I’m just keeping it real. Taking pictures of a 2-year-old is hard. Not just trying-to-clip-the-cat’s-fingernails hard, more like trying-to-get-the-cat-to-lay-an-egg hard. I was beginning to have some low self-esteem about this, then my friend, Kelly, who also has a 2-year-old, posted the real story of their Christmas pictures. So, to affirm my sweet friend, here’s what went down at my house, Kelly. :)

Let’s put on our nice dress and sit in front of the Christmas tree. Maybe we’ll take a book as a distraction.

Hmmm. Maybe holding a Christmas ornament would be better? And how about if you look at the camera, hello!

Nope, turn around. Seriously, sit still for just a minute.

Ah, the blur. A staple element of toddler photography. Let’s hold the book up for her to look at! Oh, turns out she wanted to hold the book. Now she’s pouting and crying pathetically as if she is undergoing some grave trial (that requires two stuffed animals for comfort).

Dry the tears. Give her a new ornament. Hold up the iPad with pictures next to the camera to try to get her to look in a general forward direction … while chewing on the ornament.

And that’s what we got. The really bad ones I deleted straight off the camera, so I can’t even include those.