When I was little, my brothers and parents called me “the gypsy,” because I would wear big, long skirts that twirled and flowed and became a giant circle around me when I sat on the floor for kindergarten square time. My mom also indulged all of my hairstyle whims, cutting and perming my hair when I asked her to.

Ivy started first grade a couple of weeks ago, and Essie started preschool yesterday. I let her choose her outfit (out of several), and much to my delight, she chose my favorite, one that I had bought for her.

When it came time to put her socks and shoes on, she insisted on wearing her (way too big) socks and light-up pink shoes, both of which came from her shopping trip with grandma the weekend before.

I asked her, a couple of times….”are you sure you want those socks? They’re pretty long on you.” I knew the shoes were a lost cause, as they were brand new, and you know….lit up. But the socks.

As a first-time mom, my first-born wore what I gave him, with matching shoes and socks anytime we left the house (and probably, anytime we didn’t leave the house). He still wears what I give him and rarely argues, though I did let him pick out his school clothes when we went shopping for them. The girls have their own opinions, though.

In the end, I let her wear them. They weren’t hurting me. They weren’t taking (much) away from the adorable outfit she was wearing. She kind of matched her sister, who was wearing her own tall socks and fancy sneakers. I did manage to get her to fold them down, so the bright pink heels weren’t halfway to her knees.

She didn’t cry when I dropped her off, and an older sibling and mom of one of her classmates even said that her outfit was “really cool!”

When I picked her up and was getting her buckled into her seat in the van, as she said goodbye to her class’ para out the window, she said “I had a wonderful time, didn’t I.”

And that’s all that matter, isn’t it.

Sarah at The Sunday Spill and I want to see your funny, your yummy, your heartfelt, your favorite phone photos of the week. All you need is a blog post containing at least one photo from any phone camera. Link up below!

I also have some exciting news! I’ll share more on it later, but I have signed up to be part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training program. I’ll be raising money for the organization through the end of December, and when I reach my goal ($2650), I’ll be running in the Walt Disney Half Marathon in January as a member of their team. I’m really excited, as it’s been a dream of mine to run a Disney race for some time. You can check out my progress, make a donation, or share with your friends at this link. I would appreciate any little bit of help reaching my goal!