I used to hate picture day growing up because it was a day where I had to wear nicer (more uncomfortable) clothing while trying to not get dirty playing outside. Then we had to wait in like patiently and take photos one by one. After that, there would be class photos where you had to stand in a specific spot and not goof off until everyone was in place to snap a photo. It was a whole process and took forever (at least that’s how my child brain perceived it). Also, my parents would usually not buy the photos, so all that effort went down the drain. 0 out of 10 experience.

Picture day as a parent is the opposite. I look forward to it so much because it is a chance to dress the kids up in something nicer, get their hair neat, and even have the siblings in their own family photos (thank goodness the daycare does that because it is so cute!). The pictures that come out of it are usually great and it really captures a point in time where they are just so little. I love it. 10 out of 10 experience.

Since we have the newborn, this picture day was one where I got the chance to get the other two kids ready in the morning (with the outfits approved by my wife of course). I took extra time to put pomade in my 3 year old son’s hair and detangler spray in my 5 year old daughter’s hair. I had them looking nice before we trotted off to school. Apparently pictures were not starting until an hour after I got to school, so I thought it was a good idea to have the kids play outside and get some of their wiggles out before the official drop off time. In a matter of minutes, the kids got their outfits pretty dirty and my 3 year old son’s hair was all messed up because he was climbing all over his sister and the playground. He then tried to fix it with his hands by swooping his hair in the opposite direction. It didn’t help that my wife accidentally hit my son in the head as he was running behind her last night with the vacuum. He looked like he went through a wrestling match with his bruised forehead and messy hair. Fun times.

I tired to dust them off as best as I could and fixed their hair a bit. Dropped them off in their classes and hopefully the pictures come out fine. I’m sure they will. Not everything can be perfect for picture day, but I still love it as a parent because it captures things as they are currently. That’s good enough for me.