In addition to everything else I’ve been working on lately, I had the idea for a new project, a little something for the boys.  In preparation for an eventual post about it, I needed a simple picture.  Both boys, side by side, looking sad.  Easy right?

Apparently not.

 Ok… Jakob, that’s not bad… I guess.  But Henri, what are you doing?  Open your eyes.Geez… what?  No.

Jakob, you’re good, kinda.  Stay like that.  Henri, please.  Could you try to look a little less bored?LESS bored.  I said LESS bored.  Jakob… you look like the eagle from the Muppets.Um… okay?  Fine.  Henri, that’s the best I’m gonna get.  You just freeze like that.  Don’t move.  Ready and- uh Jakob?  What are you doing with your face?That’s… not much better.  And Henri- I can see you starting to smile.  You’re not fooling anyone.Whaa?  Jakob- now you look… I dunno… nauseous or something.  And Henri, come ON!  Now you look both bored AND moderately amused.  SAD.  We’re going for ‘sad’… okay?  AH!  No!  Henri, you look like the poster kid from some horror movie.  And Jakob- that’s ‘m’ad.  We want ‘s’ad.  Wrong emotion.

*glances at clock and decides to exaggerate slightly*

Ok forget it.  We’ll try another time.  You guys took way too long, now there’s not gonna be any time for dessert. 

*starts to get up, then looks back when the wails start*

What are you two… hey… are those tears??

I’m sorry!  *click* I didn’t mean it! *click* You’ll still get to have dessert. *click* Look outside, how bright it is.  There’s plenty of time, silly boys… *click, click, click*

The downside?  I’ll be hearing about this for years.  Jakob still reminds me about the time when he was about 2 and ‘you were gonna leave me in the park, and you started walking away because I wouldn’t get out of the swing, and you were gonna leave me there forever and I’d never see you again, and that really wasn’t… you really shouldn’t…’.  (The story tends to end when he starts choking back heavy, guilt-inducing sobs).

The upside?  I got my shot.