The Princess Diaries

This Saturday I will attend the 2nd of what will ultimately be three birthday parties this month. At least I hope the count stops at three. It is only mid-month, and there's still room for more invites to pop up in Lily's school cubby.

Three 3-year old girls turning 4 years old. The party is of course, a Princess themed party, as are the vast majority of 4-year old girls' birthday parties. And Lily will don her Cinderella dress and probably demand to wear her stick on earrings and plastic, open-toed sandals with the 1/2 inch heel.

I for one, will wear my plastered on Princess party smile, which I fear is probably beginning to look a bit plastic as well.

I "get" the princess thing, I do. Pretty ballgowns, pretty hair, magical castles and handsome princes with whom to live happily ever after. What's not to like?

I fully realize there are MANY answers to that question, but I'm not going to go there right now.

I'm not one of those moms who thinks their impressionable daughter would be better served by attending a Hillary for president campaign rally. Well, she might be, but Lily is four after all. And four might be a bit young to instill feminist sensibilities in her.

It does however, seem like the "right" age for a girl to pretend, to imagine, to wonder, and to forge a belief in happily ever after. Life will test that belief many times over in her future. If I can forestall that day and bring her happiness by taking her to yet another princess party, I will gladly do so.

Of course, there will still be a teensy tiny part of me at the party hoping that Prince Charming will make an appearance in the form of a 12-oz Bud Light.