School Pictures

My kids probably thought I was torturing them when we went to the Minuteman Battle Trail and Old North Bridge for some annual photos.  Hmmm...that's probably a misnomer, it's not as if I only take their pictures annually.  This blog alone attests to the fact that we take pictures all-the-bloomin'-time, and my kids will wholeheartedly agree.  Nevertheless, I took them out for some pictures--the ones that I will hang on the wall as their yearly pictures.  I have the added benefit of being able to insure that this year's "school pictures" are neither right after P.E. when their hair is all crazy nor right after lunch when they have food in their teeth and on their faces.  I also get to go on location somewhere fun.  Again, I think all of this might, by my kids, be considered somewhat close to torture.  If nothing else, it's very low on their "ways-I-want-to-spend-my-afternoons" list.  To compensate, I promised them that all who were cooperative would be rewarded.  It was a vague promise, because at the time I hadn't come up with a plan for how exactly I would reward them.  It worked nonetheless, and as proof, here's my reward:

Their reward?  Well here's the best part.  As we're returning home, I'm aware of the fact that I really need to go to the commissary.  Yet another of the many things low on their "how-I-want-to-spend-my-afternoon" list--actually, that's probably on the other list--the "how-I-absolutely-do-NOT-want-to-spend-my-afternoon" (come to think of it, it's on the same list for me).  So, I had to figure out a way to make this work out for all of us.  The conversation went something like this:

Kids:  What's our reward?

Me:  Well, I was thinking that I'd let you pick out any kind of cereal you want at the commissary, but that means we'll have to go to the commissary right now, and I'm thinking you guys would rather just go home.

Kids:  That's okay, we can go now!

Me:  Yeah, but I have a bunch of stuff on my list...we can't just go in and get cereal and then leave, I need to get other stuff too.

Kids:  We don't mind.  That will be okay.

Me:  Are you sure? 

Kids:  Yeah!  Let's go to the commissary!!!

Win-Win.  Not bad, huh?