My Dream Happens to be Hubbo's Nightmare

My Nana was a formal lady.  My mom said that she would change herself, my uncle and mom into their dinner clothes and re-do everyone's hair before my Tata would come home from work, so he would be greeted by a beautiful family.

Needles to say my mom grew up to be very proper and she had strict rules for Sunday church attire: which fabrics were appropriate, the amount of embellishments allowed and don't even get me started on shoes.

My little sister and I knew that after church we had to change from our Sunday clothes ASAP and the choices were a casual dress or a casual dress.  

(This might actually be us in our casual dresses - it's seriously hard to tell now.)

When I was single, getting dressed for church was something I respectfully put thought into and I'd always wear make-up (even though weekdays were spent bare faced with messy hair).  The greatest compliment I ever received was someone said that I 'didn't get dressed for church but that I dress for church.' 

This is something all my sisters adhere to.  (Mom is in the A1st necklace, in case you can't tell).

That's all changed now.  There are some Sunday's when we'll be driving to the chapel and I realize my hair is still in the messy bun I slept in.  

I struggle with getting 4 kids fed, hair brushed, dressed and ready for church by 9AM (ideally even earlier because the chapel fills up so fast).  I know, I know, not impossible, more like  super easy, but I'm new at this!  And, it's not so much getting them ready as it is getting them out the door that we struggle with.  There's always something - a fight - a forgotten item - a bathroom stop - Something!

We usually arrive flustered, speed walking in, BUT that does't stop me from snapping photos (Magic Man's nightmare).  I can't help it - they're 90% of the time in matching dresses with their hair done and I even match Lil' Dude's outfit to his sisters. 

As Hubbo does not like to stop walking once we get out of the car  (for obvious reasons), I've gotten better at the 'quickly pose while still heading to the chapel' shot. 

(P.S. My mom would be mortified at Lil' Dude's sneakers but Hubbo promised those were the only ones he'd wear without screaming. I think they're cute, though.) 

And yes, if we have to sit outside in the overflow area I continue to snap a photo or two.  What!? It's for Grandma!

And they're getting better at staying dressed for the drive home just in case I need to get one more shot.  Or three.

Note: CC and Binky are wearing their hair in the same style I did for my 1st Grade portrait in 1983.  Thank goodness my mom was more into 1960s hair for kids than 1980s.