True Love's Kiss

The 'Prince Charming and Princesses' theme continues in our home. Our daughter asked me recently "But which handsome prince will marry me?" Knowing her delightful, but nevertheless, determined and diva-like qualities at times, my immediate thought was a "A very brave one......" I didn't tell her this.

Yesterday she was singing her song about Sleeping Beauty. She loves acting it out. She is always Sleeping Beauty. Of course. She knows most of it off by heart. It goes "The princess slept for a hundred years, a hundred years, a hundred years " etc. Then "A handsome prince came riding by, riding by, riding by " etc. She then adds what she thinks is the next verse "He woke her up for 20 minutes, 20 minutes, 20 minutes". My daughter is a realist. She has obviously modelled her prince on an accurate appraisal of herself, accepting that any handsome prince could only cope with her for that cluster of minutes, before breathing a sigh of relief, as she slipped into another centennial slumber.

My son, meanwhile told me he is playing the Prince in his 'group's' version of Cindarella in Performing Arts at school.

"Wow!" I said "Great!"

He said "it's funny whenever we have a prince in stories, I usually have to play him. I don't know why."

I, of course, being his mother, know this is because he is impossibly handsome and extraordinarily charming. I don't tell him this.

He then confides in me at bath time, "It's a bit embarrassing actually."

"Why?" I ask, "Do you have to kiss Cindarella?"

"No", he says "but I nearly have to. We do a near kiss."

Ah. 'A miss is as good as a mile' to a seven year old.

He says he wishes I could come and watch it. He wants me there, even though the near miss-kiss is a trifle embarrassing.

He's made my day.