Dress Up

Over the years Brian's parents have accumulated a lot of Ekco's things, think every Christmas, birthday party and every other weekend of her life. Last trip, Debbie generously offered Xiana some dress up clothes. Xiana was very willing to take them off her hands. It was very sweet of Ekco to be willing to give them to her little sister. As we went through them she reminisced about all the wonderful times she had playing dress up with these clothes. More than once she wished that the dresses still fit her or that she was a little girl again. It made me think two things. First: we never really outgrow dress up. Ekco is 9-years-old, but that in no way makes her too old to play dress up. The truth is, I still play dress up. I love to have a special event that requires a dolled up Lenaya. I cherish time spent picking out the perfect dress with the perfect shoes (think wedding). Sometimes I think 9 is so old, but then Ekco gives little reminders that she is still a little girl. She has a lot of grown up characteristics and certainly understands very mature things, but deep down, she is a little girl that loves to play dress up. Second, it made me yearn for all the years that Ekco did play dress up; the years these tiny dresses fit her and she twirled around the living room happily much the same way Xiana is now. It made me sad to think of so much of her life that I missed. I wished I could be there; could see her; could watch as she grew from baby to toddler to child. Then it made me grateful that I will get to watch as she grows from child to teenager to adult. It reminded me to not take this time with Xiana for granted; to cherish it, relish in it, pay attention to her, and remember how sweet it is when a little girl plays dress up and dances around a room... the most important room in the world.
Xiana has repeatedly forced her cousin to play wedding with her thanks to this get up..
Most of these costumes come complete with tiara, shoes, and accessories.
When Ecko was here, she pacified her desire to play dress up by dressing Xiana up. Both girls had a wonderful time. I wish I would have taken a picture of every costume change!