This afternoon, One was hosting her very best friend for a sleep-over and Three was running errands with Daddy, so Two and I sat down for a bowl of vanilla ice cream together. Two lives part-time in a little-figurine universe; she spends a fair amount of energy hauling all manner of little people and their animals almost everywhere she goes. Before she had the real thing, she would just assign complex identities to colored wooden blocks. Well, as has become her custom, she decided to "hold court" at our dessert table, and brought with her the six little figurines that came with the original Clue game (which we have since replaced with Clue Jr. due to the original game's murderous theme). Too bad this post picture does not show the same figurines -- I can't find them now -- my best guess is that they are with Two under her pillow or mixed up in her covers somewhere. Anyway, in no time at all, she had them all paired up and "married" before her. I think it went: "Miss Scarlett" with the "Professor," "Colonel Mustard" with "Mrs. White," and "Mr. Green" with "Mrs. Peacock."
Two is at that age where she is discovering that it is fun to be a girl! She has pleasantly surprised me with her love of bows and beads and dresses that flare out when she twirls -- in her, I was pretty sure I was going to get a "tomboy." As she played with her figurines, I questioned her about things I ought to know, but don't. Five-year old things like:
"What's your favorite number?"
"Five."
"Because you are five?"
"Mmmm-hmmm."
"What was your favorite place we ever went?"
"Ooohh! Disneyland!"
"What's your favorite thing about Friend?"
"She draws pictures for me. And because she's just so fun!"
"What's your favorite color? "
"Green and red, and light pink and light blue."
"Well, what if you had to pick only one?"
"Well...red." Big smile.
"Red?" I questioned, "I didn't know your favorite color was red."
At that, she picked up "Miss Scarlett" in her form-fitting, shoulder-bearing, cleavage-revealing red dress and explained, "Like this...except...I wouldn't want that dress."
"Why not?"
"Because...it's not modest."
"Do you know what modest is, Two?"
"Yes."
"Do you know why it's important to dress modestly?"
"No."
And then I used her figurines to explain that the Lord wants us to love one another. Knowing full well that she, in her flesh, really thinks "Miss Scarlett" is pretty remarkable looking, I asked her to, "imagine what would happen if "Miss Scarlett" were real and came to church one day."
At that, she smiled an excited grin. There might have even been a barely-there gasp of wonder and awe.
"How would you feel if "Miss Scarlett" came to church and all the men and boys -- including your very own daddy -- couldn't stop looking at her because she was so pretty?"
Two's countenance dropped instantly and her grin inverted. "Sad," was all she could express.
I went on to briefly reinforce what she had just learned herself -- it is not loving for us to dress in such a way as to steal the attention of another's husband. We then moved to the "Mrs. White" figurine. She's the maid. She's dressed modestly for sure, but a bit frumpy -- perhaps not a way that is pleasing to most husbands. Two then picked up "Mrs. Peacock," who is dressed a bit more conservatively, but attractively. Together, we decided that she was the best-dressed woman: tidy, feminine and an adornment to her husband, while not grieving the Spirit by attracting unnecessary attention to herself by another's.
My hope is to never establish a dress code for my girls, but rather to teach and train them from the scriptures so that the Holy Spirit can guide them in His love.
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