A Hard Day's Work

It's that time of year again, when one season is ending and you realize that your kids have outgrown last year's clothes for the upcoming season.  They put on shorts and you realize they've grown an inch and a half.  They put on sandals and their toes stick out the front too far.  Or they wear their winter clothes that fit, only to overheat when it's 68 degrees outside.

It was obviously time for me to make my bi-annual trip to Old Navy, my preferred place to stock up on a new season of clothes for the kids.  This time, I decided to take Lia with me.  Lia is already my shopping buddy - but this was the first time I had ever taken her on a marathon shopping trip for herself.  She is four now, going on fourteen, and she certainly has an opinion about what she will and won't wear.  So I knew that I couldn't wing it like I had in the past, buying things I liked hoping she would like them too.  (This still works for Ben, by the way, who could never make it through a marathon shopping trip and is perfectly happy to wear whatever I bring home for him.) 

Lia's favorite part is trying on clothes.  She loves to put on a new dress/skirt/shirt and spin around in front of the dressing room mirror.  I let her try on as many things as she wanted, but then made her pick:  5 dresses, 3 skirts, 2 shorts and 5 shirts - oh, and an Easter dress and shoes.  Of course she wanted nothing to do with the shorts - but she'll thank me later when we're camping.  This process took us about an hour.  And this year, I was so proud, she picked very colorful things.  I can't tell you how tired I am of the past two years and all that PINK!

Then we wandered over to the boy section and Lia was really good about helping me pick out clothes for her brother.  She picked out a Superman Shirt, some polo shirts and swim trunks (which he didn't need).  We gathered everything up for Ben: 4 shorts, 3 T-Shirts, 2 party-shirts, 2 polo-shirts, underwear, socks and a new sweatshirt.  Then we paid and put our loot in the car.

And then back into Old Navy.  Time for Mommy to pick some clothes.  Lia helped me pick out dresses, shirts, skirts, shorts.  When we were walking back to the dressing room to try on my clothes, Lia said to me "Mom, this part isn't really that fun anymore".  Ahhh, she needs a snack to recharge!  Lia was a very good sport giving me her opinion on the things I tried on.  She was an even bigger help picking out jewelry. 

After we paid (Darrin told me not to get him anything so that's why he was left out), we walked next door for a milk-to-go and an iced tea, and then headed to Target to look for new sandals.  That trip was not fruitful, and I promised her we would go another day, to another store, and find some pretty shoes.  We hopped back in the car to head home and  Lia instantly wanted to know how soon she could wear her new clothes, and if she could try all of them on for Daddy when we got home.  Ten minutes after talking incessantly about what she would wear first, she fell asleep. 

As I looked at my baby girl sleeping in the backseat, I laughed and thought that it was a sign of a successful shopping trip.  And I thanked God for giving me this incredibly fun little shopper, who I know will be my shopping buddy until I am the one sleeping in the car after such a busy day.