Whoever Came Up with Beach Pictures.....Doesn't Have Children

Well, you know it's about time to go home when the #s are sitting in the condo complaining about who has the tv remote and nobody is moving to get ready to go out.  You also know you have too much technology when #3 goes to the tv and gets a tad bit frustrated when it's not touchscreen.  The vacation week is slowly coming to an end....hope they can handle one more full day of relaxation before we head home and we're full steam ahead to the beginning of school!

I MUST begin something that I forgot to say yesterday....Hubby totally stood up for me during the whole pool debacle.  The disrespectful boys that were in the pool were extremely rude and smarted off to me and Hubby wasn't going to have any of that.  It was nice that he stood up for me and I'm extremely grateful that he would stand up for his family.  Thanks Hubby!!!! 

Sooooo.....today was a typical day....until we did family pictures tonight.  Now, I LOVE the look of family pictures, but it usually goes like this....
"You better smile"
"Stop kicking sand in your cousin's eyes"
"I don't know where you shells are...they are all over the beach"
"No photobombs"
"Seriously, no bunny ears"
"Close your mouth"
"Get your hands out of your pants"
"Smile like you love them"
"That's a creepy smile"
....and ends with....
"I will buy you ice cream if you just smile and cooperate for the next 20 minutes"

...It's one of those ideas that sound fantastic before the beach....even great when you're at the beach....up until the time to take the pictures.  And don't get me wrong....I've been searching on Pinterest for beach pictures ideas since February.....I am the crazy woman that wants pictures to remember this vacation because memories aren't good enough for me....I want pictures of my #s smiling and enjoying the beach!!!!!  This just didn't start off with the best attitude from my #s.   I mean, we started off with #3 not wanting to wear the khaki shorts we brought him...so he wore his Star Wars pants....luckily, those are khaki, so he did match.  We also had #2 goofing off to get sand in his face before the really good forced pictures started.  And #1 wanted to goof off the entire time by being loud.  I keep telling myself....they are children...they are supposed to be crazy....and....I WANT BEACH PICTURES! 

I mean, what are we thinking?!?!?!?  We've been out in the pool all day.  We've already gotten ready for lunch and then shopping for a trinket that's gonna break before we get home.  We've rested and then rushed to get ready...we're hot, rushed and frustrated before we even get started.  Sweat is dripping from our heads and nobody's deodorant is working to its full potential....and now we're expecting children to cooperate with pictures!?!?!?  Sure...sweaty, sand-stuck, forced smiles is how everybody wants to remember their vacation, right? 

It's gripe, argue, fuss, fight and then "SMILE".  Gripe, argue, fuss, and fight "CHEESE".  Gripe, argue, fuss, and fight and then "STRIKE A POSE".   It's probably the fakest we've all been all week long.  You'll look at those pictures and say "awww...they're so cute"....but these are the ones that actually tell the story of what happened....

...we always have a story (and sometimes pictures) in our life by numbers!