My princess

So here’s the thing.

My brother and his lovely wife G have a history of sending awesome, yet totally (how shall I say this politely? Urm…) ANNOYING presents to Monkey.

A set of bongo drums.
A harmonica.
A tambourine.
Etc.

Now, mind you, each of these items was selected with love, and sent with hopes that she, like they (and their beautiful kids), would appreciate the music she could make! The beautiful noises and sounds and thumps and squeaks – just all the NOISE that a joyful toddler can make. (Clearly they live in a house, on a lot, without annoyed neighbors pressing in close and listening through walls and ceilings and floors.)

But really? All joking aside? These presents are awesome. I think Jellybean likes them even more than Monkey; watching Jellybean figure out how to use the harmonica has been charming. To date, she can make it work by sucking in, but blowing out still confounds her. It is hilarious! But I digress….

This year they did not go the musical-annoy-the-neighbors route. Nope. Instead, they sent….. an ENTIRE BOX OF PRINCESS COSTUMES. (By Disney, of course)

AN ENTIRE BOX. With 23 or more pieces to keep track of. Color coordinated tops and skirts. Necklaces and tiaras and rings and earrings and lions and tigers, and bears OH MY.

Monkey about had an aneurysm with pleasure when she opened this box up.

On the other hand, I confess that my first reaction was not as positive. It’s not that I don’t like princesses – I do! It’s just that, well, it pisses me off that Disney always kills the mom off, the sought-after fairytale ending is always getting married, and most of all? Most of the kids toys “The Rat” produces are poorly made. Just dreck. Sh*t that falls apart the first time you use it. Built to self-destruct so that you need to buy another one to replace it.

And that really bothers me. I bought a beautiful castle with Monkey’s name in vinyl wall art from elephannie on etsy, and it is beautiful! I hung it with pride, with love, without wondering just how many seconds would pass before it fell apart and broke my daughter’s heart. The Disney stuff? I think it’s all going to break her heart as it falls apart in her hands. How am I supposed to explain profit margins to a 4 year old, when she is sad and angry that her favorite things fall apart?

Until that happens, however, I am going to watch Monkey, with my heart in my mouth, enchanted by her behavior. She’s so in love with these silly princess outfits, it takes my breath away.

When Monkey puts away her costumes, even with her mom and dad rushing rushing rushing her to just get to bed already? She slows down, and lays out each item with such care and reverence you would think she was holding items spun from gossamer and gold. Priceless yet infinitely fragile. Watching her put each item away in its allotted space is like watching a Japanese tea ceremony. No unnecessary motion is made. She is poetry and grace.

She IS a princess.

Princess Fever

It appears that Monkey isn't the only one afflicted with Princess fever. Here's her best friend from school, sportin' the Snow White costume. Which she wore to school every.single.day....for two weeks! ha

Sometimes, money CAN buy you happiness

Jellybean is precocious in the manner of all second children (or any number other than first!). She watches her big sister and imitates her.

She imitates her reading. She imitates her silly voice. She imitates her dancing. She imitates her mad toothbrushing skillz..... and, she imitates her using the potty.

In fact, the other night we put her on the potty, and she actually peed in it! I'm not sure who was more startled - her, or me!

Now, as a resident of Manhattan that isn't wildly wealthy (or wildly underwater on a jumbo mortgage), we have limited living space. Our bathroom, shared by 4 humans and a geriatric cat, gives new meaning to the concept of family closeness. We simply don't have much extra space.

When Monkey was potty training, I bought her a special Elmo potty training seat. Which she thought was cool (in theory), but I hated. HATED.

See, this g*dam&n potty seat was HUGE. It took up half of the available space on the floor of our bathroom. And worse yet? When you touched Elmo's hand? He'd cackle, and say something congratulatory like "way to go" in that highpitched voice of his (shudder).

Then, when we were visiting Grandma and 'Andpa, we saw...THE potty seat. The BEST potty seat - ever. The kid part is hidden (held by a magnet) in the lid of the regular seat. No extra stuff in the way. No creepy voice in the middle of the night when your foot brushes Elmo's hand, causing you to leap 3 feet into the air.

And do you know that it cost about $30? That 30 dollars really made a vast improvement in our life.  Sometimes, just sometimes, money really can buy you happiness.

Interlude

Usually, evenings are a hectic mashup of the girls being hungry, being tired, struggling to garner my attention, etc. etc. etc.

This week, school is closed. In fact, Monkey will not be going back - she's graduated! But I digress.

This evening, I came home to reliever the sitter and, as I was leisurely preparing some baked salmon, I heard the girls....doing nothing.

I heard nothing.

So, I investigated. And found the two of them, side by side on the guest bed, reading books. It was lovely.

And then Jellybean objected to the excerpt she was reading and threw herself screeching on the book.

Interlude, interrupted. As it should be.

Mud Pies

When Monkey was little I... well, OK I confess - I sort of wrapped her in bubblewrap and didn't want her to get dirty.

She was mah baybeeee.....and I was in charge of single-handedly protecting her from every atom of dirt, every possible allergen, and of course - ALL germs.

And then life moved on.

And then we had baby number 2.

And I relaxed (some).

This is Jellybean making mud pies at her sister's birthday party. At one point in time, she took her pizza, dragged it through the mud, and then ate it. I shuddered....and then I laughed.

She makes tasty mud pies, that one!