Sugar and Spice

Sometimes the mother daughter relationship around here is on rocky ground.

There was the time I offered to curl her hair and she told me that curly hair was ugly.

Then added a (slightly contrite), "No offense Mom."

Oh, none taken.

As a rule she dislikes any clothing/hairstyle/books I recommend.

As a rule she believes what her dad says and takes his recommendations to heart.

Yet, sometimes.

Every once in a while.

This girl thing is really pretty great.

Today we had a plan. The boys were going to all go to Grandma and Grandpa's house to watch the BYU football game. (I like to--and have been known to--sing the Cougar fight song as loud as I can until my children run and hide in shame but I don't have the fortitude for a football game. Not in this life.)

Emma and I were going to go shopping.

She needed to go to Michael's to get some provisions to make school supplies for her American Girl doll as per her American Girl magazine instructions. (It was a need, not a want.)

I needed to go to Pier 1 to see if my pillow was on sale. (It was a need, not a want.)

I also had a whole lot of errands (mostly returns) that needed to be done and of course a stop at the library.

Then Mark decided he didn't want to go to watch football.

He said he didn't like football.

No one likes Mark more than I do. No one. But he was not invited on our girl errand time. He quickly ruins girl time.

He thought errands might mean buying Legos for him and no amount of convincing him would change that.

Then Adam whispered something in his ear. It was a bribe of some sort and Mark immediately said he'd go with Adam.

Crisis averted.

My hero.

Emma and I bought the craft foam and wooden beads, we bought the pillow (even though it wasn't on sale...it's that cute), we returned pants Braeden hated and jeans that didn't fit Adam.

We sang along to Sheryl Crow in the car and had smoothies for lunch.

We laughed and danced along to the music in the dressing room at JCPenney. Emma told me which shirt to buy.

I pointed out the woman wearing three inch heels that didn't know how to walk in heels.

I instructed Emma that people shouldn't wear heels if they don't know how.

We pondered imponderables like why is that guy wearing socks and sandals? Why would someone want bright green pajamas with bright pink fur trim? Why is that teenage boy wearing tight skater jeans? Teenage boy + tight skater jeans = not a good look.

I take my job to teach my daughter to dress appropriately very seriously. Maybe I've stressed the modesty thing too much.

She cringed and said, "I'll just look at the floor," when we were walking past the underwear.

And when we were driving home and she saw a shirtless guy walking down the street she muttered, "Put a shirt on, Freak."

Next week maybe we'll work on not being catty.

I'm not sure I'm the best instructor though.