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Cinderella - the "before" picture!

Sing, sweet nightingale - sing, sweet nightingale - high above. Oh, sing sweet nightingale, sing, sing, etc. etc.

The words keep drifting in and out of my head. They may not sound familiar at first; although it would be safe to say that many of us have heard it many times; over and over and over, again. Especially if you have girl babies in the house. Eventually, this sweet and simple little tune begins to hover over me like some sort of brain-seizing cloud of toxic fairy dust.

My 5 year-old was invited to one of those marathon princess birthday parties and I'm thinking...UGH!...here we go again.

How do I wook?

She dressed as Cinderella and - though, I thought she looked cute as the "before" picture - well, what could I say?

You look great.

Got girls?

The princess is bound to happen and, truth be told, a girl's gotta be able to dream. Then, I think...HEY!...wait just a Fairy Godmother-picking minute - poor Cinderella my foot!

Yes, she cooked, did laundry and cleaned the family manor, a lot - so do I, sweetie! - but, so do a lot of other women that I know and most of them are moms, who used to be little girls once, too. Except, she gets the prince (no disrespect, daddy) the castle and the whole nine yards. I mean, really. Perhaps some of us mean, old mommies could use a little divine intervention, every now and then, yes?

Though, it's only a movie - and my girls are living in a generation beyond princesses locked up in a castles waiting for someone to save them - still.

Which princess do you wike best, Momma?

I imagine myself banging a fist on poor Cinderella's little head and waving the other in protest.

You must make your own way. You are stronger than that. You have the choice to poop or get off the potty! (After all, this is a G-rated moment) Wait for no man. Wait for no one. Be your own person. Enter the little dancing mice singing, you can do it, you can do it, etc. etc.

But, a girl's gotta dream - so, I unclench my hands, stop grinding my teeth and remind myself to relax - for now.

You are my favorite princess, sweetie!

Cinderella did eventually forgave her mean-old-mommy, packed up her entire family and moved into the son-in-law's house...well...you know the story - who am I to judge?