Merry Day after Christmas

Yesterday was a hard day for me.  Hard for so many reasons.... Bob & I are divorced, the kids have been with him this week & I've missed them.  I long to share my life with someone.  The wrestler & I decided to cool things down for awhile so we can both get our heads screwed on straight.  Well, mostly he decided, but I agree.  But it still feels like horrible rejection even though it is not.  And well, it was Christmas and somehow we as a society have managed to put this romantic image on it, that if you are "alone" on Christmas you are somehow the world's biggest loser.  And I know, it's a bunch of bologna, but sometimes you drink the Kool-Aid, you know?

I've actually gotten 2 layouts done (for myself!) and 6 cards.  As well as sorted through at least 6 catagories of mom's pictures.  Wrapped all the presents (really didn't feel like doing that one!), watched some Farscape (Ben Browder is just too darn uber-sexy!), got caught up a bit on some blog reading, proofed some pictures, uploaded some shots for submission, helped a friend clean her house, packed at FISH, and had supper with the parental units.  Oh, and picked which school picture I want to send out in the cards this year.  I don't send out before Christmas.  Never made it, don't try now.  Here are some of the choices, and then I let you know which ones I picked.
First, 008.  Now I have to say after the fact, I needed to wait just a tad bit longer as the light was still just a bit too harsh and in his eyes, but live & learn.....

 

  

 

I ended up picking the last one, as I thought it was the most balanced.  Some of them translated too dark when I printed them out which also frustrated me a bit, as they look great on the screen.  I "need" one of those calibration devices.   These are all taken here in the backyard, he wanted to do crazy hair & non-crazy hair.  I like the crazy hair.  Now, he's buzzed so it's no hair. :(

And 006

 

Had a very bad day at school that day, I found out. He got his "color" moved to sitting at the teacher's desk.  He was devastated. And he was mad at me because I kept reprimanding him for tugging on my when I was trying to take Ben's shots.  So we waited a couple more days and got these....

And I did learn from not waiting on 008's shots.  These were taken (the one on the left was one of the very last ones we did that night) as the sun was literally sinking beneath the horizon.  The color is much better and the evenness of the light is perfect.  No squinting and on the prints you can see the color of his eyes.  So next year, I'm going to be more patient!  Oh, this was a tough choice but I picked the one on the right.

Which ones would you have picked?