A dress and a haircut

Ali got her haircut today Isn't it cute? She really looks adorable with short hair!

Next door to the salon is a tiny little dress shop. I've known about it, but avoided the place due to the expensive prices.. I decided to run in and take a look while Ali had her feet up in the chair getting her hair washed.
I found it!
I found the perfect dress!
I actually found a few that I liked right away.
After her cut, I dragged her into the dressing room and had her try on 4 different dresses. Not that she complained!

She is SO beautiful! just look at those blue eyes!
she and I both loved this same dress, hooray! I dropped my credit card down on the counter ,blindly paid for the dress, and threw in a matching hair clip before I could think twice.
It will be worth it.
Its a sleeveless dress, but not immodest. so it will do. Ali siad it was "old school" i think thats her way of saying a little 'old fashioned'.. but ofcourse it has to sound cooler than that!
I'm so happy we found something so pretty and girlie. Now we've just got to get some new shoes! do you see those suckers she's wearing! believe it or not , they are pink!


I tried to get a picture of my ragamuffin a.k.a. Megan, but she is too busy at the moment sliding down the stairs in a large box. I'm pretending I don't know, so that 1-She will be self contained for 5 minutes and 2- I can post this in peace.....
She's been on one lately. Ms high maintenance 90210!

Mattie must be teething. grumpy little thing... He LOVES the door jam bouncer that my freind let us borrow.. Thanks Tausha!
Man! I've got the cutest stinkin kids!

Update: disclaimer: little bit of Jessica drama ahead.. read at your own will.

Ex's Dad will be doing the baptism.. somehow in the 3 days that my bishop talked to his bishop and had been told that he wasn't' 'worthy' yet to do it, the magic recommend fairy appeared and now there is apparently a pretty little letter from his bishop saying that his bishop is "pleasantly surprised at the progress he's making, and that he feels comfortable allowing him to do this" My Bishop was as surprised as I was. but It will be fine.

the other issue that we had was the matter of the luncheon. First thought was that we would just all go to the local chuck a rama. I worried about the two different families all trying to be together. The contention, and Ali having to 'choose' who she sat by so that she wouldn't hurt any one's feelings. There is no banquet room, and they will not set tables together on a Saturday, so we will all be at different tables throughout the restaurant.

My mom and I came up with another thought that maybe we'd just let them take the girls for a few hours afterwards, they could do the lunch thing and then we'd do something like dinner when they got back. I approached Ali with the idea, and it seemed like a relief to her, she loved the idea.
I approached EX with it........... he said that he'd need to talk to 'some people' about it first. tonight he called and informed me that he fully disagreed with the idea, and that we should be doing things together, like normal families do (uh brain check, We ARE divorced). I told him that Ali had liked the idea and he accused me of brainwashing her.. so i let Ali talk to him. I heard her say 4 times that she wanted to just do it separate. he got back to me and accused me again of brainwashing her and said "way to go Jessica!, way to teach our girls to separate the families!" he went on a few more minutes and I told him I wasn't going to fight about it, and that it was what she wanted, and I felt like it was the best plan. A few more minutes of his ranting then he hung up and I cried. He still does that to me 5 years later..I just don't get it.He Won't allow Taylor to have any part of the girls lives. Won't even allow them to acknowledge his family. He gets no part of her baptism. The girls aren't even allowed to show affection to Taylor in front of Ex. yet I'm accused of brainwashing her and "separating the families".Doesn't he realize yet that Taylor IS part of the family?

Am I being selfish? Am I just thinking about myself in this whole luncheon situation? I admit I was thinking about my own uncomfortableness, and fears, but I was also for seeing Ali and Taylor's feelings, hoping to avoid the drama for everyone. I thought that it was a good plan.

Am I just setting it up in my mind to be the horrible tense situation I imagine? or Am I going off of past history?

maybe it will go beautifully and everyone will be cordial to one another. I guess I will just have to see.

I am going to do my darndest to make it go well.

I will NOT make Ali feel like she has to choose.
I will make it work.