Sitting Fee

Erik and I drove to Sears yesterday to get his yearly photos taken. It was really an ideal situation, as the store opened at 10 a.m., and our appointment was at the same time. Therefore, there were no screaming kids to upset Erik. I thought we had it made! Since we arrived a few minutes early, I put Erik in his stroller and took him on a tour of the construction site behind the mall. There was an excavator at work biting into big piles of dusty earth that Erik watched intently for a while before we went inside. I reckon those construction workers rarely have women stop and watch them! I didn't wolf whistle at them, though. I have been to Sears once before to get Erik's photos taken, and it was a bit of a nightmare with major computer problems and a double-booked appointment, but they did a great job last year. The same girls were behind the counter this time, which was a plus.

First of all, it was 5000 degrees in the room we were directed to. I had sweat pouring down my back into my jeans as I tried to get Erik to stay against the backdrop. The scenario was instantly very upsetting to him. He would turn red, squeeze his eyes shut, and go into a silent cry. Since his eye drains are still clogged, tears actually squirt out of his eyes all over the place like a little cartoon boy. The photographer and I worked very hard to get the shots we did. That girl was good. She saw that he was upset by a toy that made some noise and didn't try anything like that again. Erik was desperate to get to the wheels on his stroller and wanted no part of the photo session. The photographer said, "Um...boy, he sure does like those wheels," and then quite some time after most kids would have moved on to something different, "Hmmm...it sure is unusual he likes them that much..." I think she was sensing there was a little bit of different going on. I just smiled knowingly and put him back in front of the camera.

After the session, we waited for our photo CD in the lobby, and Erik continued to play with the stroller wheels for another 20 minutes without stopping. When we were finished, I gave him a string cheese and we headed home so I could self-medicate with a gallon of Diet Pepsi and leftover coffee to get through an afternoon of work without passing out from pure exhaustion. I said it last year, and I'll say it again: Next year will be more fun for both of us! In the meantime, we have some beautiful photos to enjoy.