Evaluative Month of February: Blog 2- Letters from Mom & Mimi

Hello My Goofy Silly Ellie Girl,

Setting all seriousness aside, we need to discuss our image in our evaluation month… yes Ellie, everyone (boys included) consider his or her appearance from time to time.  And although we shouldn’t give it too much thought (as it’s what’s inside that counts), first impressions can often mean lasting impressions and are very significant.  Now as you are only just about to be two years old, you have already developed a love-hate relationship with your hair (even though your hair is much younger than you because it didn’t come in until you were about 9 months old).  You are not fond of brushes, barrettes, clips, combs, shampoo, or detangle spray (as is evident by the following pictures).  But truly, you are a hard sleeper which makes the knots and craziness of each strand remarkable and leaves all who know you head scratching in wonderment!

As for me, I sure have had my moments too (let’s just simply blame it on the time period… the 80s and 90s!).  Perms, silk shirts, neon everything, flannel, Aquanet, ohmy!
You can see for youself in this picture that was taken for my 7th grade yearbook:

  

I guess the point Ellie is to never take yourself too seriously.  Don’t follow too many trends, stick with the classics (or you may have many photographs like mine!).  Your family and friends will love you no matter what.  Don’t forget that!  Mimi, what advice do you have for Ellie?

Love,

Mom

And now from your Mimi…

Hello Ellie Fashionista of the “10’s”!

While drinking my morning cup of tea, I am giggling at this very moment!  I just realized that while I am writing about “our appearances”, I am presently wearing oversized PJ bottoms with huge gumdrops all over them in an array of rainbow colors!  

And not to disappoint my bottoms…. I am also wearing a very deep grape body hugging thermal top to compliment them!  (I’m thinking not quite Victoria Secret apparel!)  I was always one for color Ellie… I guess some things never change… even with time!  Anyway Ellie-bean, in the Callahan/Russell world, you have created a unique look that can only be claimed by you!  From hairstyles, to shoes, to coats, to “ketchup” shirts…. you have given so many who see your pictures an “ooooooh and an aaaaaaaah”….  a “hmmmmm, that’s an interesting look” and of course a  “giggle or two!”  Personally, I love the giggle pictures because those are the ones that have captured your true self!

I thought this week would be fun just to give you a glimpse of how “Era’s” can change appearances too!  Following are a few pictures of Poppy, your Mommy, your Uncle Ryan and myself.  By the looks of them (sorry if they are a bit fuzzy), I guess the fashion world will always be guiding our styles!  Fashion wear really becomes hilarious when looking at it 20 or more years past that time frame though!  Looking back to the 70’s, here is Poppy going to the Prom.  Sporting a black velvet jacket with a blue ruffled shirt, Poppy thought he was pretty hip!  (Thank goodness it wasn’t a leisure suit!)

And heaven only knows what he was thinking here wearing a patriotic pair of plaid, red, white and blue checkered pants at Christmas time!  Kind of looks like someone mistook him for a present and wrapped him in All Occasion Gift Wrap from the waist down!

As for this picture of me Ellie, I too am going to a prom.  What ever was I thinking???  It looks as though I was afraid that the dress might have been a bit too sexy and at the last minute had my mom take the dining room lace tablecloth and triple-stitch it to the blue part of my dress from neck to toes!  Apparently I didn’t want my date to get any ideas!!!

Now here are 2 pictures of your Mom.  Looking at this first one… we now know where you come from!  

I remember your Mommy loved wearing coats just like you! She was never one for bottoms though!  Underwear worked just fine for her!  There were days when she would play for hours dressed in underwear attire accessorized with high-heels and a hat too!  One Christmas El, we gave your Mommy a trunk filled with old-fashioned clothes to play dress up in.  It was the best gift ever as it gave her and her little girlfriends hours of fun.  Maybe Santa Clause will bring you a similar gift some day!

Now unlike you, your Mommy loved, loved, loved headpieces and accessories practically from an infant on up!  The more, the better!  I remember this picture where your Mommy is carrying her Care Bear.  She dressed it similar to herself but being its “Mommy” chose a fashionable scarf of navy blue stripes and polka-dots to wear!  Ellie, your mommy thought she was beautiful… and she certainly looked like she came from somewhere else!  Unlike you El, your Mommy had to have her hair done “just so” every day.  If I put it up into a ponytail or braids, every single silky hair strand had to lay perfectly flat against her head.  Your Mommy would give it the finger test (where she would slide her hand over the top and pat it incessantly from forehead to the nape of her neck) and if that test failed, meaning she found a “bump”, a melt down would pursue and I would have to start the ponytail or braids all over again!  There were days where I would have to repeat the process a half dozen times or more! 

Your Uncle Ryan has his share of fashion funnies too.  And yes, I am to blame for his fashion faux-pas during his younger years!  In this picture Ryan is about 4 years old.  Don’t you just love how he has his jogging pants tucked into his perfectly white high-top sneakers and how his perfectly stain-free white shirt is tucked neatly into his jogging pants?!  Uncle Ryan had some issues with fashion too El.  No one but me could tie his sneakers when he was little.  You see, I am left-handed and apparently my tying technique is opposite of a right-handed person.  So if a right-handed person tied his shoes, Ryan saw it as “backwards” and that of course would spiral into a meltdown.  I should have just given into Velcro shoes!

Someday Ellie we will have to sit down and look at all of our photo albums over tea!

As you can see from the next two pictures, in years to come you too will be pondering the thought… “What was my Mom thinking of here?!” 

Ellie, your Mommy is a very smart woman.  She is allowing you to be your own person, to develop your own likes and dislikes of fashion including fabric, color, and style.  She is encouraging independence in you, which will become a forever character trait!

I guess the lesson to be learned here Ellie is that everyone has his or her own sense of style.  What is right for someone might not necessarily be so for another.  So be comfortable in whom you are and always respect the choices of others if they differ from your own.  El, we live in a beautiful, colorful and diverse world.  May we always be blessed to have choices!

Next week would have been Kyle’s 3^rd birthday Ellie.  In our blog, I think it would be befitting to share with you some of the letters we wrote about his birth.  I believe they would fit perfectly with our theme this month.  To evaluate Kyle’s life would reaffirm the love, faith, courage and strength that not only he had within himself, but how he was able to give this loving and selfless gift to others.  

Tell then Twiggy-bean!

Love Mimi