Failed Christmas Card Photos

Charlie's first Christmas. A must-have photo, right? We spent the long Thanksgiving weekend in pursuit of the perfect picture. You will see a similar trend, beginning with this cheery family photo....

It was a beautiful sunny weekend and I put Charlie in a red plaid shirt and let him play in the yard. Surely a spontaneous photo op would present itself. This one had potential, and is still a favorite, if only dog or child would have paid me any attention.

I soon resorted to more forced measures. Charlie did not understand my use of props and clearly had no interest in helping me get my picture.

Roxie was rolling around in the grass behind me, distracting my subject.

This photo shoot wasn't working and tears were imminent. So we called it a day.

Of course it was much colder the next day, but surely a trip to the park would bring out the smiles.

Not so much.

The wood chips in this playground were fascinating and apprently tasted good, too.

These two could have cared less about my holiday photo and refused to crack a smile.

Desperate measures were taken.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.