it makes me uncomfortable when i see little girls dressed like teenagers. i feel like it will be all too soon that we’re butting heads over how short is too short for a skirt, parsing the social pros and cons of dying her hair pink, or debating whether she’s old enough to wear eyeliner. i treasure the innocence and acceptance of mama’s judgement that we’ve got going on, and because emma doesn’t spend much time with older kids, she doesn’t really see many examples that make her want to push the boundaries very much (other than a general refusal to wear pants in the house).

nail polish is one of those little details i’ve been avoiding. oh, i’ll admit that it’s not just because i think bright chipped nail polish on a tiny tot is a little too much, a little too pageant-y; it’s also because i have nightmares about a kid getting into the polish herself, covering the floors and furniture and goodness knows what else with glittery finger paint.

in the midst of the recent heatwave, to celebrate the freedom of summer and the kid’s remarkable patience and self-entertaining during my frequent afternoon naps, i decided it was time. she picked out a light sparkly blue and settled in for her at-home spa treatment (in a chair in front of the tv, watching yo gabba gabba). she sat so perfectly still for 15 minutes while it dried, and for the following week she walked around with her hands held straight out for everyone to notice. she was so excited, and it made her feel like such a fancy big girl. it probably would’ve been no big deal in some households, but seeing how proud she was made me glad i’d waited for a “special day”; nail polish can keep being a rare treat for a while, and we’ve got a new reward for good behavior.

we all need extra sparkles sometimes.