Christmas Lights and Lollipops.

Last week I found a beautifully cloudy day that wasn't wet and wasn't cold, and we spontaneously did our Christmas photos. I had an idea of what I wanted to do and it took quite a bit of work to prepare the space... mostly in the form of actually cleaning up the backyard. And it was a lot less work than I would have thought to get the kids to participate. Doesn't hurt that my ultimate plan included gigantic lollipops.

They all need haircuts and I haven't bought "Christmas clothes" (I may not at all this year), so pajamas fit the whole premise of... "I stringed up my siblings with Christmas lights and ate all the Christmas candy" motif. If that could be considered a motif.

Muahahahahahahahahahahaha.

Funny side note... Colin was the only one of the three who tried to use the lights as a leash to drag the other two around the yard... he didn't get far considering Adam and Claire are built like athletes and pretty dang heavy... but he tried, and they laughed.

Let's be honest... Colin is the ultimate "villain" model. It just radiates off of him. Cute and devious, and loves every second of it.

He's working on his "mean" face.

This is Adam's favorite. It's the first time he's crept up on me while I was editing and said, immediately, "I LIKE THAT ONE!"

Here's the funny thing: CALEY WAS THRILLED TO BE INVITED INTO A PHOTO. And this was her pose. When I called her name and said, "Caley, look over here!" She literally smiled, wagged her tail at me, and then continued to pose. This is her regal pose. In front of very "unregal" children.

Here's the thing. I know I'm not sending out Christmas cards this year. I'm a terrible, horrible, rotten person... I know. It's not that I think they aren't worthy... it's just, well.... I had to choose and it didn't make the list. However, THIS did. I have high hopes that next year I will do real Christmas cards and it will be brilliant (yeah, right).

I honestly might be the only person in the world who LOVES two year olds.

Adam especially got into it...

 

What is not captured is how between "takes" they rushed to the trampoline to jump with their mega lollipops and they really had a blast doing it.

I loved how the kids really got into the "role" of modeling. They all wanted a turn as the "bad guy." They all wanted to be tangled in lights... and there would have been a lot more if Colin hadn't considered "Don't do that! The lights will break!" a direct challenge.

The lights, sadly... did not survive.

Plus, if you do this with your kids, be warned that the lights like this get really hot when they are on for more than a few minutes, so just be careful. They also aren't the most "sturdy" of props. As in, if you have a two-year-old SMASHER, they will break (duh). So try this at home (or don't)... but with caution. I probably wouldn't do this with someone else's kids this age. I'm just brave with mine (but who the Hell knows why?) We like to live on the edge.