We clean up okay.

Yesterday was the day where I went from dreading the impending end of summer to counting down the minutes until school starts.

There was someone crying or yelling or peeing or pooping or bleeding or whining or fighting, or all of those in combination, just about every second of the day.

I had an impossible amount of work to finish, and I couldn’t even get it started.

Mo and I were up in the office trying to get something,

anything,

done.

It wasn’t working.

My friend Dan who has his own photography business, Dan Kane Photos, had sent me a message on Facebook asking if he could test out his new camera and take some pictures of the kids about a week earlier.

He was coming around 5:00 yesterday.

I hadn’t gotten any of the kids ready.

I had no idea what they were going to to wear.

I didn’t take a “before” picture, but let’s just say that when Dan knocked on the front door and I opened it, he probably had a flashback to Cousin Eddy’s trailer in National Lampoon’s Vacation.

Except they looked better.

And I’m not exaggerating — you can ask Mo.

She was leaving as Dan got here.

“Do you want me to stay?” she asked.

“Don’t bother,” I told her. She had to take her daughter to a driver’s ed class, anyway.

Braless, I turned to Dan.

“Um, hi…” I said to him.

“We’re, um… not…”

“Camera ready?” he asked.

“Yeah. No. It’s been a rough day,” I told him.

“No problem. The light will only get better and I need to set some stuff up,” he said.

And he walked to the backyard.

I rushed upstairs.

I picked out coordinating outfits in world-record time.

And every single kid started crying.

“MOM! I AM NOT WEARING THAT!” yelled Number 4.

“THAT IS A GIRL SHIRT! I AM NOT WEARING A GIRL SHIRT!” screamed Number 6.

“MOMMY! I HATE THIS DRESS!” bawled Number 5.

Number 7 just made a mad dash for it in her underpants.

Earlier in the day, Number 2 and Number 3 had made a pretty cool hideout in the basement.

I had just discovered it.

I threw a shirt on Number 3’s bed and said to him, “Who made that cool hideout in the basement?”

“MOOOOOMMMMMM! THAT WAS A SECRET! YOU RUINED IT! I AM NOT HAVING MY PICTURE TAKEN! THIS IS STUPID AND SO ARE YOU!”

So things were going just great.

In the next five minutes, I managed to get Numbers 4 through 7 into their outfits and brushed their hair.

Number 3 remained in his room, refusing to participate, yelling, crying, and punching his pillow because I had let the hideout cat out of the bag.

I took 4 through 7 outside.

Dan started to take pictures.

I went back inside to see what Number 3 was doing and to attempt to get dressed.

Dan hadn’t planned on taking my picture, but I needed a head shot, so I figured I’d take advantage of the opportunity.

When I got inside, Number 3 thankfully had a change of heart. He was in the bathroom brushing his hair.

I ran downstairs, threw on a shirt and some mascara, plugged in the flat iron, and got myself together.

Ten minutes later I was outside with all the kids.

I want to show you the pictures.

For a number of reasons.

First, they’re pretty awesome.

But second, the pictures you see are not representative of what was actually going on in my house just thirty minutes earlier.

They don’t necessarily represent reality.

But they do represent potential.

Know that my life does not look anything like these pictures behind closed doors.

And neither does anyone else’s.

Remember that the next time you think about comparing yourself to other people and beating yourself up.

Thirty minutes earlier my kids were screaming and crying and half naked and dirty and disheveled.

And so was I.

The clothes my kids are wearing?

All hand-me-downs.

From people who read the blog.

Well, Number 3 is wearing Number 2’s old shirt.

But his jeans are from a reader in Kentucky who I used to babysit for.

Number 3’s dress came from a reader in New Jersey who I used to swim with.

Number 4’s dress came from my cousin. She reads the blog.

I think Number 5’s dress came from a reader in town who is also a friend.

And Number 6’s shirt came from another reader who is also a friend whose husband was Number 3’s baseball coach a couple years ago.

And my shirt?

My shirt was a hand-me-down too.

It came from the mom of one of Number 3’s travel baseball teammates.

I think we look great.

And we look great in part because of you.

So thank you.

Thank you for helping to bring my family together.

You are a part of our memories now.

And so is Dan.

Thank you to Dan.

He did not take our pictures expecting anything in return.

He didn’t expect free advertising.

He didn’t expect shout outs.

He just wanted to test out his new camera.

But he was able to capture all the best parts of us,

not only individually,

but also together.

And for that, I am extremely grateful.

We all are.

 

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