Day 189

I didn’t buy the kids school pictures this year.  I also didn’t buy the soccer team photo, the volleyball team photo and the photos they took of us screaming on various rides at an amusement park over the summer.

It was difficult.  I mean, school photos are an American institution.  In past years it would have never occurred to me not to at least buy at least the smallest package.  Heaven forbid, we don’t thoroughly document our kids childhood like mine was.

1976 Rocking the patriotic theme clutching a genuine Liberty Bell replica. PS- My mother cut my hair.

During The Simple Year, I gave it some thought. You know, school photos have been around for a long time and in past decades that might be the only photo taken of a child each year. Now, you don’t have to have film in the camera and you don’t have to develop the film.  Photo editing software can be downloaded free from the internet and almost everyone carries a camera around at all times on their phone.  At the risk of sounding like a heretic.  I’m going to offer that the heyday of the traditional school  photo might be over.

This year on school photo day, I dressed the kids up in appropriate photo attire and before they left for school, sat them down against a blank wall and snapped their photo.  And they were darling.   I had a coupon for some free photo developing so I used that and now first and fourth grade have been effectively recorded for posterity.  If those of you who are still buying things want traditional prints made of your snapshots, you can use a site like MPix and buy die cut wallets in increments of four for seventy cents.  (although you do have to pay for shipping).

Not only you will save some money doing this, but you will save the excess all of those photos that you don’t need because you were FORCED TO BUY A PACKAGE.   In our family, I need about eight photos of each kid to get to various relatives.  The rest all hang around  in a drawer or box for an eternity.   I can’t make myself throw away photos.  For years, they will just inexplicably turn up in random places like the toothpaste drawer in the bathroom vanity or in the trunk of the car. (Does that happen to anyone else?)

Clearly props were big in the 70’s. My daughter asked me what I was holding in the photo. I told her, “a wagon wheel”. After a slight pause she said, “did they have cars back then?” A valid question I suppose. Because, WHY ELSE would I be holding a wagon wheel.