Grand Plans (with kids)

 Sometimes in life (with kids) you make plans, 

plans that seem like they'll be amazing.

 Then like a kite in the sky, they can take a nose dive to the ground, or into a tree, or even get all hung up on a power line.

 Jake has tried more than once in our marriage to fly kites with our kids and it ALWAYS seems to end in disaster.  It never ends or goes in the way he has planned, a glorious outing full of kites high in the air and kids giggling with glee.  It always ends with me frustrated, kids crying, and him the only one left holding a kite in the air (that he's had to work way too hard to keep flying).

As the case with these kite flying attempts, I tried yesterday for pictures with my kids.  

(this was the BEFORE when I still had hope of it all going well)

Months ago I asked Jake for pictures with the kids for Mother's day this year.  After an amazing day at Disney on dates with the kids I sent Jake off for his final and got the kids bathed and dressed.  We scouted locations and after realizing I have no idea what a photographer is looking for in a location setting we ended up in some grass by our chapel.  It was a disaster to say the least.  In my mind we were going to read books on a blanket and blow some bubbles, no posing, just having fun.  No one would sit still, all the kids ran off, Malachi kept getting angry, Solomon only wanted to be held when I couldn't hold him or wanted to be jumping on me non-stop.  The girls did OK but even they struggled.  I am dying to see at least ONE good picture, but I cried on the phone to Jake the whole way home.  Every fall we take family pictures and every fall I'm fine and happy with whatever shots we get, but not with these Mother's Day pictures I wanted.  Why do we set ourselves up for failure?  Jake should know by now that the kids can't get kites to stay up and I should know by now that kids will not cooperate perfectly and not cry when they let me down.

Sometimes GRAND PLANS are why things are GRAND FLOPS.