FINISHED!!

I am so done with getting the kids' pictures taken at Target!! Today was the last time! I was so frustrated by the time I left there, I was about to kill the chic taking Caleb's pictures. UUUUUGH!

Yesterday I called them to confirm the appointment, and I got bombarded with 50 questions. I got all the usual questions -- what will he be wearing, do I have prop preferences, etc.... but then they started asking me weird questions -- what's his middle name, when is his birthday (I already told them it was his 19 month pics), how much does he weigh... WHAT? Since when is his middle name and weight important in picture taking??? This conversation goes on for 10 minutes and finally I tried to end the conversation by saying, "Great, well, I'll see you at 10 tomorrow morning. Looking forward to it!". We finally get off the phone, and I was already irritated with them...

So today when I get there, a new girl is going to be taking Caleb's pictures. She has me fill out this sheet with my name and address and then starts asking me all the same questions I got the day before. WHAT?? Did you not take notes yesterday, and REALLY is his weight and birthday important??? Come on!! So needless to say, Caleb is about ready to jump out of the cart and I'm starting to get annoyed.

When we finally go into the picture room and prepare to get the pics taken, she barely looks at Caleb. I am doing everything -- trying to get him to smile, placing him in the correct location, making sure the lighting is right -- everything!! I might as well have grabbed the camera and shot it myself. Soooo frustrating! She then decides it'd be a great idea to hand him a soccer ball and a golf club. Now -- for any of you moms with little toddler boys -- I'm sure you can guess what I'm going to say..... This was perhaps the worst idea in the universe. Let's just say that as soon as Caleb was handed a golf club, he went nuts. ABSOLUTELY NUTS!! He went after the soccer ball with all the gusto he had -- swinging that golf club with all of his might. Let's see ... he hit the photographer, knocking the camera out of her hands, tripped over the back drop, and gave himself a fat lip all in about 20 seconds. It was just wonderful. SOOOOO many great photo-opts there! Ay-yi-yi....

After about 25 minutes of complete chaos, I tell her that I think he's done. He was at his limit and was ready to get the heck out of there. And, I don't blame him!! I was done too! LOL. She tells me that I can't leave yet, she needs to get more pictures and starts rattling off certain poses that she needs to shoot. HUH??? I'm the paying customer, my 19 month old has had it, he's doing everything BUT standing still for pictures, and you want to keep shooting??? It ended with her taking some pictures of me putting coins back into my billfold. *I think I'll get a 16X20 of that and hang it on the wall......

On the way out I called Holly. She used to manage the Target and took the kids pictures for 3+ years. She now runs a private studio in Ankeny. I don't care about the drive. I just want good pictures!! So next month, we're going to Holly's!! And poor Katherine, she was just distraught because she wasn't getting her pictures taken this month.