Bluebonnet FAIL

Well, maybe not a total fail once I actually downloaded the photos and found a few gems.  But that sure is what it felt like after leaving the field of lovely blue blossoms this evening.  

For the past two years, I have observed Houston area friends posting gorgeous photos of Texas bluebonnets.  With our move back to Louisiana only two weeks away, I figured it was now or never.  

Pat is out of town so I knew I would be on my own - and all that entails with these two.  After naps, I changed the kids clothes, packed them up and off we went in search of a bluebonnet field.  Fletcher's thrashing during diaper change and refusal to allow me to change his shirt or put on shoes should have been a strong indicator of how this would go.  But I forged ahead; certain a snack and juice box would cure all!  At least he had stopped crying by the time we got there.  And grudgingly allowed me to shoe and shirt him.

Sydney was ALL about it!  This is literally the first shot out of my camera, just trying to test my levels.

Then she saw the bees and got a little wary.

Fletcher could not be coaxed into the field.  He kept ambling back up the hill toward the busy road.  Almost an after thought, I had thrown my tripod into the car.  A picture of me AND the kids was well beyond any sort of expectation for this adventure.  But I grabbed it and set up in hopes of luring Fletcher in to sit on my lap.  No go.  But Syd and I sat for a few clicks between my hill sprints to retrieve Fletcher and re-adjusting the camera after photog-Syd got hold of it.

 I don't normally intend to shoot at such an angle but I had to be quick to catch him anywhere NEAR a flower!

Sticks were really more his thing.  At least he wasn't running into oncoming traffic.

 I mean look at that face!!!  Trouble!

When Sydney picked up on the stick plan and declared they were going to the small pond nearby to look for alligators... that was my cue to pack up and head home!

Less than 5 minutes after returning home, this is what he looked like.  Apparently he and the puppy got into a tussle in the dirt over his airplane.  Looks like Fletcher won.

So my kids aren't going to sit all nice and pretty in a field of beautiful flowers and smile charmingly at the camera.  I think maybe I need to get over it more often, not feel so defeated, get in the sticks and dirt myself - and trust that if you take enough pictures, SOMETHING usually does turn out!