Thursday, July 09, 2009

an insult

Nine year-old Iris uber Alles sized up some friends of Lola's and said to me confidentially, "They look like their mother dresses them! All... The color..." She struggled for words.

"You mean 'color-coordinated,' right? They are so color-coordinated."

"Exactly, Momdude! Exactly!" She felt vastly superior.

The children in question look like they're ready to pose for a Hanna Andersson catalogue shoot at a moment's notice, whereas Iris tends to look like she got lost on the way to Burning Man and Lola usually looks like a hobo's child. I expressed that opinion to Iris, and Iris beamed and reached out to me in a moment of affection for the mother who lets her children choose to be weird or shabby.

This was a change of sentiment from the morning, when Iris scolded Lola severely for wearing a purple butterfly shirt I gave Iris when she was only four, which is tattered but still beloved after five years and two owners. Lola owns many beautiful new pieces of clothing but prefers to wear certain beloved pieces, no matter how may tears, rips, or stains they have acquired over the years. "Someone is going to call CPS if you wear that! CPS!" shouted Iris.

6 comments:

Captain Steve said...

I could google, but let's face it, I'm too damn lazy: who's hannah andersson? Am I correct in assuming sweaters tied around the shoulders in strange pastels?

the Drunken Housewife said...

Honey, you could also just click that link I gave you in the post. I'm spoonfeeding you; just open your mouth. Heeeere comes the airplane!

Silliyak said...

Clothingcoordination Protection Services?

Anonymous said...

Does Lola's hoarding habits ever make you worry?

the Drunken Housewife said...

The collecting can stress me, but she parted with a ton of old books recently (we were trying to get a grip on the stacks of books overflowing our shelves). She surprised me with her maturity and ability to downsize her books (Iris and I culled our books as well).

Sadako said...

Those Hanna Andersson kids are creepy!