Batgirl!

This year's Social Dance Club is so much more fun and easier than any other year. They only have a dance once a month and every dance has a theme that helps them choose how to dress. This month's was a costume party of course.

I started talking to her about this dance after last month's Beach Party. I suggested numerous options and scoured the Internet for DIY ideas. Unfortunately, after all that, she saw a picture of some super heroes and decided that nothing else would do.

Now we have plenty of super hero costumes and props for little people. However, most of it is not Mackenzie's size, petite as she is. I tried to talk her into anything we had the stuff for but to no avail. The eve of the dance, she got an invitation to go shopping for a costume with a friend and her mom.

I told her that I was not willing to pay for a costume she would most likely never wear again when we had plenty of other stuff she could use. Still she was not convinced. I let her borrow some money with the understanding that anything she spent was going to come out of her account, not mine.

"How much do you think a costume will be?" she wanted to know. I told her I thought it would be at least thirty dollars, but probably more and off she went, money in hand.

I got a text from the mom that she had found the most perfect Wonder Woman outfit that was only $50 and could she pretty, pretty please get it. Well, I told her that I wasn't trying to spoil the fun but I thought that was a lot of money to spend. However, it was Mackenzie's money, so the decision was hers.

We exchanged a few more texts and then she sent me this.

I have to say that the girl looks great. The mom told me people stopped her in the store and told her the same. After I saw the picture, I figured it was a done deal. She looked amazing and it was her choice, and maybe...just maybe I could squeeze myself into it for a costume party we have next weekend.

When she walked in the door, she had a relatively small bag in her hand. "Hey. I saw the photo and you looked great. Let me see it," I said.

What she pulled out of her bag was a Batgirl belt that she purchased for $10. "Oh Mama," she slightly moaned, "the costume was so perfect...but also SO expensive. It was hard."

"I am so proud of you! Sweetie, life is full of hard choices. There are a lot of great things out there that cost a lot of money. Most of them are not needs. It's a good lesson to learn. You'll be happy you have that money for something more worthwhile in the long run."

She made a few phone calls and I ran her to a couple of friend's houses so she could put together a Batgirl costume. Honestly, I think it's every bit as good as the $50 store bought one.

Hopefully she learned that you don't have to spend a lot of money to look good or to have fun. It will serve her well in the future as she saves us all from the bad things lurking in the dark.