The box was opened with excitement, then a hush fell over Ellie as it began to register what she was holding in her hands. She clutched it to her chest and spun in a circle on our porch exclaiming, "It's SO pretty!" But the bus was coming soon so she would have to wait until after school to don the lovely garment.
After returning home later in the afternoon, she ran quickly to her room and promptly ran back down the hall with her palms upturned and a worried look on her face, "Where'd my pretty dress go?"
We pulled it out of the closet and quickly dressed her. She grinned and grinned at her reflection in the mirror, then she began stroking the smooth skirt. "It's beautiful! It's shiny! Look at the sparkles, Mommy!"
She would proceed for the next couple of hours to play differently than before. Instead of her loud, boisterous way, she walked more daintily, spoke in a more hushed voice, and had a perpetual soft smile on her face. One would think she had worn nothing but rags until the hour she put on that costume dress. Soon enough we had to change back into clothes for the real world (a trip to the grocery store) and she complied, but as soon as we were back home, the dress was back out and on again. And requested again before so much as even a 'good morning' and roll out of bed this morning.
Nathan and I have to marvel at the transformation. (We're still getting used to this new sense of awareness she has assumed regarding her personal appearance.) She has become so "girlie", we can't help but shake our heads at the change. "Night gowns" will be on her Christmas list as she now also requests to wear a 'night time dress' to bed every night and she only has one (but plenty of other kinds of jammies).
To Ellie's benefactor: thank you! I hope you can tell from this recounting how much she loves this gift! You hit the nail on the head!
1 comment:
That's great! Thanks for sharing - it's fun to hear the different experiences you have when you have a little girl!
Post a Comment