My sister and I are planning to take all the babies to Florida for a week in March or April. This means getting a passport for Bad, and since the Princess's expires at the end of March, getting hers renewed. I went to Wal-mart yesterday to pick up photo prints I'd ordered online, and there was no line-up at the photo studio. I decided to get their passport photos taken.
Wal-mart guy: "I can't take her picture."
Wal-mart guy: "I can't take her picture."
Me: "Why not?"
Wal-mart guy: "She's wearing white. She needs to be wearing a colour. But no black. Preferably red or green."
Me: (after the big discussion about WHY) "Alright, I'll just run into the store and buy something." I mean, it's Wal-mart, what's a t-shirt here worth? $5? It's way easier than coming back.
Wal-mart guy: "You can do it anytime, it only takes 5 minutes."
Me: (Thinking: If you think that, you have obviously never tried getting these two out the door) "No, I don't want to have to come back later, I'll just go grab something and come right back."
Wal-mart guy: "OK."
We went straight to the children's section and grabbed a plain purple t-shirt (purple's kind of like red, and even if it is only $5 I would like her to wear it again). We stood in line, paid, and were back at the photo studio within 10 minutes. The lights were all off. There was a big sign saying someone would be back at 3:00. It's 1:00 now. WTF?! He went to lunch?!! Let me just say that my kids got to learn some pretty good swear words from their mommy.
I loaded the kids back in the car and we headed to the Supercentre to return a shirt for my mom. As we were walking in I noticed that there wasn't a line-up at their photo studio. I asked about the passport photos, and they told me there was nothing wrong with the Princess's shirt, but it'd be 10 minutes or so because the photographer who usually does the passport photos is upstairs in a meeting. Fine. I returned the shirt and went back. The girl was still upstairs, but another photographer took their pictures. (That's not as simple as it sounds, the kids aren't allowed to smile, they have to be looking directly at the camera and their head has to be positioned so that they're not casting any shadows. Frankly, it's ridiculous). The guy goes to print the photos and realizes he has to change the cartridge in the printer. He tells me to come back in 10 minutes.
We go. We come back. He sheepishly tells me that he didn't adjust for the lighting properly and the photos have to be taken again, but it's okay, because the passport photo girl is back. She asks me if I have any Cheerios. What? For Bad...apparently he has to have his mouth closed in the photo. I drag the kids through the grocery checkout and get a candy bar to feed Bad so he'll close his mouth. (The Princess's half is a bribe so she'll consent to having her photo taken. Again.) 10 more minutes of cajoling Bad to look in the right direction and we have our pictures.
I hope the government is happy. All that effort for photos that make my beautiful children look like escaped convicts:
Watch out for these two - they're obviously to be considered armed and extremely dangerous!!
22 comments:
Ha!!!! They do look a little convict-ish!
Have fun in Florida!
*wanted* in all States for Voliation of the cuteness code ! (ps I pinched caption this off another site)
Must be a bunch of new rules- we didn't run into any of that 2 years ago. And by the way- the cheapest and easiest passport photos were at Walgreens by us.
You are a real trooper to put up with all that crap. Glad they didn't take YOUR picture! HAh.
NO ONE looks good in their passport photos. No one. Heidi Klum's probably looks terrible.
I don't get all the fuss about the photos. When we had the girls' done last year, no one said anything about smiles or frowns or the color of their shirts. In fact, Ellie was wearing fairy wings. I'm not kidding. You can't see them, but the straps are visible.
oh sweet mercy. We need new passports too - ours expired in October - this should be fun.
Oh no. I need them too and I have 4 kids. YIKES!
I remember just getting regular photos done at Sears when my kids were your kid's ages. I left in tears and didn't do it again for 3 years lol. I still carry the deep scars on my psyche lol.
Good for you getting them done after all that!
another good thing - we don't have Walgreens in Canada...yet....
jen on the edge - guess the passport photo craziness is a Canadian thing!
I was all "passports for Florida?" and then I remembered that Canada is a whole other country! genius. we've just never needed passports to DRIVE INTO Canada so I never thought much of it (probably much different if you fly DUH). They both look so dispirited and sad! so sad it is quite cute actually. and I just realized I assume you're flying - please tell me you're not driving . . .
What a day! I'd have ripped at least half my hair out. At least you got a funny blog post out of it!
Wow what a run-around! I have to put us all through that right away here, ugh, guess I better get to it right away. Now I am dreading it even more!
What a pain in the butt!! They are so cute though!
I know what you mean!! It drives me crazy. Everything has to be just so. A bit of their ear has to show, too! WTF!??!?!? Why, oh, why does a bit of their ear have to show? Is a funny-shaped ear some kind of criminal give-away?? I don't get it.
But I applaud you for your perseverence.
BTW - haven't mentioned it before, but loving that new banner.
Heidi :)
What an ordeal!!! At least you finally got the pictures done. There's definitely a time and a place for a candy bar bribe, and this is one of those times!!
PS - Have fun in Florida!
That's it. I'm never taking my kids out of the country until they can drive themselves over to the photo place.
I accidentally dressed all three of my kids and myself in black when getting passport photos taken...we ended up looking like a little terrorist family...
we are in the process of doing passports right now. We looked horrible! I told my husband we were the ugliest family ever.
My picture took forever. they kept having to powder me.
I've always wondered about kids and babies and their pictures. Don't they, you know, change a bit over the years or so?
:)
What cuties - for terrorists, that is.
you know, when we had our passports done 4 years ago both the may queen and I smiled away, and no one had any problem with it. i had never even heard the no smiling thing. my hubby was all serious for his, because he had heard you weren't supposed to smile. so the gals look all happy to be traveling, and the man looks like a thug.
They do a look like a bit of trouble there. Cute trouble, but still. I wouldn't take my eyes off them. =)
We're smiling in all of ours. The Boy is wearing white. And since they were taken two years ago (and are good for 10 years) they look nothing like their actual selves. Crazy!
Best of luck in planning your trip to FL! Yippee! Tell us more!
No smiling, mouth shut and no shadows? Gah, I bet when someone looks at the photo and then looks at the kids, they won't believe it is them.
hilarious.
I remember Kilian's first passport photo. He was a month old and was sleeping. I had to hold him up for the camera cause he was slumped like a sack of potatoes.
Brenna's first passport photo was much the same thing but at two months, she was wide awake. I brought her in wearing white and was told to quickly go away and come back in something red. Which I did. She looked ridiculous in her passport photo.
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