Spoiled . . . lucky . . . fortunate . . . blessed . . . whatever you want to call it, Alexis is it. Last year taking Alexis to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique turned out to be one of the highlights of my life, so there was no way I was going to pass up an opportunity to do it again. There is no feeling like capturing joy on film as it comes shooting out of your kid's head in a rainbow-colored explosion of glitter and curls.
That. THAT is what happy looks like.
I knew this year would be a bit different. Alexis has grown a little, matured a little, and, most importantly, she knew what to expect. In the mind of a shy little kid, known situations are like hot chocolate on a cold winter day. Comfort.
While last year Alexis was nervous and scared during the Princessification process, this year She. Was. Ready. She climbed up into that chair all by herself, grinning from ear-to-ear as she waited for the forty pounds of gel and glitter to transform her into her self-defined personification of a Beautiful Princess.
There's a small part of me that dies inside every time Alexis tells me that she thinks wearing fancy dresses and getting your hair done are what make you "boo-ti-ful." However, I can't deny that getting dressed up is fun. Besides, who doesn't feel more glamorous and confident and amazing when they get all gussied up?
As Alexis sat way up high in that Big Girl Chair, stolen smiles flickered across her face and I *click*click*clicked* away with the camera. The photos that the professionals took of the Princessification last year were AWFUL, so I had no photographic evidence of the first go-round. I wanted to make up for lost time.
Realizing I was capturing a bit of a yellow cast and too many shadows because of the poor lighting in the room, I switched to manual mode. MUCH better.
And then it happened.
My camera battery died.
Just moments before Alexis was spun around so she could see the final results in the mirror, I realized that my extra battery was miles away at the hotel. There wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.
::tear::
::OK, so a lot of tears::
Just as Cinderella's carriage poofed into a pumpkin, my camera had poofed into a paperweight.
All I have is a handful of regrets and a crappy cell phone pic.
::sigh::
I guess this means I won't be winning that Mother of the Year Award this year. It might also mean I need to start harassing Mr. Husband to let us do this whole thing just one more time.