So, here’s what I’m wondering. How did “xxxx is like herding cats” become a simile for doing something seemingly impossible? Have you ever tried to herd some toddlers?! Seriously. That job is not for the weak.

You would think that after doing this for so many years, I could manage to do a photo shoot with a little more unicorns and rainbows and a little less crying and bribing. Sidenote: I don’t tell you all of this to make you run away screaming, but I do tell you this, because every time the kids don’t want to cooperate…

(which I can totally appreciate–posing for the camera isn’t fun. I really don’t get how modeling is a job that anyone would find enjoyable, if I’m being honest)

…at least one parent always says, “Do any of the other kids on your other shoots act like this??”

Yes. Yes they do.

Don’t feel bad. We’ll get through it together. Feel free to pack wine in the diaper bag. I’ll bring the stemware. Or, if it’s early in the day, bring a couple of extra empty sippy cups….

So as soon as you get a little full of yourself because you were once an Air Force captain–DURING A TIME OF WAR–some twins will enter your life and shut that stuff down.

Enter these twins. First, these boys are adorable. And I love them. And I love getting to see how much they’ve grown since the last shoot with every new shoot. And I super-dee-duperty love their big sister. She has my favorite baby name, so I could be a little partial to that. I told her that I almost named my daughter her name, and she said, “But she doesn’t have this voice!”

But back to the boys: I think there’s some sort of unspoken twin rule (I swear that my kids have this. They aren’t twins, but I get asked A LOT if they are, so I think they must have this twin gene.) When they were little, I would swear that they had some sort of internal walkie talkie for their telepathic night talk that must have gone something like this:

W: Hey, hey, Birdie, you know you’re up for tonight, right?

B: What?! No way, man. I woke her up, like, five times last night. It’s totally your turn.

W: Yes, but I’m the GOOD sleeper of the two of us. I should only have to wake her up every three nights. Plus, I’ve had three stomach bugs this year. It takes a lot of energy to soil the sheets on two beds and two couches and every square inch of carpet in one night.

B: Fine! I’ll take tonight’s shift, too. But, I’m only going to wake her up four times tonight. I’m tired.

Seriously. You can probably tell I haven’t slept in 87 years based on this helter-skelter blog post.

Back to these two. They are fabulous. HOWEVER, I have not yet mastered the skill of getting them both happy and smiling and looking at the camera at the same time. You win, children!

But, come on. This face and laugh? Melt my heart, why don’t you?? I totally get that this is not Christmas-card worthy. However, he’s so cute I just had to share.

Brother#2: This makes me ache for my little guy to be this age again. Ugh. So cute. 

Dad and Momma, thanks for the trek to the bridge. I will save all of those for the ones that are Christmas-card worthy. xoxo

Love, Andrea