For years now, my friend Annika and I have had photos taken of the two of us – light and dark, day and night. And in every single one, someone’s eyes are closed. That’s about fifteen years’ worth of snaps.

This presented a problem when she was my maid of honour at my wedding three (ye gods, three) years ago. The wedding proofs are a riot.

Anyway, at a party last Saturday night, Hobbes was waving around a digital camera. At last! we thought. Let’s get a photo with our eyes open! If it doesn’t work, we’ll just keep erasing the ruddy things until we get one that’s right!

So we did. If we look glassy-eyed, it’s because we’re making sure our peepers are bright and wide.

Then we decided that we could look serious and have our eyes open too. MLG tried to take that one. He decided that two such stunning examples of feminine beauty should by all rights be smiling instead, and stood there waiting for us to give up. We were all set to outwait one another when a little sprite with blonde braids ran between us on her way to a parental unit. We cracked up. He took the picture.

At least our eyes are open!