But Moooooooom!

There are parenting moments that bring back recollections of my own childhood. Sometimes it is a treasured story, or visiting a childhood neighborhood with my kids, or tucking my kids into bed at my parent's house beneath an afghan that I remember curling up in as a child.

And sometimes it's a shopping trip to Target the night before a vocal music concert where I find myself saying things like, "That's not appropriate. I want it to be an outfit. I want you to look nice." I can feel the words coming out of my mouth and then look around for my mom. Surely I didn't just say that?! Who is this frantic mom who can't agree on an outfit with her thirteen year old? How did I get here and who am I?

I vetoed the babydoll top with spaghetti straps and a satin bow over her cleavage. ("But, mom, it's so cuuuuuute!") I also vetoed the sleeveless georgette blouse with a quilted vest over the top. ("But, mom, the vest will keep me warm!" she said. "Yeah, so would sleeves," I said.)

Salvation came in the form of 10 year old with more fashion sense then the teenager and myself put together. She zeroed in on the "glam" need of the 13 year old and found a black skirt with a sheen and an appropriate shape for a 13 year old (not a skin tight mini skirt) and then paired it with a long sleeved shirt in red with a scoop neck and a fitted bodice. The teen looked at the selection warily, but she tried it on and then pranced out of the dressing room looking perfect.

My "perfect outfit" was for my 9th grade orchestra concert, which was on a Thursday night. We were at the mall on Wednesday night and we were at our wits end and then we found a burgundy skirt with an evergreen sweater with a burgundy design woven into it. It came from Schwezers. I wore that outfit for years and I still have the sweater. Maybe I should have given it to Anna to try.