it's in the photograph of looooove

Anyone have any tips for taking pictures of kids? Because this is the best I've got. Maybe I should put Lars in a bucket? Is that what they do nowadays for some artistic flair? He's too big for a quaint little shabby-galvanized-metal number but I have a 5-gallon orange plastic Home Depot bucket that we use to brine the turkey at Thanksgiving.

Actually what I really need to do is get some family pictures taken. We have been sadly remiss in that particular aspect of family life: proving through photos that we are in fact a family and that we do in fact spend time together. The problem is that we are not spending time together with a tripod, let alone a photographer. Anyway. I have a whole thing about this. I have gotten so bad about taking pictures other than the occasional Instagram. The problem is that I really don't think I can safely carry my camera and attend to three busy kids when I am out and about with them. And at home, whenever there's something fun or cute going on, I generally forget to capture it. Ah well.

I wanted Matt to take a picture of me and all the kids on Mothers Day. Ida took her time getting her shoes on and by the time she came in, the camera battery had died. But Matt had this to offer me:

Slightly better, or slightly worse? Doesn't matter:

Whatever. I have a daughter too--she was supposed to go in that open spot on my right. I love all my kids and I love my life. Just don't have very many pictures of it right now. If you're on Instagram, I'm wavehelloagain. I post pictures of my fridge, and of my kids eating food. It's all very artistic and elevated so you might not understand it but I do try to get down to my viewers' level from time to time.