Purple Socks - Not Negotiable

We are having major outfit issues around here. My oldest daughter has always been an outfit-changer. This past year, her big thing has been to wear two long French braids. Every. Single. Day. I sometimes wake to see a big brush in my face and my sweet daughter asking if I can braid her hair yet.

Her other issue, since the weather changed from sunny 70s and 80s to cooler 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s (she checks the temperature every day - not that is matters much, she still wears the same thing), is to wear leggings every day with long designed socks (up to her knees).

None of this so far, has much to do with my impatience. At least, not on violin concert night. My main issue that night was that she had a dress code to follow: white on top, dark on bottom and that she has told me she was playing "first position" violin. I don't really know what that means but I wondered if that meant she would be playing in a position that was more visible.

Last Monday night, my daughter had just finished gymnastics. She had about twenty five minute in which to eat dinner and get ready for violin concert (orchestra - 5th grade group). The dress code wasn't the problem, however, the white shirt she chose was about four sizes too small. I mean, skin tight, tourniquet sleeve-affect in her armpits, and I haven't even gotten to her wild hair.

I didn't have time to fight her but I resolutely told her (she was so excited to have found a white shirt, she had spent ten minutes looking for just the right one), "No, you can't wear that one."

Immediate tears.
Nonstop crying.
She began issuing threats of "I'm not going then".

And, I still haven't even mentioned the hair - which was like a halo of fuzz.

I grabbed the shirt and everyone got in the car (sometimes, I am amazed that the kids actually get in the car, even amidst a war going on between mother/daughter. It just seems like they would be frightened to go anywhere with their beast of a mother. Either that, or why don't they just refuse to go when I obviously have no idea how to parent?).

We were over halfway to the school, when the right shirt was put on (one that I found within a minute of looking in her closet). Oh, and did I mention that I also grabbed a brush and told her we would be re-doing her hair? Well, I did, and she let me know she was not going to be having her hair done again.

Another point to mention, when I did tell her she needed her hair re-done and that the first shirt she'd chosen was way too small, I'd also asked her where she would be sitting in the orchestra. Her answer, "the back".

Well, we got to the concert in time for warm-ups and quickly learned her seat was exactly front and center. She happily skipped up there and it wasn't five minutes before she was back down with me saying, "Mom, will you redo my braids?" We quickly headed over to a more secluded area and I whipped those two braids back into presentable shape. I asked her what made her change her mind, this was her reply:

 "Sadie looked at me and said, "Whoa! What happened to your hair?"

I am grateful for honest friends :-).

Purple socks: non-negotiable