New and Exciting, Not Better or Worse

Oh how I ADORE these shoes. They were a gift for Miss M.

Even the boys think these are cute. It would just be wrong to work her whole wardrobe around these shoes, wouldn't it?

Baby girl clothes are new and exciting to me after 16 + years of buying little boy things.

I feel guilty about that though. Back in the day when I had one or two or three boys, I put a lot of effort and thought into finding the perfect Holiday outfits for them. Now I've gotten to the point where I'm making sure they have dress pants and shirts that fit and the littlest guy...sometimes he doesn't even have dress shoes. They usually all have ties though, because those get passed down and shared...and don't usually wear out. ;)

Part of it is economical and part of it is philosophical. I've realized that the perfect outfit isn't all that important, for me or for them..which is why the whole family portrait thing threw me. It's not necessary to spend hundreds of dollars on the perfect outfit to be worn once for 2 hours. (You'd think these things could be passed down, but they all seem to hit different sizes in different seasons. :P)

This is the first time I have the privilege to dress a baby girl. It's kind of neat to get to pick out dresses and coordinating tights and well, you saw those shoes. ;)

I just worry that the testosterone club might feel like they're being slighted. I don't think they do, but I worry about it. I mean they're all pointing out girly things in catalogues and on TV and insisting that we should buy whatever it is for Miss M and when I opened those shoes...I was not the only one eager to see how they looked on her little feet.

I don't think appearances and packaging are what it's all about. That would be shallow. But, this whole train of thought got me to thinking about how I interact with each of the kids and to be conscious of treating them each as special gifts, because they are.

Whether my first boy or my 5th boy, they are incredibly unique and precious blessings. Right now I enjoy picking out the girly "wrapping paper" but I just realized that the boys...they get to choose their clothes (even the three yo) and I honor each of their senses of style..fortunately nothing too crazy going on there yet. :)

I am thankful for each phase and stage and opportunity to be a parent. Sometimes what is new and different is exciting, but not always more important or more special...

But I still say those shoes are too cute!

-Peace