My shorts are not that short!

The weather has been absolutely amazing the last week or so, which got me to thinking today: "It would be about time for Chelsea to be pulling out those awful shorts". It was like you chose the smallest piece of fabric in your wardrobe and as soon as the weather got warm...out they came. I'm not even sure that those things could even constitute for clothing and should actually be categorized more as swimwear or underwear even. I would always ask if you actually paid money for your shorts and you would always reply, "My shorts are not that short! You are just old!". I would take being old any day over trying to squeeze my body, which has years of abuse and pregnancy wear on it, into that tiny bit of fabric. Honestly, I just couldn't have imagined having to ride long distance in them, walk long periods in them, or even bend over in them! Yikes! But that was you, always doing what you wanted and not taking anybody's criticism or judgement.

I remember last year (before the picture taken below was taken) you had been at the house in a pair of black "shorts" and said that you were going to take a shower before dinner. Garrett, Vince, and I spent about 20 minutes picking on you and asking you to please change your shorts before you came back. So, in the spirit of rebelling and sarcasm, you came back for dinner in the denim version of the same pair of "shorts". We all laughed and I said, "Chelsea, we asked you to change your shorts!", you simply replied with the biggest, sarcastic smile on your face, "I did, these are different." So you.

I was in the grocery store a few days ago with Reagan and as we rounded a corner I saw a girl at the other end of the aisle that looked exactly like you, or at least from a distance. As I started walking towards the other end of the aisle trying to get a closer look, she took off around the opposite corner. Even though I didn't need anything down the pet aisle, I found myself following her. As I continued to inconspicuously stalk this poor girl around the store just really wanting a closer look, I thought to myself, "Chelsea is probably making fun of me right now for being a creeper." When I finally caught up to her I realized that only one thing really struck me in that moment and that was, "My Lord, there are other parents in the world that allow their daughter to run around in those same, God-awful shorts?" I kind of giggled to myself which made her look up at me. The moments that followed can only be described as a series of very awkward events that ensue after you have been busted staring at someone, from which I panicked and fled the scene. I remember having a conversation with you on the way down to Savannah last year about those awkward "I just got busted staring at you and now I don't know what to do" moments; we laughed so hard. I will so miss seeing your unreasonably short shorts this summer, but because of you I laughed the whole way home from the grocery store that day.

Which makes me think: I wonder if they have a dress code in Heaven? I bet you don't follow it if there is one.

This was the family photo we took the night of the above conversation...not long after  she "changed".