We FINALLY got Avaire's 2 year old photos done. I scheduled the photo shoot way back in March for the week of Ave's birthday (the second week in May) but life happened and we ended up having to reschedule the session, not once, but 3 times before actually getting it done. The first time was due to the fact that our original date turned out to be the best date for us to schedule our move (move #9 in the last 4 years for the Hughes Clan, barf). The photographer, Lauren Perry with Perrywinkle Photography (who we looooove) had a conflict come up on our second date. Then, despite ample sunscreen applications, Ave's pearly alabaster skin got a lovely lobster-esque sunburn a few days before our third scheduled date :( Rescheduled again.
On the day of scheduled shoot #4 I was waiting with bated breath to see what sort catastrophe would arise to, once again, derail our photo dreams. Luckily, this time we actually got to the photo shoot location without any major disruptions! Victory!! Except...Avarie was diabolical during the whole shoot!!
I know, I know, moms aren't supposed to:
A) admit to the adoring public that their child is anything but sugar and angel dust wrapped in sweet smelling baby skin, or
B) call their child diabolical (it's rude right!? But, alas, at times very true).
But I'm calling it! She was a bit of a diva and quite uncooperative the whole time! I was kind of (a lot) appalled. She had been such a sweet heart and a big helper all day. The whole 45 minute car ride on the way to the shoot she talked excitedly about seeing Lauren and getting her pictures taken and saying "cheeeeeeese" for Lauren. And then we arrived.
As soon as we stepped out of the car, some sort of genius switch flipped in her cute little baby brain, hidden underneath that adorable head of sumptuous curls, and she realized that she was in a great position of power. Here were 3 eager adults ready and willing to do anything to please her in order to elicit her cooperation. To a quick witted 2 year old, this spells P.O.W.E.R. And ohhhh how she used it! She frowned, fake whined, fake cried, purposefully kept her back to the camera, and ran from us at every possible opportunity. And, all this she did with her trademark little impish twinkle in her eye that says, "I've got ya riiiiiight where I want ya!!" Often, when we're at home, this little eye twinkle is acompanied by her factually stating, "I teasing Mommy!! Hehehehe!!"
Nothing we did could convince her to cooperate, nothing. Adam even resorted to unabashed bribery. Fruit snacks, jelly beans, promises of ponies and a shiny new car for her 16th birthday...he even sprinted to the convenience store next door and got some chocolate covered ice cream bites to entice her good will, to no avail. The only thing that got her to smile, was the approach of a nasty feral cat that persistently followed us around the garden. Ohhh, thanks little kitty (yuck!)!
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| A's classic fake cry face. |
It's a good thing our photographer has tons of experience with "active" little ones! She was sooooo patient and sweet with Aves and, despite all of A's antics, she got some really cute shots of her. Phew!! I've only seen a few of the photos so far, but I'm hopeful the rest are just as cute as the preview pics :)
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| Angel face |
I also discovered the other day that Avarie has now learned how to operate the outside door locks. Perfect. We had just returned from a trip to the grocery store and were running behind schedule for getting dinner ready. So I hurriedly unlocked the house, set the keys on the counter, got A out of the car and set her free in the living room, and turned on the oven to pre-heat while I went back to the car to unload the groceries. While I was carting an armload of groceries toward the door Avarie appeared in the doorway with a sly grin on her cute little face and muttered something to the effect of, "No leave the door open, MOMMY!!" right as she slammed it in my face. Somehow, she had also managed to lock the door handle...and the dead bolt. UMMMM??!
It should be noted that it was about 109 degrees that day, I was extremely tired and achy (hello 6.5 months gestation) after carting my ever increasing girth all over WalMart (which store I detest and loath above all others, for various reasons, but is now the closest store to our new house). Needless to say, being locked out of my house by my 2 year old, while the oven was on inside and the heat outside was rivaling the oven temp, was not my favorite.
I tried, unsuccessfully, for a while to get A to unlock the door (at this point I hadn't realized that she'd also locked the dead bolt). Once it became apparent that she wasn't going to be able to undo (or didn't want to undo- the jury is still out on that one) what she'd done, I started to get a little panicky (oven on, curious toddler alone in the house. check). So I called Adam. Straight to voice mail, 4 times in a row. Texted. no response. Fantastic, and right on par for the tone of the afternoon.
I then resorted to calling Adam's co-worker's wife to see if she could call her hubby at work and ask him to tell Adam to call me. Her hubby was already at home. But, she did happen to have their boss's cell number. I used it. Awkward. SO awkward.
Meanwhile, inside the homestead, Avarie was dancing around the kitchen singing, "Mommy open door? Nooooo! hahaha". and knocking on the door at me while laughing hysterically.
While waiting for Adam to call me back after my super fun convo with his boss, I went around to each of the house doors to check to see if, by some miracle, one was left unlocked. No dice. But, while at the sliding glass door I had a stroke of genius. I faked a game of 'hide and go seek'. I called out to her that I was hiding and she needed to come find me. The whole time, I was working overtime to feign easy, breezy, calmness as not to alert her to my ulterior motives and cause her run the other way. She took the bait. Once she was at the glass door, I coached her through the process removing the security bar and unlocking the door. SUCCESS!! Downside, she now knows how to open the sliding glass door.
That little gem of an experience served as a not so subtle reminder that I am the mother of a cherubic, genius, trickster. Never a dull moment!!
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| The culprit, all cowed up for free meal day at Chick Fil A. |
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| Such a Ham! |
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