Spring time showers?

It's one of those mornings ... grey, rainy and damp. Very springlike (that's twice ... oops three times counting the title ... in two days that I've dared to invoke the gods of Spring ... I can be cheeky that way).

In hindsight I realize that I should have sent Stefani to school with her raincoat on and not her red riding hood coat (that's what she calls it ... a red melton cloth winter jacket a la red riding hood). Even though duck boots are the rage this year ... can't get her to even consider them!

It's that kid thing ... you know ... that which requires a kid to rebel against anything Mom or Dad suggest ... especially when it comes to outward appearance.

I can remember Mel's purple hair days (daze? lol) ... it took all I had to bite my tongue as she changed the colour of her hair on an almost weekly basis. I think we saw the entire spectrum ... Bozo orange, yellow, pink, red, blue, violet, purple, black, green ... oh yes, and when the purple faded, for about a week her hair was a ghastly shade of lavenderish grey. In fact, her graduation photo proudly attests that fact.

As for Will and J ... by the time they were 12 or so ... if I purchased the article of clothing, it was not going to be worn. It didn't matter if it was the right brand name, the right colour ... I think it had something to do with how long I had held the clothes without laundry being involved.

Nic, on the other hand ... and Kyla, as well ... seem to have no issue with my "fashion assistance". Bless their souls ...

With Stef it's hit or miss ... she has an initial distaste for anything that was selected without her input ... but once the clothes are on, and she thinks she looks good ... it's all water under the bridge.

Okay ... so maybe it's not just a kid thing ... I have a mountain of clothes that were purchased for me that I rarely wear. Something about them is just not quite "me". Come on ... a purple velour leisure suit? I think I'll save that for the nursing home!

Only two people have ever managed to buy for me and come out victorious ... Melanie and Bugs.
It has something to do with truly knowing who the person is ... and thinks they are ... and matching those with a "style" ... garments that are flattering and speak to those ideals. I guess that's why the automatic reaction to a faux pas purchase is more often than not ... "that's just not me"....

Okay ... to loop this all up ... I guess it's not a kid's thing at all. It's about the parent imposing on a child their sense of who that child is. Seems I've done okay with the females of the household ... disaster when it comes to the males ...

Who'd think that a ramble about clothes and fashion ... could lead to such depth?

My boys ... *sigh* ... I really tried ... but I know I wasn't able to give them what they really needed ... I still am not sure if I even could ... maybe they needed something beyond me. A father maybe?

Shades of the amazing speech Will shared at Mel's wedding ... about a single mother who worked too many hours to keep a roof over their head, sickness and adversity ... and the fact that he was only beginning to come to terms with it all ...

*sigh*