Dressing Up and Dressing Down--Fashion Faux Pas When Your Mama Dresses You Funny

Whenever I buy new clothes or shoes for the kids, I usually try to buy things big so they won't outgrow them too quickly. I like to think that I am stretching our dollars further that way, and I just figure that all budget-conscious parents do the same.

So, I recently bought these cute shoes for Ashley, who has been wearing a size 5 for quite some time now. Knowing that she's bound to outgrow them any day now, I opt not to buy these new shoes in a size 6 but in a size 7. She should be able to wear these at least through the summer, I'm guessing. I made the mistake of showing them to her when I got home, and already displaying signs of a shoe fetish, she demands I let her wear them immediately. I slip them on her feet, and yes, she looks and walks like she's got on a pair of mommy's shoes, but because they have a nice little strap to hold her feet in, she shuffles around in them a bit but the shoes don't fall off. Well, because they have this floral pattern on them in colors she hasn't before worn, I went in search for a couple of outfits to match making a mental note to buy some that will not only fit her now but that she will be able to wear for as long as she can wear the shoes. I was successful in my search, or so I thought.

This morning, for church, I put Ashley in one of these new outfits, thinking she'll be so happy to get to wear her pretty new shoes. She is happy enough to also let me put on the new outfit as well. (Sometimes we have power struggles over her fashion sense vs. mine.) The clothes are big, but not too big. Except the little skirt, I discover. Yes, the skirt's too big, but we're going to be late, so I grab a safety pin and pin it at the waist. Voila! Works like magic. She's dressed, she's happy, and we're off to church.

The kids behaved during Sacrament, even if they did get restless and needed to be taken out near the end. There were no issues while dropping Ashley off at Nursery, and Zachary, as always, went willingly to Primary. The next 2 hours go by smoothly and I'm feeling so pleased that I had such a great day even though I had to do this all while Chris was out of town. That's a feat in and of itself, since he helps me so much with the kids on Sunday mornings. After classes were over, I picked up the kids and started heading toward the car but stopped to chat with someone for a moment. The next thing I know, Ashley is walking down the hall in a shirt and a diaper. OK, so she is not quite 2, but I am still as easily embarrassed by this as if it were my own skirt that is missing. I scramble to put it back on without making it obvious that my daughter has just lost her bottoms. Meanwhile, I'm blocking the hall, so I hurry to move out of the way just as Ashley's Nursery leader's husband comes walking by and announces, "Oh yeah, she was just pulling that thing off ALL DAY!"

Oh, to be 2 and to drop your clothes wherever you like without a care in the world. Someday, she'll have nightmares about this sort of thing just like I do.

OCD Wannabe

Last night, I discovered that our closet really IS a walk-in closet, or at least now I know it CAN be. Of course, I had to go on an archeological dig to find it, but now it's so clean I could live in it if I had to! I thought I would take the time to share ten of the most random things that I found hidden among 6 1/2 years worth of "collectibles":

1 unopened letter containing a vehicle registration sticker which expired in 2003 (Oops!)
1 pair of men's tap shoes (I told Chris that if he made me keep them, I better see him tap!)
1 name tag w/pin from the Sealing Room (his), presumably from our wedding day
1 fortune that reads: "New financial resources will soon become available to you." (Ahem!)
1 pair of blue gym shorts with the gray felt initials "RS" ironed on (mine from 6th grade, and, yes, clean!)
1 post-surgical xray film
1 petticoat (never worn)
1 original piece of poetry (a priceless heirloom to be handed down to all of our posterity) written by Chris' mom about the kind of wife he was supposed to marry. Here's my favorite line: "Five foot eight, or six, or two, She'll stand much taller next to you." HA!
1 book, entitled "The Portable Therapist: Wise and Inspiring Answers to the Questions People in Therapy Ask Most..." (never read--think I'll add that to my shelf now!)

AND

1 very informative packet: "HOW TO ORGANIZE A CLOSET"

Future Spelling Bee Champ

This weekend, Zachary successfully learned how to spell his full name! That's pretty amazing, if you ask me, since people have always reassured me that he would probably figure it out by the time he hit the 5th grade. What should we work on next? Algebra?

Sick, but still sweet

Little Zachary is sick today, although he doesn't even seem to notice. He's slept most of the afternoon away which was the first sign I noticed. This kid doesn't nap...EVER. He has a fever of almost 102. I couldn't get an accurate reading, though, because he was getting upset that I was even trying to do that without apparent reason. He wouldn't keep the thermometer under his tongue, so I tried taking it under his arm, but he said, "My arm's fine." It's sort of scary when you know your kid is sick and he insists he isn't even though his cheeks are flushed with fever and his eyes are glassy. Makes me worry that he's just going to peacefully go to sleep and not wake up. (Yes, I'm feeling a bit paranoid.) So, I press lightly on his throat and ask if that hurts, since strep is going around. I ask if his ears hurt or his tummy. "No" to all of those things. "Are you tired?" There's one I'm sure he'll say "yes" to. But, no. He's totally well...except he isn't. He didn't drink his juice or eat his snack earlier, so I just tried to offer it to him again, "No thank you, Mommy." I bring his pillow and blanket, and his stuffed bunny is always welcome. "Do you want to watch something?" "Clifford's Pets, o' course." No matter that this is the 3rd (or is it the 4th?) time I've started this movie today and he's fallen asleep in it. And? He wants his Mommy to come sit with him.

No Paycheck Necessary

To the cutest, sweetest, most wonderful bosses I've ever had (or likely ever will): I love my job so much that I will do this one for free. You pay me in smiles, and I am filthy rich!

"Next up on the beam..."

Here's the Beef

Zachary: "Look, Mommy, what I'm eating! It's helfy for me!"


By the way, in case you can't tell, that's a huge wad of leftover lasagna noodles, cold, rubberized and straight out of the fridge. And just look at that smile across his face! The lasagna I spent 2 hours making the night before? He took one bite, said "Mommy, that's grrrrrrEAT!" And then he wouldn't touch another bite.

I think I'll take an early retirement from home-cooked meals. And would you like fries with that?!