Let's Build!

It's no secret that I've kept an anti-princess stance for as long as I can remember. It's not that I am truly anti-princess, it is that I am against the thinking that every little girl must be the fanciest princess and prettiest belle at the ball. It's about having your self worth not be wrapped up in how pretty and perfect your clothes, hair and make up are, but it knowing that you are brave, strong, loved, funny, kind, and yes, of course, you are the most fascinating belle at the ball because you are fearfully and wonderfully made. It's about loving Jesus and giving back to others and then, yes of course, twirl in that fancy ruffled dress and wear that sparkly crown but use your brain to make and create and play. Oh my, please play and then please play some more. Use that smart brain and then use it some more. Be loud, sing, dance, dig, get dirty, jump in the puddle, have an opinion and believe Song of Solomon 4:7 when the bible says "You are altogether beautiful, my darling, there is no flaw in you."  And know that you have so much to offer the world just besides being pretty. Am I really anti-princess? No... Well, okay, maybe just a little. :-)
Here's the truth. We were so careful to let Madison grow up and make the choice for herself about what she liked and didn't like. I didn't want her to be swayed one way or the other because Jason or I had this idea of what we wanted her to be. We wanted her to grow into her own being. Her room is not pink on purpose. Who says every little girl has to love pink? Our daughter does now, because she chose to love it, not because I told her that's what girls do. Right now at four she loves princess and loves the movie Frozen. On most days Elsa and Anna show up in our living room and they sing and dance and twirl and I love it. I love it because Madison loves it. But I also loved when she was three and loved Fireman Sam and dressed up like a firefighter every day and loved fire trucks. I loved it because she loved it. My biggest fight for my daughter is that she'll do what makes her happy and she'll use this incredible brain that she has been blessed with to do mighty things. We tell her every day that she can be anything she wants to be.
And here's why:
She wakes up and before she ever calls for her parents and ever comes down stairs, she builds. She plays. She pretends and she creates. This is my favorite time of the day. Listening to her talk and pretend not knowing that anyone is listening. It's just her special time to be free. When she let's go and just is, this is what happens in the life of this brand new four year old:

 

And the next day more characters were added:

Plus, she will draw and make maps and color and do art until there is no more room on the fridge to hang any more papers or people we know that we can mail letters to. It makes my heart burst open with happiness to see my kids create and make and do...

Then let's dig for buried treasure and get dirty and know that anything can be washed and that we don't have to be careful of dirty clothes because that happens when you play and have fun. More holes in more jeans? Okay, fine.

Then at the end of a long day as you are supposed to be making your room tidy, you clean up your dress-up by dressing up all your dolls and animals? Doc is Mrs. Claus, Elsa is a mermaid, Anna is Elsa and Rufus the teddy bear is Anna. You are still a ballerina from gymnastics class today? Awesome. Your room looks so very tidy and happy to me.

When I was teaching, I once had someone tell me that it's fine to be a princess as long as you can build the bridge to the castle and know how to be the dragon that burns it down (ha. true story). Is Madison a princess? She most definitely is. But does she know her self worth is so much more than being pretty? I sure hope so.

"I am a daughter of  a King, who is not moved by this world. For my God is with me and goes before me. I do not fear because I am His."