Typical

Well, there is nothing typical about this much snow.  I haven't seen this much snow in years and I don't know if my kids ever have.

As we were playing in the snow on Christmas day, enjoying one of the best and biggest snowstorms in years, I thought....I should write a blog about ALL of the snow we got and about how much fun we had in it and then include a photo of the kids in our winter wonderland. So that is what I set out to do.  And as far as the fun and the snow, it's all true.  

However, as I looked over my photos, I had to laugh because I realized that as I attempted to take one beautiful staged photo of our kids in the winter wonderland, I actually captured a series of pictures that tell a much bigger story.  The following photos exemplify exactly how things typically go in our household.

Let me elaborate...

It starts with me making a simple request of the kids.

"Can you all please look at me for just a second so I can get a picture?"

But I am ignored.

Rather, Carter, the typical instigator of trouble, smears Paige's face with a handful of snow.

I ask again, "Hey, kids, stop a minute.  Just one smile."

Still no one seems to hear me.  Instead, Paige retaliates.

And as usual, her retaliation includes far more volume and furry than the original attack. Typically causing her to be the one to get reprimanded, even though Carter often starts it (which we don't learn til later).  This time she all-out tackles him.

(You got to love Taryn's face in this picture.  As usual she is mixed up in the middle of things.  Thankfully, this time she's laughing and not crying.)

I'm getting a little louder ...."HELLO, can anyone hear me? I just want one nice picture."

Not quite yet.  I haven't asked 4 times and that's usually what it takes.  Besides, Carter still looks a little dazed from Paige's assault.

"LOOK AT ME."

There!  We did it!  They looked and smiled!

So yes, it usally takes at least 4 times for me to ask before they give me the response I'm looking for. 

And I'm sure there is a parenting magazine out there somewhere that would tell me to just ask them once and then either walk away or have some sort of consequence that I would need to follow through on and then eventually, I wouldn't need to nag.  I believe it's probably really good advice because most of the time the fact that I am completely ignored until I raise my voice makes me crazy.

Oh well, for today, if they had listened the first time, we would have missed a lot of fun!  And all I would have is one boring photo of them smiling!