Better late than never, and why can't my children smile nicely?

In the annals of top-notch parenting, Jeff and I have logged in some doozies. There was the forgotten tooth-fairy visit(s), letting the kids play with a dead bird (really can't blame Jeff on that one it was all me,) the month delay in pumpkin carving, and finally, we forgot to get our own child a birthday gift. Well, we actually didn't forget, we were just so dang busy getting ready for his party and then Sundays are a complete wash, and then well there was Mon and Tues, but I guess we were just busy??? So finally on Wed, Jeff went out and got the stuff we had planned on getting him - compass, headlamp, and some misc. camping stuff. Jack is very much into the outdoors, guns, hunting, camping etc. After school we let him open the gifts -kind of sad though, cause when he came in from school I nodded over at the table where everything was stacked and he kind of nonchalantly meandered over. I guess the boy was just in disbelief that we had finally gotten around to giving him something! So here are some pics of him opening his stuff - sweet boy even let his brother and sister do some opening.

What these pictures, and many others, have made me realize, is that my two eldest children are the worst smilers. Now in real life they have great smiles - the kind that make you smile because they are such honest expressions of joy and happiness. But when it comes to "posed" pictures, boy howdy they take some duds. I had both of their school pictures retaken and with a stern lecture on smiling nicely so that mommy and daddy aren't throwing away perfectly good money (as opposed to bad money?) for goofy photos. Well, they certainly took my pearls of wisdom to heart. When the new set came back, the made sure that I got my money's worth - in the history of goofy school pictures, these take the cake. Jack is biting his bottom lip and smiling as if to say, "well golly, I never did see one of those new fangled photomographic machines." And EK, bless her heart (Christian code for oh my goodness what a goober) has her upper lip tucked under so tightly it's as if she didn't have one at all. Oh well, in the grand scheme I guess it really doesn't matter. I had only hoped to have at least EK's kindergarten pic - we are from here on out no longer getting the school pics. I'll have to scan in the pics from school as proof that I am not exaggerating!

This last one is Will taken right after he woke up from his nap. Too cute! He is such a trip. He has recently discovered just how funny he really is and will ham it up for any one of us. He's latched on to the days of the week, but really only knows Monday and Friday, so when we try to tell him that it's another day, he says, "oh yeah, ____(whatever we told him the day was) yeah, yeah, yeah" while shaking his head and waving his hands at us like 'whatever'. Yesterday on the way to church this was our conversation:
Will: "bird"

Me: "you see a bird, cool."
W: "pump"
Me: "You want to pump?"
W: "yes, pump"
After some thought I figure out that he's referring to pumping the shotgun, or Jack's BB gun.
Me:"Oh, you're going to pump the gun?"
Will:"Yes. Guy."
"Guy" is often used in reference to God when we're praying (Will's reference, not mine:)) so I am smiling, thinking, oh how dear, we're on our way to church and my baby boy is thinking of God. WRONG.

Me:"Oh, you're talking about God?"
Will:" No. guy. pump. bird. shoot."

Hmmm. Slow dawn of understanding...

Me:"Will. Are you saying you're the guy whose going to pump the gun to shoot the bird?"

Will:"Yes!! Me guy, pump, bird, shoot!" Big smile and as I look in the rearview, I see two other smiling faces. Oh well, just one big happy family on our way to worship!

Good grief - this one's a handful!