Texas Bluebonnets

Every Spring bluebonnets bloom across Texas. Overnight the blossoms turn up in every open field, and along the freeway. We finally joined the rest of the state in the annual tradition of taking pictures during the few weeks that the flowers are out. 

Rain was predicted, and it was a busy, busy Saturday afternoon. But I didn't want to miss the opportunity five years in a row, and we'd heard a park in The Woodlands had a field roped off for just that purpose. So while Scott was busy spreading mulch in the front yard, the kids and I combed through whatever clean clothes I could find (Ian is wearing Joseph's clothes, despite Ian's protests) and I quickly fed Helen and asked her not to spit up until we were done.

Saturday night we realized Helen was cutting her first top tooth. That may explain why our usually-content girl looked like this in 90% of the pictures:

 

And actually, if it wasn't one child foiling the picture...

...it was another... 

 

Or a combined Larson effort.

 

It was my first real photo-shoot with my new camera (Merry Christmas to me, love Scott) Unfortunately all the fancy features and settings do nothing to make unruly children cooperate. Neither did my promising the moon to my little models... "If you look at the camera while I count to five I will give you the biggest ice cream cone you have ever seen!" That only worked on Ian, and he was already mostly-cooperating.

I took over 400 pictures, and miracle of miracles, about 10 of them turned out pretty darn good. 

 

 

 

Brothers!

 

 

Helen ate several bluebonnets. And uprooted a dozen more.

When the boys couldn't sit still any longer, they'd run out into an open field and roll and flip and watch the kites high in the sky. Then they'd come back all grass-stained and flush-cheeked and sit for another 3 minutes of photos.

About the third time I'd dragged them back the bluebonnets, the whining and crying crescendoed. Just as I was lowering Helen from my hip to Ian's lap, she spit up all over the camera, the top of Ian's head, and an entire leg of his pants. (Ian: "That's okay, they are Joseph's pants anyway.") So we laughed, did some cartwheels on the grass, and went home. 

Next time I won't bribe with gum - they are chomping away in most of the pictures! And we will definitely bring Scott!