Sunday, March 2, 2014

Embracing Dainty

When I was little, I remember sitting on the school bus, staring out the window waiting for a set of twins to come out of their house for school. Alice and Jonathan (he did gymnastics, that's all I remember about him). Everyday, Alice would come out wearing a skirt.  I remember questioning her about it. You wouldn't catch me dead wearing a skirt and certainly not in Canada, still don't care for Sunday dress but I do it to honor God. I now have two little girls just like Alice.

The other day I was searching for a new birthday shirt for Claire, I asked the sales woman to show me some of the clothes that don't make little girls look like street trash (I didn't really say that but I wanted to). She asked me what her style was. Her style is whatever I buy her, I thought. I reflected as I rummaged, Claire is dainty, feminine, cheery and floral. She loves skirts and dresses, she loves those non-supportive ballet shoes. She has distain for the khakis or black jeans I have bought in the past, in favor of light blue jeans with running horses on them, she drowns in heavy dark clothes and would prefer to wear mostly skirts. Know all that, I still have trouble wrapping my head around it and need to bite the bullet and buy more skirts. When I was little, I was like Hazel in many ways only she is way cuter than I was. She is fierce and fun. She loves the camo, studded and dark rocker colors- the perfect girl for boyfriend style jeans and a pair of converse.

Quinn and Claire are embracing their girly side in a way that I never could have predicted from my offspring. I'm glad they value their femininity, I'm just not a huge fan when Wilson tries it! When I asked Quinn what she wanted for her birthday she simply said, a pink dress. It reached my cold heart and warmed it. I stormed the store and found the froo-frooiest (machine washable, sturdiest- sorry I gotta be practical) pink dress I could find. And I expect it will take a beating everyday this summer.