Weeks before her school’s Christmas program, Miss M had already envisioned how she wanted to look. The note sent home from school instructed that the children wear their “holiday best.” Miss M wanted to wear her “green Santa dress, white tights, and some new shiny black dress shoes.” And she wanted her hair in a low ponytail curled with hot rollers and accented with a crystal-encrusted barrette. Detail-oriented like her Mama. We laid everything out the afternoon before. Thankfully, the green dress was clean and ready to go (We've let our girls wear their beloved “Santa dresses” all year long. We got a lot of double-takes back in the heat of July in Florida!). But new shoes and tights were in order, so we made a trip to the shoe store to complete the ensemble. We found the section with her size and I started pulling out all the black patent leather shoes. She smiled at the cute little Mary Jane flats (my favorite!) and sat down on the floor to try them on. I kept pulling down shoes until I saw only one other pair left. I reachhed down to the bottom shelf and, as I pulled out the shoebox, M and I simultaneously noticed it—a HEEL! But it was too late. . . no turning back now! Her eyes got wide and she pursed her lips trying to contain her excitement. “I LOOOOOOOOVE those!”, she swooned. Granted, the heel was less than an inch high, probably no higher than the heel on her riding boots. But still! To me, it’s just another sign of how fast she’s growing up. Too fast!
She quickly slipped her feet in and pranced herself up and down the aisle like she was 10 feet tall, her little ankles wobbling a bit with each stride. She assured me she could make it onto the stage and through the performance without twisting her ankle. I asked her if she thought she was old enough to wear heels. "Well, you know I am only 10 months away from being a tween." A TWEEN?!?! When did she learn that word? I made a big deal about how grown up she looked--like she'd skipped the tweens and went straight to the teens--and how D was going to faint when he saw her wearing HIGH HEELS!
We got home and she told D to close his eyes while she put on her new shoes. She struck a sassy little pose and told him to look. He fell on the floor. “You’re getting too big!” he moaned. “Don’t worry, Daddy” she told him, “I may be wearing high heels, but I’m not going to date anyone but you until I turn 25.” She’s adorable. And 25? What a relief! She gave him a hug and skipped off to join the littles watching Elf for the 156th time.
D and I got cozy on our bed and watched another episode of Parenthood. About 45 minutes later, just as our show was going off, Miss M came in our room and told us her clothes were laid out for the next day, her teeth had been brushed, her backpack was ready to go and her lunch was packed and in the fridge. What??? My girls have never packed their own lunches. Andnagging is reminders are always required when it comes to their bedtime chores. It had to be the heels! This story has repeated itself all through the holiday season. Sure, heels and shorts look funny together. But the unbelievably helpful and impressively great attitude of the young-woman-in-a-little-girl’s body wearing them made it impossible to say no. She’s put some miles on those patent leather beauties this Christmas! And it just tickles me to death when, after church or wherever we’ve been out and about to, she grabs my arm to steady herself as we walk to the car and says things like "Mama and I might be walking a little slower than y’all. We are wearing high heels, you know."
It’s amazing how people tend to live up (or down) to what they think others’ perceptions of them are. M thought she looked like a teenager in those shoes so whenever she wore them she acted how she thought a teenager should act. Maybe I shouldn’t be dreading the teen years after all! I still don't know what to think about the whole "tween" concept. But I do know I love her TONS and she’s growing up way TOO FAST!
She quickly slipped her feet in and pranced herself up and down the aisle like she was 10 feet tall, her little ankles wobbling a bit with each stride. She assured me she could make it onto the stage and through the performance without twisting her ankle. I asked her if she thought she was old enough to wear heels. "Well, you know I am only 10 months away from being a tween." A TWEEN?!?! When did she learn that word? I made a big deal about how grown up she looked--like she'd skipped the tweens and went straight to the teens--and how D was going to faint when he saw her wearing HIGH HEELS!
We got home and she told D to close his eyes while she put on her new shoes. She struck a sassy little pose and told him to look. He fell on the floor. “You’re getting too big!” he moaned. “Don’t worry, Daddy” she told him, “I may be wearing high heels, but I’m not going to date anyone but you until I turn 25.” She’s adorable. And 25? What a relief! She gave him a hug and skipped off to join the littles watching Elf for the 156th time.
D and I got cozy on our bed and watched another episode of Parenthood. About 45 minutes later, just as our show was going off, Miss M came in our room and told us her clothes were laid out for the next day, her teeth had been brushed, her backpack was ready to go and her lunch was packed and in the fridge. What??? My girls have never packed their own lunches. And
It’s amazing how people tend to live up (or down) to what they think others’ perceptions of them are. M thought she looked like a teenager in those shoes so whenever she wore them she acted how she thought a teenager should act. Maybe I shouldn’t be dreading the teen years after all! I still don't know what to think about the whole "tween" concept. But I do know I love her TONS and she’s growing up way TOO FAST!
I loved this. What an amazing girl you have! This reminds me so much of what E will be like when she gets her first heels when she is older. She already wants them and tries to act older and more responsible. *sniff sniff* Love our big sisters of the families.
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