The Magic Wand

Enough has been said about my distaste for princesses, especially Disney princesses. So, of course, while we were in Arizona my mom was simply delighted to dress Avalon from head to toe in princess garb, complete with a gown (I think night gown; Avalon thinks royal gown) covered in old-school-helpless-brainless-waiting-for-Prince-Charming-gag-me princesses.

I can't get the royal night gown off of Avalon to wash it. It's covered in sushi, milk, snot, dog slobber and who knows what else, but Avalon is a beautiful, albeit stinky (hey, they didn't bathe that often back in the day) princess and no one is going to tear her gown from her hands.

So I've had to get creative. It took about a week for me to convince Avalon that all of her dresses are princess dresses. The clincher was Avalon seeing a poofy-sleeved dress on Sesame Street that was obviously a princess gown and looked suspiciously like her kitty cat dress. She has enough regular poofy sleeved dresses that I'm able to keep them clean.

Yesterday I had to get more creative. It was about 10 degrees when we went out. Avalon had her beautiful princess dress and tiara, but she needed a petticoat. "Avalon, this (gigantic, boy's section, black and red parka) coat is perfect for your dress!" After an unbelieving look from Avalon I desperately looked around for a way for our princess to not freeze her fancy little butt off.

I found it! A chopstick. "Here's a magic wand Avalon. You can turn anything into whatever you want now! Watch. Poof! This coat is a beautiful petticoat! Now you try. Turn your (fantastic tread, warm, also found in the boy's department, blue) sneakers into glass slippers."

As a smile spread across Avalon's face I watched her turn everything she wore, everything Elsa wore and my Led Zeppelin shirt into pretty, sparkly princess stuff. As we drove down the street she turned the stop sign into a sparkly princess stop sign.

Now I have to stock up on chopsticks and pretty dresses. Thanks mom!