prom dress shopping, or I need a sedative

Yesterday, we went on an adventure. Some people call it shopping, it was more like a treasure hunt on an island jam packed with racks, and racks of dresses, teenage girls, and frazzled moms.

Bobbie Sue borrowed her Moms' van, and Nicole stayed with Billie Jo to help her wrangle all the little ones. We took Ashley, Tiffiany, Timmi, and Shayla. Shay is Tiffianys' younger sister, and dated Kyle for about 6 months a few years ago. Timmi is Kyles' fiancee, all the girls go to the same high school, and are friends. Shayla calls me Mom, so my head was constantly turning Mom,look at this one, Mom, over here, Mom look for a size6, a size 8, a size 12.

We had 4 girls, 4 different sizes, 4 different hair colors, all with different ideas of what a beautiful dress is. Timmi was the absolute easiest. She saw a dress on the internet, we found it on a mannquin in the window, they stripped it naked, she put the dress on, and she was in love. We had her try several other dresses and colors to be sure, but she never waivered in her love for the simple silk slip dress with tropical flowers on it.

Bobbie and I ran ourselves ragged the girls stood in the dressing rooms naked yelling Mom, I'm out of dresses, or can you find this in another size, or color. Timmi is so shy, she almost fell through the floor when the clerk opened her door to check on her, and she only had a slip on. I told her not to worry about it, they are quite used to seeing girls in various states of naked.

Ashley must have tried on 30 dresses. I hate strapless, and it is almost impossible to find a dress that isn't too low in the front or back or both. The last dress she tried on was a royal blue dress, satin with a chiffon overlay. it has an empire waist and a-line skirt. It is very simple and she looked like a princess with it on. She started dancing around the store singing I'm pretty, I'm pretty , I'm pretty , oh yeah, oh yeah....Then she ran in the other girls dressing rooms...to show them. They were naked, and while nothing phases Tiff, and Shay, Timmi was not thrilled.

Tiffiany was looking for an extremely glamouros sequined beaded number, that made a statement. I asked her after she had tried on several of these extremely naked ill-fitting dresses what statement she was trying to make. Her body is a size 6, her bust an 8. Finding the perfect fit is difficult. I told Timmi to kick me if I got too mouthy, but I was disturbed by the amount of skin she was showing and thought acceptable. I didn't like that my sons wife, and all her womanly attributes were on display for anyone and everyone to look at. She finally found an emerald green silk dress, it looks like it was custom made for her skin and red hair. It looked like something a movie star would have worn in the 50's . It was an amazing find, and only took oh 60 dresses and 2 stores.

Shayla is very busty, and said Mom I could fit these dresses if it weren't for my boobs. I told her to quit griping, lots of women paid good money for boobs that looked just like hers. We never found her a dress , she is going with her Mom and Tiffiany today to look again. She put on one black number, that was slit up the front, up the back, and held together by little pieces of black stuff, I told her to turn around and go right back in the dressing room and take that naked thing off. She was not going out naked. She told Ashley her mother was never concerned about beauty, only how sexy they looked. She had never been told she was too beautiful to wear so little.

I love these girls, not just my own daughter, and I want their inner beauty to shine not the size of their bust, or curve of their hips. I know Shayla and Tiffiany didn't understand my perspective, but I am glad they heard another womans ideas on what is beautiful, maybe it will make a difference.

For today, after the girls choir practice I plan to put my feet up and relax, I am exhausted.