Cheeky Cheese

At christmas time, my Mother-in-Law (Hi Kathy!) asked if I would email her a nice photo of the kids together so she could print a few out to include in her Christmas cards.

She said 'the reason I'm asking is because I've been through all of my photos from this year and I can't find one where both of them look sane at the same time' (I am paraphrasing).

Okay, I said. No problem.

So, off I trawl through an entire year's worth of photos. Granted, in the year 2012 I hadn't taken as many photos as I'd have liked, but that didn't put me off - just meant I had less to hunt through.

Eventually though, by the time I got to December, I had to concede that I, too, did not have ONE picture where they are both looking sane at the same time. How can this be? They're fairly normal looking children. In fact, some would say they are lovely looking children. Normal? Yes. Lovely? Yes. Sane in photos? NO!

In the majority, Arlo would be smiling (or at the very least saying CHEEEEESE) and Ida would be greeting her face off. Or Ida would be looking intently in the camera whilst Arlo sits beside her with his finger up his nose, looking at his Ben 10 toy. Or Ida would be just out of shot having fallen over, or Arlo would be hidden behind a teddy or Ida would be trying to grab the camera. Sigh. On and on it went, of one ridiculous looking photo after another.

Kathy just gave up in the end and sent out photos of her grand children Arlo and Ida and I'm pretty sure she'll have a good few less people to send cards to this christmas coming.

However, I have decided to make it my LIFE'S work (well, my YEAR'S work) to get some nice pictures of them together, looking at the camera, not being disgusting, not being insane looking, or bonkers in any way. And it started.....tonight.

58 photos I took of them in the bath and this is the closest I came to getting a nice pic....it's almost there, but not quite. Ida was in the middle of shouting 'MINE' at the time.

I wish there was a way I could show you the ones that didn't make the cut. There's an absolutely lovely one of Ida but Arlo has mooshed his entire face up into what can only be described as a horse-shoe shapeso that was out.

Watch this space (you know, if you've nothing better to do)...