Exercises in calming-the-f*()&$#-down

My daughter's daycare is celebrating Swiss Mardi Gras this week. So the plan, as approved by the little one, was to dress like a snowman today. As an homage, I expect, to her favorite (and, really, only) cartoon, the British Snowman, and Snowman and the Snow Dog.

Saturday we found some black felt for buttons and last night M found some short sticks to be her hands for the initial reveal at school. You know that, after 5 minutes, the face make-up will be smeared, the sticks will have to go away lest a mini spiderman, or baby crocodile get their eyes poked out, and the hat and scarf will be in a puddle on the floor. But that's okay. That is why we take photos before leaving the house.

I'm so zen about it, eh? What calm, and ease. Had she said she wanted to wear the puffy vest inside out so the animals were showing instead of the snowman-perfect white, I would have said "Fine." Had she not wanted a hat, she would have hear "Sure, little one."

And had you been at our house last night you would have seen me trying to convince her of all sorts of things that this costume absolutely had to include, because I had yet to realize this wasn't about me. It wasn't about putting together the perfect costume. It wasn't about me getting really creative (partially to get back for all those fall-carved-radishes that blew mine away in November) and making the cutest snowman. It wasn't about my voice expressing hurt feelings because she didn't want to go along with what I wanted for her costume. 

Well, let's just say that after an initial 10 minutes, it was no longer about that. But it took a lot of stuffing my comments back into my mouth, consciously, to let it go.

And M read her a story about a little bear who doesn't want to wear the costume his Mami made him for Fasnacht. And he doesn't end up wearing it. I probably should have read that story with her, too.

Come this morning, and she's actually pretty excited to get ready. One good thing - the costume involves face paint, which is always a bit hit with kids her age. And new or old clothing she hasn't worn in a while. And white shoes to go to school instead of usual boots. And the fluffy vest is on, white side out. And the mask with carrot. And the hat and even Papa's red scarf.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, the littlest snowman.