My daughter, whose picture is at the top of this blog, is the most wonderful person in the world. She is a joy to be around most of the time and I thank God for the circumstances that allowed to her to be in my life. I've come to realize though that daughters and mothers have a very unique perspective on each other. I learned when I took a bunch of adolescent psychology classes in college that daughters see their mother as a rival so that's why many mothers and daughters have relationships that aren't the best. I'm not sure about that, I think that once the daughter starts adolensence and those hormones begin to kick in, they become as crazy as us!
I wish everyone could have a daughter and a son. It makes the whole parenting thing very satisfying. Daughter only mothers have a messed up sense of the world being all smell-goody and pretty, son only mothers think all bedrooms should smell like body oder. I'm glad God blessed me with one of each. It is kind of the yin to the yang. Nice balance.
My daughter and I have a great relationship, so great in fact, she feels that she can tell me anything. Now, on the surface, that sounds great but in real life, it sure has cut my ego into little bitty egg salad pieces sometimes! I'll confess, I'm not the best dresser. I'm a science nerd and am more happy crawling around on my hands and knees in the dirt running an experiment or looking for bugs than trolling the mall. Makes my son happy, he's the only kid around who has a mom who keeps meal worms and will occasionally eat them to the delight of his friends! This does not impress my daughter or her friends. In fact, I have to pretend that I am a different person in front of my daughters friends! This person really cares about how she looks and my daughter is trying to help me look better!
When she was 4 or 5, I began to realize that she really had an eye for fashion and started asking for help. I would be happy if when I went to the store there were complete outfits tagged together like garanimals for little kids. Remember those? The tags matched so you could pick up an entire outfit that matched! That was the best idea, I just wish they would do womens clothes the same way. I now ask my daughter if I look good or if I should wear this and not that. Makes the hubby soooo happy! He is no longer on the hot seat, giving me that oh-so-smart answer "everything looks good on you dear"!
Because I have begun to use my daughter as my own personal dresser, she now feels that she can comment on my clothes, shoes, hairstyle, etc. When you are your families personal fashionista, you can get away with that. She has sent her dad and brother back to their rooms to change a couple of times so it's just not me she uses her talents on!
Too make a long story short, yesterday, I was feeling really pretty. My hair was laying down, I had on a bright color and even put on a scarf to satisify my personal shopper. I decided to try my luck at wearing perfume! Now normally, I don't wear much perfume. Most of it makes me sneeze and I typically forget to put it on. Good grief, I already put perfumed lotion on my face, wash my hair and spray it with perfumed products and wear perfumed deoderant...how much more do you want? I was really proud of myself for remembering to spritz a little perfume on myself.
We got into the van and my daughter turned to me with that look, that's the one that shows disgust. Usually it's over a smell. She has a highly tuned sense of smell also. I used to worry she'd throw-up in school if the teacher sat her by some smelly boy. She gave me that look and said 'what is that smell?' It smells like nasty cleaning products! .....so much for feeling all perfumey..... I didn't tell her it was me, I blamed it on her brother who had been in the van earlier. He can take it, he smells bad all the time to her. So I threw him under the bus....guess I'll get rid of that scent!
They say a baby can recognize their mothers smell after just 72 hours. I know that's true because I once switched moisturizer and had both kids comment when I bent down to kiss them goodnight that I didn't smell like myself! I think I'll just toss the perfume and smell like myself, apparently, it's not so bad!
Smile at someone you don't know today, it just might be the only smile they get!
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Too funny. Our son is pretty good about smelling clean, except when he comes home from Track.
ReplyDeleteWhen he was younger, I was trying on clothes, and he said I looked like I was trying to get a date. That shirt went back on the hanger. I also quit wearing makeup, when he told me I didn't need it (God love him).