Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Princess of the Nile

This year at Birdie's school is the first year for the 4H afterschool program, and when they sent home the literature I thought "nice, maybe next year." And threw everything away.

Then two days later I realized that I had made a terrible mistake. The much desired and much lauded "Princess Party" was not going to just go away. She actually expected to be able to go.

I tried talking her into the Art Class, or the Cooking Class or even the Outdoor Games, but it was Princess Party or DIE as far as the Bird was concerned. I was not convinced and was quite sure that the class would not live up to the perfect experience that Birdie had apparently built up in her head. I have talked with other moms who read what the Princess Party class was about, heard their daughter's pleas, and signed their kids up for something else anyway.

I seriously considered doing that too.

Instead, I opted for the Life Lesson, and got the girl exactly what she asked for, and actually she has enjoyed herself even though I can tell that it isn't what she thought it would be. The thing that has most amazed her has been the length of the gals nails who was able to tweeze up chips of dry ice safely with her nails, in order to put the bits into each girl's decorated "Genie Bottle" to make a smoky "Genie" effect when a little water was added. It appears the class is going for the Disney Pantheon of Princess, and that week was all about Jasmin. Next week they will cover Mulan. This week they had a "Princess Tea Party."

The note they sent home with Birdie last week indicated that the girls were welcome to dress up a little as Princesses for the Tea; gloves, dresses and hats got mentioned. We have an extensive Dress-Up collection, if figured we send her with something.

But then.

The girls had decided that they wanted to be Power Puff Girls for Halloween, and I had agreed to make the dresses for it. I figured sleeveless sheath with a black band around it... that's within my sewing range. Throw in a pair of white tights, their black mary-jane Sunday shoes, a hair-doo and we are good to go.



Then they discovered the Power Puff Girls Z.
Shoot me in the head.




They wanted to be THAT for Halloween and I had to nix their dreams. Holy COW! That is waaaaay beyond my abilities to make times three in one month. Plus the cost of fabric. Plus. Plus. Plus! Yipes. So they went sadly back to their original request for the plain old ordinary PPGs. Until this last weekend when they got an eyeful of the wonder that is Store Bought Costumery, and now they are thrilled beyond measure with the coming holiday. AND I am off the hook for about the same amount of money that I would have spent on fabric. WHEEEE!

Birdie found a pretty amazing Cleopatra get-up that ticked her fancy, and LaLa got a shiny, soft, cheeta print dress that along with some ears and a tail that we already have, will make her the cat's meow. Pearl got a wee witches hat and broom that with some other goodies that we have in the Halloween Box downstairs will do nicely for a cute witch. Seriously, a great hat and a stick to whack people with, doesn't get better than that for a kid like Pearl.

Then day before yesterday Birdie decided that she wanted to wear her Cleopatra outfit for the Tea Party. There is an undeniable logic to the request... Cleo had to have been a Princess as some point before being Queen, why not go as her to a Tea? Am I a dork to be so proud of my daughter? It's not like there would be any horror or shame for her to go as Aurora her favorite Disney Princess, so why am I so delighted that she opts for Cleopatra? Because, lest there be any question about it... I am delighted. Like it's an outward sign of what a cool kid she is, something that I can point to and write a post about because she so very ROCKS!

So I got her outfit hemmed and to her this afternoon right before her afterschool dealie, and I got to peek in at the rest of the group in their finery. I realize that I AM a dork, as Birdie is the ONLY girl in costume past the point of a tutu and a pair of gloves. I am a dork because I am still so freaking proud of my little girl, alone in her cosplay and completely unworried by it. Enjoying herself.

My kids... they don't stand a chance. If you know Dadguy at all, then you realize this is true times two. No chance, and I don't think I care.

7 comments:

elizasmom said...

Oooh! Are there pictures? And I COMPLETELY understand why you would be delighted. I'm delighted FOR you!

Anonymous said...

Yes I second the need for pictures!! I am very jealous of your skills by the way. My mom was an avid sewer and knitter and she tried to teach me many a time but I won't lie, I just sucked. I can barely sew on a button and I have no desire to try knitting. I think LM will be the poorer for it. Although that said, I don't have fond memories of some of the clothes my mom made for me and I had to wear to school ....

bon said...

Yeah... my "skills" are not so very very. The fact that I can buy respectable clothing for the family cheaper than I can purchase the fabric means that I will never get any better at it than "passable."

That and the fact that reading and deciphering a pattern takes more brain power than I have got while gestating and/or dealing with small children.

the Dread Pirate Rackham said...

take solace in the fact that some dorks grow up to be pretty danged cool.

and if she's OK? everything is OK. that's all there is.

Jo said...

I want to see pictures! I love it when the kids think outside the box, makes me feel like a good mom. Like the time Oldest Son decided to be a duck billed platypus for Halloween. Yay for Birdie and yay for a mom who lets her grow.

Anonymous said...

Yay dorks! I love being a nerd.

Also, I've tagged you.

Mama D said...

I have no sewing skills. None. I'm concerned about this in the future but I am creative and that's got to be worth something. Birdie is awesome. And all of your girls will be super cool. You know, in the really good way that not everyone always gets.