Wanted: one dress she doesn't hate

Two irrefutable truths:

1- I love my daughter.

2- Shopping for clothes for her is like being in one of Dante's circles of Hell.  Except less pleasant.

I don't know why.  If I have to shop for anything else, she is the offspring I prefer to shop with.  She is pleasant and patient and good company.  When it's clothes for her, she resembles a cactus except more prickly and certainly more opinionated.

In other words, she hates everything.

Many times I have paid more for something than I'd wanted to or I've bought something I didn't want to buy just to end the misery.  Sometimes, like last Friday,  I've done both.

Adam is more rational and less emotionally exhausted at such times (because he didn't have to go shopping) and he told me to return the dress because it was unacceptable.

He was right so I did.

I told Emma she needed to solve the problem (because she wants a dress for her choir concert).  She thought for a minute.  Then she said, "Why don't you go online and look at stores we could shop at and see if you can find a dress I'd like?"

I said, "Why don't you?"

I handed her my laptop and left the room.

Later, I walked by the laptop and saw a post it note stuck to the screen.  It had an arrow pointing to a dress.

I felt completely triumphant.  She'd found a dress!  I liked it too!

Yesterday we went to the store.  They didn't have it in her size.  The closest store that had it in her size was a mere 59.9 miles away in Tacoma. (Yes, really, I checked on Google maps.)

We decided to order it online.  The only one left is two sizes too big.  Apparently everyone loved the dress, not just us.

This is the point that I officially give up.

Until later today when I promised we would make another attempt.  We'll try the outlet mall.

I do really love my girl, swirly asymmetrical hair and all.