Mommy - Can I Be A Princess?

I really should be in the laundry room folding the many laundry baskets full of clean clothes (or are they dirty and I just don't remember if I washed them?) I should be upstairs in the kitchen putting clean dishes away and loading up the dirty ones or mopping my floor. But I just had a moment with my "Nani" and I had to strike while the inspiration was hot!

"Mommy - can I be a princess?"

This was just asked by my 4-yr. old right before naptime. I'm thinking she wants to put on her dress up clothes or that she wants to sleep in her princess tent. So I tell her that yes, she can take her nap in her princess tent. She looks at me with all seriousness, hands on her hips and says, "Well thank you mommy, but that's not what I meant!" Hmmmm.....I'm wondering where this is going.

So I sat on the couch next to her and asked her to explain to me (as much as a 4 year old can) what she DID mean.

She looks at me and smiles and asks me "Mommy - do you know what a princess is?" Uh oh....how do I answer this? Do I use references to the Disney princesses? Do I use this as an opportunity to teach good morals & values? Do I start a historical lesson about British royalty and that we are in no way related to the Queen of England? The clock was ticking and I only had seconds to come up with an answer.

But my sweet "Nani" saved me....."That's ok, Mommy -- I'll tell you what a princess is!" (Whew!)

Here is the simple answer from my 4-yr. old about what a princess is:

• A princess loves her mommy & daddy & baby sister "Nudge"


• A princess loves her pigtails


• A princess loves to dance & swing-swing ("Nani"-talk for playing on the swingset)


• Princesses have a Prince Charming and lots of little friends and animals


• Mary Poppins is a princess's best friend


• Princesses eat all of her dinner and can have dessert


• Princesses love to go to school


• And finally -- a princess loves Jesus

You know - if those are the qualifications to be a princess, then yes "Nani", you most certainly can be a princess! Mommy hopes that you stay a princess forever!!

Princess "Nani"