Picture Day

I have a mental block about School Picture Days - it is my own personal waterloo. I mark it on calendars and remind myself not to forget and tell the children to remind me not to forget and put notes in the car so I won't forget, but still I find myself walking into school holding the hand of a kid wearing a Hello Kitty t-shirt and bicycle shorts on Picture Day.

It's particularly ironic because my Mom often forgot Picture Day and there are multiple class photos of my sister and I in Mickey Mouse t-shirts and stretched out sundresses with crazy hair looking very surprised to be having our pictures taken. We've mocked her endlessly over those photos so this is totally karma coming back to haunt me. I just cannot seem to keep it in my head, I've forgotten three out of four preschool picture days for the girls - but who remembers preschool, right?

This year, on Picture Day for Athena, the children were allowed to "free dress" for their individual photos, but I forgot and she went to school in her uniform. Now, I don't really mind having a school picture in uniform, but her best friend wore a pink taffeta rhinestone encrusted party dress with Shirley Temple ringlets down her back. You can imagine the rest. Tears. Guilt. Resolution to never let that happen again. Until...

One week later (one week!) I find myself walking Zoe to school with said Hello Kitty t-shirt and wouldn't you know it? Picture Day! (G'ah *face palm*).

But I was not having it again. We spun right around, zipped back home (with Jack in tow), put on the prettiest of party dresses we could find in her closet, re-fixed her hair and even finished with a pink flower on top. We walked back in just as they were lining the kids up in front of the photographer (just in time - phew).

Take that Picture Day!