Every Little Girl Needs a Prince (and maybe us big girls too)

 Tonight was the daddy-daughter dance at Lily’s preschool. Initially we didn’t think the hubby was going to be able to make it so I never even brought it up. When it looked like it was going to happen, we told Lily that her daddy and her had a dance to go to and she got really excited. She insisted on wearing her Cinderella dress up clothes and her fancy “glass slipper” sandals. We knew the rest of us had to play the part.

The dance started at 6:30. My parents had been watching the girls since the hubby and I had an afternoon committment. So at 6:15 I came swooping into their house claiming to be her fairy Godmother who was here to help her get ready for the ball. I enlisted my mom as one of the woodland creatures for help. Somehow whenever pretending is involved, my mom always ends up playing the part of some animal. Anywho, we successfully got her hair done and talked her out of putting on jewelery, make up, perfume and God only knows what else.

Her “prince” came to pick her up with a bouquet of flowers. She was spinning around the room, curtseing and singing “Someday My Prince Will Come” when he arrived. I waved my magic wand and turned the Chevy Blazer into a coach and off they went. She was in heaven.

Of course the goal here is to keep her daddy her “prince” as long as possible. I love that when I ask her who she is going to marry, it is “daddy” everytime. I don’t even think it occurs to her to say anyone else. And since her daddy comes to the front door with flowers in his hands, someday when some punk sits in our driveway and honks, the goal is she will think he is a loser and wait for something better to come along. Obviously someday (far, far away) we want our girls to meet a wonderful man, but we hope to teach them to avoid as many heartaches as possible along the way, knowing full well there probably will be some.

Nothing can replace the look in my girl’s eyes when they see their daddy. Whenever something breaks around the house, I always declare, “Bring it to daddy, maybe he can fix it!” Yesterday, when Lily’s Little Mermaid barbie doll’s necklace broke (yes I am swimming in Disney Princess who ha) she tearfully went running to the hubbies side. “Can you fix it?” She said with big puddles in his eyes. Sure enough, despite some mildly super glued together fingers, it was fixed. She looked up at him with such devotion and said, “Daddy, your my hero.” His heart was bursting, well for a minute until she said, “Wait, what’s a hero?”

I’m pretty sure she has found her hero, her prince, and a whole lot more. And seeing him through her eyes, makes me remember why he is mine. He has almost my whole heart. But a sliver still belongs to my daddy who is still my hero and my prince too. I think we never outgrow that need to be “daddy’s girl.” I pray my girl’s never lose that precious look in their eyes.