here we (almost weren't) are

Between kids just wanting to stay inside and play with new toys (a certain boy and his new-to-him firetruck) a girl who was coaxed into a sweater she finds too fuzzy and makes her want to throw up, parents who had made assumptions about each other's responsibilities, the extreme time pressure of leaving the family photo taking and printing till Christmas Eve, and a broken tripod - it is somewhat miraculous that we got a picture at all, much less one that we actually like. The photo is not truthful about that moment. I was so frustrated - no angry - by the time the photo shoot was over, all I could think of was that the photo was a lie. After some time, some kind words, an apology and forgiveness, the picture seemed redeemed. So now I share it with you, along with a couple outtakes (you can see my foot raised off the ground as I dash to catch the falling camera) and say, here we are.