FAMILY CHRISTMAS PICTURE

Hmmm....what were we thinking?  I mean, there IS a reason why we have not been to a photographer since 2001.  It just seems that things never work out when it comes to the Wiggins Photo Session.

But my husband decided that this was the year.  We were gonna do it!  We decided to face the fear last night.  We, at the last minute, found this place and gave them a call.  Lucky us, we got a 5PM appointment.

Now, since this is a note about Bailey, I will skip all of the drama we experienced as we went to the wrong shopping center, then got lost on the wrong exit, then got stuck in traffic, then got frustrated because it was 5:20, then finally found the place at 5:35.

Bailey NEVER poses for pictures.  She sees a camera and turns her head.  She also never smiles for the camera.  Any smiley pictures that we have are merely a coincidence!  So, we had already accepted the fact that we may have a picture of four people smiling and one red head not even looking at the camera!

She did okay for the first 5 takes.  She was fairly cooperative in those group photos.  Then the lady brings out this fake tray of cookies and milk for daddy to hold.  WHAT?!  Did I mention that supper would be after the session?!  So there goes Bailey, trying to grab the plastic, glued on cookies off the tray; becoming more and more aggravated with each try.  So the crying and whining and spitting and scratching begins.

Needless to say, it was all down hill from there!  Long story short, that poor lady used every antic known to man, took over 80 pictures, and we were left with ONE picture that was useful!

***I apologize for the photo quality...i took it on my laptop...

Another Reality Check

The very familiar school phone number appears on my vibrating phone; at which point, I always assume the worst.  Your principal voice was on the other end.  My first thought was that your brother had gotten into some major trouble!  I was wrong.

She informed me of how you went to your 'favorite tree' during recess....and something happened.  A little boy had found his way to where you were, but you were not thrilled with sharing 'your tree' with him...at all.  So, in usual Bailey form, you begin spitting at him.  He, in turn, decided that the best course of action would be to hit you in the back with the toy he was holding...not once, not twice, but several times.

She told me how your back was so red.

And that's when it hit me.  You.Are.Not.Safe.  That's right.  I realized that in this dark world we live in, you will never be safe to fight your own battles, to seek out help when you are in a battle, or to share with me your feelings about the battle.

Had the principal not called, I would have never known you had been hit.  Never did you cry, for your tolerance of pain is so high.  Never did you tell an adult, for you cannot speak in sentences.  Never did you consider the situation, realize that you should leave, and take action, for your mind isn't capable of making such deductions.

And that's the part that scared me so much.  The mommy side of me immediately jumped to all of the worst case scenarios with which you could possibly someday face.  I was frightened thinking about you being hurt, attacked, confronted and never being able to call for help.  

If nothing else, I was quickly reminded of how necessary our (me, daddy, shelby, brody) our mission is.  We have been chosen to protect, speak, think, and act for you.  Our mission can be daunting.  It can be overwhelming, but none-the-less, it is ours to accept and carry out.