School pics

So H and T had their school pics done months ago.   They came back and Helen looks sweet, T looks like a gangsta, all is well with the world.  But when I was in school, back when the cameras were little tents that exhumed a puff a smoke every time someone snapped a pic, the parents chose the package of pics they wanted and sent the check in on picture day. Then, what felt like one million years later, you got your pictures. Too bad if you came out with drool on your chin and lunch on your shirt (as I almost always did), if they ordered an 8 x 10, there you were, all 8 x 10 of you, half blinking into the camera with a fly on your head.  35 wallet sizes of my awkward stage.

Now, they do this crazy thing where on picture day they refuse to take your money. They send the kid home with ALL of the pictures -- the big ones, the little ones, pictures on plastic key chains. I am surprised they stopped short at giving every child a carton of coffee mugs with their face on them.  So then they say, choose what you want and send the rest back.

Somebody please explain to me how this makes any sense at all.  I mean it is my fourth year and I keep hoping that it will change and every year, no....I mean, THE QUESTIONS, but forget them, these are my kids and you went and photographed them.  I feel like the photos should be mine no matter what.  I feel weird sending you back a packet of pictures with my kids in it.  Why would you WANT that? They are already made, might as well give em up.

I only say this because today Helen comes up to me with a slip that is like, better give all your pictures back today or you are stealing (not verbatim).  And I am like, hmm I have to find those guys so I can give back the ones I don't want. Annoying.

Oh, and I don't mean to throw TBone under the bus but come on check this out.  I feel like Ted was aiming for some sort of Humphrey Bogart stand-in or something.