To shop, perchance to dream

C my 12 year old, loves to shop, just like me, nothing soothes the soul like browsing and buying things we dont need, we want! But is it a female thing, my son hates to shop, rejects new things, I slide new clothes in amongst the old ones and pretend he's had it for ages, family have long since learnt not to give a gift with great gusto but rather to leave it on the side and casually mention if he knows anyoe who might like it...? Shoe shopping with J is so difficult, every pair will be declared "too small, they huurrtt!" and clenched teeth (me) and folded arms (him) are always part of the bargain, but C will try on every pair in the shop, declaring each pair more wonderful than the last and we may leave with two pairs for her and none for him. (I've just realised how much I'm a mum, my kids have new shoes and mine have a hole in each heel, I'll replace these tomorrow!) J is very self-concious, one of the reasons he does like new things is because "people will look at me and smile" where as C wants the world to look at her and admire the lashings of eyeliner and shapely figure that makes me look like a sack of potatoes in comparison. But clothes shopping with C is dreadful, I want her to have a nice wardrobe of good fitting basics, ok clothes that dont make any male of any age look at her, and she of course wants the opposite, to her there is no point buying white t-shirts or any other such staple when you could have the ripped black affair or the low cut top with the inapropiate comment across the front, she wants her moneys worth, actually that goes across the board for C, she likes to wear all her fashion at once, as much make up as is humanly possible, the highest heels (mine) and all the jewellery she owns, I never thought I'd ever have to say "You're not going out like that!" but its become a staple part of my vocabulary!

I'm even excited that its food shopping day tomorrow, its not a chore for me, I like planning what were going to eat although the kids do complain that they have to eat vegetables with every meal, I'm such a cruel parent, trying to get goodness into their growing bodies, although thinking about it, if I stopped, they wouldnt grow and I would have to suffer the clothes and shoes shopping..? Yep stunt their growth and bind their feet and then I can spend all the money in the pound shop!