely realized I was freaking out. Tawny came to my rescue then. She called her friend who cuts hair and stopped her from leaving her house. Her kids were already loaded in the car ready to go to the Goodwill. She kindly changed her plans, and Tawny rushed Anna over to her house for the emergency haircut.

I took the others home to get ready for the picture, Trevor and Maren were also freaking out about Anna's hair, and Adam was saying over and over that it will grow back- the voice of reason for the rest of us. Then we returned for Annalisa. She was looking much better. I needed some time to get used to her new look, but now I quite like it. I will miss fixing her long hair, but on the bright side, it stays cleaner and tangle-free mostly. Getting her ready is very fast now. It curls up a little more than before.

Anyway, about the picture- It was horrible, but it wasn't Aubree's and Anna's fault. I would put the blame on Alec and the photographer this time. She took a handful of shots and expected to be rewarded with nice pictures. She had the ratio all wrong. We need about 50-60 shots taken for each successful picture. Alec made his usual crazy faces, Trevor and Adam blinked at all the wrong times,  fake smiles abounded, and Geoff was grimacing as he knelt on his bad knees.There wasn't a single picture that I would even settle for. They were that bad. I had already set the family free to shop at Target. The studio was closing- we were the last ones. I begged her to try just a few more, this time of just the kids. I thought it would improve the odds.

 I frantically ran around the store trying to collect everyone. Adam and Maren had even left the store, but Maren had her cell phone and we called her back. I grabbed a bag of gummy bears and waved it around behind the camera while she took five more pictures. I soon as I saw them all looking up at the camera and heard the click, and I said "that's it!"  This time we got one, just one, decent (actually quite mediocre) picture. It was enough for me. I couldn't get out of there soon enough.

I sent to the family out to the car so I could quickly take care of the details of choosing the obvious portrait choice with the salesperson. It was not to be that simple. I sat there grimacing while she arranged our unbelievably bad pictures into various compositions and collages. I told her repeatedly that I just wanted the one big one that came with the Groupon, but to no avail. The family had to wait another 20 minutes in the car while she and I suffered through looking at our terrible family pictures in 100 different ways. She was just doing her job. Finally I convinced her that I really did just want the one picture. I was finally free.
Now I know why I never do this. Seriously, we have never done this. I've always relied on Linda. (and more recently April)

And I may never go to another studio- unless it's Linda's studio.