Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Christmas School Spirit and the Angst over Smiling

It's bound to happen during the month of December.

Holiday hooplah pulls me away from time with my needle.

Luckily, most of the distractions are either fun or creative so that's a blessing.

One of my December distractions this morning has been working in Photoshop to create Christmas stationery using Jack's school logo.



Next Wednesday night, we're having a Mother's Christmas dinner where I'll be bartending (woohoo!) and where we'll be giving each Mom that attends a set of five notecards.

The "committee" is reviewing them all now...Originally, we were thinking of choosing one...but I kind of like a mixed set...

It's a nice idea. I can just imagine Jack sending some out to his grandparents with his current school picture enclosed...Only problem is that he hates his picture this year...His Grand Nina told him she didn't care. She still wanted one.

The only problem with his school picture this year was that he forgot how to smile genuinely. Somewhere around last year, he started over-thinking how to smile when he's getting his picture taken. And so what we end up with is something a bit...well...


awkward.

I can almost feel his discomfort.

And that's why I love the picture...It perfectly captures this period of teenage angst and gawkiness. And I love it that his grandmother still wants one.

But I digress. I didn't plan to mention Jack's school photo but I never know quite what will come forward when I show up here to blog.

I do remember I changed my smile for about two weeks back in Eighth grade. I had a friend named Bobby who had beautiful, white, straight teeth. When he smiled, both rows of his teeth showed and I thought his smile was awesome. I thought his smile made him way more cool than most of the rest of us.

When I smile, only my top row of teeth shows...so for two weeks when I was 12, I decided to try on a new smile.

For two straight weeks, I smiled with both rows of my teeth showing.

Until my mother noticed one day and asked,

"What are you doing?"


"What???", I asked...as if I didn't know...

"Why are you smiling like that? It looks ridiculous..."

"Like what??" I shrugged. And that was it.

That ended the brief, Big Cheese Smile era.

The other night, I tried the Big Cheese smile on during dinner. It only took one time before Jack asked the same question my Mom had over 30 years ago...So I told him the story about the two weeks when I changed my smile. And he said, "Mom. I agree with Grammy. That really does look ridiculous."

Oh boy, I digress again. Back to our regularly scheduled programming...

In case you didn't know about all the beautiful digital designs that are available, here are a few sites I frequent to purchase digital "scrapbooking" elements...though I rarely use them for scrapbooking...

Rhonna Designs
Two Peas in a Bucket
Designer Digitals
Shabby Miss Jenn Designs

Hoping to get to my needle today but I'm not so sure that's going to happen...

Happy day to you all, no matter how awkward you might feel.

11 comments:

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

How do you find the time to learn so much about so many things!!

The pic is cool. This is probably his last gawky pic. Corey's was last year. This year he did something goofy because its used for his school ID badge. What was he thinking. They will put it in the yearbook too. He says he doesn't care, anyone that knows him will know he was goofing off and his wrestling pic is the one he cares about.

How do you usually use the digital pics? I don't get out much, you know ~lol~

Bartender huh? The bar would never fly in this neck of the woods.
xx, Carol

Mosaic Magpie said...

With his beautiful eyes, who cares how he is smiling! Hey at least he is smiling.
Deb

Gerry Krueger said...

Tell Jack I said his smile makes him look like he has a very big secret......and not about to share it.... Ger

Lorraine Young Pottery said...

Does he know you posted it LOL!

Vicky aka Stichr said...

It's like the time he tried hats...you keep trying until you find the one that fits. Like a mustache too...gotta grow and find one that fits...wait til he goes for his drivers license, he will have a large zit erupt 5 seconds before the pic is taken, he will really hate that one!!

Createology said...

Oh Yeah! The awkwardness of our youth. I can see why you are a proud mother. Jingle Bell Joys...

allie aller said...

Jack looks so old! Very handsome, not awkward at all....

Judy S. said...

Fun photo, Susan...fun memories, too!

Ingrid Mida said...

Dear Susan,
I dropped by to get a smile because I always smile when I visit here. I've got a bunch of awkward photos of my boys too and each one makes me smile! They grow up so fast don't they?

Anonymous said...

It's still better than my school photo from when I was seven. I took a dislike to the photographer (one of those dreadfully jolly ones), and in consequence, didn't smile at all. I look like a small Queen Victoria!

Padparadscha said...

That post had me grinning and forgetting about my crooked teeth :oD

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