Monday night. 8:30 pm. Conversation between Mom and Cherished Offspring.

Cherished Offspring: “Oh, and Mom, I need an orange tutu to wear to the badminton tournament tomorrow.”

Mom: “Tutus for badminton? That doesn’t sound right!”

CO (eyeroll): “Because it’s a costume badminton thing!!”

Mom: “And what costume are you planning to wear? Can’t you wear something you already have?” Totally, totally uncool and unacceptable!!

CO: “No, I can’t! It has to be an orange tutu – all my friends are wearing one!!”

Mom: “All your friends are wearing orange tutus?”

CO: “Nooooooo!!! We’re going to be rainbow colors – I have to be orange!!”

Mom: “Why orange? And how long have you known about this?” Another inconsequential parent question!!

CO (eyeballs in danger of disappearing into head): “We’ve been planning this forever!!!”

Mom: “Hmmm..forever? Then why did you wait until the night before to tell me? How am I supposed to get an orange tutu at this time? Where did the other girls get their’s?”

CO: “I don’t know – I thought you knew. And all the other moms made the tutus. Why can’t you make one??!!” Oh, so this is my fault now? Deep breaths! Deep, deep breaths!!

Mom: “Ok, it’s clearly too late to make a tutu. And it is also too late to go shopping…” Interruption ahead..

CO: “I just checked Wal-Mart’s site…they have orange tutus available. Let’s go there right now…I know they’re open, like, all the time!”

Mom: “How about this? I’ll swing by the store tomorrow morning and bring it to school. You don’t need it till the end of the day, right?”

CO: “But then how will I know if you got the right color? I have to be there!!” I seriously doubt that any store will have tutus in various shades of orange – we would be lucky to find one!!

Mom: “And did you check to see if it’s available in the store? Just because you see it online, doesn’t mean we can get it tonight.”

CO: “That doesn’t even make any sense. Why would they have it online if they don’t have it in the store?” Too tired to explain that. Grabbing car keys.

En route to Wal-Mart. Trying to turn this into a learning experience.

Mom: “So, let’s just say we don’t find an orange tutu? What then? Do you have a backup plan?”

CO: “No, why? I have to have the orange tutu!!”

Mom: “Yes, but it’s always good to have a backup. That way you’ll be prepared no matter what.” Two years ago, this would have elicited a full-blown tantrum. A sure sign that my baby is growing up – she actually took a moment to mull this over.

Mom: “So how about this? We’ll check in Wal-Mart now. If we don’t get it there, tomorrow I’ll try to find one some other place. But you have to tell me what I do if there are no orange tutus available. Will another color work? Or another type of skirt?”

CO: “There’s no way I can change the costume. I guess if we don’t find a tutu, I won’t go to the competition.”

Mom: “Are you saying that because you’re mad, or do you really mean it?” Silence.

Predictably, a thorough search of all of Wal-Mart’s aisles failed to yield the coveted orange tutu. Bracing myself for a conversation about taking disappointments in stride, and how things don’t always go our way, and how this didn’t matter in the big scheme of things…

CO (all bluster gone): “Mamma, you’ll get me an orange tutu tomorrow, right?” See, right there – right there is where all my steely resolve about life lessons melted into a puddle. It’s really easier to shut down a tantrum with a No, but try resisting those puppy eyes!!!

Haven’t we all been there? Running around like maniacs trying to find that one thing, that one if-I-don’t-get-it-my-life-is-ruined object, that our kids forgot to tell us about in time?? And a lot of times I will shrug my shoulders and say “Oh well, too late now”, when these occasions come along – because I do sincerely believe that taking disappointments in stride is an important lesson to learn, and because I don’t want my child to grow up to be an entitled, self-absorbed adult who thinks that the world revolves around her – and that’s increasingly harder in this world of instant gratification and open-all-the-time-Wal-Mart!!

At the same time, I have to admit – despite all the exasperation, I secretly love it when my daughter comes to me with things like this. For a little bit longer, I am still the only person she can turn to with seemingly impossible demands, and I can swoop in like Super Mom, bearing orange tutus and the like!! For a little bit longer, my daughter can still remain a child, trusting her Mom to take care of things! And more selfishly, for just a little bit longer, she still needs me, depends on me.

So next morning, I set out in search of the orange tutu – actually was much easier to find than I had expected. For future reference – Party City? – they have tutus in all possible colors, and capes and bandannas and everything else that a girl might need!! Crisis averted – now to the school for a special delivery – ta-dum-ta-dum, Super Mom to the rescue!! Funny thing is, whatever else she may have learnt at Dulwich, she has certainly perfected the stiff British upper lip – so when I handed her the tutu, she thanked me solemnly and formally – we’re in the school office, no untoward public display of emotion or affection, please. But the sudden twinkle in her eye, the slight smile curling at her lips – there it is, there’s my instant gratification!!

As I watched her that evening with her rainbow friends, giggling giddily, running around the gym – they did win the prize for Best Costume – I have to say, totally worth it!! Even though she’ll never wear that tutu ever again!!