Girly Girls by Nicole

Children change us.  Not just in the becoming selfless, giving your everything, fill every moment of the day way.  They hopefully bring about maturity, a whole new level of love, patience we never thought possible and  a very different perspective on God, and how He loves us.

But that's not what surprises me.  Oh no, none of the above has surprised me one little bit.  There is a change that has occurred in me that has floored me, taken me off guard and surprised my pants off (literally).  It's the pinkalicious, princess lovin', dress wearing, costume sharing, play jewelry,  barbie collecting, girly squirly, change that has surprised me.  

Maybe I should rephrase the first sentence of this blog to say "GIRLS" change us.  

Before I had kids I was certain that if I had girls, they would be tom-boys through ad through.  I requested minimal pink at my baby shower for Ila, and felt a strange twinge of disgust with myself as I opened up pink outfits and thought "that is SO CUTE!"  Purple has and always be an acceptable color for my girls, and we LOVE purple in this house, but for some reason, pink has an Elmo like quality with girls that can't be matched.  What is it about that color that makes the world turn round? 

As I look back at the last three and some years, I have to laugh at the change my girls have brought about. I say things I NEVER would have thought I would say, like calling purple milk "princess milk."  Telling my mom that a Princess Barbie would be a more appreciated gift than a stuffed animal cat.  Asking Trent to fashion an old dresser into a wardrobe for the girls dress up clothes (which he did, and it's awesome).  Watching Ariel, Rapunzel, Jasmine, and others again and again.  Asking Ila if she wants to wear pink or purple. Agreeing with Ila when she looks at herself in the mirror and says "I'm a princess too"  as she dances around in her pink velvet princess jammies. Taking Ila to see the princesses and getting almost as excited as she was to see them, hug them and talk to them!

I have become a mom who embraces pink, princesses, dress up clothes, barbies, and all things girly.  My two little girls are girls to the core, and I rejoice in it.  I gladly put them in dresses and tights almost every Sunday because dressing up nice and girly is FUN!

Perhaps it's easy to accept and have fun with because they still play with cars, they run around and get dirty, they love rough-housing, we eat pretend bugs, hold snakes and play with legos.  Or maybe it boils down to just enjoying what my girls enjoy, because it's so much better, healthier, and FUN than forcing them to be something they aren't, or to enjoy something they don't.  

I love my girly tom-boy girls and I'm glad they brought me around to loving what they love!