Ode to my princess

I am no poet, but this one makes me smile.

I wrote it and posted it in February... but it deserves a second debut.

I love my little girl!!!

Mama is not a girly girl,

I never wore bows or lace. 

I dress in jeans,

I lounge in sweats,

Just a touch of makeup on my face.

A boy was my plan,

Someone to grow strong as a man.

On the field,

Or in the stands,

I could be his loudest fan.

Then we looked upon the screen,

And a girl you were to be!

Sugar and spice,

Sure, those things are nice.

But - what would a girl mean to me?

Sometimes when we have a plan,

Life takes a turn of course.

A princess you would be,

So sweet and cuddly,

In a moment I had no remorse!

I think I went out that day,

To buy hairbows, dresses and rings.

Pink, pink, pink, pink,

with sparkles and shine.

Now life is BRIGHT with girly things!

You were meant to join our family,

You were meant to have your style.

You can still play ball,

You can tackle, you may fall.

But a beauty and a lady all the while.

Rainy Labor Day - and what a surprise!

Monday was a day at home after a fun-filled visit with the grandparents. It was a completely rainy, stuck-indoors kind of day. I saw the tweets of other moms, lamenting the Labor Day holiday trapped alongside stir-crazy children. I pretty much expected the same at our house. But I was in for quite a surprise!

First, playtime.
We discovered that Amelia's favorite play gym was open, so we took Daddy to see this place he always hears about and can never visit. They chased and bounced and plopped into the pit of foam blocks.

Second, creativity time.
Satisfied that she was fullly exercised, we went home to spend the afternoon in good old lazy fashion. I watched a few HGTV shows and Amelia colored. And painted. And colored some more.

We didn't hear a peep from her for over an hour!

Third, constructive play.
Later, she asked us to play with her. We did a few puzzles together and Daddy helped make the dollhouse come alive with 4" Disney princess figures.

Fourth....
Then, completely unaided, Amelia cleaned the house.

Yes... she cleaned. Everything! Put all her art supplies away, placed snack bowls in the sink, stashed all her completed paintings, dropped the puzzle pieces into all the correct boxes, and stuffed her toy animals into the bins.

I could not have cleaned up any better myself.

She was gleaming with pride in her acomplishment, and I was overcome with love for this darling girl. I couldn't be more proud of the sweet heart she has inside that cute little princess package. Maybe we need rainy days more often!

Happy Labor Day!

Little Stinker

Do not be fooled by this cute little face.

In the past few days, this kid...

• Painted her fingernails with drippy, not-quite-washable craft paint.
• Spilled about 800 little plastic beads all over the kitchen. Three times.
• Squeezed an unopened tube of yogurt so hard it burst (and wow, that stuff can fly).
• Sprayed paint all over the wall. And the floor. And the table. On purpose.
• Tripped while carrying her full training potty container to the bathroom.
• Got sticky glitter putty stuck in her hair.

There is probably more... but I'm too worn out to remember!

What a stinker.

Not ready for this

I am all too familiar with the dramatics of growing up a girl. I have little affection towards memories of issues with friends and my concerns with self-worth.

My stomach lurched when I found my self right smack in the middle of this conversation. With my THREE-year-old:

ME:  "Amelia, are you so glad your friend Emily is back at school this week?"

Amelia:  "Yeah, but she kept running from me."

ME:  "What do you mean, running from you?"

Amelia:  "I wanted to talk to her about vacation. But she just kept running... I don't think she likes me anymore."

ME:  "But of course she likes you! You are friends! Why do you say that?"

Amelia, with a sad face:  "I don't know why she doesn't like me, Mommy. But I don't think she likes me anymore."

I am speechless for a moment.

Amelia, grasping my hand:   "Mommy? We will always be friends."

Sigh.

- - - -

Luckily, like most girly friendship issues, the sad feelings were gone within a day. Emliy and Amelia are very good friends again. Or, I suspect, they always were.

But wow, did my eyes open wide with that conversation. I didn't even know she knew what "doesn't like me" means! I suppose I'd better start getting prepared for the pre-teen years to come.

Yikes.

Self Confidence

Amelia: "Mommy?"

Me: "Yes?"

Amelia: "I'm very upset."

Me: "You are? Why?"

Amelia: "I am sad because I am boring."

Me: "You mean you are bored?"

Amelia: "No, I am boring."

Me: "I don't think you are boring! Why do you say you're boring?"

Amelia: "I'm boring because I'm not a rainbow."

Me: "You want to be a rainbow?"

Amelia: "Yes. And I can't. I want to be a rainbow and I can't...
 I am very sad."


So, now I am speechless. My beautiful (non-boring) child is 3 years old. I am not ready for self-confidence issues!

"Self-esteem is your child's passport to lifetime mental health and social happiness"
-- AskDrSears.com

It is never too early to teach our children they are smart, beautiful, and the light of our lives. My kid? Is not a rainbow. She is a unique, beautiful, smart, funny girl.

If I do one thing for my sweet child, I will make sure she knows it.

How do I love thee?

Finally back to a Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop prompt! This week, I'm bringing things back to my reason for being:
Amelia.

My "mommy blog" has morphed a bit since it began 16 months ago, now incorporating several memoirs of my own, an occasional dabble in fiction, and (intentionally) infrequent product reviews. But in my heart and in real life, it is still all about Amelia.

I chose Mama Kat's prompt #5: List ten things about one of your favorite people.

- - - - - - - - - -

(1) Her voice. This girl could read the phone book and it would sound adorable. I'm sure all three-year-olds have cute voices, but this one truly melts my heart!

(2) Her hair.  I know, I complain about the craziness of her locks. But really? Her mind-of-its-own hair is a perfect complement to her personality. WILD and free!

That brings us to...

(3) Her personality. Amelia has an endearing streak of quiet shyness around strangers. And at home? She performs and dances and acts nutty. She has a kind heart and constantly takes good care of her stuffed animals.

(4) Her nose. Amelia is adorable for many reasons. Her nose is one of my very favorite parts. It is petite and perfect. Steve says it's from me, but hers is even cuter.

(5) Her creativity. She's barely three, and she can draw - people! You know, the kind with a huge head on top of legs and arms sticking out where ears should be. She adds some squiggle to the arms, and voila, it's a bird. She adds a bunch of legs all around and it's a spider. She can draw and paint and create for a solid hour (or more!) these days. My fridge is the new hot gallery in town - it is full of masterpieces!

(6) Her eyes. She had a 25% chance of having blue eyes. And blue they are! Gorgeous, ocean-blue eyes. She is soooo lucky!

(7) She is a copycat. Nothing escapes this child! She now drives her big wheel around the house complaining about traffic and sighing over red lights that are too long. She's even told an imaginary car or two to "go!". I guess we're creating an authentic Atlanta driver at an early age. (Oooops.)

(8) Her athleticism. Girls can do anything boys can do. Especially my girl! She can wallop a soccer ball, sprint really fast, and even (sometimes) hit a pink softball with her pink foam bat. She can climb, she can dance, she can jump. Just as good as any boy out there.

(9) Her princess obsession. Never in a million years did I think I'd have a girly girl (did ya read #8, above?). She is sporty and strong, but has a serious princess obsession. We watched the big Royal Wedding together. We collect Disney Princess toys, books, placemats, and cups. In her world, no movie is quite good enough without a beautiful princess heroine. And in her world, she is always the princess.

(10) She loves me. Sure, mommyhood is a lot of work and pressure. At the end of the day, when my girl says "I love you too, Mommy", I can smile wide. (Then I go pass out on my bed.)

- - - - - - - - - -

Princess to be

Mama is not a girly girl,

I never wore bows or lace. 

I dress in jeans,

I lounge in sweats,

Just a touch of makeup on my face.

A boy was my plan,

Someone to grow strong as a man.

On the field,

Or in the stands,

I could be his loudest fan.

Then we looked upon the screen,

And a girl you were to be!

Sugar and spice,

Sure, those things are nice.

But - what would a girl mean to me?

Sometimes when we have a plan,

Life takes a turn of course.

A princess you would be,

So sweet and cuddly,

In a moment I had no remorse!

I think I went out that day,

To buy hairbows, dresses and rings.

Pink, pink, pink, pink,

with sparkles and shine.

Now life is BRIGHT with girly things!

You were meant to join our family,

You were meant to have your style.

You can still play ball,

You can tackle, you may fall.

But a beauty and a lady all the while.