2 Year Photos

After having Ella's 18 month photos taken last summer was so tricky (remember I had to hide under a sheet?!), followed by the Christmas photo debacle in which we got only ONE good photo, I have been deciding what to do about Ella's 2 year photos. I know it's not her favorite activity, and I'm certainly not trying to torture her, but I really want to get pictures each year. So, I decided to try something new in the hopes of establishing a new pattern. I was all set to get them taken, but then she broke her leg, and I of course did not want her boot in the pictures, so I waited out the boot, and this weekend finally decided to go for it.

I told Ella that if she did a nice job for pictures then we'd go to the mall after and get a pretzel and ride the carousel. Oooh boy, did that motivation do the trick!!

I love how the pictures came out and Ella actually had fun and smiled throughout. The lady had this bubble machine and Ella tried to catch the bubbles and had a really good time. Here are my favorites -































I just love the pictures, and am so pleased that this was such a nice, pleasant experience compared to the last two. Ell was such a champ and I was so proud of her. As promised, I took her to the mall after and we enjoyed a soft pretzel and a ride on the carousel. When we were walking toward the end of the mall where the carousel is, as soon as she saw it she said "WOAH, RIDE!!!" and then she looked at me and said "Mommy, I ride!" She loved it and in a very independent move, tried to push my hand off her back while she was on the horse because as she said "I do". We sat on a bench to eat our pretzel she watched the carousel the whole time and would announce when it stopped ("ride done" and then when it turned back on "ride go"). My own little carousel attendant!