Family Photo calamity

We've gotten a special request for a nice family photo, and we took a few minutes last night to try to make that happen. What a calamity! My goodness. The kids were bouncing off the wall, the parents were patiently trying to set up/stand in frame, keep things light. Then Maggie nearly smashed her face on the coffee table while trying to jump off the couch, smacking her hand instead and breaking down in hysterical tears. So we stopped efforts and comforted her, and decided to try the photo again when her tears had dried.

Only that second effort didn't go so well, more chaos ensued, more jumping about and acting wild from the kids, fissure cracks spreading like wildfire in the parents ability to keep cool, until KABLAM! it all went to hell and the eldest child mutinied and we had to abandon our efforts until another time for the four of us to be together long enough to regroup and try again -- which is looking like Thursday at this point!

Wish us luck!

p.s. it wasn't so bad. it sort of got ridiculous after a certain point. you wouldn't think it would be so difficult to fit the four of us in the frame, but I guess it is. These days anyway!