Clothes Shopping...and Growing Up

We recently did a little clothes-shopping for school. I am realizing more and more every day that my kids are growing up. Some days it seems way too fast.

Since Maddie is definitely a better and more interested clothes-shopper, at her suggestion, we went to a couple “tween stores”. The last stop was Abercrombie -for kids. I told them each they could pick out one thing, of reasonable price, that I would buy for them.

Maddie buzzed about the entire store, carefully studying all the adorably and expensively dressed mannequins; gently lifting and then refolding items that required a closer look; examining the price tags of the potential purchases. She was in heaven.

Will, on the other hand, bypassed all the clothing with any hint of a picture or lettering or logo, and quickly bee-lined for a table covered with striped, multi-colored polo shirts. He plucked one of his favorite colors, orange, and returned to me for inspection (price and size). He got the OK, and it was over.

And then we waited. And waited. And waited some more.

Maddie was still searching for the perfect purchase. It took another 25 minutes and 4 trips to the dressing room before we found the chosen hooded, zip-up sweatshirt.

For me, the experience was a bit of an eye-opener. Most of the clientele was about 12-14. The girls were wearing make up (some a little too much) and talking on cell-phones. The boys sported their shaggy hair, backward baseball caps, and baggy shorts.

And then, there were my babies. Shopping at Abercrombie. Man, where has the time gone?

But the best part of this story was the end. As I paid for their picks and grabbed the bag, my little man grabbed my hand and said, “Thanks, mom. I love you.” Maddie followed suit and that’s how we walked out of the Abercrombie: holding hands, and hanging on to the sweetness and innocence of these fleeting childhood moments.