VALENTINE'S PICTURES WITH THE MURDERER OF LOVE

Have you seen Dan in Real Life?  That's really a silly question, because of course you have.  It's only one of the greatest movies ever.  I am not exaggerating.  I cry buckets of tears every time I watch it, because A) I cry for both happy and sad reasons and the movie has both in spades, B) it has a widower as the protagonist, and after having a parent walk that road, I am extra sensitive to it and C) it captures human emotion and family dynamics in ways that make it incredibly relatable.  So, even though I know how it will end, I cry my way through it and also laugh a ton.  I laugh so hard that I cry, so that is the other reason for the tears.  Makes me want to go watch it again.

All of that said, I had a murderer of love in my family a couple of weeks ago.  You see, there is this really fun LOVE thing (is it a statue? a monument? a sculpture?) that stands in one of our outdoor shopping malls.  I got this great idea to take the kids' pictures in front of it to use on their class Valentines. The biggest issue with this plan was the children involved.  My children.

I should have turned around the moment I got the first wail, but I thought with enough bribery and coaxing, we could get this picture made and get on with our lives.  Lily was having none of it.  I pulled out every bribe imaginable, and even then, I only got wailing and whining and "my teeth hurt so I can't smile."  Bella was in good spirits and ready to perform for a treat.



But, Lily was dead set on murdering all love this day.  She deliberately started to photobomb.



And, when she finally sat in the O, this is what I got.  Murderer of LOVE.



After that gem of a shot, I didn't even bother getting the babies out of the stroller, and we loaded up and got back in the car.  On another day, a warmer day, a better day, a day with a helper, I decided to try again.  Everyone was happier with Aunt Rachel along, and we were able to get some cute shots.




I didn't pick the battles of what shoes they would wear or what Bella was holding, and everyone was the happier for it.




William and Violet were less than impressed with the LOVE thing.  These are their, "Why are you making us do this, Mom?  No one in our class even has teeth" faces.




I know I will be glad I did this, because already, it makes me laugh pretty hard.  I really do love these precious ones, and I especially love the one of the girls kissing on the twins' heads.  I mean, so cute.  Thank God for cute children.