When Angela was little, and before she developed her own taste in clothes, everything I bought for her came from Walmart or Target. Not that those are bad stores to shop from. It was just before the time when everyone and their brother had internet access, and those were the only stores near our rural home. It was also all we could afford at the time.
As Angela got older, and finances changed a bit, I fell in love with certain types of little girl clothes. Unfortunately Angela was also getting out of the age to wear the cutsie little girl stuff! She also had her own taste in clothes and it did not involve ruffles or frill, it was more "big and bulky". Its not really surprising that Angela is a tomboy having grown up with her her big brothers, and later adding the little brothers!
I've been SO very excited to buy clothes for J. Cute little girl clothes. Dresses with leggings. Boots. Oh the boots! I could probably go a little bit nuts.
But I am holding back. Although I have her height, weight and European clothing sizes, I like to wait until I get my kids home and know exactly what sizes they need. At least with a girl I can't go too wrong with dresses, right?
Some dear friends of mine have outfitted our girl with a ton of clothes and she will be set for awhile! Now I have to figure out where to put all this stuff! If you read my other blog, you know about our "family closet". The one that has recently gotten away from me. Yeah...that's another blog post.
Anyway, last night after the little boys went to bed, and Angela and her friend were having a dance fest in the downstairs, I started sorting through all these clothes. I honestly don't know how to decide which clothes to bring along on the trip!
And hair. Angela was never big on having her hair done. She tolerated it for me, but as soon as we came home from somewhere all the "pretties" came out. Still I kept her hair long until she was 6 and I cut it to shoulder length. It's been long/short/long/short through several cycles over the years as she goes through various stages of not wanting to deal with hair. Right now we're in the process of growing it out again before her Senior pictures are taken this summer. Since Angela isn't very independent with her hair, its hard to find a style that works well for her without looking like a boy cut.
But J? Oh please I'm hoping she will tolerate me brushing her hair. In my head I know it's more likely she will want nothing to do with this ritual. She's 9 years old and her head has been shaved her entire life. Right now her hair is still growing out from the last shave and is barely to her ears. Will she do better with bangs or no bangs? I know her hair color, and it appears as it's growing out it may have a tiny bit of body to it.
These are the types of thoughts that are keeping me up at night now. Learning about a child you've never met, trying not to create a child in your head that is nothing like the real child is not easy. Trying not to read anything into the pictures. Not assuming anything. This is a child who has spent her entire life living in one of Serbia's worst facilities. I don't expect a lot of things, but like any mom I can't help but hope for many.
As Angela got older, and finances changed a bit, I fell in love with certain types of little girl clothes. Unfortunately Angela was also getting out of the age to wear the cutsie little girl stuff! She also had her own taste in clothes and it did not involve ruffles or frill, it was more "big and bulky". Its not really surprising that Angela is a tomboy having grown up with her her big brothers, and later adding the little brothers!
I've been SO very excited to buy clothes for J. Cute little girl clothes. Dresses with leggings. Boots. Oh the boots! I could probably go a little bit nuts.
But I am holding back. Although I have her height, weight and European clothing sizes, I like to wait until I get my kids home and know exactly what sizes they need. At least with a girl I can't go too wrong with dresses, right?
Some dear friends of mine have outfitted our girl with a ton of clothes and she will be set for awhile! Now I have to figure out where to put all this stuff! If you read my other blog, you know about our "family closet". The one that has recently gotten away from me. Yeah...that's another blog post.
Anyway, last night after the little boys went to bed, and Angela and her friend were having a dance fest in the downstairs, I started sorting through all these clothes. I honestly don't know how to decide which clothes to bring along on the trip!
And hair. Angela was never big on having her hair done. She tolerated it for me, but as soon as we came home from somewhere all the "pretties" came out. Still I kept her hair long until she was 6 and I cut it to shoulder length. It's been long/short/long/short through several cycles over the years as she goes through various stages of not wanting to deal with hair. Right now we're in the process of growing it out again before her Senior pictures are taken this summer. Since Angela isn't very independent with her hair, its hard to find a style that works well for her without looking like a boy cut.
But J? Oh please I'm hoping she will tolerate me brushing her hair. In my head I know it's more likely she will want nothing to do with this ritual. She's 9 years old and her head has been shaved her entire life. Right now her hair is still growing out from the last shave and is barely to her ears. Will she do better with bangs or no bangs? I know her hair color, and it appears as it's growing out it may have a tiny bit of body to it.
These are the types of thoughts that are keeping me up at night now. Learning about a child you've never met, trying not to create a child in your head that is nothing like the real child is not easy. Trying not to read anything into the pictures. Not assuming anything. This is a child who has spent her entire life living in one of Serbia's worst facilities. I don't expect a lot of things, but like any mom I can't help but hope for many.
I don't blame you. While we were sad Katya was so starved and abused, we were also pleased that it allowed us to put her into adorable clothing for a few months (size 3T is what she came home wearing, and she rapidly went through sizes and 2.5 years later now wears mainly 8's!) Had she not been starved, we would never have gotten to do the super fun little kid stuff so it felt like we were given a ugly present in a cool wrapping in a way . . . the starvation was awful, but getting to dress her in fun, soft, feminine clothing that was HERS was pretty cool. No more seeing the same two dresses on her week after week like in the orphanage!
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