I thought we weren't going to do this again. I really, really, really thought that last year was (to use a British phrase), a "one off." Just once, and that would be it. Never again. Really -- just once. Isn't that how it goes? Just once...only once...doesn't turn out to be just once?
A participated in her school pageant last year. She wanted to participate the year before but we managed to talk her out of it. Last year we weren't so lucky. Ccould it have been the "let's just see how it is run and what it requires the first year, and then think about it next year?" line of reasoning we used two years ago...which didn't work because A never forgets anything? Whatever it was, we were in pageant Hades last year. Honestly, it wasn't as bad as I expected -- A kept her head and was wonderful throughout. I can't say the same for other participants, some of whom were rude and obnoxious (one 12 year old girl yelled at her Mom in the dressing room!). A placed well in the pageant last year and I hoped that was the end of it.
The biggest struggle we had last year was finding a gown...floor length, age appropriate, and MODEST. That last one was the kicker. It's downright impossible to find a reasonably priced, MODEST gown for someone A's size and age. We finally found a dress but it wasn't ideal and it wasn't without pain, aggravation, and frustration....and expensive alterations.
Fast forward to this year. A wants to do the pageant again...and, like the sucker I am, I said yes. What was I thinking??? This weekend we started searching for a dress....because surely if we start looking this early we'll find something, right? My sister E and I searched online and found two dresses in the price range I was looking for and in A;s size. Unfortunately, she doesn't like those two dresses. We looked at two places in town and found one dress that can be modified slightly, without too much effort, that A likes but it wasn't quite as fancy as we all had in mind. The other place we looked at -- no options. Apparently they don't carry ANYTHING with sleeves. Well, a few bolero jackets and shrugs, but no dresses with sleeves. What do they have against sleeves? It's hard enough to find a dress when you're 5'2" and not enough pounds...but when said dress must have at least a cap sleeve, no plunging neckline, no plunging back, and no thigh-high split....well, it becomes nearly impossible.
I don't know many middle school aged girls who are built like Las Vegas showgirls...and I know even fewer who should actually be permitted to dress like Las Vegas showgirls. Sadly, there are many who do dress like that. Obviously, my definition of age appropriate varies dramatically from the way other people define "age appropriate." *Sigh*
Fortunately, we ended up with not only one but two gown options that will require only minor alterations. They're both the best possible price (free from an absolutely adorable newlywed girl at church who used to babysit my girls, both dresses worn only once). A loves both dresses -- they're really beautiful but very different styles -- so we're going to take them to a seamstress who specializes in pageant/prom/wedding gowns and see what we can do with them. One is a beautiful, pale pink and the other is black and white. A looks so grown up in them. We just need to get shoes and the evening gown competition outfit is done. We've already got jewelry. She's already working on picking music for the talent competition, and trying to plan out her casual/school spirit wear outfit.
*Sigh* Here we go again. My justification for letting her do this again this year? It was a great confidence builder for her last year, and she really had a ton of fun with it. She hasn't been bitten by the "pageant bug" and didn't get a swelled head from all of it last year. If we come out of this year's pageant the same way, it will have been a success (from my point of view). And hey -- we're already coming out cheaper than last year! LOL
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