I’ve been trying to take a good portrait of The Grandkids for my in-laws for years. It was hard enough to get a photo where no one was making a weird face when there were only three kids. Now that there are six of them, I’d assumed it would be impossible.

When we all gathered last weekend for my mother-in-law’s birthday, I tried once again to gather the kids together for a photo. It took a few minutes to get them all in one place. By some sort of miracle a few of the shots I snapped were actually pretty good — everyone looking normal and smiling naturally, no one missing from the frame.

I took this one just as the wriggly two-year-old bolted. The shot captures their personalities so well. Poppy’s on the run, Sophie’s overcome by the goofiness of it all, Sam’s plotting something, Claire can’t keep her little hands off Pete’s dome, Pete’s resigned to being pawed and Wilson’s just enjoying the chaos.

As it turns out, it’s my favorite from our little session.