school pictures

A few weeks ago, Noah had his school pictures taken. I meant to write after we got the picture back because it was so funny, but then life got crazy and yadda, yadda, yadda.

I was talking to a friend and we were saying how it's way cheaper to just go take a bunch of pictures yourself at the park - and they'd turn out way better - but there's something about the school picture you just have to have.


Kindergarten is usually ok. you know you're supposed to smile and it still comes fairly naturally.

By first grade, you still love being there, but it's hard to smile when you're trying to figure out what exactly went wrong with this years haircut.

By second grade - you give up on the hair because the permanent teeth have come in full force and all you can say is "it is what it is. own it. love it."

By the time I hit sixth grade I figured it out. If I squinted just barely and had a slight smile, nothing too big - just a hint, then I could look just like Marilyn Monroe...

As you can see - it totally worked

As for Noah - his pictures I can't help but love. His kindergarten picture was going to be PERFECT! he'd lost his two front teeth just weeks before, so his smile was all about showing the missing teeth. you couldn't help but smile when you saw it. That morning I had his hair done, his clothes were clean and matched and when he smiled it was so freakin' cute. I couldn't wait for pictures to come back. Later that day when Noah got home from school I checked him out. Hair still looked good, clothes weren't stained - it was clear picture day was a success. I asked him how it went and if the photographer was nice, etc. he said it went great and he had a lot of fun. I then asked him to show me the smile he did for the camera. Instead of showing me his big smile with those darling missing teeth, he said, "Mom, I decided to try a new smile today."

two weeks later, we got his pictures back...

His First grade picture was all about the hair, because the smile was going through that if-i-concentrate-hard-enough-i-know-i-can-smile stage.

His most recent picture - Second grade - was darling. His hair was back to normal, his shirt looked great and his smile was one of my favorites.

when he came home with this one, Aaron's mom and my mom were both at my house. Aaron's mom asked him what the photographer did to make him smile so big. Noah said, "he didn't do anything. when i sat down, i just did what my mom told me to do. i pictured the photographer in his underwear"

(in my defense, I don't actually remember telling him that, but then again, I wouldn't put it past me)