My son is now 19 months old, and I have not yet had a professional photographer take his picture.

It's just that it always seems like he needs a haircut, or I wanted to wait until fall, so I could get a photo with a football on a plaid blanket under the red and gold leaves, but then the season was past. Where does the time go?

So today, I took him into one of the Major Department Stores for a sitting (only $10.95, no obligation!). I dressed him in his stiff Christmas outfit and spent an hour trying to brush out the cowlick that he's never had until today. He didn't want to wear his shoes or socks, so we spent 15 minutes wrestling to get those on. By the time I wrangled him into his coat, his hair was a static electricity phenomenon.

I dragged my husband and our dog along (really, they said we could bring the dog when I made the appointment), but they sent the dog back to the car. ("Oh no, I'm not sure who told you it was okay, but the pet dander may make the next child allergic, and we'd be fined $10,000.) If the whole family couldn't be in the picture, it might as well be just my son, so I sent my husband back to work, to his great irritation.

When it was our turn, my son turned into one of those children who won't laugh, won't smile, won't sit down, won't stand up, just wants to cling to me, doesn't want to play with the toys, then does want to play with the toys but only the red tractor, and when we try to move it, throws himself on the floor in a temper tantrum. Even I was amazed at the fury of his display.

Needless to say, after 15 minutes of fruitless cajoling and singing and acting like clowns, the sweaty and exhausted photographer said, "I think we've got at least one good one, Mom. Some days are like that."

Yeah, some days are like that. I guess we can forget about the Christmas cards this year.