i give up

Um, yeah. This is the closest we got to a photo of the cousins for Grammie and Grampie this year. I got about 90 just like this one before we gave up in a mix of frustration and laughter. Oh well. I guess it's back to thinking about what else we could get Grammie and Grampie for Christmas. Hmn...

Oh, but hey! See those cute matching jammies? Nightgowns for the girls and pajama pants for the boys, with freezer paper stenciled shirts. I think this is as close of a shot as you're going to see of any of it, because I am NOT trying this again any time soon!

Here's wishing you luck on your own holiday card photo session! May it end with either a successful photo or at least some laughter!

Comments

[mav]

hee hee. have fun you!

[christina]

the memory is what counts.

we too are reading Christmas in Noisy Village...great book. i love her work.

[Grace]

or bribery?!

[caro]

I think this is probably a better depiction of family life than a posed portrait would be. My grandmother would have been thrilled to get a photo like this. It really lets the personalities shine. I love it!

[Susanna Alonso]

I think that picture is great! Send it just like that!

[katie]

too funny!

did you make me PJ bottoms too?

[Sonja]

Why don't you embracei t and give it to the grandparents anyways? I'm guessing that it captures them pretty life-like, no?!!

[Katie]

I vote for send it as is. That is a FANTASTIC picture! I think a real (candid) picture is worth a hundred posed pics. I'm always more drawn to the candid ones of myself as a child.

[stephanie s]

yep, i am with the others who say that this probably expresses best the life and joy that those kids have. i am willing to bet, years down the road, that everyone will look back at this as one of your best holiday photos. perfect.

[freelisa]

This picture really captures the excitement and joy of the season. It is sooo much better than a posed shot. I love it!

[Alisa]

I just finished up my Christmas jammies last night! Night gown for the girl, pants (with cuffs) for the boy and a long sleeved freezer paper stencil! It's all sock monkey city too. Sock monkey flannel, sock monkey stencil (my first multi-color) and sock monkey slippers (still working on those and I'm SO excited!) Your photo is great. I think it will make a fantastic holiday card.

[Alison Whittington]

YES. I totally agree with all those who say send the picture as is. It's a great photo! (I thought it was a time-lapse shot until I read through).

[Mama Urchin]

Hysterical. We're hoping to do ours tomorrow, I'm nervous already.

[bugheart]

hee hee...
reminds me
of sitting
for
my family
portraits
when i was
a kid...
picture three
boys taunting
the little girl
in the middle!
xo

[hannah]

bribes amanda, it is all about the bribes. cookies work nicely, holiday ones at that because then they can just become part of the photo. those pjs look fabulous!!!

[Kara]

he he he! Looks accurate to me ;-) We ended up giving up and going to the Santa Cabin at the *gasp* mall Monday morning ... I let someone else try to coax matching grins for a change! LOL

Best Wishes!

[Di]

Mine are now teenagers and I havne't even been able to get them in the same room at the same time. Maybe today.....? I love your photo.

[Melissa]

I took my 3 kids outside where is was a little chilly and after taking a nice nature hike they did great with the photos I took (I got it within 5 shots what I was looking for with them altogether). Better luck next year Amanda!

[Veronique]

I think it's perfect just as it is.

[Jennifer]

Posed shots are boring. This one is full of life. I love it.

[bellablue]

"Two teething babies and a partridge in a pear tree....." :)

[Beth]

Oh I feel your pain! LOL I too was trying this just a couple of days ago: no dice as my niece would *not* look at the camera or stay in the frame (she's five), while my youngest would only make fierce-wildman faces. Ah well.

[Dana]

I think this photo is perfect for Grandparents! Shows the true personality and relationship of the darlings.

[earthchick]

Oh, I'm so glad I'm not the only one who can't get the kids to sit still for the holiday photo!! Like Hannah above, I even tried bribing with cookies this year, but to no avail....

Still, the matching pjs are so cute!

[Gretchen]

OMG! It's absolutely perfect. Blow it up huge and frame it. I love it!

The pj's are adorable.

[Sharon]

Yep, I'd send it like that too. A real life look into the kid's lives is better than a posed pic!

[jennifer]

i have hundreds of amazingly blurry ones as well - i have contemplated sending out a collage of those. they tell a story, right?
happy holidays to you and yours, amanda.

[mary]

Love it! There's 13 grandkids for us, not even gonna try that.

[Katharine]

Oh, I really think you should send it anyway - I'm sure they'd love it! There's so much energy there, it's great!

[Jenna]

I love matching jammies. One of my favorite parts of Christmas past. My cousin & I would always get a new pair on Chrismas Eve.
I agree, the photo is wonderfully expressive!

[erin]

this one is a keeper.

[ilse]

wonderfull !! a very "alive" picture, maybe you just have to film it and give the grandparents a dvd instead of a picture, So the stay still issue, won't be a problem anymore !! haha, ooh but then again, you all had a great time , that's what really counts.

[n.b.]

Adorable! Thanks for posting it. Someone should start a site where beleaguered parents could post their failed holiday shots: good for a grin at a stressful time of year!

[Sarah]

I also vote for sending it. Gorgeous photo!

For our Xmas cousins photo (five kids all around the same age), we invariably had a series of them where the children are clambering all over the couch, being bribed by parents, one child sitting on the potty on the couch, etc - and ONE shot of 90% of the children behaving nicely. I've noticed there have been no cousin photo sessions in the past couple of Xmases though. I think we parents were just too exhausted by the mere thought of it.

[joleen]

Oh well this is cute... but I know how frustrating it probably was. I've tried three times to take good photos of the kids for their parents and argh... the two year old whines, squirms, and puts her hand up when she sees the camera... candid shots this year! ah, well. :D

[Lynn]

Me too .... I vote for giving it to the grandparents - it captures them perfectly! It's great, oh ya, and so are the wonderful handsewn pjs! XO

[Luckybeans]

Lol! it looks like a lot of people are ending up doing collages this year. Rambunctious wee ones and all-- but surely so much dearer to look at.

[Miss Dot]

I have an idea, mark a spot on the couch for each child, then place one child AT A TIME on their assigned spot, shoot like mad, remove said child and insert next child in assigned spot, then when you have 99 shots of each child in each spot, fire up photoshop and compile one photo taking the best of each child and "whallah" instant perfect photo! :-)

[molliegreene]

it's inspirational that you get as much done as you do with those busy elves to take care of! i barely get dressed in the morning with only two boys!

[Dacia]

oh, how sweet they are when they can't get around... look at those two in their polka dots!

[Alicia P.]

THE best Christmas picture I've ever seen. No kidding.

[chosha]

If the child on the left had been tipped over the back of the sofa as well that would have been a really cool group photo. :) Better luck next time (resort to bribery)!