How exactly did we end up HERE, you ask?
Well.
Last night, Vivi crowed, “Mommy! I laid out my own clothes for tomorrow!” I went into her room to ooh and ahh over her being so responsible…but all she had laid out was a diaphanous sequined sundress and a pair of pink high heels.
“Oh, sweetie. I’m so proud of you for taking care of this. I love the way this dress looks on you. It’s for school, though, not dress up, so you’ll need to wear something under it, like some leggings or shorts.
She thought that was a grand idea. She dug around in the “bottoms” drawer and came up with a pair of old brown yoga pants.
Okey dokey.
“How about a little jacket for the morning because it might be chilly?” She frowned at the blue butterfly hoodie that I pulled from the closet.
“Can I just wear a shirt under it?”
Sure you can.
“I know you love these pink high heels, but they’re only for dress up, not for school. You won’t be able to run or play or climb on things if you try to wear those.”
She brightened. “I can wear my OTHER pink shoes!”
Of course you can.
So when she emerged in this riotously wonderful ensemble this morning, the only thing I could say was, “You look FANTASTIC!” She smiled and spun a little so that the sundress flared out.
Her sister, lounging on the couch in a cloud of teenage disdain, asked, “Is it Tacky Day?”
Vivi looked at her in confusion and answered, “No, it’s Tuesday.”
________________________
Do you let your kids out of the house in their own creations? I do, but I worry. I worry that someone will make fun of her. Someone will break her heart. Someone will think she’s weird. But I shut my mouth because I want her to pay more attention to the bold voice within her than she pays to the timid voices around her. Especially the frightened one in my head that says, “Fit in. Lay low. Don’t attract the attention of the carnivores.”
And wouldn’t you know, Vivi’s schoolwork folder contained an essay that made me think we might be on the right track:
ALL ABOUT ME
By Vivi
I am a book worm.
I am nice to others. My mom
sas I am glameris. I have lots
of talints. I love to play
Dragon City on my sisters ipad.
If you say Im alwasy an arihead,
your rong. I stay as calm as in
egal. Im sometimes loud but
I can be qiet too.
This is the drawing she did to go along with her essay. She drew herself as a lion, surrounded by a mane of “adjtives” that describe her:
She’s glameris and frindly and amaginitiv and talinted. Most days, my only hope is to keep her spirit intact. She’s ALREADY OK.
She’s not wasting time worrying about carnivores because she’s the straight up Queen of the Jungle.
(And if I said that to her, she would correct me to point out that lions do not live in jungles; they live on the grassy savannas of Africa.)
That is FREAKING #AWESOME! GO VIVI GO! I don’t remember being that courageous as child her age, Tell VIVI that we can’t wait to see her next ensemble, and keep instilling that ROAR!
She was born with that roar!
It’s in the GENES!
I had a little girl of my own and then her daughter and then her son. They all danced to different clothes drummers — the hardest to take was the last from about eighteen months through well into his threes whose favorite outfit was a red ballet leotard and a pink tutu that had belonged to his sister. He called it his Mary and we will never know why.
He looked stunning but he was no match for the lion of the savannas, who definitely had the most stunningness.
Oh my! I don’t know if I could have kept my mouth shut about Mary!
I had to look up the word diaphanous and I love to begin the day learning a new word.
YAY! It’s one of my favorites.
That little girl is so lucky to have a mother who is her champion. Happy mother’s day to you both. xo
I love the word “champion!” Thanks for saying that. I joust constantly with the little voices that say, “She’d be safer if she were smaller.”
SHE IS SPLENDID!!
Amen to that!
You’re letting Vivi express herself in lots and lots of ways, not just one, so she’ll be able to find out what SHE likes best, rather than letting the world tell her what’s “best.” Go, mamma!!
Very true!
Back in my Hallmark days, a mother came in with her daughter on a blustery winter’s day. The daughter, age guessed at six, was dressed in a bathing suit top, blue leggings, a rainbow tutu, and grudgingly wearing a jacket (unzipped) along with flip-flops. When they approached the register, the mother looked at me apologetically and said “she dressed herself.”
I replied “she’s covered and” this to the little girl “in the best tutu I’ve seen in weeks!!” The child beamed, the mother smiled because I didn’t make it seem like a crime. Because it wasn’t.
A wise parent knows the battles to pick. You chose wisely, and Vivi’s still Vivi because of it.
“Choose your battles” is one of the most essential parenting lessons!
She was having a Pippi Longstocking moment! I love it! Well done, Mom.
I thought you might like the post title!
I love this little girl so much!!!
And she loves you right back!
You are a great mom! My girls have had their moments where they wore the ballerina tutu and dress up dresses over their clothes to the park among other places. It sure made life interesting. It made them happy without hurting anyone.
Thanks! yeah, last year when I told Vivi we were going to our neighborhood’s holiday party, she came out wearing her black cat costume from halloween! Santa was a little confused.
Haha. You gotta love em!
Love it. Girls got style!
I would wear that! Love love love. Queen of the Jungle *roar*!!!