Simple Tasks Turn Complicated with Toddler

This past weekend we decided that MG's wispy locks needed to fall by the way side so that she could start her some real hair growin'.  Since we did not have any experience in childhood haircutting procedures, we decided to go to a place that specialized in cutting the hair of youngsters.  Like total rookies, we showed up at high noon on a Saturday.  Oddly enough, there was quite a wait.  The whole ordeal did not take very long, but getting a toddler to look where you want is incredibly difficult.  The folks that work there have patience that I can only dream of having.  All went well.

We followed that up with an attempt to get some pictures made of our young'uns.  Our appointment was at 5pm and we didn't walk out until after 7pm, with an evening full of toddler wrangling.  Poor MG walked into the place fairly solemn and did well waiting in the common area with all the other kids.  Then it was show time.  We had to get her smiling and laughing for pictures, so we all played with her and the several toys the studio had available.  Getting her to sit/stand where we wanted her was full of bribery with assorted distractions.  After all the pictures were taken, we had to pick the best poses at the computer.  We spent all this time getting her hyped up, now she needs to sit still.  That transition is a slow one, not the stop-on-a-dime switch that was needed.  MG proceeded to grab the computers, the cameras, the equipment.  Mostly, she wanted to run back into the "fun" areas where all the hyping up happened.  I chased her for a solid hour.  Luckily, I think the pictures all turned out well.