The youngest of my grandchildren won't sit still for photographs. She's absolutely adorable, she refuses to put her hair in a pony tale, and her idea of a photograph-able face is a comic grimace.
She's up; she's down. She's like quicksilver in constant motion. As hard as I try I never get anything close to a recognizable and presentable portrait of what she really looks like. Please see Exhibit #1
After many, many failures I devised a grandmotherly plan that, while quite devious, was a win-win situation for both of us. Last week I enticed her with two things she cannot resist. A timer and a popsicle. Heh, heh, heh.... Exhibit #2
After her lunch of Mac and Cheese I explained that she was going to have a red popsicle for dessert but we had to wait for five minutes so she wouldn't be too full to eat it. We set the timer for her to count off the minutes. I also explained that we'd need to put her hair in a ponytail JUST while she ate her popsicle so her hair wouldn't get messy. Heh, heh, heh... (Yes, grandmothers do lie to their grandkiddies).
I give that little girl enormous credit because she waited the full five minutes which is hard for any little girl to do. Her mom was amazed! See: Exhibits #4, 5, 6
And then, the timer rang and victory was hers. Grandma rushed to the freezer and presented her with her popsicle. Exhibit #7
Here are my three favorite shots of my little granddaughter, her hair (almost) in a ponytail, her face completely relaxed and in popsicle heaven. Exhibit #8, 9, 10.
One sweet child + one timer + one popsicle = some great photos and wonderful memories. I rest my case.
Printer-friendly version