Family Portrait Day

This past Saturday we had another family photo day. Since Jade was home from Singapore and Alex’s dad was around we decided to get it done while everyone was home for the Chinese New Year. These days it’s pretty difficult to get everyone together. Dallas Rose, the princess of the two families, is growing and changing daily so it is important to get those pictures while we can.

The appointment with the photographer was for four thirty in the afternoon and Dawn informed us not to be late. (Hahahahaha)!!! My family, of course, can never be on time for anything, and true to form we were late, although I have to say this time around we were only about ten to fifteen minutes late. Alex’s dad was later then us. When Dawn and Alex got married the mother of the bride and family were one hour late. Frankly speaking it’s not me. I’m always ready on time and I’m the one that has to sit around sweating in the Malaysian heat waiting for everyone else to get ready. By the time my family is ready to go my makeup is running down my face. It’s a good thing that my eyes don’t sweat because my mascara would be running down my face pooling around my chin. Such is my family. So as usual I was ready on time yelling at everyone to hurry up. Justin decided to go for a haircut and because the hairdresser just only opened after the long Chinese New Year holiday there were a lot of people and he had to wait. Robyn and Jordan were ready on time and of course Jade, well it takes her an hour to put on makeup that gives her a natural look.

We arrived en mass at the photographers. This pictures colour scheme was white shirts and jeans. Even Dallas Rose had on a pair of jeans and a white t shirt. Alex’s dad, being from another era and generation, doesn’t own a pair of jeans, so he wore navy slacks and a white shirt. When we arrived the session had begun with Dallas sitting in a white flower pot with strawberries on her head. She was so adorable, smiling all the while for her pictures. Next she had purple flowers on her head, then she was in a cooking pot surrounded by vegetables wearing a chef’s hat and then the photo I have wanted most of all, Dallas wearing angel wings. After the single poses of Dallas the family got together and we proceeded with the family portraits, all of us with Dallas, then Alex and his dad with Dallas and then my family with Dallas. By time an hour had gone by Dallas was tired and cranky and didn’t want to smile anymore not to mention that we had gone over our time slot and another couple wanted their turn. They were having a closed session. The wife was pregnant with their first so I am assuming they maybe wanted some nude shots of the wife, who knows. Anyways the way I look at it we were there first so tough titty wait your turn. But no they asked us to come back. Oh well Dallas was tired anyways and as soon as she was put in her stroller she fell asleep. All the smiling makes for a sleepy baby.

By this time it was six pm so we decided to have dinner. We ended up in Dragon i probably one of the most expensive Chinese Food places around. After dinner we went back to the photo studio and finished our session. I wanted pictures taken of Dallas and only I and I also wanted a picture of my five lovely off spring. There has not been a picture taken of them all together since before their father died so now was the chance. So there they all posed, one in clown hair, one in witches hat and a boa, one in a court jesters hat and boa, one in a pirate hat and one in a fireman’s hat. My two sons were holding plastic props; Justin had an axe and Jordan had a sword and they proceeded to pose as if they were stabbing their sisters as well as other ridiculous poses. I finally got them to take off the crap and pose nicely and I hope there are a few nice pictures of my lovely children. Alex asked me to sit with the kids and have one done and so I did. I hope they turn out well but knowing my kids there will be one of me smiling happily while my children make funny faces at me behind my back.

Christmas is almost here!!

Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat

Please put a penny in the old mans hat

If you haven't got a penny then a half penny will do

If you haven't got a half penny then god bless you

Yes once again the Christmas season is upon us and all I can say is "Bah Humbug"!!! I never used to feel that way, I remember as a child celebrating Christmas with snow all around and the excitement of knowing that Santa would bring us presents. My sisters and I were mercenary little things, we never thought of Christmas as having any other meaning then that, even though we knew that Christmas was the celebration of Christ's birth. No to us Christmas was about all the loot that Santa would bring us. We would wake Christmas morning at 4 am to wake our parents who had only just gone to bed after a night of a little too much Christmas cheer. We of course would get yelled at to get our asses back to bed and not to wake them again until at least 7am. We waited in our rooms in anticipation sneaking out to the kitchen once in a while to check the time. Those three hours sure did pass slowly but at least we where allowed to take our stockings to our room to check out the treasures. So there my sister and I sat on our beds eating candy impatiently waiting for 7am to arrive. No wonder we both had stomach ache every Christmas.

Christmas eve was either spent at our house or at my aunts house. I can remember the year that my father decided to climb on the roof and stomp around so we kids would think that Santa was up there. Big mistake, oh we thought it was Santa, its just that dad was drunk when he climbed up onto the roof and after stomping around for a few minutes he fell off when trying to climb down again. Lucky for him there was a pile of snow to cushion his fall not to mention that his drunken state had left him in a state of jelly. It must be true god takes care of little children and drunks.

The first eleven years of Christmas in Malaysia sucked big time. During this time we had lived with my in laws who didn't celebrate Christmas and didn't really know what it was all about. The myth of Santa was quickly destroyed when my dumb ass youngest brother in law informed my kids that there was no Santa. My kids would still be excited about the loot they would get. They were lucky that I was an early riser. During this time I hardly drank so I was not hung over. We would quickly unwrap our presents, shower and dress, take the family Christmas photo which would be sent to my family and then we would take off to one of the malls in Kuala Lumpur, walk around all day then eat Christmas dinner which was not turkey.

When we finally moved out of the house Christmas was better. We bought a bigger tree to replace the table top tree we had used year after year which had been sent over by my family. After my husband passed and we moved to another house I would buy a turkey and cook it at home and invite my in laws. This was ok until my fat ass sister in law and her fat kids started eating most of the turkey before anyone else had a chance to eat some. Not long afterwards I stopped inviting them over for Christmas. The last Christmas with my husbands family I had had to buy two turkeys to cook which is an expensive endeavor. Other then this little blip on Christmas cheer I enjoyed Christmas.

So this past Sunday we put up our tree to lack of enthusiasm. My eldest now has her own family and lives in her own place. My kids are all grown and one daughter works in Singapore. I put up the tree strung the lights and added a few gold pine cones and just sat looking at it. I didn't feel like finishing it. We went out for dinner came back watched a movie and still the tree stood there undecorated. I finally manage to rally the three who are still at home into decorating the tree.

As we all do our Christmas shopping the phone calls are incessant with questions of "What do you want"? "What size do your wear"? "What colour do you want"? The mystery of Christmas is gone and so is the Christmas spirit. Not to mention that most of us are broke. But I rally around doing my shopping and come Christmas day I'll cook the turkey and all my kids will be home. After talking to my family in Canada and a little Christmas cheer that is Canadian Club Rye Whiskey or Bailey's Irish Cream I'm sure the Christmas spirit will come.