Children have to be among the most tolerable of egocentrics, although even that's only acceptable in small doses. And I have to say that I wouldn't really characterize Clare as having a big ego, or even self-centered (for a five-year-old, anyway). She does, however, enjoy hearing stories about herself "when she was little," like most kids do. Among her favorite stories are those about how much she used to enjoy playing with the clothes from her laundry basket. This picture I took of her was something that used to take place on a daily basis, and almost always featured her putting her pajama bottoms on her head like a hat. This fascination with clothes has stayed with her, too (you may recall that she spent her birthday money on a swimsuit). She has extracted a promise out of me, multiple times, that when she's a grown-up she can have my current wardrobe. Um, sure, honey. She loves to play dress-up in my clothes, in her princess dresses, and even in her own clothes when she's in her room during quiet time. So it's probably the ultimate cruelty that in a few short weeks she will embark on a long career of Catholic school uniforms. Hey, for now she's excited to go try them on!
