i don't like dora

i haven't ever really heard a mom say she loved dora. i think her high pitched yelling is enough to send any parent over the edge of crazy. "hola! soy dora!" i can't stand it. she is not allowed over here. can't do it.

this disney princess take-over also gets under my skin. the pink, sparkly, puffed sleeve madness is too much for me. i've never been much for the girly stuff and now that i have a little girl, i find myself oh-so-subtly pushing this daughter of mine towards other things. outdoors. blue shirts. old books filled with medieval princesses and woodland fairies.

i have such clear visions of my kids reading books of poetry in their hand-made tree house and playing with their waldorf dolls by the fireplace.

but they don't. and as i talked with a friend about this earlier in the week, i told her my desire to push my agenda and ideal with my kids. i know this reality only grows as the days pass, but these little ones are, in fact, their own people. with their own preferences and leanings. these are my issues. my dislikes and odd tastes. nothing eternal stands in the balance here.

so maybe i should stop rolling my eyes- however slightly- at the request for the princess toothpaste. maybe toothpaste isn't worth the fight. maybe it's okay for her to only wear pink- though i've bucked the color for as long as i can remember.

maybe even now there is room for her to be her. and me to be me.

i think we can still be friends.