smile.

Today was pretty much the perfect fall day. The sun was out, the breeze was just right and we had no plans. We decided to go visit a farm on the edge of town, breath in the fresh air, buy a fresh pie (or two!) and enjoy some family time.

Now it's been pretty much impossible to catch a good picture of Kale for the last - ohhh - 5 or 6 months. Pretty much since Kale started to walk. Ninety-nine per cent of the pictures I take of Kale are of him running from the camera or running directly at the camera. When I do catch a shot, it's when he's totally not expecting it and so he always has this stunned expression on his face. So I've been pretty desperately waiting for the day I can say "Kale, smile!" and he'll flash be a toothy grin.

So I should have been totally ecstatic when Kale decided to do just that today. I mean, the setting was amazing - piles and piles of pumpkins, a clear sky with plenty of shade and the cutest little man as my subject.

Except, as it turns out, Kale has inherited more from his dad than overactive sweat glands and an ability to eat an endless amount of chicken nuggets. That's right - he's inherited 'the Chandler.'

Not familiar with this episode of Friends? The one where Chandler and Monica are getting their engagement photo's, but every time the photographer tries to take a picture, Chandler makes this weird, fake, terribly awkward smile? Despite all attempts to rid him of this weird reaction to the camera, Monica ends up using Joey as a stand-in.

And this is what happens to Kris when I try to take a picture of him. Right before I take a shot, he makes the weirdest face and then I say "why are you making that face?!" and he says "I'm smiling!" and I yell "act natural!!!" and he yells back "I AM!"

And yes, this is a really long story, but it's totally necessary. Because today when I asked Kale to stand by the pumpkin and "smile" he did this:

Awesome, right?