Saturday, Peyton was in her first school beauty pageant. All week, I had been trying to prepare her for what was in store. Audience full of hundreds of people, spotlights, huge stage. I mean, COME ON, Peyton cried and refused to sing the first time she led a song for Leaderettes. When I tried to get her to walk in her dress to check the alterations, she covered her face and whined. I let her watch the DVD of the big girls competing last year, and she still didn't want to walk. And SHE was the one who wanted to be in the pageant. Begged me to let her be in it. This was not looking good.

The day before the pageant, I was a nervous wreck. Peyton can be so volatile. I was so scared she would realize what was going on and just adamantly refuse to go out on stage. Yep, definitely a Peyton thing to do. I was to the point where I did not care at all if she even placed. I just wanted her to actually walk on the stage!!! The morning of the pageant, before we left to go to the beauty shop, I said, "Now, Peyton, before we leave you REALLY need to practice walking. Just like we practice softball and soccer, you need to practice walking if you want to do it right." She looked up at me with those big blue eyes, put her hand on my arm and said, "Mother, you have teached me good. Now you are just aggravating me. I know how to do it. You will just have to see me walk tonight." I had no idea what she was actually going to do.

Moment of truth...they called her number, then hesitated for a tiny moment, looked up, smiled, and walked like a pro. While I do not advocate a child telling a parent what he/she is or isn't going to do, I guess she really did know what she was doing. Maybe she just got lucky. I still say practice makes perfect!!! All the girls were beautiful and did wonderfully.

We love you and are proud of you, Peyton. Not for winning some dumb pageant that really doesn't have anything to do with how pretty you are, but for doing your very best and being a good sport. As long as your actions are pleasing to God and you are beautiful on the inside, the rest will fall into place.