The Journey is Part of the Gift

Recently I wrote a blog about lady bugs and how my little granddaughter, Maddie, likes them.  Then a few days ago I received some glossy sales brochures from department stores, and while idly glancing through them, my eyes fastened on a couple of dresses that would be perfect for Maddie and her 6-year-old sister we'd just seen in Houston.

The dresses were a big gingham red-and-white-check with red grosgrain ribbon bows anchoring shoulder straps of ribbon ruching, and they had a giant lady bug appliqued on the front amid white and yellow felt daisies!  A little summery for here, but not in Houston.  I couldn't wait to go to the store and pick them up. 

I didn't immediately see them on the racks, only a close facsimile of crinkled blue-checked cotton, but I wanted the one in the ad in sizes 4 and 6.  A clerk found them for me in a Toddler 4 and a 6X.  Would that work?  I couldn't remember precisely what their mother told me their sizes were.  I got them anyway.

Then, examining the little frocks in the car, I thought Maddie's seemed a little short.  (She is shooting up and getting leggy like her sister--they take after their mom.)  Then I undid the sashes, and the A-line dresses looked wide!  Actually, that would probably be okay for sturdy Maddie, but Anne-Marie is willowy!  I vacillated between returning the dressses or going ahead and sending them to the girls. 

I mailed them the next day, figuring it would take a few days for them to get there.  Only two days later I received a text and picture showing the children holding the dresses up for the camera with the words, "We love the dresses! Thank you, Mimi!"  Wow!  So fast! At first the pictures looked as if they were wearing the dresses, so I was relieved they fit, but then I saw they were only holding the clothes in front of them. 

When their father called a few days later, I asked him if the dresses had fit or if they had tried them on yet.  "They wore them to church Sunday!" he exclaimed.  I was pleasantly surprised, especially since it was still quite cool here. "Well, it was a little cool here, too, so they wore jackets and leggings with them," he admitted.  With the little black leggings underneath, they probably looked more like lady bugs than ever!  Hopefully, they will do a video or skype with me soon, so I can see my Lady Bugs for myself!