My daughter and I went clothes shopping.

She's five and has specific ideas and opinions about "her style." Ideas and opinions that cannot be swayed (so she thinks). So I'm looking through racks of sweet little girl dresses and her eyes are glued to the sequined, bedazzled, rhinestoned, animal printed...cloth-vomit.

Cloth-vomit she apparently "needs" because "allllll the kids wear this cloth-vomit mommmm" (I'm paraphrasing, of course). I ask her to grab the two she likes most. While she's doing this I've found The-Cutest-Dress-Ever! It’s sort of sailor-style with a matching hat. It has a Matching Hat. So, clearly you understand why I want her to love this dress. Naturally I have to play it down as if it weren't The-Cutest-Dress-Ever!(With Matching Hat!) She shows me some sequined, crazy layered dress that is actually decent length and cute for school. So I say yes.

She is thrilled!

The next thing she shows me is this glittered tutu butterfly top. Basically it's tulle and glitter. But mostly glitter. I shake my head ... I mumble to myself ... I think of all that glitter.  

I pull out The-Cutest-Dress-Ever! (With Matching Hat!) and say, "What do you think of this dress for fancy occasions - it would look so cute with your new sandals and look! It has a hat that matches! Isn’t this a nice dress?” By the look on her face I realized I may have blown it.  I saw her look down at the two items she had picked, then look at The-Cutest-Dress-Ever! I could tell what she was thinking ... she didn't "hate" my dress but she didn't want to make me happy by being agreeable.  

I said, "Nevermind. If you don't like it I'll put it back." As I started to hang The-Cutest-Dress-Ever! she backed up and said, "No, I like that one too. I think that would be good on me."

We smiled at each other then she went back to trying to convince to me purchase more cloth-vomit while I attempted to talk her into pink skirts & seersucker dresses.

Some days I feel like I've really got this motherhood business down then others I think it's she who has things down and is guiding me along.  

I can’t help but wonder who is raising who in our relationship some days.