To panty or not to panty... that is the question

This is truly my fault and I take full responsibility.  But I thought I had fixed the problem...

I learned this weekend that I had not.

The problem is this: when to wear panties with tights and when NOT to wear panties with tights.

It all began when each of my girls started taking ballet lessons at the ripe age of 3 (ish).  As someone who has spent most of my life traipsing through ballet studios, I sent each of my toddler dancers to ballet class without panties on.  Gasp if you want... how crazy of me...

I have been in enough classes and taught enough classes and sat through enough dance recitals, that I didn't want my girls strapped with the shame of trying to hide pink polka-dot panties by hitching them up under their leotards when they should be dancing.  And what's a little pantilessness when your young and at ballet class?

Inevitably, each girl would go through a Sunday morning (or two) of confussion about whether or not to wear panties.  "I am wearing tights to church, therefore I do not wear panties..."  WRONG.  It became connected in each of their minds that if they were wearing tights, they didn't need panties.  But I truly feel that things like church and school and birthday parties require panty wearing.

So the lesson became "Always wear panties with tights unless you're going to ballet."  And I thought they got it... truly.  For awhile we always did Sunday morning panty checks.  Things seemed fine.  Panties were always on.

When Ella started gymnastics, I kind of felt the whole panty thing was similar to ballet.  I'm not sure I'm right on this, but all the giggles that occured when gymnasts tried hiding panties during floor routines at her first meet led me to believe I was right.  Although I'm still not sure...

And so, I thought I was safe and out of the woods about the whole panty issue.  But this weekend has taught me I will never be safe on this panty issue...

Ella's gynastics team was to walk in the local parade with the theme of "Remember When."  Each of the girls was to dress in 80s garb and I thought we pretty much nailed it.  Neon green shirt off the shoulder, fluffy net skirt, neon pink tights.  We even faked crimped hair by braiding it the night before.

Cute, no?

As I left her with her group of neoned friends with ripped T-shirts and side-ponies, I thought we were all set.

We sat and watched the parade go by and cheered Ella's group as they passed.  A few of them did cartwheels and front walkovers.  80s music was blasting from their float.  It was great.

On the way home, Ella mentioned that there was a hole in her new pink neon tights.  I didn't notice any hole, so I asked where.  "On the butt."  Well... of course...

And The Butcher, remembering our panty problems from their youth said, "At least you had your panties on."

At which point Ella admitted that, no, she was not wearing panties.  "You're not supposed to wear panties with tights.  That's what you taught me," she moaned from the backseat.

Luckily, she only did a few cartwheels on the parade route because they were behind some horses and some goats.  It's also a good thing that not too many people know us here... if it had been SJ - oh my...

And now, I guess, we are back to panty checks... (sigh)