Senior pictures

A few weeks ago on Prom night , while we were taking pictures, We somehow got on the subject of Senior pictures. ( Cindy and her date's sister are juniors and her date is a senior)Being only twenty years out of High School I remember Senior pictures well. I remember having them taken in August or September, having them taken in one dressy dressy outfit and one casual dressy outfit ( a dress and a sweater and dress pants)Most of all though I remember my Mom commenting on how expensive they were ( almost two hundred dollars ) Yes I remember Senior pictures, and I am prepared, Not to mention I have plenty of time !
As we discussed these pictures I was informed that if the pictures were not taken by June, they would not be in the year book. Oh My, a minor problem I though but OK I can roll with the punches. Cindy's date's sweet sister offered us her promo packet that she got from the studio who does their school's year book ( Cindy did not get one as she attends the career center ) Once I got home I looked inside the packet and found some great deals if I booked in May . I would get sixty free wallets as well as forty percent off my sitting fee. I called fist thing Monday morning and was in luck. One appointment remained in May.May 29th. was the day. I scheduled and was about to feel like I accomplished something when the lady on the phone asked which sitting package I wanted. OK , I thought for a second..... How about just the regular one .... The lady chuckled an annoyed chuckle and explained that there were various settings priced from seventy dollars to four hundred twenty five dollars. OK, I took a breath and asked what was included. Silly me thought that these included some pictures or something. The lady explained that the seventy dollar one was for one outfit and an indoor shoot with ten or less shots being taken. The four hundred one was for twelve outfits and sixty shots. OK now my head was spinning. I couldn't think if Cindy even had twelve outfits. My silence prompted the lady to offer to send me a packet and then I could read more and decide. She also offered to hold the appointment for a week until I did. Oh a packet I said I have one. I pulled it out and decided on the ELITE package at $125.00 for four outfits ( I think Cindy has at least four )and twenty poses including indoor and outdoor shots. Now I really felt good about myself. After all, I had accomplished something. This is when the lady asked for prepayment. Serious? I asked. She didn't seem to be the joking kind. OK I agreed to mail a check. Later when I mentioned this whole process to Mike, he was quite surprised ( OK he hasn't been in high school in a long twenty two years and is quite out of the loop!) He couldn't seem to get past the fact that for one hundred and twenty five dollars, all you got was someone taking pictures. No printed pictures, no CD where you could print your own, no three course dinner, nothing ! I explained that some people were paying four hundred and twenty five but he didn't get it. OK he said whatever we have to do. I offered that we could just get the year book shot for free there and go to Olan Mills or Sears for our pictures . Cindy would be humiliated giving these to her friends but we would save some money. Mike agreed, ( as Cindy's jaw hit the floor) that this was not an option and we moved on .
This was weeks ago and we had enough time to get ready but time is now slipping away. Now these pictures are barely a week away and we need to get outfits together and decide what poses we wish to request and more importantly brace ourselves for the final price tag. So far we have three outfits picked out and are moving along. My only fear is that once I see all of these twenty shots I will feel like I did when Cindy was a new born and want them all. Maybe I should talk to my local banker about a loan. I just may need it .