Friday, March 09, 2007

(Flower) Girl Power.

My brother is getting married in exactly eight days, and seeing as Kiyomi is the flower girl I figured it was about time I thought about getting her a dress. My future sister-in-law is a fairly calm person, but I could sense a little concern in her voice when she asked me a few weeks ago at her shower if I had thought about getting Kiyomi a dress yet. If it had even entered my mind. If I had remembered there was a wedding taking place in exactly twenty-seven days. It's as if she heard about my reputation for waiting until the very last minute to do things and was starting to panic. I told her not to worry, that I'd give myself at least a couple of days to find something and if I didn't I had seen a great episode of MTV's House Of Style where they used two pillowcases and a necktie to make a nifty dress.

I picked the girks up from school yesterday and we headed to the mall but I wasn't looking forward to it - shopping with them is not an easy task these days.. I really miss how it was before, when we could breeze into Gap Kids and I'd grab a pair of appliquéd overalls or a sweet little dress off the rack that would meet with rapturous approval. Not anymore.

Something sinister happens between the ages of oh, say EIGHT AND TEN where they suddenly develop a violent adverse reaction to anything picked out by their mother. If I even so much as point to a dress that I think is cute or a pair of pants they might want to try on, their faces contort and they immediately run in the opposite direction, as if I had just pulled a headless torso from between the hangers. Somewhere along the way it went from being a fun, bonding afternoon outing to an incredibly tortuous activity, one that makes me think they should consider installing a full bar in every children's clothing section. Somehow I don't think I'd take it so hard when they reject the shirt I pick out if I had a nice martini in my hand.

When Kira heard that she would be getting something new to wear as well, she let out a squeal as only a tween can do when presented with a prime retail activity. She whipped out her sketch pad that she carries with her everywhere and, in the ten minutes it took us to drive to the mall, drew this picture of her dress that she wanted.

I hated to burst her bubble, but I told her that as much as I liked her drawing there was the distinct possibility that we wouldn't be able to find one that matched exactly. She thought about it minute, I'm sure imagining what kind of evil God would allow her to be born into such a simple family and then said, "Well, do you think we can have it made?" Yes I told her, yes! I would have the seamstresses start working on it as soon as we got home, after they were done hand-beading my slippers and sewing the rubies onto my bathrobe.

Wanting to avoid any further misconceptions, I made it clear to Kiyomi that since we were buying a dress specifically for a wedding that I would be picking it out - I had been to a few weddings and knew a thing or two damnit. Don't even bother trying to talk me into the mini with the matching hoodie, or the camo tankdress or anything silkscreened with horses, puppies or the word phat on it. I told her that none of these were appropriate to wear to a wedding, but that she was free to do as she pleased when she grew up, moved into a trailer and married her cousin.

Surprisingly, it didn't matter because as soon as she saw the rows of frilly white dresses she got very excited, and immediately asked for "the fluffiest one" which was shocking coming from my little tomboy. We finally decided on one, and as she was standing there in front of the mirror it struck me how incredibly beautiful my little girl is, and how angelic she appeared in that white dress, a bundle of satin and tulle. I was reminded of who I was dealing with though, when she hiked the dress over her head and started kicking her legs up in a crazy little dance number. When I reminded her that she might not want to do that while walking down the aisle she replied, "Oh, I know. It's for the party afterwards." Imagine how much fun she'll be at the reception when she's old enough to drink.

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25 comments:

  1. Most of the time I am quite relieved that I have a boy, but every now and then I come across something that makes me wish I'd had a girl somewhere along the line. This story was one of those things.

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  2. I have a boy and a girl and my girl is much like you describe here...basically, she's getting to the point that she thinks I know slightly less than nothing.

    So thanks for this. :) The dancing part gives me hope.

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  3. I'm impressed Marsha, I can't believe how early you are shopping for an outfit -- my bet was that you were going to stop on the way to the wedding to pick something out for Kiyomi to wear. I am also sure that you will be up late the night before the big day sewing the outfit that Kira has designed out of the bed linens at the hotel!

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  4. Wow, she's got quite the sketching talent. I do love that she ended up getting a really beautiful, floofy (is that a word?) dress. She will have a marvelous time.

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  5. I remember fighting with my mom constantly about clothes. Of course, she used to try and make me wear polyester pantsuits, which a hip mom like you would never do.

    Would you?

    -annie

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  6. hahaha. what a great story! OY, am I glad I have boys. The clothing options are much more limited, thank God. However, I do think the full bar in children's stores is a good idea just because I like to drink and I like to shop, so why not? The premise is gold I tell you, GOLD!

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  7. creativity, talent and imagination - clearly a daughter in your very own image.

    Except for the marrying her cousin part, which I hope she doesn't do.

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  8. Kira drew that picture? Wow! She has talent! Could a career in fashion design be in her future?

    *sigh* I hope Kaitlyn can be a flower girl some day so I can buy her the fluffiest dress there is :)

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  9. by the time she's old enough to drink it sounds like you'll be doing the AA meetings...?)

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  10. Wait... SHE drew that? Mom didn't embelish or get it off the net? That is amazing for that age... really. Wow.

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  11. An artist AND a partier...I know, somewhat redundant. When she turns 21, please call me. We'll all dress in something fluffy and ruffly and white, we'll go out in LA and push that little slut Paris and Britney RIGHT OFF the front page of gossip news. K? We'll give 'em something to talk about...Or at least Kira will.

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  12. Um, hello? Project Runway 2022?

    My daughter is going to be the flower girl in my brother's wedding this fall. (And I will live vicariously as this was my dream as a little girl which was never fulfilled.) She'll be 2 1/2. We're just hoping she doesn't take a detour from walking down the aisle to hide behind a pew to take a dump. (will not live vicariously for that part)

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  13. The Rooster, my daughter, has this tendency to spread her legs wider than wide on the changing table and play "catch the penis" with her brother in the tub. We are so worried about the teen years and beyond.

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  14. Hopefully, her sister will be a famous designer . . . with lots of hot male models following her around, and she won't have to marry her cousin and live in the trailerpark!

    Carrie

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  15. I think Kira may be the next Edith head. And Kiyomi the next Beyonce.

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  16. These kids of yours are priceless!

    I laughed so hard at this post, tears were streaming from these eyes!

    Well done that you got the dress so soon (!). LOL

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  17. There is something magical about the frilly dresses. I was something of a tomboy too, but I remember being strangely attracted to the Jessica McClintock dresses always on display during prom time.

    And I second (and third and fourth) all the other comments pertaining to Kiyomi's sketching ability. Screw Jay McCarroll. Your daughter certainly has a promising design future, should she so choose!

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  18. What a talented artist!! Maybe she'll be some famous fashion designer in the future, your little tomboy!!

    This is what I'm looking forward to with my little girl!! Yippee!!

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  19. The fabulous writing in this post--and the humor!--is exactly why I love blogs (and now yours in particular).

    I just like you.

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  20. She must look gorgeous. My girls were flower girls this summer past, and I am a jeans boots and tshirt kinda gal. But when I saw them floating down the aisle....damn if I didn't get all soft inside.

    Hope she is the belle of the ball!

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  21. Tell her before she starts the inbreeding with her cousin, she will need a wall sized TV and a wolf puppy.

    When my daughter was 5 she was flower girl at my step-sister's wedding. She was the party animal still going strong and doing the macareana (sp?) on the dance floor with all the bridesmaids. At one point she was sitting at the bar while the bartender fed her marschimo cherry after cherry. My husband sat down next to her and said "Do you come here often?" and she said "I come here all the time."

    I know I have a future party girl on my hands. Sounds like you do too.

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  22. I think my son would fall madly in love with both your girls if he were to meet them. Especially in frilly dresses while doing crazy dances.

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  23. P.S. LOVE that sketch. She's quite a talent.

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  24. You have some talented, artistic and musical kids. Wow.

    I kinda feel conflicted these days when I don't schedule errands on the weekend because there is no other time for me to do anything. But I love sleep so very much. I love sleeping in on the weekend. I often wish I was independantly wealthy so I could hire someone to do stuff for a few hours in the morning so I wouldn't be so behind when I slept in every day.

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  25. Just think how much cuter that dress will look once you silkscreen a pony on it or embroider the word "phat." In fact, you've given me a good idea for all of my tee shirts! And why aren't camo tankdresses acceptable at a wedding again?

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