On the Cusp

I went clothes shopping for new school clothes with the Little One, who is now 13 & 3/4. I wish I was still at an age when I would add the "1/2" and "3/4" to my own age. But I don't wish I wish that I was about to enter 8th grade and was shopping for clothes.

The Little One is the most easygoing of my three kids. Or was.  Puberty has entered her life with the usual onset of roiling emotions and roller coaster moods and my sunny dispositioned youngest now has that wonderful trait of answering me when I call with a "wha-a-a-t?"

Being the youngest and with 6 years separating her from Mystery Man, she's been the baby of the family and will remain so indefinitely. She gets a lot more "stuff" the older ones tell me, which is probably true because she's the only one home now and it's easier to indulge one kid than three.

When it comes to clothes, though, she's always been very conservative.  It was very easy to buy her outfits, as long as they were neutral colored, no beads, spangly things, flowers, trim, or girlie stuff. And no pink or purple! In fact, from 1st to 6th grade, we routinely shopped in the boys department for her. She wore the parachute pants that unzipped at the knees, the Tony Hawk t-shirts, and skate shoes. Her hair was straight and never put in a ponytail or barrette. I tearfully threw out her older sister's collection of velvet and satin headbands when she told me in no uncertain terms that they'd never grace her head.

And then she was in her cousin's wedding. The hackneyed ritual of being a junior bridesmaid in a humongous wedding party was seen anew in her eyes. She had a simple, long dress to wear and a lovely bouquet. I was prepared to blow dry her hair and hoped at best  she kept it from behind her ears, but the child asked me to have it done. Professionally. On top of her head. With curls.
All her aunts and grandmothers were beside themselves with wonder: the Little One was getting a manicure and having her hair done!

Since then, she's slowing breaking down her rules. Once she could fit into junior sizes, she stopped buying clothes in the boys department. Seems it wasn't the feminine quality of the girl's department  that bothered her, but the juvenile quality.  Last spring she had her ears pierced and will wear all manner of earrings. .   She bought a pink polo shirt at Abercrombie and Fitch, and she has a collection of reef flip flops to match her outfits. She prefers stripes to flowers, but bought a white, tiered skirt for a bat mitvah and a camisole layered top in light green. She even uses her older sister's small Burberry bag.  And she bought a red bikini and pink and brown one with boy shorts.

But still, shopping with her is still the easiest of the two girls. She selects about 30 pairs of jeans to try on,  and finds the ones that fit the best and have the least to hem. She buys polos in a bunch of colors, t shirts with funny sayings, and a bunch of button down shirts. She has a couple of pairs of sneakers to alternate with the reefs, which she can't wear to school

This summer's been a little rough. I found myself snapping at her and her snapping back more often than I care to remember. She waffles between wanting to ride go carts and go for a manicure.  As I watched her walk about twenty steps ahead of me while we were shopping, I let her take the lead and didn't hurry to catch up with her. She rushed through the aisles with a quick. yes, no, yes, no, as I held items up for her approval. After we'd accumulated an armful each of clothes to try on, I wandered into the women's department to look at  a few things of my own. I told her I would be right back. Two minutes later, I heard her calling me and she was at my elbow. "Mom! You didn't tell me where you were." I looked at her. I was about ten feet from where she'd been five minutes ago. "Are you going to look around in here?" I nodded. "Okay, but next time, tell me where you are." I nodded again.

She still needs her Mommy.

Right now. She's trying to nail her skim board on her wall for winter.

Right under the photos of Tony Hawk.

And next to the nail polish bottles on her desk.