No words can truly describe the awful quality of this smartphone photo. Yet, due to Mom's lack of motivation as far as having family photos done on a regular basis, our youngest had the distinct honor of taking it to school this week. It was truly a parent fail - hilarious, but a fail. (We were all smiling, do we get points for that?)

I'll be the first to admit, we were so excited for our youngest to head off to school. 

We bought her a new backpack and coordinating lunchbox and sent her on her way.

And then, the first week of school, her homework assignment sent me into a panic.

As part of her first project, she was asked to bring back a sheet of paper that included the following: My Favorite Toy, My Favorite Place, My Favorite Color, My Family.

Yikes! My brain started to race as I tried to mentally recall the last time we had a photo of all of us taken.

I had to dig, dig really far back.

As I was lamenting the fact it had been "awhile" since we had a photo taken, my husband suggested we use the family photo we have displayed in our house.

I gave him my best side-eye as I explained Caitlin was still in diapers at the time the photo was taken.

OUCH!

It was then that the repeated suggestions by one of our older girls resonated in my head. "We should take a new family photo." "When are we going to take a new family photo."

This particular day, I now remembered every one of those conversations. Three years later, we still hadn't acted on her idea.

Had it truly been that long since we sat for a family photo? Apparently so.

Immediately, I started scoping out the external drives for Christmas photos, Easter photos, vacation photos, anything. I found a workable family photo, but the most recent one I could locate was taken in 2014. Caitlin would have been only 3.

What happened to the times when we did a family portrait every year? Has our family really become so busy that things like documenting our family together no longer matter? Does it take a kindergarten assignment to bring us back to reality?

Knowing the project was due at the end of this week, we did what any panicking parents would do - we dug out the selfie stick and planted ourselves on the sofa.

I know what you're thinking. Why didn't you just set up a tripod and timer and take a professional photo yourself?

I've found to get a decent photo of our family, they need human interaction - or apparently a selfie stick. (We've done the tripod setup once. I can still see Caitlin standing next to the tripod with her back to the family in protest as we tried in earnest to coax her into the frame. It was a "never again" moment.)

So for this particular assignment, the impromptu photo at the top of this post, featuring Caitlin as the photobomber, will have to make the grade.

I'm not sure who learned more this first week of school - Caitlin or us.

And yes, we will make it a point to have a real family photo taken this year - minus the selfie stick.

Time is just moving too quickly not to.