Independent Minds

Emma is only 4 ~ soon to be 5 in a few weeks ~ but still just 4! But she has this very firm opinion now about what does and does not look good on her. It's not uncommon for her to come upstairs dressed in something from the dirty clothes hamper because it is, afterall, her favorite outfit. Last week she wore the same outfit three days in a row! Now lest you think I am a horrible mom who lets my daughter wear dirty clothes all the time...well sometimes I do. On days when we are just staying home (which happens a lot lately), I let Emma wear whatever she wants ~ dirty or not. I only fight the "I'm not wearing that" battle on days that we have to leave the house.

This morning was a little different though. We aren't going anywhere today. It's snowing, which takes the park out the picture. We rarely go anywhere else unless Tim is with us because I'm just not up for it. So Emma came upstairs wearing the extremely dirty clothes she wore yesterday. I vetoed this one because she just had a bath last night and I couldn't stand the thought of those dirty clothes on her.

She went to her room ~ half crying, half mumbling ~ saying there were only two pair of shorts in her drawer and she didn't like either one. (Yes, she wears shorts even when it's snowing.) After a long while, she comes upstairs wearing her Halloween outfit from last year: a Broncos cheerleader dress, which I might add is way to short because she has so grown so much. "At least it's clean," I think to myself. And then I ponder half the morning: isn't she too young for this? Surely I didn't start this behavior till like junior high!? I think I hear my mom laughing!