Picture Day

She’s not yet in pre-school, but my daughter does attend a wonderful mother’s day out program where they do a lot of things that bigger kids do, including getting school pictures.

I had mentioned it to her in the week or so before picture day because, as I have written here before, we have hair issues, and also because she can take very strong opinions about her clothes if she senses that I want to her wear something specific without her knowing why.

The night before, we washed her hair as we always do, except she’s reached a point where she wants to do it herself, with mixed results. Also, in the last couple of weeks, she’s begun to realize that stuff happens after she goes to bed that she might be interested in, so she was awake until almost 10 p.m.

The next morning, I had to wake her up at 8 a.m. After battles over breakfast and TV shows and teeth brushing, we finally got to the point of selecting a dress. I gave her a couple of choices, which she rejected (vehemently), and reached for the one playdress in her closet that was not ironed. (Because it’s a PLAYDRESS. I would have ironed it, had there been time.) So I dressed her in it, brushed her hair while she howled, took her to school and crossed my fingers.

Then, last Friday, the proof was waiting in her cubby.

She’s got a grin that says she gets the joke, and the photo captured that. It also captured her hair, lank with shampoo residue, which reminds me of her increasing independence. Uncombed, because she probably wouldn’t let anyone near her to neaten it.

Her beautiful eyes are slightly bloodshot, with dark circles, reminding me how much she wants to grow up. Her dress is an unflattering shade of yellow, but it’s the most comfortable dress she has, and she picked it out.

And she looks happy.

So, no. It’s not the most flattering photo of her ever taken. But, yeah. I’m probably going to get a copy. 

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