Picture Retake Day

I run by Washington Junior High School in Naperville just about every day. In front of the school, there is a big promotional placard showcasing their slogan of sorts, "Educating the Producers of Tomorrow." Yesterday and I'm guessing for the next week or so, that important academic mantra was replaced with an essential announcement, Picture Retake Day is October 3.

I giggled down Washington Street after reading that, thinking about the stress that Washington Junior High seems to put on the day. It's like they wanted to make sure that Naperville's tweens don't end up on AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com. "We know there were LOTS of bad photos this year, make sure your kid ceases looking awkward by October 3!" I also giggled as I thought about picture days past, and how many times I imagine my parents wanted a retake.

Say, kindergarten's picture day, when my parents didn't get the bulletin the week before and didn't know about it. I showed up to the make-shift photo studio with a pink sweat suit and strangly hair. The photographer gave me a little comb to straighten out my do, but he had nothing to cover up my aerobics outfit. My parents were mortified when I came home and told them that I had had my picture taken that day.

Then there was seventh grade, when I was at the prime of my braces. I was perhaps the one girl in the world that was proud of them - that loved showing them off - that saw getting her rubber bands changed as a golden opportunity to color coordinate with every holiday. I rocked everything from orange and black, to green and red, to red, white and blue. Before rappers had grills, I had a pimped out metal mouth that I truly believed looked awesome. On school picture day, 1994, I made the widest grin possible, revealing the Steeler pride of my teeth. The black and yellow rubber bands set against the steely gray, shiny background, literally took up half of the photograph. I can remember showing my family the 8 by 10 - Ooooooh.

In Naperville, both of these would have been retakes, but we never seemed to have this option in Pittsburgh. Which might explain my parents' scrutiny over my brother's school picture outfits. (He wore a bow tie and blazer from Pre-Kindergarten on.) Or my sister's supplemental photo shoot for her senior portrait.

Despite the assumption that my photo would be bad, it was always very exciting getting the portrait studio's envelop in your mailbox. I would always keep mine face down on my desk so I couldn't see the 5 by 7 through the window on the front of the envelop. I would slowly open it and reach for the wallets first, the smallest versions of my awkwardness, and decide whether or not I would continue to the 4 by 6's and 8 by 10's, or hide my envelop so Brittany, the girl with the perfect school portraits couldn't see, and hope that next year's would be better.

While the excitement and inevitable disappointment of school pictures is over for me, this week I got something even better than my triple chin laden sixth grade school picture or my David Cassidy look alike eighth grade school picture. I got the wedding pictures! And guess what? I mostly don't look awkward! Perhaps having a hair stylist and make up artist on site helped. Or perhaps Purvis was just way better than the creepy photographers with the little combs at St. Edmund's. Regardless, I'm not keeping them face down on my desk, I encourage you to take a look!

My sister told me this week that one of the ways to get past the wedding is over blues, is to look at the pictures. And yes, each evening this week, I have looked through 100 or 200 of them. (There are 1,400!) But that just doesn't quite cut it.

After seeing the "Retake Day" sign yesterday, I had this great idea. What if we had a wedding picture retake day? We don't have to do everything again, but maybe just get dressed up, and lounge around in the backyard in our fancy clothes, and perhaps bring back the band, and the champagne, and everyone on the dance floor? After all, there are definitely some that need to be retaken.

I swear that is my prayer face, not an eye roll.

I had to have one more sip didn't I?

Really? Who told us to not smile. (Oh yeah, me.)

Der.

I do not know why I am touching Heski's armpit.

Peter: "That is the world's smallest piece"

Me: "Fine, you cut it!"

Ew.

Okay, my Dad's probably shaking his head, "NO!" with a vengeance right now. So I'll keep looking at the good ones, which are a plenty.

And I'll also try to follow my other friends' advice. Courtney said she just focused on her house and her dogs. So this weekend, we're doing just that; organizing and planning our future Atomic Ranch winner, and taking care of our house guest, Roscoe.

Thank you Michael Purvis for an absolutely phenomenal collection of wedding photos - they capture the fun, happiness and love on our wedding day perfectly.

Lo.