When I was little, I loved me some princesses. No joke. When we went to Disneyland, I told the world, "you can keep your roller coasters and funnel cakes for your self, as for me, I want to hang with some princesses." I don't think it was that unusual for a little girl like me to see that magic and want to get close to it. Movie after movie made it out to look just so. Big sparkly dresses, abundance, large ballrooms and all eyes on the most beautiful girl in the room as she swayed and spun to the rhythms of a grand orchestra. Yea, being a princess looked like a good gig.
Now I wear ripped jeans and black vans. I'm what you might call a modern princess. I still love music, but instead of the delightful notes of Bipity Boppity Boo, I am more in to girl-anthems and something with a bit more of a kick. Hey, I'm eight, growing up in 2020, this world is on the move and so am I. I like making music too. That's something I never saw a princess do, they were always moved by the music, but in my world I think it is ok for a princess to make music that moves others. I have been playing guitar and writing songs. I know several chords on the guitar and can pluck out a few melodies off some tab sheets my dad and I get at our guitar lesson.
My dad. Ha! That guy! I think he must feel like he has won the lottery. His daughter has grown out of the Cinderella phase and into this modern princess wearing skate shoes and strumming guitar - I see him with that sparkle in his eye every time he smiles that crooked smile and says, "that's my girl." I know he loves me know matter what, so don't tell him, but I wear the vans in part to get his attention. He wears them too. They are his favorite shoe for skating and that is something he loves to do. So, I knew getting a slick pair of treads would catch his eye.
My dad and I, we go on a lot of adventures. We are always off goofing around finding trouble to get into. In the last couple weeks, we have been to the park, the ice rink, DOCO, Old Sac, and we even drove past Funderland - but it was closed. But, the truth is, he works a lot too. He goes to Sac State on weekends and works late at Westlake at least a few nights a week. The thing is, when we are together, we adventure, but when he is not around, I miss him.
Every year since I was 3 my dad and I have dressed to the nines and have had a date night that keeps me walking on clouds for the whole year. At Westlake Charter School they put this night together for every dad and daughter just like us, it is called the My Princess and Me Dance. On this night, hundreds of princesses and their chaperones come to the school where the gym is curtained and decorated with covered tables, balloon arches and the DJ plays anthems that make me want to spin the night away. I admit that I may have outgrown the princess fixation of my younger years, but this night is a blend between the glitter and gowns of the ballroom with the musical styling of my new found idols - it is perfection.
For the past two years my dad has had 8AM to 5:30PM class at CSUS on the day of the dance. I overheard him whispering to mommy that he convinced his whole class to take a short lunch so that they could all get out early. He changed into his best suit next to his car on the second story of the university parking garage and sped to Bel Air to buy a bouquet of flowers bigger than my entire torso. He knows I love flowers. When he rang the doorbell, I flung the door open to find him standing on the porch, flowers in hand and a crooked daddy smile as his eyes lit up at my outfit.
I love getting dressed for this night. This event is an opportunity to spend time with my dad, but it starts months earlier with shopping for a dress and shoes with my mommy...one of my favorite pastimes. On the day of the dance, my mommy helped me paint my nails, and dust my face with bronzer, gloss my lips and curl my hair. I love to dress to the nines.
Walking into the restaurant on my dad's arm, every table we passed stopped to drink us in. We were a sight to see. Several women commented on my dress. All eyes were on us as we sat down for dinner, both of us on the same side of the table, backs to the window, looking out across the entire scene.
At the entrance to the dance, they had laid a red carpet. It was perfection. Some of the middle school girls and volunteering moms, armed with Nikons, popped flashbulbs as we made our entrance as the paparazzi that our glorious entrance deserved. We stopped at the photo booth, waved to friends, and then we danced! We danced every dance like it was the last dance of our lives. I bought a dress that was made to spin and twirl, and oh man did I twirl. It was our best night of dancing yet. At previous events, I used to run off with my friends, hold hands and spin in circles on the dance floor, but his year, I wanted time with my daddy, and we spent that time dancing!
As the night wound down, we decided to end the evening with a little fro-yo and enjoy the company of my best friend Grace and her daddy. We laughed and talked, and promised to do it again. When I finally walked through the door, mommy was there with a hug and a, "how was it?" Truth is, it is hard to put into words, but I guess the answer is, it was what it must have been like to be a princess.
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