Era of the Princess

First, there was Snow White.
Then, there was Cinderella.
Then....a bunch of other ones.

And now, there's Kendall, fairest of them all.  (And I do mean fair.  We get far less than our fair share of Vitamin D up here.)

This is what Chris has been dreading since the day we found out we were having a baby girl.  Princess dolls and dresses, jewels and crowns are all as foreign to him as hockey is to me.  But, I'd venture to say that nowadays, the "princess phase" is inevitable.  And though there are hundreds of diatribes about how these fairy tales are creating unrealistic expectations in relationships and how no self-respecting woman should let a man rescue her (gasp!), I see it as a harmless milestone for every little girl.

Kendall received some princess toys last year, and they collected dust for months on end.  I scratched my head and thought do we have the one little girl in the world that doesn't care about princesses?  Then slowly, it happened.   Cinderella was broadcast on the Disney channel.  Fluffy dresses started to catch her eye.  Her little brother became her dancing partner at the ball.  Mommy's shoes became glass slippers.  Her fairy tale began.

Begrudgingly realizing this stage is unavoidable, Chris agreed to accompany Kendall and me to a Disney Live production here in Fargo last fall.  It was Kendall's first real encounter with Disney magic and though she was excited, she definitely didn't know what to expect.  I don't think we will soon forget the wonder in her face when the curtain went up.  And I certainly don't remember much of the show, as I was choking back tears...so grateful to be able to experience something so magical with her for the first time.

Though Chris still cringes at phrases like "Daddy's Little Princess" (and highly disapproves of any clothing bearing these words), I think we can agree that making our children feel cherished, important, and loved is among our primary goals as parents.  And when it comes down to it, that's what being a princess is all about. 

P.S.  I took the Princess Quiz.  Everyone is doing it.  I'm most like Aurora...."a vision of beauty inside and out, we are loved by everyone."  OBviously!  ;-)  Which princess are YOU?