Snowman Shuffle

Today was the Snowman Shuffle, a winter dance at school for the girls. (I don't know how, but I forgot to take pictures, shoot!)

Audrey is still at an easy age. She let me help pick out her outfit, pick out funky socks and boots and put some curls in her hair. Simple, no fuss . . . pre-pre teen.

Zoe is anything but that.

I am beginning to notice just how much Zoe is growing up.

I think that she is changing faster right now, because she is trying to find her place in a new group of friends. I know that she's at a much more difficult age than Audrey.

I have been unpacking boxes of clothing and having the girls try on the majority of it. They've been deciding what is going in their closets, what is too small and what is still too big.

There is suddenly another category that I didn't expect. The pile of clothes that Zoe decided she won't wear.

This is a new thing to me, because she is my garage saler, my deal shopper. Well, she was. Now she's looking at the tags.

Within the last few weeks, I've noticed that I no longer know what she likes.

I am learning a new set of rules. I have been asking Zoe "is this cool?" lately. And this is a new "cool" that I thought I knew, but have been told that I don't.

Cute is for kids. I'm learning not to use the word when referring to her.
Embroidered jeans are only acceptable if they are peace signs, not hearts or flowers.
Neon is the coolest. The brighter the better.
Hair must cover half the face. Which I know I did as a pre-teen, and I now hate it as much as I know my mother did.
Big hair accessories are a must. Bigger the better.

This is only the beginning . . . I know. I'm trying to keep up.

She started getting ready this morning. Took a shower, laid out her outfit, hair accessories, matching nail polish and then proceeded to practice hair styles all afternoon. Before dinnertime she came to me with her DSI in hand. She had taken a series of pictures of ways she was thinking of doing her hair.

This is not my Zoe . . . but it is.

I pointed out my favorite picture, which she agreed on  :) Shocked me that I got that right.

I'm not sure how much I like her growing up. But like all mothers, I don't think I have a choice . . .

But she's not so pre-teen that I can't get her to act like my little girl some of the time : )