1 Mother 2 Another

A few days ago, Baby Fish (Cora’s
current moniker) and I were at the outlet mall, finishing up our
spring shopping. We walked into the Children’s Place store
and Cora immediately set to work –this girl is a first-class
shopper. She’ll grab handfuls of clothing, coordinate outfits
together, the whole thing, and be astonished when I don’t buy
everything she’s got. I have to admit, she’s usually
got a good eye.


This day Cora seemed on a mission, and she was so busy that she
soon had quite a pile. She’d pick a shirt up, eye it
critically, and either put it back where she found it or add it to
her heap. A few minutes later she came over with her huge armful.
“Mommy Fish (my current moniker), I’ve got all my
clothes here.”

I looked at the huge pile with dismay.
I’d come in with a very short list – Easter dresses,
birthday outfits, and that was it. “Well, kiddo, that’s
a lot, and I need you to understand that we’re not going to
be able to get most of it,” I said, thinking I might be able
to find a birthday outfit in the pile to appease her.


Cora looked at her enormous armful with disappointment, which soon
turned to determination. “Okay, then,” she said, and
set to work again. Once again she was holding up one piece at a
time, poring over it, and then one by one putting each piece back
– where she found it! By the time she came back to me, she
was holding two pieces: the most vibrant, crazily patterned pair of
leggings in the store, and a hot-pink tie-dyed zippered hoodie with
butterflies on the pocket. “Mommy Fish,” she said,
solemnly patting her two items, “I think I can make do with
just these.”


What am I supposed to say to that?


We walked out with those fugly leggings and the hoodie. The hoodie
she put on before we even left the store – despite the fact
that she was dressed in blue. The leggings, at least, were $1.99,
so I could live with it.


Then yesterday morning Cora insisted on putting on both pieces
– at the same time. Apparently she thinks it’s quite
the outfit. She topped the whole look off with her red heart-shaped
glasses, and I know I might be biased, but she was the cutest damn
thing I think I’ve seen in a long time. Somehow, my kid
pulled that look off, and now I can’t imagine why I hoped
she’d pick something – ANYTHING – else to buy at
the store.


I love that kid.