Playing dress up

With the promise that we would picked them up early Sunday morning, both girls went home with their father. Arriving at their home around ten AM Sunday to pick them up, they came out of their house with their mom. Even their dog was excited to see us. She wasn't allowed to get in the car with the girls and was handed back to Amy. The girls competed for attention, talking at the same time and asking questions. At the restaurant they ate their breakfast carrying a lively conversation about their parents and about what they were going to do at our house. We got home at about noon. As we worked on our bedroom, Isabelle and Lily played. Lily alternating between their room and ours. She had found a feather to write and to dust with. Isabelle sat in the stairwell landing by the picture window. She decorated the glass with sticky notes.
I went out to work on a project and came back in to find both girls in the living room. Isabelle made a quick dash to hid behind the sofa. Embarrassed that I had seen her playing dress up. I thought it was a great moment needing to be preserved in a photograph. She was a reluctant model.
Grandma helped her pose for the photograph but she was not happy. Elfida made the suggestion of cutting the dress so it would fit better.

Isabelle's embarrassment turned to joy now that grandma was helping with her gown. The footstool served as a pedestal to stand on. Now the center of attention of both grand parents, she smiled.

With long gloves and green eye shadow, she is ready for that imaginary ball. The one where fairies, princes, kings and queens attend and dance all night.

The smile grows to loud laughter when little sister announces that she is going to shave all the hair off Fifi, grandma's chihuahua! Lily not into long gowns, gloves, and dance shoes, is content to pretend her battery powered fan is a set of hair clippers. She exits the room in pursuit of Fifi and her hair cut.

Now a willing model, she spins and smiles. She is a princess. The scraped knees and bruised legs from roller skating accidents have gone away. What wonderful world the imagination of a little girl can be.

The gown almost compete. Grandma leaves the back a little longer than the front so it can trail as the princess walks into the ballroom.

It is a perfect fit. And it will be a perfect evening with laughter and lots of dancing and grandma will be there too. Like a fairy godmother, always ready to help, always there to make thing right. There is no place like grandma's house for a little girl's imagination to come alive. Where else will plants bloom and flower on a fireplace mantle? Yes, they are real plants.