"I'm a princess!"

Project 365 * 2 -- Day 63

     Adelyn is obsessed with everything princess at the moment. Every. Single. Day. She must wear a dress, some leggings, a princess dress over her regular dress, and ballerina slippers. She wears some variation of that outfit 24/7. Even to bed. She refuses to wear pajamas. And because she's two, and there are daily battles, Matt and I choose not to battle her over her princess dress obsession. We let her wear her princess dresses to bed, to the store, to church, to the playground, literally...all the time.

     I wouldn't even say, "we don't battle her on the issue." In fact, we encourage her to wear her dresses. She feels absolutely beautiful in them. The first thing she does when we put a new dress on is spin around. She spins, and spins, and spins. All the while telling us to, "look at my beautiful dress!" She dances in them. She does ballet in them. Sometimes she wears lots of jewelry with them. Sometimes she wears a crown. Matt and I are always consistent in our responses. "Adelyn, you are so beautiful!" "What a beautiful girl you are." "You are such a beautiful princess."

     I know some people might not agree with our approach. Some might argue that allowing and encouraging our daughter to dress solely in princess dresses could be detrimental to her psyche. Perhaps it could cause her to develop an unhealthy obsession with her outward appearance. But, we think differently.

     She will grow up one day. She will grow up to face the outside world. Which can be a cruel place. With cruel people in it. Particularly, girls. Teenage girls. I want it tattooed on Adelyn's brain that she is a beautiful girl. Inside and out. I want her to be so confidant that when faced with the jabs and jeers of others, she stands tall and proud. Because we have taught her from a young age that she is beautiful. Gorgeous. And no one will be able to make her question it.

     Thankful for my beautiful girl. Thankful that she feels as beautiful as she is. I'm thankful that Matt is the kind of Dada that came home from Target the other day with not one, not two, but three new princess dresses for Adelyn. She had to try on all three. She came around the corner, and upon seeing her new princess dresses that Matt bought for her, exclaimed with a wide open mouth, "oh my!"

Casey and Adelyn. Adelyn, wearing a princess dress, of course.

Sleeping Sophia.

Very sleepy Tobin. But he refuses to sleep unless he is laying down in his crib. Picky boy!