In the past week, it has come to my attention that schoolchildren these days no longer sit "Indian-style". No, apparently in this new age of political correctness, the familiar cross-legged position has been renamed "criss-cross applesauce". Personally I think the new name is ridiculous, but I suppose "Indian style" is kind of silly too if you think about it. So I guess I will just have to get used to the change.
I was told to sit "criss-cross applesauce" today by a photographer: I brought John in for portraits since he's almost 6 months old. We went to JC Penney, which is admittedly mass-produced and somewhat amateurish, but we got some nice shots (it helps that my baby is terribly cute) and the price (with coupon) is good. The sales tactics are friggin' annoying though. I understand that they want to make money but that doesn't mean I have to like them. Here's the basic procedure: the photographer takes 20 or so pictures in various outfits, poses, and props; they ask you to wait for about 10 minutes to see your pictures, during which time the photographer plays with the pictures she just took in photoshop; then a sales associate calls you over to a computer monitor to show you a slideshow of the pictures so you can make your selections. Of course, the only ones she shows you in the slideshow are the "enhanced" versions, which cost $15 or $30 a sheet and are not reduced by your coupon for $4 portrait sheets (traditional sheets only). So then you get her to show you the traditional pictures (ie. the ones the photographer actually took) and then she stands over you until you pick. I asked nicely if she could just give me a couple minutes to look at the pictures by myself and decide, but no dice. *rolls eyes* Anyway, then you inevitably end up ordering more than you probably would have if she hadn't been there hovering and pressuring (which is exactly why she's there) but luckily at least you can manage to NOT order any of the "enhanced" ones, since the prices are ludicrous and you could enhance them just as well at home for free.
I also joined the "portrait club" and then immediately regretted it, but when I got home Joe helped me feel better about that by saying we'll just have to get portraits taken every single time we go to the mall from now on. (With the portrait club there are no sitting fees; combine that with the free 8x10 coupon and we can get lots of free pictures. Haha!)
My birthday was Friday. It was low-key but nice; Joe (and John) took me out to dinner and then we came home and watched The Incredibles, which was one of my birthday presents. We also stopped by Fowler's because Joe wanted to get me some chocolate, but they were closed Friday so we went tonight instead. Now I've got a nice box of truffles from my sweet hubby to eat all myself. :)
I'd reflect on being another year older, but it turns out that yet again I am up an hour later than I intended. So I'm going to bed.