It's a Girl Thing

Almost every time I see Isabela or Crystal enthralled with a girly thing that I am so passionate about also, I feel thrilled and pleased. It gratifies me that we will have more things in common to share with one another. But, sometimes, it does make me sad thinking that for such a long time now, I have wanted to know what it is like to have a boy with his boyish tendencies. It reminds me of growing up hearing my mother telling her friends that starting with her first daughter (me), she had wanted a boy, but it never happened, having four daughters. I never felt that she was disappointed in having us, but disappointed in never having had a son. A son who would have been named Edward, from what I recall. So, sometimes, I feel the same way, NEVER regretting adopting Crystal or having Isabela, but a bit disappointed in not being able to have that extra child, a boy. A son I would name Mateo. So, like my mother's story went, maybe my first grandbaby, will be a boy! However, if you ask Crystal right now, she will tell you that she doesn't know if she will one day want to have children....errgh! But, you know, whatever she thinks is right for her.

So, what our girls to do??? This is what it's like around here...

Isabela came home today from my mother's house with her hair straightened (see pic above)! She has attempted the style on her own around here on numerous occasions with my hairdryer in one hand and my round brush in the other. But today, my sister succumbed to the request made by Isabela. This only means that it has started for her already. Isabela has her own fashion style now. At four years old, I have stopped shopping for any clothes, shoes or accessories for her without her approval. She chooses her attire for every occasion, with just a little prompting from me in terms of appropriateness for the venue/activity. I feel it's important for her to create her own sense of style and have FUN with it, of course, within appropriate price tag limits. It's really quite interesting to me to watch Isabela approach fashion and see what is tantalizing to her. I would say that her style is pretty mature for her age. She does not appreciate any princess-like items, nothing really fru-fru with bows and tulle, but looks for more of her favorite geometric shapes like polka-dots and hearts with a more organic element. Hair accessories are at a minimum to thin pony-tails and dainty barrettes. She does not care about getting fancy. I would say her style is more like casual jeans boy-meets- chic urban girl with a hint of a bohemian flair. Oh, does she love shoes! She especially loves flip-flops and glittery tennis shoes. AND thank goodness that she does not care to sport any fictional character on her clothes (with the exception of one Hannah Montana shirt that I bought for her for a Hannah costume b-day party). Isabela really loves to shop for clothes and shoes. Thank goodness for that, too. Otherwise , my shopping days would be less pleasant. Now, I will hope that she will develop a strong respect for my pocketbook as Crystal always has, by heading straight to sales racks before anything. Also, another big lesson around here lately, keeping her out of my cosmetic bag and explaining to her that she's already too beautiful for it. But, we still like to have some mock dress-up fun with it. ;-)

(Pic taken at the Gap last week, one of Isabela's favorite apparel stores. Once the cash register took my payment, Isabela slipped on her new heart-shaped tennis shoes and asked for a pic with them on. )

For Crystal, our thing lately has been boys. She has had quite the year with boys knocking on her door. With attending UT's Engineering College which is compromised by more than 70% boys and with Crystal's high-spirited personality, she is being courted more frequently than ever. It's been fun for her and for me! So, there is a lot of "boy talk" around here between us and even get to have Sammy's boy perspective. We get kicks out of her text messages and Facebook. In the mix of it all, thank goodness that Crystal is confident enough to not have the "need" to date a boy, much less be committed with one. She's 18 years old and has yet to have a boyfriend! She's pretty proud of that. She talks with boys, hangs out with boys, and has a ball with their company. Albeit, there is one boy who really caught her heart a few years ago. He was not interested then, but I think he is now. He calls on her anytime she is in Houston. Crystal tells me that she only wants to be friends with him now, but I know she is only trying to believe that. To make matters worse (for me), he is leaving Houston for UT next week, majoring in Engineering like Crystal. I told her, I have a feeling that something will finally happen between them...and she smiled. Although, I hold a not-so-healthy grudge on him for standing Crystal up one night years ago after she asked him out, I hope Crystal enjoys whatever is about to happen to her heart. Ahh...the lessons I am learning with raising a young woman. But, I am honored that she shares it all with me. Again, a great girly thing I get to experience with a daughter. I must also share, in this journal I am writing for the girls, as much as I love to mother Crystal, her telling me a few weeks ago that I am her "best friend" has been etched in my heart and on the top of my mind. At this point in her life, to be in that role is my greatest honor.

(Pic above taken today at Lowes Hardware store as we hung out texting and Facebooking plopped on a patio couch as Sammy, Pops and Isabela looked for a small bbq pit.)

I am not great around the kitchen, nor really care to be, that's Sammy's passion. But I am pretty good at furnishing our closets. So, I can certainly make lots and lots of time for hair, clothes, shoes, make-up, and...boys, facebook and any other girly things we can do in and out of our closets!

( Much more to come on Crystal's life. She has given me permission to share more of her life. She wants me to be the one to write her diary, but won't keep up with the blog. She wants to read it in a published format, years from now. cool!)