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A couple of weeks ago I received emails from both Sears and Picture Me studios saying I had won a free $50 photo shoot. Normally you can buy a really package for under $10, but the glitch is that if you go with that deal all the prints have to be of the same pose. This deal didn't have any such restrictions. It caught my eye that I could get free prints of multiple poses. I hadn't planned on going to a studio this month. I was planning to go once this fall for a family photo and then in December for Ian's 2 year pictures as well as Nadia's Christmas ones. However, I'm not going to turn down free pictures. They also were running a lot of other really good deals such as 10 pages of prints (you pick the sizes) plus a CD for $50 (with the CD I could make our Christmas cards with that photo). So we had decided to try to get the annual family photo at Walmart today and the kids' costume photos at Sears next Thursday. I picked next Thursday morning as my mom will be here, and it's much easier to manage the kids at a photo session with two adults present.

This morning I was a woman on a mission. I gave the kids baths, picked out coordinating outfits for everyone, ironed some clothes (and I go many months without ironing), got the kids and I dressed (which included painting Nadia's nails and putting makeup on my face for the first time in many months), and got everyone in the car by 9:40am. We walked into the studio right on time at 10:00am. The photographer wasn't there yet, but I didn't think much of it because the studio opens at 10:00. After a little time passed I asked the greeter (who sits right by the studio), and he said he had seen the manager (Jen) earlier that morning. I thought that was strange that she was in Walmart but not in studio since we had an appointment, but I felt encouraged that she should be here any minute. After more time passed I left a message for the district manager and asked at Customer Service. At 10:30 I decided to do a little shopping while Paul waited in the studio. At 10:45 we gave up. We had planned to go to Perkins after our photo shoot as a special meal together as Paul is leaving for Italy tomorrow, and we won't see him for 8 days. As we were driving from Perkins back home, the manager called us to apologize that the photographer who was supposed to be there today hadn't shown up.

She said the manager was on her way now to the studio, and that we could come back at 1pm or 3pm, if we wanted. That wouldn't work for us. She also offered us $25 off our next visit. I wish I had scheduled our family photo for Sears today and the costume shoot at Walmart for next week. How was I to know no one would show up today. We've had better luck at the Walmart studio later, and the family photo is more important to me, which is why I picked Walmart for the family photo. The last picture I have of the four of us together was taken by my sister last October. Too bad we don't live closer to each other so my sister could take our family photo! Chicago is a bit far to travel for a photo shoot. :-)  The ironic thing is that Jen (manager) called yesterday to confirm our session today, and I got an email from the studio this morning as another reminder. I guess they need to be more diligent in reminding their employees when to go to work! It was rather frustrating, but in the grand scheme of things just a tiny inconvenience. One of the items I purchased today was the nightlight that Wyatt has enjoyed, Regina. They had one in stock. Ian has had fun playing with it, but it didn't help with naptime (at least not today anyhow). He screamed for 25 minutes and then slept for 10 minutes. At first I was going to let him cry because 10 minutes is WAY too short for a nap, but I looked and saw that Nadia was sleeping, and since she has had a rough week with naps, I didn't want him to wake her up. So I got him. I was glad she was sleeping and was disappointed that Ian only slept 10 minutes because he had slept at least 30 minutes the last three days.