The Jacket

Amy is my middle child. I am a middle child as well but I am a middle child that is the lone girl between two boys. Amy is the middle child in a string of three girls. Amy and Audrey are getting closer and closer to wearing the same size but at this time, she is still getting a fair amount of hand-me-downs. I could tell it was starting to take its toll. She gets clothes from Audrey but they either don't get passed to Allison or by the time Allison gets them it has been long enough that they almost seem new again. Sooooo......

Amy's rain jacket no longer fits. Audrey's still fits but is starting to get small on her. When I mentioned getting a new jacket for Audrey and giving Audrey's to Amy I sensed a little wince. Then I went to Target. You know how it goes when you go to Target - you go in for one thing and you somehow walk out with 60. Well this time, my friends, the splurge was one I would do again. Target had their spring jackets in. They are fleece on one side and nylon on the other and they are reversible. This is what we use for rain jackets as the rain here is usually a cold, windy rain. I saw them and thought of Amy. I know, I know - the logical thing to do would have been to buy a new jacket for Audrey and hand Audrey's to Amy. But I didn't do it. I got Amy a new jacket. It is almost exactly like Audrey's; same brand, same size, same style but a slightly different color. The only difference is that AMY's is the one from this year and AUDREY'S is the one from last year. My friends - if only you could have seen Amy's face when I showed her the new jacket. She smiled so big and immediately tried it on in the car (I had been to Target while she was at dance class) She wanted so badly to wear it that day but as the temps were still hovering near freezing I just couldn't let her. Today however, we had a "heat wave" and warmed up to 40-something so she got to wear her new jacket to school. I know it was not the most fiscally responsible purchase, I know that I will probably end up getting a new jacket for Audrey soon and I will then have two jackets on hand that are almost identical. But you know what? It was so very worth it to see the pleasure it gave Amy and I would do it again in a HEARTBEAT!