When it comes to special days at school, there is one day that both parents and children tend to stress over. I’m talking about picture day and it is a big deal for every parent because they like to keep those pictures to watch their children growing year after year. As they get older, it’s nice to look back on the younger years and get a little bit nostalgic about times gone by. It tends to go by so quickly that we don’t even notice it until it’s gone.
Picture day is also one of the only days that most parents will get professional photos of their children. Rather than sneering at you while you are trying to snap a picture with your phone, they will actually smile for the camera. Sometimes you just need to take the opportunities when they come to you, and picture day is your opportunity.
Laurel Boone Hutsell sent her son to school for picture day. Carter is a well-mannered child and he didn’t argue with his mom when it came to her choice of apparel. Perhaps they should’ve discussed the shirt that he was wearing because they have had issues with blending into the background in years past. That is why she chose a bright green shirt.
Like many parents, she sent her son off to school that day with his hair neatly brushed and a smile perfectly practiced. She said:
“‘Don’t squint your eyes so much. Look more natural. Smile like someone just said something funny. Not like you’re scared that someone is sneaking up behind you.’ Lots of smiling practice. He’s adorable. I can watch him smile at me all day long.”
Everything seemed fine but when Carter got home, he said: “‘Mom, I shouldn’t have worn the green shirt for pictures. It will blend in with the green screen they used.’”
His mother said, “‘They used a green screen? What?! I probably should have read some fine print. Maybe they will be ok.’”
It was a few days later that his mother got an email from the school. Here is how his pictures turned out.
There’s one thing about these pictures.
He did have the perfect smile.
“As soon as I saw the proofs, I had to look again. Out loud I said to myself ‘Oh my gosh. He was right. That’s exactly what happened.’ I could not stop laughing. Each picture was better than the next. The flags? That autumn scene with the fence? I really couldn’t believe my handsome boy’s head and arms were just floating there. I showed my husband and we got such a good laugh from it. And guess what? His smile and hair are PERFECT! HA!”
At least everyone had a good sense of humor about it. Both Laurel and her husband had a good laugh about the green screen.
This is also going to provide a lot of good memories.
“Now a few days have gone by and we are having so much fun with this. I really can’t believe it’s all happening! I have received tons of messages from other moms, thanking me for sharing this #momfail and for making them laugh. Lots of people are commenting about how handsome my son is and how much this has brightened their day. This is a memory and a story we’ll have to tell for a lifetime.”
This is our favorite picture:
