Emma Moments & Christmastime Fun

Emma has 3 things on her list for Santa:

- gumballs
- Snow White dress up shoes

- purple princess wand

She told me, "I think 3 things is enough."

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Waiting for Christmas is hard for little people. We're filling our time with joyful Christmas activities. We've visited Santa, made a Gingerbread house, gone to the Nutcracker Ballet, and been to Disneyland.

Last time we went to Disneyland Emma was dressed like this:

We woke her at 6:15 am and surprised her with the trip to Disneyland. After her speechless shock, which we fortunately captured on video, she had the presence of mind to immediately ask if she could wear her princess dress up. I don't know where she got the idea - she wasn't quite old enough to have conferred with her more experienced little girlfriends, or look it up on the web.

Hmmm...drag around a poofy ball gown and other related accessories all day at Disneyland? No, said Emma's super practical Mommy. Definitely not.

She handled this judgement well.

I had no idea that when we descended the 5 story escalator from the parking structure we would be entering a sea of preschool age princesses in full regalia. I couldn't believe my eyes. Is this some sort of unspoken dress code? I was worried - what would Emma say? I told her I had NO idea wearing princess dressed to Disneyland was something that people do.

She handled it very well. She was disappointed - a bit crestfallen for a few minutes, it was obvious. But, she decided (without us needing to discuss it with her) that she would not let it ruin her day. We had so much fun running from ride to ride. Laughing. Skipping. Then we visited the Princess Theatre for the Royal Coronotation Dance. Hundreds of little girls in gowns lined up to learn a dance and then perform it for 3 Princesses. Emma's ultimate dream scenario. Minus the dress. Oh for a fairy godmother. (I think this is why there is a handily placed dress shop right outside. And - no - I did not go buy her a dress.)

"Now sweep your skirt out to the side and curtsy graaaaaaaaaaaacefully," instructed the Lady in Waiting. Emma looked up at me and assured me, "That's ok, Mama. I can curtsy just holding on to my pants. Miss Cathy (my dance teacher) taught me how to do that."

(Incidentally Emma was the only girl in Ballet at the time who did not have a skirt, because her mommy had the idea that Emma should learn to love to dance for its own sake, not just for the wardrobe involved, should learn to wait for such treats until her birthday, and had no idea that curtsying with your skirt is the first and most important skill tiny tot ballet students learn, and is included in EVERY activity. Ms. Cathy explained this after I shared the Disneyland story.)

I was so proud of my little girl, I just glowed. At the same time I felt like the world's meanest mommy EVER. I just wanted to sink into a pit.

So - this time - when we woke her up at 6:15 - the first thing we showed her was a bag all packed, so that at Disneyland she could look like this:

I don't know if I've ever seen her so happy:

For more pictures - visit Cristmas Crush in Carol's Gallery.