costumed, skeptical me and my brother the chubby dinosaur

My mom emailed me last night, this picture and this sentence:

Chubby babies are da bessssssst!

This precious Halloween moment was captured in 1994, in Eugene, OR. I was 2, Mark was just 8.5 months. He was the chubbiest of the chubs. And that dino suit is not helping it. This is also a fine example of my absolute refusal to smile in pictures as a small person. My childhood was utterly unimpressive, according to my first five years of facial expressions. 

And I respect my child self. As a more grown version of that ballerina princess, I know that people who don't smile demand respect without saying any words. You, a smiler, want to impress them. You want them to like you. I was unknowingly that kind of person that people long to impress when I was a baby. And did I give in? H no. Way to go, past self... You young hustla, you. 

And now I need to research and write a research paper because in my life, I do it all in one night. Ain't no rest for the wicked.

HOLLLAAAAAAAA