Warrior Princess

We call my daughter Bailey the Warrior Princess. She is the most incredible combination of frilly girly-girl and total badass. She loves dress-up, ballet, singing and dancing to princess movies, tiaras and high heels, lip gloss and nail polish. She dreams about her "marrying day" when she will be the center of attention in a beautiful gown and ride off into the sunset with her handsome prince.

(The fact that after your marrying day you actually have to live with said handsome prince and try to get along is something that slaps all us princesses in the face sooner or later).

But the pink lace covers a will of steel, and an incredible physical strength. And a remarkable ability to get her own way.

Bailey is the most sunny, sweet-natured child I have ever seen. She greets every day with a smile, and every person with a hug and kiss and kind compliment (Oh your hair is so lovely! I like your beautiful shoes! You're so sweet!). I have absolutely no notion of where that came from - I am a grouchy misanthrope, especially in the morning. She is on a constant quest for flowers so she can bring one to me and present it with an exchange of kisses. Everyone loves Bailey, because she loves everyone. She has the most joyous, generous heart.

But my God what a challenge. Everything is a struggle with Bailey - getting her hair washed, her clothes on, her food eaten. She is a climber, a wanderer, a questioner. I swear she is talking and asking questions every single minute she is awake. In restaurants she shouts, wiggles, and refuses to eat. In the grocery store she touches everything and usually knocks it off the shelf. She's a spiller, a destroyer - ruins every new white T-shirt the first time she wears it, loses or breaks her toys as soon as the package is opened, squirts her juice box all over the inside of the car. She questions every statement and looks at instructions as an invitation to negotiate. And Oh the drama. When she is thwarted it's an immense tragedy. When she's been too long without attention she manufactures an injury. And she can't stand for there to be conversation around her that's not about her - she will totally invent a story so she claim a place in the discussion - become the star of the show, as it were. I find myself losing my temper and speaking harshly to her way more often than I would like, especially since she really does have a true desire to be good.

Everyone says that Bailey is just like me. Appearance-wise, that's certainly true - she's mini-me, and it gets more obvious the older she gets. But personality... I disagree. We share some traits - stubbornness and a quick temper come immediately to mind. But she is so much her own person. And I enjoy her so much - except when she's driving me crazy.