Ugly is the new cute.....

I'll credit the sage who is my mother with that saying.......

I sent her a text on Friday from Target in response to her request for Christmas ideas for Georgia, "There is a purple plastic Dora backpack at Target....it comes with a brush, map, and a bracelet. It sings and it's as ugly as sin but she loves it."

Her response back, "Ugly is your new cute."

Oh, and it's so true.

Exhibit A:

I made the mistake of approaching this shirt from the back.  I decided it must be cute because I love turquoise and red and I thought maybe it would be admissible. I had no idea of the monstrosity that was the front.  Too late.  I'd already picked it up, Georgia saw it, and told me, "We should buy that....I did really good listening to you today......so we should buy that......I don't have a Dora shirt."

She had done a really good job of listening to me that day.
She was being especially sweet (she'd just told a little boy that he was super adorable).
She doesn't have any Dora shirts..........on purpose.
And.........I caved.  It was $5 and I decided to stifle my mom pride that screams out, "NO to themed shirts, shoes, and room decor.........."

As if she knew my need to even the score......she did spot these socks and ask for them.  She was going to get them anyway--who could resist Gwen's new line for Target?

But this Dora shirt got me thinking about the things I swore I would never do but now find myself doing as a mom.  And if I really think about the reasons I swore I would never do those things it's all about ego.  Having a kid is good for a little ego death.

Exhibit B:

Georgia insisted on wearing this flower petal headband all afternoon--even to Michael's.  And not that this was embarrassing--I honestly could have cared less......but I found myself almost proud to have the kid wearing a flower petal headband and singing, "Dora, Dora, Dora the Explorer," all the way through the store.  It meant I had a kid.  An awesome one who loves tacky Dora shirts, old Easter basket trinkets, Elmo, and everything else kids should love.

It's us moms that need to get on board and out of our own heads.  Right?