She is Still My Little Girl

I used to hear my mother lament over how we were growing up so fast and had no idea what she was talking about. Waiting was agony, and I was never going to be as old as my sister. It is strange that how becoming a mother has helped me understand this more every year; and how quickly the years go by!

As a young girl, I used to fantasize about my own prince charming, trotting in on a white horse and scooping me up for a “Happily Ever After”. At some point, I traded my fairy wings for a leather bomber jacket and moved the dolls out of the way for more shoe space. I altered my must have “steed” to “driver’s license”, and fussed about a tulle and beads only once for prom.

Now I have three daughters of my own. Thankfully, they are much better examples of responsibility than I ever demonstrated as a young woman. But even seeing them bloom into beautiful people does not soften the painful blow that they are growing up. My oldest daughter is headed into her senior year of high school. I don’t know where the years went, but preparing for her graduation has prompted me to cling onto the youngest child with an unchallenged fervor.

At eight years old, my youngest daughter behaves like a typical third grader who still needs to be bargained with to take a bath and doesn't mind eating gummy bears found in the bottom of her backpack. It was last year, however, that she announce she no longer liked princesses. With two older sisters to live up to, I should not have been so shocked. In one day, she stopped watching Beauty and the Beast, and became a huge fan of Hannah Montana. How did this happen? I wasn’t ready to stop shopping for dolls! I became intensely aware of why a grown-up collect toys. And to make matters worse, we were preparing a holiday vacation to Walt Disney World, in which all my imaginative experiences had to shift.

I looked through my Passporter planner, and turned to Day 4 which reflected all of my notes for the Magic Kingdom. I touched the page where I had boldly written in my confirmation number for a coveted morning appointment at the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique. This was where I had planned to celebrate life’s gift: little girls. At the time of the phone call, I knew how surprised and excited my littlest girl would be to find out she would be transformed into a princess. I had spent hours shopping for the perfect princess dress in blue, her favorite color. I was saddened to think that I was the only one who would be giggling with joy that morning, yet for whose satisfaction?

As a mother, I have lived through many experiences that enforce the well known phrase, “Pick your battles”. Her need to grow up was so important to her. Was I going to ignore the fact she made a point to tell me about her change in preferences? For a couple of weeks, I tried to pretend that she must have been having a bad day and would quickly return to her childish senses, but she seemed to emphasize this new distaste for the Disney Princesses by reminding me each time she noticed a toy or clothing item in the stores with their faces imprinted. As my last child, it was a cruel reality. All the fun years of having little girls was coming to an end, and soon I would have three teen/ pre-teen women running my house.

Thank goodness for cable television. Her switch to the Disney channel had brought with it some fantastic marketing for Walt Disney World attractions. At dinner one night, she mentioned the BBB. I couldn’t believe my ears, so I asked her if she wanted to go. Rather coy, she explained that although she didn’t like the Disney princesses anymore, the boutique would dress HER up as a princess. I could tell she was working through her own dilemma, and was reminded what the best thing I can do when there is a challenge in our family: talk about it. So we planned for the event together.

Although I had wanted to surprise my daughter with the appointment, it was much more fun to be excited about it as a mother and daughter. She loved the dress I had ordered for her. The deluxe Cinderella gown was more beautiful and detailed than it had appeared online. We even picked out a Minnie Mouse dress to wear on another day as well. We were both so excited that I couldn’t complain about how much space she was using in her suitcase to bring her costumes on the trip.

The Bibbity Bobbity Boutique delivered exactly what they promised, and transformed my little girl into a princess. They were very impressed with her gown, as it was more exquisite than anything offered in the store. Sitting back and watching her make decisions about her make up and hair was even more revealing that she is going to be a teenager soon. She selected blond extensions, just as Miley Sirius wears a blond wig. I drank in the event to keep the image vivid in my memory. For the rest of the day, she was receptive to the royal attention received by all the cast members in the park, and would curtsey when greeted with “your highness”. It was so much fun that she asked to wear the dress again later in the week.

Reminiscing our experience is almost bitter sweet. I wish I could be there now. But far more important are the memories I have. Each year, the children will change, sometimes beyond recognition. The excitement of planning our next adventure is already upon me. I know I will cherish today and the days that have yet to come, and for that reason I work to stay aware of who they are and what they want to be.