New Year

New school year that is. My youngest started her new college today, she is really excited and enthusiastic about it.

Tonight I was involved in her agonising decision 'what to wear'. Its her first year out of uniform and it matters, a lot. This girl has a room full of clothes but none of them go together (apparently), or make the right statement. I was subjected to a parade of different outfits. The one she chose was very, very, short shorts and a vest top.

Then a terrible thing happened.

I turned into my mother......

Me: 'Do you think that shorts are appropriate for college, Lu?'

Lu: 'Everyone is wearing them'

Me: 'you look like you are going to the beach'

Lu: (prancing about in front of mirror) 'do you think I look too..... leggy?

Me: 'Weeeeel, they are very short Lu'

Lu: 'I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!!!!' (please excuse caps but it was the only way to convey the DRAMA of that moment.)

Lu flounces (she does that so beautifully) upstairs to try something else. Then comes back downstairs in an even shorter skirt, then and even shorter pair of shorts, then a belt - er, sorry, skirt.

Me: (sensing defeat) 'well, if the other girls wear shorts then I suppose its ok, maybe with some opaque tights?'

Lu: 'Thats for the winter, its still summer.'

At that moment I realised that I had turned into my mother. I was horrified. I remembered the arguments I would have with my own mum about what I was wearing and remembered what was like to be 17 and realised that in the great scheme of things it didn't really matter if she wore shorts.

I turned to Lu and said 'You are young, you have a great figure and legs, you wear your shorts Lu.'

She then turned to me and said 'Oh, its ok. I have decided to wear something else'.


I have two years of this......