Gorilla family

Oh No… Not Another Christmas Photo

/ Curt Mekemson / 19 Comments
Oh come on, Mom. You’ve already taken a million photos of me!

The cameras are out. It’s that time of the year. Open a present. Get your photo taken. “Hold up those socks, Joe. And smile. Aunt Tilda needs to know how much you like your gift.” Right. You know the routine. Put on deer antlers and get your photo taken. Take your photo with Grandma. She loves it. But where’s Grandpa. “How come Grandpa always has to go to the bathroom when photos are being taken Mom? He told me that photos give him gas.” And maybe it’s true. He looks like he’s got gas. 

Peggy and I are visiting with our son Tony, his wife Cammie, and our grandkids Connor, Chris and Cooper on a pre-Christmas visit. We took a trip over to Bush Gardens yesterday. I took photos of the Chimp family for Christmas. I had my usual challenge getting anyone to smile.

Like father like son, they always say.
And then there was Grandpa, doing everything he could to avoid having his photo taken— including glaring at the camera. Check out the father/son pose.
And here’s dad, giving me the look.
A black and white family portrait. At least I had persuaded both father and son to look toward the camera at the same time. A small miracle in itself.
And finally, maybe, just barely: a smile.

Then there is all the stuff about table manners at Christmas. Everyone is expected to be on their best behavior. And what are the odds of that happening? I dropped over to visit with the Gorilla family to check it out.

I’m not sure. Maybe stuffing yourself is a sign of good manners, like you really like the food.
What are you supposed to do when your plate is crammed high?
And what if someone adds chips? “Where’s the salsa?”
Always worth another handful. “These darn things are addictive.” How many times have you heard that as an excuse for eating more.
But back to the lettuce. Even Mom, the absolute guardian of good manners, seems to be spilling food down her front.
But finally, I find some real Christmas spirit. Sharing. “Here, son. Look what I brought you. More lettuce. Merry Christmas.”

NEXT POST: Maybe I’ll be back at Busch Garden in Florida, or on the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta, or hiking down the Pacific Crest Trail. You never know. I sure don’t. 🙂