Royalty

The only thing more fun than being a girl is raising a girl. In addition to her insatiable sweet tooth, Annie is like her mommy in that we are both unabashedly girly. Though to my dismay my younger sib was born a boy, this did not keep me from dressing him up in a blonde wig and frilly frock and giving him a "manicure."

Annie recently noticed my toenail polish and asked, "What's this stuff, Mommy?" I explained it was paint to make my toes pretty. She asked, "Daddy have it, too?" No, Baby, it's just for girls. "I do it now." Annie regularly asks for polish on her toenails and fingernails, and one of her favorite activities is dressing up, much like the little girl in her favorite book, _Fancy Nancy_. One day I noticed Annie had dolled herself up with the contents of her dress up chest. I said, "You look pretty, Anne!" Her reply? "I am pretty!" (It's important to raise confident girls ;)

I realize that Anne has heard how beautiful she is, how enviable her curls, how stunning her eyes since the day she was born, and starting with me. Mom reminded me when Annie was just weeks old to "Tell her she's smart, too!" And although Grandma G told me she was "in charge of pink," keeping Anne's wardrobe well-stocked with petal pretty outfits, my mother refused to refer to my girl as "Princess," nor would she purchase any apparel bearing this pet name. I followed suit, seeing the wisdom in raising a girl who feels neither superior nor entitled, even if she is lovely. Only recently have I introduced any of the ages-old fables, not wanting Annie to grow up believing life is a fairy tale. We do read princess books and play with princess stickers. She even has a princess bike helmet (It was either that or Spider Man!) One day I even went as far as to inform Anne that mommy was once a princess. As proof, we paged through my wedding album. "Ooh," she cooed. "Mommy a princess!" Truth told, some days I do feel a little like Cinderella!

But today I had a better idea. It was time to trim Annie's nails, so I offered to repaint them. She nodded emphatically and sat so still as I applied the lilac lacquer. As her soft curls brushed my cheek and she daintily held out her hand to approve my work, I remembered that today is the First of July. Today is someones birthday, I told Anne. A princess. Had I not caught Dateline last week featuring an interview with Wills and Harry, I would not even have known. But I seized the opportunity. Hand in hand, Annie and I went to the basement and logged on so that I could show her pictures of the "Birthday Princess," Diana: Here she is as a little girl. Now growing up like you, Annie. See her horsey? He's giving her a smooch! There is her prince, they are getting married. (I watched it on TV at Grandma Lilley's house). Oh, look- she had a baby. Now another. Isn't she a happy mommy? There is princess helping people. Taking care. Going to great distances to take part in people's lives. This is what it means to be a princess. Thank you, Princess Di, for setting a wonderful example to all little girls who fancy royalty. Above Cinderella, Snow White, Belle, Ariel- my Annie will know your name and will hear of how you lived your life.