The Goldfish Princess

Natalie likes goldfish. Like the little crackers, not actual goldfish. I'm sure she'd like real goldfish too, but that's not my point here. Digressing already. Do over...

Natalie was sitting on the couch yesterday eating goldfish (the crackers, not the real thing. That would be weird, unless it was sushi, but who ever heard of goldfish sushi? And who feeds their 3-year old sushi? Argh.)

Take 3.

(See picture above) I went over to the house yesterday. Natalie was at the door holding a bowl full of Goldfish, The Crackers. She immediately grabbed my hand, dragged me over to the couch, and sat me down. No greeting, no excitement...all business. She sat down next to me, leaning on me, and continued watching Cinderella, which was apparantly playing when I got there. She's a girl that clearly knows what she wants.

Ethan came over a few minutes later, after waking up from his nap, and the sharing games began. Ethan still hasn't figured out how to ask for something, so he does like he usually does and just starts reaching for Natalie's goldfish (the crackers, not the...ah crap). This is never acceptable to Natalie, so Dad has to step in and coach them through it. Eventually, after the lesson is taught but not mastered, I just get Ethan his own pile of goldfish. And they sit there, one on each side of me, consuming their goldfish-shaped, trans-fat-free carbohydrates and enjoying the end of Cinderella. In spanish. (Yeah, don't ask)

At this point, Natalie's bowl of Goldfish, The Crackers is empty so she decides the bowl should be a crown and it should be on my head. So I'm sitting there, with the bowl/crown on my head, and Natalie begins to explain her world:

Natalie: "You gonna be a king, Daddy"

Me: "Really? So what does that make you?"

Natalie: "I'm a princess. Princess Natalie!"

Me: "So what do princesses do?"

Natalie: "They're not crazy."

Me: "Okay, so...what do Kings do?"

Natalie: "Kings love their princesses."

Sho 'nuff, kiddo. You got that right. And all this time I thought those crazy Disney movies were filling her head with...well...craziness, but it looks like she picked up something worthwhile after all. Eventually she'll need to learn to distinguish between Disneyland and the real world, but mainly, she needs to learn that she can't live in Disneyland. Funny how some people never figure that out, yet they expend so much blood and treasure to try and live there. But for now, enjoy it kiddo.

Is it telling that Natalie has always just automatically called herself Princess Natalie? Maybe. I can see the tendancy in her to think highly of herself. That's good, because she's going to need to cling to that if the ship goes sideways on her. And maybe she can learn something from those goldfish:

Just keep swimming...Just keep swimming...Just keep swimming...