Princesses don't grow up too fast

"You sold a quilt, now what are you going to do?"
"GO TO DISNEYLAND!"

I am officially in the throughs of planning a trip to Disneyland.  I have always wanted to take the kids and this is exactly the right time to do it.  They are at a great age, tall enough for most rides, and still young enough to be in love with the fantasy of the glamour that embodies the image of Disney.  It is also the perfect time in that I am pretty much going for free.  We are using frequent flyer mileage so it is costing $15 in handling fees to fly and whatever they are going to charge me for the one giant bag I will pack all our precious souvenirs (which mom will buy pre-trip at discount...I mean, it all comes from China anyway so it doesn't matter where they are purchased.)  The kids and I are also getting into the park for free, because, well, I am connected.  My father-in-law will provide shelter on his boat for a couple nights and our cool ride; both of which he is about to sell so this is the last chance.  (Thanks for holding off the sale for a couple of weeks.)  So this is how you get to Disneyland on $15.  The best part of the whole deal is that I sold a quilt and now have over $500 of guilt-free money to spend.  I plan to find a little hotel north of San Diego and spend a full day with our toes in the sand.  I haven't been there for ten years, but I hope that the pirate ship is still there and the carousel.  Of course, the main reason for this excursion is to eat some really good seafood.  So if I return ten pounds heavier and the kids are whining that I only fed them PBJs and wouldn't buy them anything because I spent my wad of cash on mermaid food, you will know what they are talking about.

So this brings me to the funny story for the night.  I just finished like six loads of laundry.  Finally folded and carted upstairs, I figured it was best to put them directly in the suitcases.  So I sat in my princess's room for a good hour packing one bag for our four camping trips (planning to just keep the bags packed, wear them, wash them and pack them right back into the bag again) and Disneyland.  Both kids were actually pretty excited to help pack.  I had seven nice tees in blues and whites to coordinate with seven blue pants and skorts.  Princess kept pulling out fancy dresses and looking sad when I said we would stick with jeans and tees to keep it simple.  So fast forward, kids nearly asleep, mom cleaning the bathroom, and a light bulb flashes over my head. 
   I go into Princess's room where she is laying dozing sucking her thumb (yes, she will kill me someday when she finds out I told everyone she still sucks her thumb at night at age seven.)  "Julia, I am so sorry.  I just realized that you just may want to wear a fancy party dress to Disneyland because you don't have a princess dress in your size to wear.  Just because you are all grown up age seven doesn't mean you are done being a princess."
    With a grin she replies, "Do you think I am ten or something?  Of course I want to dress up like a princess but play clothes may be better on some of the rides, huh?"
   "Well, we will work on some fancy dresses with leggings to wear under them tomorrow."
   "Thanks mom.  I am just not all that grown up yet."
  And the princess sleeps, sucking her thumb and dreaming of fancy princess dresses she could actually fit.
  And mom, she savors this moment.  It is engraved for use when my daughter does become too old to talk about princesses and will only wear ratty sweat pants and bed slippers to school.