If there had been a black-tie-only delivery room, Super Preschooler would have insisted on being born there. This child was born for make-believe, dress-up, and, some dark day in college, LARPs. Yes, this is fairly unusual for a boy. I think. (You all know how much I just love reading parenting books.) The Perfect Moms I run into tell me that it is unusual for a boy. Maybe it is, but Super P. doesn't seem to mind a few stares. Like most childhood "issues," this seems to be one parents have and children don't notice. The one and only time he was confronted directly by another child, this is how it went down:
Random Little Girl: Hey, you are weird.
Super P.: No, I am Cinderella. Wanna play?
Random Little Girl: OK.
Even royals have their casual outfits.
Super P. likes imaginative play in general. He is tight with kings, ogres, fairies, trolls, zombies, dragons, knights, superheroes, ghosts, jedi, cowboys, astronauts, doctors, wizards, mad hatters, anyone under a spell, mutants, jawas, genies, and pirates. Especially the kissing ones.
But his favorite are the royals. Like any true American, Super P. is obsessed with royalty. Now, there may be many reasons for this. Most of the bedtime stories I know contains a princess or 12. His nicer dress-up clothes are royal themed handmade gifts from my college ally, Professor PHD (she is smart, as well as talented). Disney makes a lot of princess movies. Maybe Super P. is co-dependent with a weakness for damsels in distress. Oh, I could speculate all day long; the fact is, he likes it. It makes him happy. It isn't harming a soul. And if someday he is collecting British Royal Dishware and Burberry bags, at least I will always know what to get him for Christmas.
I called this picture Sleeping Beauty, until his highness informed me that Sleeping Beauty's dress is totally different.
Now, even with all this royal love, it is always wise to remember that Super P. is only 4 years old. Certain royal concepts continue to elude him, namely hierarchies and successions. But, considering these concepts continue to elude me and most people not actively in a royal court, I imagine he is doing OK. And frankly, I see nothing wrong with the Fairy Godmother being more powerful than the whole Royal Family put together.
What can get confusing is conversations like this:
Me: (to Super Baby):Who's my little princess?
Super P.: Super Baby is a princess and I am a prince and Super Toddler is a king.
Me: Wait. Why is Super Toddler a King?
Super P.: Because.
Me: So, who am I?
Super P.: My Mommy.
Me: Does that make me a Queen?
Super P.: OK. You can be the Queen.
Considering I have been a peasant, fairy, apple-throwing tree, and Queen of the Ogres, respectively, I think straight-up Queen is a step up in the world. I am pleased, but then it gets weird.
Super P.: And Daddy is 3rd King.
Me: 3rd King? What's Super Toddler?
Super P.: 2nd King.
Me: But who is 1st King?
Super P.: Oh Mommy, you can't have 3 kings! That is too many.
He wanders off, laughing and shaking his head at my silliness. Leaving me to wonder if most of the problems in the world are caused be too many Kings trying to be 1st King...well, that, and why my Mommyness always comes before my Queenhood.
There is a regular War of the Roses going on in the Living Room. (Seriously. They are beating each other with pretend flowers.) Must dash, but tune in soon for our latest zoo battle team-up. It will be Epically Elephantine!
It's good to be the king.
Aww! I love Super P! Your dialogs with him always crack me up. :)
ReplyDeleteHe has spunk, that Super P.....never boring around here.
DeleteI'm glad he's getting such good use out of the costumes.
ReplyDeleteSo much use! All Super P.'s costume get used hard; his Cinderella dress is starting to look like something she wore before the ball....
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