School pictures

I had Adam and Mark step into my closet and peruse my shirts and see what I should wear to school the next day.  It was school picture day and this picture would be on my lanyard that I will have to wear all year.  They really could care less what I wore but they gamely picked a shirt.

We all knew that my un-photogenic self would feel self-conscious about the pictures and therefore look self-conscious bordering on scared.

Sigh.

Before school, Mark posed me how they would pose me--shoulders to the side, head facing forward, slightly tilted.

We took a few "practice" school pictures:

my sweatshirt I've had since college--it's my early morning uniform

After seeing how well those turned out, I felt nothing but confident.

Once I got to school I realized things were a little different.

I saw a second grader with bright red lipstick (also high heels).  A lot of little girls had carefully curled hair and big bows on top of their heads.  A lot of little boys had on button up shirts with collars...and basketball shorts.  Evidence of negotiations and compromise.

As I waited in line in the gym next to the other teacher aids, we lamented about how much we hated school pictures, then and now.

I chatted in line with a second grader who was standing in front of me.  She told me that her grandma hangs her school pictures on her wall.

Not to put too much pressure on her, but my school pictures from 2nd grade are still on my grandma's wall.

Those school pictures, standing in a gym in front of a backdrop, have way too much staying power.

(This school picture is not ending up on anyone's wall.)