Not Me Monday

Let me start off by saying, I am most certainly not drinking a beer right now.

I am not contemplating how much I want to share on this semi-anonymous blog. I am not wondering if my family, and more specifically, in-laws, would ever stumble across this and put the pieces together and figure out it's me. Because I would never think of bitching about them. My in-laws, more specifically, my sister-in-law, has never irritated me to the point that I want to pull out my own hair.

I was asked by my hubby's sister to take a grandchildren photograph this past weekend, as all 11 would be together for the first time in years. After all, I am supposed to be the "professional photographer". Of course, I never thought about gouging my eyes out at the thought of this, even though the age range was 7 months to 14. I never considered telling my SIL thanks, but no thanks, because I knew our other SIL would be a complete PITA about the whole thing. Because this other SIL has never belittled my "hobby" in the past, and most certainly never glares any time I pull out a camera at social functions. She has definitely never told me on multiple occasions that she doesn't want me using pictures of her children in advertisements on the internet to promote my business. Nope, not once.

I did agree to take the picture, in the interest of my MIL and because I like my other SIL. And for my own children's sake. However, I never (no, never, not ever) strongly suggested some simple clothing (jeans and solid color shirts of any color) to help keep the the focus of the pictures on the kids, and not mismatching patterns.

I did not go out and buy 3 new polo shirts for our children, and most certainly did not buy a pair of baby jean shorts for our youngest. That would be crazy, right?

When everyone started to arrive, I was not at all upset to realize that only 1 child of the 6 that weren't ours was dressed in the outfit I suggested. I was not extremely ticked off to have the same people that agreed to bring these clothes (as a seperate outfit, if need be) that it wasn't a big deal and what they were wearing would be fine.

I didn't get angry at all when I was basically told to kiss off when I asked for all the children to take off their dirty sneakers and socks for the picture. I did not want to punch anything when my MIL came up to tell me that my SIL would not let her children in the photograph until she had my assurance that I wouldn't be using them on the internet for advertising purposes. I did not want to punch my SIL when she came up to me 5 minutes later to double check that I wasn't going to be using the pictures on the net for advertising purposes.

I never thought of refusing to take the picture and telling them that my brother in law, who brought along his camera and tripod, could take it. I did not repeat to myself over and over that "I am doing this for my kids". I never said to my husband that I would never take another picture for his family again.

And that about sums it up...