does this count?

Three kids facing the camera with their tongues curling up at the sides as a faux smile???

father care

and finally while I am on a comeback roll, here is E left in the care of her father:

What this really is, is a testament to how hard he has been working. He is rather like a walking zombie on the weekends, I come across him passed out sitting up half way through lego construction, or dozing on the sofa with three kids hanging off him watching television, or as this case may be, leaving a room with the lid off the nutella. Atleast he is not ashamed to capture it for my benefit!

Christmas wasn't any better

Carrying on from the last post about my trouble to get a photo of all the kids, Christmas wasn't any better. Here is what we got:

a positive start, one child smiling:

things are looking good, two kids smiling, a father and a dog, all looking at the camera!

enter number 3, exit number 1 and the dog (compounded by pathetic mother photography):

hmmm, regression:

that's it, they are gone, a series of about 8 photos were taken of them hiding behind the tree, not a single face to the camera:

until there is only the tree, though there are three kids in behind it:

and then, there is one crazy parental sucker left:

Back?

Well, it appears I may just be back after a year and a half hiatus.

what can I say...

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

I didn't get around to blogging again for the New Year into 2011 (though I did have grand ambitions), instead I am going for the Chinese New Year. Yes, I am one of those people who needs the perfect starting moment to begin anything, not able to start unless it is the beginning of the week, month, or year (an even number, a leap year, a blue moon...). So really it is a big concession for me to use Chinese NY as a re-commencement point, being that it fell mid-week and on the 3rd of the month!

So, in celebration of my new openness to mid-week commencement (really because we thought it cute to capture this moment of the kids all excited and dressed up in their Chinese clothes), we tried to get photos of the kids. It is such a major ordeal to get three kids looking neat and at the camera at the same time. It would be an absolute miracle if they were also smiling (which was given us last year as seen in an old post) and really we have given up on ever achieving that again, so instead we are just satisfied with three in the shot, well done and pat on the back!

This is what we got:

Oh yes, one can only be proud. Not a single photo for the grandparents to frame. I guess they probably think we are neglectful and inconsiderate for not sending them more beautiful pictoral updates of their grandkids, but the reality is rarely will one have the urge to stand still and smile for the camera, and never ever is that urge times three and synchronised. I do remember receiving cards from people all through my childhood, and actually even now at times, of happy smiling and obedient children in family photos for Christmas cards, and not only this but also perfectly performing synchronised smiles. It was before photoshop too, so it was not a sham. I am gobsmacked at how they did it, as our kids seem to be so anti performance that no bribe, treat or threat works to tame them into submission for photos. I am talking major harsh words here, but you know, not so harsh that you negate any chance of random smile being thrown in. But really, I would LOVE to know what the magic is to achieve this... though I have a feeling genetics might come into play. Sean and I are both naughty number 3 probably having created enough cheeky karma that is returning 10 fold to us, coupled with us both having fathers whose childhoods appear filled with rambunctious antics. There is potentially no hope in our genetics for neat, amenable, synchronised smiling spawn photos.

Happy Chinese New Year!