Avery's Third Grade Pioneer Celebration

Avery came into our bedroom very late last Wednesday night.  She said that she wanted to remind me that her third grade program was the next day.  Yes, I knew, I reassured her.  It was on my calendar.  Long pause.  Then, (what she really came in for) she proceeded to tell me that ALL of the other girls had real pioneer dresses with real pioneer bonnets to match.  They wouldn't ALL have matching outfits with bonnets, I promised her.  Besides, the only dress code specified by her teacher was a long-ish skirt for the girls, nothing about a bonnet. 

Then I had a flashback from my childhood.  I was begging my mom to make me a last minute Easter dress/pair of shorts for a field trip/Halloween costume, totally oblivious to the amount of other more pressing matters that she surely had to get done.  My bedroom was directly above her sewing room, and I remember many, many nights, falling asleep to the sound of her sewing machine busily buzzing away.

So, I suppressed my natural tendency to lecture her about giving me sufficient warning and just dealing with what was available.  Instead, I kissed her goodnight, and reassured her that I would figure something out.

This is her very last minute real pioneer bonnet with a real pioneer skirt to match.  Nothing fancy, but she looked so darling.  And she felt confident and happy, which was all that mattered to me.  At the end of the program, she sang "Happy Trails To You" in a trio.  She sounded beautiful, and danced so joyfully, it was truly a treat to watch.