A Thousand Words

It is picture day. Why do the companies even bother? E invariably comes home with a proof that is un-purchaseable. He usually has a Heath Ledger as the Joker smile--looking crazed, and just slightly bemused. "Casual" is not a word in E's photography lexicon. Which is unfortunate, as E is one of the most photogenic kids ever.
S, on the other hand, after I go 10 rounds over what to wear, invariably looks sweet in his pictures. He projects this casual sweetness that makes you want to scoop him up. Which is funny, because S is one of the least photogenic kids ever.
So, yes another dichotomy in the list of things that make my children polar opposites. And the clothes! What a fight with the clothes. I am tempted to let them wear whatever they want to wear so that when they look back as adults, they can say, "what am I wearing?" And I can reply with "hobo chic." God forbid we wear collars on picture day. Or solids. Or not plaids with stripes. Or something without a hole. (but it's my favorite!) I am tempted to allow it. Then, later, take them to a studio for pictures befitting grandma. Wouldn't it be great to look back at your school pictures and realize YOU were the one who dressed you like a total dork, not your mother?
I have this plan to pull out childhood photos for my grown child's fiancee and say, "see? He thought his teddy bear tee shirt (backwards) really went well with these purple too-short sweatpants (backwards) and awesomely with these blue dinosaur sandals?"
E went through an extended pirate phase when he was about three. He went to school in his red boots (often only one--it was his peg leg), his three-pointed pirate hat, his sweatshirt (backwards), two or three t-shirts (he often couldn't decide, so he'd wear them all), sweatpants (always too short) and occasionally, an eye patch. You have to love Montessori schools, where they "fostered" that kind of "free thinking" and let him wear it, too!
My school pictures are historically awful. There were the Dorothy Hamill haircut years. There was the year I had no front teeth and Mom put a bow tie on me, there were the braces and acne years. Even my senior year in high school picture, which was put in the Northwestern Facebook was not so great. When M and I started dating, he didn't want to show that photo to his friends. Something about big cheeks, big hair, giant pumpkin head.
So, I am sensitive to the kids' school photo issues. I certainly have my own. When we get the proofs back, we'll see. Psycho Joker or sweet little boy? You never know...