Right in the middle of the wedding planning, it was time for Back to School, the unofficial holiday between the Fourth of July and Halloween. There were paper leaves and cardboard school bells and apples all over the stores and back to school ads on TV, with kids dancing and singing as if new clothes and backpacks made up for losing their freedom. They do help, of course.
I got Ed to take care of Josh; I knew he would get everything done quickly and efficiently. So we went in separate cars, a jolly caravan of consumers.
Cilla and her friends have decided that “if it isn’t pink,
they’re not wearing it.” And on the
first day, everything had to be totally pink.
After that they would condescend to wear contrasting pants or skirts.
Betsey told me I was “spoiling her” and looked superior
until I reminded her of the year she and her friends wore purple all day every
day; even their pajamas had to be purple.
I shouldn’t have said anything because Cilla decided that
she needed pink pajamas and wanted to call her friends right now, please, please, please so they could get some too.
I told her we would get the pajamas now, but she’d have to
wait until we got home to call her friends.
Betsey was a little easier, since she doesn’t have a bust or
interest in boys yet. She needed five
pairs of jeans, a variety of tops, some with sayings I didn’t understand, but
which she assured me weren’t naughty, and some sweaters for me to nag her to
take with her, even if she didn’t wear them, because it could get chilly.
All around us mothers were squabbling with daughters and
exchanging eye rolls. It was a real
sisterhood moment.
The girls wanted to stop at McDonald’s to celebrate their
haul, but I told them that it wouldn’t be fair to Daddy and Josh, but we’d have
pizza tonight.
On the way out of the mall, we stopped at the bulk candy
store for the first candy corn and pumpkins of the season.
I said a prayer of thanksgiving that the girls didn’t see
the McDonald’s wrappers in the trash when we got home. Fortunately, Josh forgot to wave his Happy
Meal monster in their faces.
Sometimes you get a break.
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