Priorities...

Just in case you were wondering, I DO have priorities.  I'm not always completely random... scattered... frazzled.  REALLY.   In the mornings my priorities are usually to make sure the boys eat a decent breakfast (is banana pudding a "decent" breakfast??), wear semi-matching clothing (incuding socks that actually go together), and brush their teeth before leaving for school.  Sometimes I even remember to remind them to grab their backpacks on the way out the door.  In the afternoons my priorities including remembering to pick up boy #3 from school and shuttle him to and from whatever sporting activity he is supposed to be at on whichever day (sometimes it takes more than one brain to remember it all, tho). 

Today, however... TODAY's priority was our annual Bluebonnet photo shoot.  I tried to do this last weekend but it was soooooo very sunny... everyone was squinty and washed out (and some mean person on the highway honked at me and made an ugly gesture while I was trying to make the best of the situation!)  Rude person.  

I knew it was supposed to rain today so had been planning on trying again early this morning.  I woke up at 7:30 and it was PERFECT outside - that perfect overcast sky that makes all the colors just GLOW.  I let the boys sleep... for another half hour (hee hee - mean, huh?) and then woke them up, promising them What-a-Burger breakfast taquitos when we were all done.  This, by the way, is the most awesomest bribe ever - really gets their rears in gear ... except Justin who's version of "hurrying up" means taking only 30 minutes to get his clothes on and brush his teeth.  Whatever... we were out the door by 8:30 - woo hoo!

First stop... County Road 403.  Both sides of the road absolutely lined with bluebonnets... nevermind the prickly mesquite tree or the cactus.  I certainly didn't mind them.  The first shot of the day was this.  What you can't see is that I've had Jake tuck a mesquite branch behind his head (it WAS in front of his face - and that will never do.)  It is poking him in the scalp with it's thorns.  I told him to be still and it wouldn't hurt very much and it'll only take a sec for me to snap the pic.  Should have checked the LCD display and retried - he's got a funny look on his face... sigh.  After this I told them to squat down so I could get them more in the flowers.  Justin says, "Mom, there are cactus."  I said, "Just don't SIT on

it."  Justin replies, "If I squat, I'll HAVE to sit on it."  My response?  "Squat PART of the way down to where you're not touching the cactus but it LOOKS like you're sitting."  Priorities, dear, priorities.  What's a little cactus pain when there are photos to be taken???  So he did and I got this one.  Seeeeee - everything was just fine!  :)

Down the road a bit farther I got this one.  Probably a good thing Justin didn't SEE Jackson behind him.  Older brothers are a persnickety bunch, sometimes. 

Then, when Jackson spontaneously put his arms around his brothers'... the whole shot degenerated to this...

God forbid he touch them... LOL

By this time it had started to sprinkle.  No worries - a little rain won't hurt anyone (or a camera when you've got it covered in a zip-loc baggie!)  Funnily enough, the boys didn't even complain about standing in the rain.  I got one of my favorite shots of the day when they were just walking away from me down the side of the road.  I guess they know it takes more than a little sprinkle to change my mind about a photo shoot.  Good boys, they are... have the right priorites, too!  :)

I did end up with several great shots to go with the ones that didn't turn out so perfectly.   And we are happy to report that we encountered no snakes, no scorpions (but there WAS one in my kitchen tonight)... no traffic hazards were created by stopping on the side of the road to take bluebonnet photos.  I'm even pretty sure no one was bitten by fire ants.  Can't promise that though - it's such a common thing around here, it might not have been mentioned...  I didn't have to threaten anyone for not cooperating.  No child was actually harmed by mequite thorns OR cacti... sigh... a VERY good morning!