lucky, sometimes

The other day I get a call telling me I won, a sitting for pictures. I don't remember sighning up, but they tell me where I might have and ok could have happened. Actually the sitting was 20.00 but supposed to get a free picture. Okay, I agree. Get some professional photo's down of the grandkids. A few days later they call back to confirm the appointment. Then I get asked if I would be interested in helping out with receptionist duties. This would involve a free sitting (no fee) the picture and a hundred dollar voucher. Cool, I am in. Now my oldest daughter, made an appointment for her two kids, I made an appointment for two kids. That's all the grandkids that live close to me. Now my oldest daughter thinks like I do. We are going to get a group photo of the 4 babies and won't that be pretty neat. Get them all done at once and it at most would have cost the price of one sitting and we still would have been able to have individual photos. Since I was offered a free sitting, we could have a sitting and a photo free. Right. Well, that would have all been fine and dandy had my youngest (can't cooperate) daughter could have seen this opportunity. Her son was with his other Grandma, just eight miles away. Couldn't go get him, because she had to leave town to go clothes shopping and the other Grandma couldn't bring him to town until around six that evening, if at all.

So I show up to do my receptioning bit. Sarah keeps her appointment, and brings her neice, as Devi's mom had to go to the doctor unexpectedly. So now that ends up being two sittings. Okay, we do what we have to. I pay for Devi's sitting. This was early enough in the day that the place wasn't filled to the ceiling with screaming out of control kids, and young mothers letting them run wild. I know most of these moms, they went to school with my kids. It was hard not to tell them to get the kids undercontrol. Hours of the same screaming, kids. I wouldn't have sat there that long. Most didn't. The last number wrote down was 32, at least half of them walked out because it was taking to long.

My youngest daughter finally shows up with her son. So I am going to use my free sitting now. Wrong, she waits for maybe thirty minutes and leaves. Alright, I am still understanding. They wouldn't have got in for atleast and hour. By the way, she was number 32.

We had 5 families left when the other girl with me, got her free sitting, and her voucher. Then the photographer, asks about my sitting. We agreed he would refund my money for the one sitting. I watch as he is writting the voucher, fifty dollars. I tell him, I was told 100.00. He's cool, writes another for 100.00. The other girl didn't care she said she was just taking the free photo and not buying anything anyway. I know that I couldn't do that so I will be using my voucher. Hopefully not spending more than that.

I was there from 11:30 am to 7:45 pm. for a hundred and twenty dollars plus. I think that's a fair days pay for days work.

I wouldn't mind doing something like that for a hobby. All in all the day wasn't to bad.

Comments: 23

Lee P. Oct 14, 2009, 10:59am EDT

I don't wait well either. Sounds like the person is making a lot of money with the free sittings and of course you always have to buy more pictures. LOL

tammy b. Oct 14, 2009, 11:41am EDT

The offer was a sitting for 19.95 and a free photo. I know most of the people that came and stayed won't have a problem just taking the photo and not buying anything else. I have never been like that. I all ways buy more photo's than I really need, because I can never make up my mind on which one I like best. (I am a sucker for baby photo's) 20 dollars a sitting even at maybe 20 sittings is pretty good money

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Barbara B. Oct 14, 2009, 1:30pm EDT

I DON'T LIKE GOING TO TAK PICS WHERE THERE'S A BUNCH
OF SCREAMIMG CHILDREN AROUND CAUSE IT MAKES THE ONES
I BROUGHT START TO SCREAM TOO !!

tammy b. Oct 14, 2009, 2:54pm EDT

it was a mess for awhile. The poor little ones trying all that time to be good.

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Marsha S. Oct 14, 2009, 2:55pm EDT

doesn't sound like too bad of a deal to be able to work off some of the costs...it's not cheap getting pictures done

tammy b. Oct 14, 2009, 3:25pm EDT

That was a good deal I thought. I also got the chance to see all the babies of the kids that my kids went to school with and were friends with. Some of them just walked up to me like no time had passed and sat down and talked with me just like they used to do. I felt like a long lost relative of sorts.

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Steph-in-NE ..... Oct 14, 2009, 4:40pm EDT

sound exciting

tammy b. Oct 14, 2009, 10:40pm EDT

It was fun, I think that I would like to that sort of thing if it was my own business.

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William Dotani Oct 18, 2009, 2:54am EDT

I hope you don't mind my answer. Your situation seems very common in American culture. The thought of sitting down and planning for this planned keepsake, there were two very typical Americanisms involved. The first was wanting to get this done with the attitude of the sooner the better. The second was wanting a non-existent bargain. I personally believe a more thought out approach will cause less problems, less personal stress and less family disharmony.

tammy b. Oct 18, 2009, 3:33am EDT

This situation just seemed to happen. Layne was with me the first ysear of his life, then I ent to texas and his other grabndma has him part time the other time he is in a sort of day care. he is not happy and I am not happy with it. YOu ask my doughter I don't know any thing and I don't have a clue. If ithe ituation was reversed, the other grandma would have the pictures taken and done with and we all would have paid for it. I could have had them done for maybe 20 bucks.

William Dotani Oct 23, 2009, 2:27am EDT

I understand your views, but please be careful in agreeing with his expressions of things negative. The way I was taught was to listen, but not add any fuel to the fire. A child has problems with trust issues when he or she is given different outcomes in things said. I always ask, Will my words have a positive outcome. If I can't say yes, then silence is preferrable.

tammy b. Oct 23, 2009, 7:53am EDT

I agree, I bite my tongue esp if I am angry. It isn't about the photo, it's about her not getting control of her situation. She has a few more classes to finish before graduating, she has now 2 part time jobs. For two years now she has been a part time mom. She should have graduated this past May. We know that part time parenting doesn't work.

tammy b. Oct 23, 2009, 7:57am EDT

Don't get me wrong. I am proud of her, she has manged alot. But the two things that she has people going out of there way for her she seems to take advantage of. Her school, and her son.

William Dotani Oct 23, 2009, 11:18am EDT

Do things positive to help, resist being too judgemental and things will become more to your liking as she matures. Angry words seldom solve any problem.

tammy b. Oct 25, 2009, 5:52am EDT

oh I know, sit back and look at the whole picture, things are never as they seem. It's all very gentle. even the other grandma knows this. it's a gentle nudge. We have time, and we are there even if it is not the way we think it should be. (me and the other grandma)

William Dotani Oct 26, 2009, 2:36pm EDT

Comparisons bring misery. Life has many colors, but finding the positive is difficult with misgivings.

tammy b. Oct 26, 2009, 2:57pm EDT

try not to compare, I know she is her own person and will do things her way. I know why she sees things the way she does. What she is not seeing is her responsablity to other people, esp. when they go out of their way to help her.
If you are headed the wrong way down and one way street, you see the signs pointing the other direction but you still continue on, you will eventually run into the one person or thing that can't or won't get out of your way. In my daughter case, she is standing in her own way. People, like me and the other grandma so willing to step in and do for her the things she should be doing herself will eventually cause more problems than she will be able to deal with because we are not giving her the tools she needs to deal with things.

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