Kids + Cameras + Crazy Mothers = DISASTER

So my photog friend came into town on Thursday and we I cooked up this great photo shoot for my children complete with sunshine, hairbows, daffodils and smiles.  Oh, what a wonderful world.

This shot fairly well sums the entire experience up...

I now know why some photographers are paid a lot of money to take pictures of children.  It is hard work.  I was sweating and cursing (to myself, of course) at the end of 20 minutes and they were my own children.
I attempted to bribe Dominick immediately upon arriving home from school with fruit roll ups, ice cream sandwiches and lemonade.  I still got mostly the kind of smile that barely shows his teeth-more like the way a cat would smile at you if their top lip got stuck.  Notice he is not in this photo at all.
At one point Nora just completely gave out and fell over backwards in between GoGo and D. 
Memories. 

As is true for many pictures I take, the ones I seem to enjoy the most are the ones taken when I'm not trying, almost by accident.  When something is forced, the outcome isn't very natural.  These are taken on the fly by myself and my friend Loretta the Photographer.  They are not "perfect" photos by any assessment.  But these are real moments with my kids.  These are memories.