Today, when I went to school to clean out 20 year of files, the doors were locked and I could see only a layer of plastic covering the inside of the lobby. We have been under construction, but I hadn't seen this coming. Fortunately, I ran into one of the people in charge - and they let me know that my section of the building was closed for asbestos abatement. I wasn't going to work today - or any other day this week.

I drove away from school with very mixed feelings. On the one hand, I had planned this day of spring break as a work day at school - a day to get caught up on things that I don't seem able to do during the normal school work-day. I was totally bummed not to be able to accomplish what I had set out to do. On the other hand, I had a day that I had intentionally filled with school - that was now completely unencumbered - what were the possibilities?

Returning home to examine my to do list, reality slapped me silly. Of course I should go shopping! So, I shopped - not for me, though. I shopped for Rebecca - with Rebecca. We went all over the Northern Virginia region looking for shorts and tops that would be appropriate to wear on her school exchange trip to Costa Rica. "Look nice," the pamphlet said, "nicer than normal American kids in school." So we headed out to the Lands End store at our local Sears.

"Nice clothes, Rebecca," I said, "not as nice as church, but nice." In minutes we ran through the embarrassingly skimpy selection at Lands End. Drawn by the closely packed racks and bright colors, Rebecca quickly moved out of Lands End and into the regular kids' section.

"How about this, Mom?" she called, holding up a thin t-shirt with bold graphics proclaiming that she was a "Love Princess." "And shorts. I need a few of these," Rebecca added, thrusting a glittering, pink pair of booty shorts at me.

Ugh, I couldn't even bring myself to really dig through the racks. The outfits were so grown-up, almost sleazy - I taught Rebecca this word today, much to my dismay.

I just want to send Rebecca to stay in another country, with a family she doesn't know, looking nice, clean and neat. No frills, or lace; no glittery graphics; no suggestive language spread across her chest or plastered to her rear. Where can I find these kinds of good, sturdy clothes for my pre-teen daughter? Does it seem like clothes for girls are going off the deep end?

Perhaps I should take up sewing; now that has possibility!