Regarding gender roles, the whole little-girl-dresses-up-as-a-bride thing just hits you right over the head doesn't it?
We really aren't the kind of parents who encourage extreme girliness. We certainly don't discourage it either. Still, we expose the girls to a wide range of experiences and some things seem to stick more than others.
I've mentioned the unstoppable force of Disney, and it's obvious that we haven't tried too hard to hide it from the girls. They can figure out on her own exactly which princesses are most lame and why. Lei appreciates Buzz and Woody, but identifies the most with Jessie. She really doesn't care much for animals and prefers pink over ever other color. That's just how she is.
Lei likes garlic chicken and chili and tilapia and pomegranate and broccoli. She tries a variety of foods and some just keep reappearing on her requested menu.
I'll admit this bride stunt tripped me up a bit. I was putting up a few final holiday decorations and I overheard Leighton rummaging through items in the family room. She thoughfully chose a swaddle blanket and said to herself, "This will be my veil." Then, she picked a faux flower bouquets out of a vase on the side table and said, "My lovely bride bouquet."
She asked me to secure the blanket dress and blanket veil, so I cinched her get-up with a few binder clips and she was "bride walking" down an imaginary aisle before I could fire up my camera flash.
We weren't sure whether to laugh or cry. We didn't know what to say. So, we simply said, "Congratulations!"
The little bride reports that next time she gets married, she will hold her flowers down a bit so we can see her face. Good to know.
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