Say Cheese!

Raise your hand if you ever sat in front of the Christmas tree while Dad set the timer on the camera, which was on a tripod, then raced back to take the family Christmas card photo.
(Raising hand)

Now raise your hand if your parents got really mad at you, because you refused to smile for said photo. . .or you smiled really goofy-like. . .or you made a weird face. Raise both hands if you did more than one.
(Raising two hands)

The thing is that I hated having my picture taken as a kid. I don't know what it was, but it was. I can remember one Christmas that my mom was so angry at me because my dad took about ten Christmas card photos and in five of them, the rest of my family smiled at the camera and I glared. In the other five, I smiled, too -- not a normal, pretty smile, but this really weird, freakish smile. Oh, my mom was pissed. In the smiling pictures, I think I thought I was smiling. I didn't mean to ruin the pictures. I just didn't have a natural smile when the camera was on.

I understand now that it's a genetic thing. (See, Mom! It's really your fault I'm like this. Or Dad's. Whatever. I was born destined to smile like a weirdo for family photos).

My son has this thing. When he tries too hard, his smile comes out awkward and unnatural. Thankfully, it's not the freakish smile from my Christmas card photo days. His father's genes must have balanced that out. I have to give Nicky credit. He does try even though he hates having his photo taken, and it's better than when he would just glare at the camera (also there on that X chromosome from me).

This is his smile-for-the-camera face. You never see this face unless he is genuinely trying to smile for the camera. I think it's so very adorable, but it's obviously not his natural smile. Capturing an image of one of those beauties is rare, especially with the 10-minute delay on the digital.