picture day: spring 2010

so today . . . was picture day at school.

i have issues with having my picture taken. and yet, because i am a teacher, i am subjected to this ordeal twice a year. i never expect much from the fall photos, but in the spring, i am always hopeful that my picture will turn out ok. yes, that is the best i can hope for--ok.

if you read yesterday's blog, you know that getting to school in a decent outfit for picture day was going to be a challenge. but in an odd turn of events, it was actually made easier by my current situation. i only kept one really great necklace out of hiding, so i knew i was going to wear that--which considerably narrowed my wardrobe choices.

in honor of the inevitable photo, i put mascara on. i wear makeup most days, but it is the mineral kind which i can apply in about three minutes (allowing more sleep time,) and i never, ever put on eye makeup to go to work. because really, do my five and six year olds care? or even notice?? no they do not. but the camera does! so i added eyeliner and mascara to my upper lashes, and then stared into the mirror, knowing it was time for the big decision--to line and mascara the lower lashes or not. this was a school picture--i was not going for smokey and sultry here (ok, people, you can stop laughing now!!!) but i did want my eyes to show up through my glasses . . . i looked at the clock. i had time. but my eyes didn't look too bad as they were, and if i messed it up . . .

of course, you know i decided to go for it. i pulled out the eyeliner and started. i soon wished i had left well enough alone. but it was too late.

usually i use a liquid eyeliner. but the last time i was at ulta, they had these pencil-type liners on sale and i thought i might try one. and it worked great on the upper lashes. but the story was completely different on the lower ones. i couldn't make a thin line! the eyeliner was too thick and dark. ok, don't panic. yes, the clock is ticking, but you can fix it. just get a q-tip and gently wipe some away . . . ok, that didn't work very well. now it is just all smudgy and messy looking. you have to get a little more off! ok, maybe that isn't too bad, but now you have to do the other eye. oh dear. use less, slow down, smudge some off. ok. look at the clock. yikes!! well now you have to put mascara on those lashes as well--just be careful. oh no! now is not a good time for this mascara to finally do it's job of lengthening! these are lower lashes here! and now they look like spider legs!!! let's see, what to do, what to do. ok, maybe if i put a tissue under them, then i can wipe some off without making a bigger mess. ok, maybe not. sheesh. there is no way to do this . . .

i finally just took my face and dashed to work, arriving only five minutes late. i noticed lots of curls and gelled spiky hair on my little dumplings. they were excited for picture day! (of course, none of them had to apply mascara and eyeliner.) and my class didn't even have to wear fancy, uncomfortable clothes, because they get their pictures taken in their graduation caps and gowns. and while i am not a fan of the whole preschool/kindergarten graduation thing, it does make picture day easier . . . the kids said, "yay! it's picture day! we get to wear nightgowns!!" yeah, they don't really get the significance of a graduation gown either . . .

we waited and waited for our turn. usually we get to go first, but i was still missing three kids at 9:30! so i guess they started with the classes at the other end of the hallway, which made us the last one. at 11:00, we were still waiting for our turn. ms. jessica came in relieve me for my break. i stood at the door for a couple of minutes in indecision. i really wanted to go to 7-11, but i wasn't sure i would have time. ms. jessica said, "oh you should have time. the class across the hall just went for their pictures." the class across the hall is a BIG class, with some challenging kids, so i thought, "oh yeah, plenty of time."

famous last words . . .

as i buzzed the door buzzer to get back into the building with my newly acquired soda and brownies (and chips, because i needed some carbs!) there was my class, on their way to the gym for pictures! yes, i almost missed it! i still don't know how the photographer finished that whole class full of wiggly kids before us in 15 minutes!

but it all worked out fine--i think. my class was photographed in record time. all the children smiled this year. and the photographer lied to me--as he always does--and said, "oh, your picture is good, good." (he is asian--that's how he talks. and he smiles when he says it, so i want to believe him. but i know the odds . . .)

and so, another picture day is history. and we survived. now we can just relax . . .

. . . until fall.