Princess Bat-Arya

At some point this week, Arya is going to
realise that she left her Rapunzel dress at
my house.

Let us not pretend that my daughter doesn't like to dress up as a princess.

She does.

She has three actual Disney princess dresses: An Anna dress (probably too small now,) a Tinker Belle one, and a Rapunzel one, which is purple and pink and therefore the current favourite.

Yeah, I'm not going to pretend that she doesn't like pink a lot either; that too would be disingenuous.

But this weekend she as explaining how she was a big girl now and she said to me: "I'm strong." Not pretty. Not even clever. "I'm strong." Damn straight, kiddo.

This weekend was a bit of a muddle, as Hanna was in and out for a relatively local roleplaying thing. They arrived on Friday and took me for afternoon tea near the office before we drove home. Arya was pretty tired already, but was okay as we got dinner sorted and everything, and then she realised Mummy was going out and she kicked off. She's also taken against her bed for some reason.

I eventually got her to sleep at about nine, sitting on my chair in the living room with Arya in my lap. In the morning she was sleepy and getting her up was a chore, but she enjoyed ballet and mostly listened to instructions (a few slips can be put down to having the parents in to watch.) We shopped a bit and then went to Tumble Tots, where she went straight in, no trouble (and no goodbyes!) We were planning to stop by the cathedral to listen to my friend practicing with an orchestra, but honestly she was wiped and we weren't much better, so we came home and Hanna went out again. Arya and I watched some TV and... well, that was pretty much it as we were both pretty blitzed. Actually, I tell a lie. She also decided that putting her cold hand on me was hilarious and asked if I could feel it in various places, such as my arm, my face...

How she rolls.

"Can you feel that?"
"No, Arya; that's my wallet."
"Can you feel that?"
"No, Arya; that's still my wallet."

"Can you feel that?"
"No, Arya; my wallet still has no nerve endings..."

She wanted to go to sleep in my bed, so I let her and carried her through. She was out by 8.20.

On Sunday we had a lazy day. I made pancakes before Hanna went out again, and Arya and I stayed home pretty much all day. We did go to the shop, with Arya in her dress and Batman hoodie, looking like a gender-busting total boss, but otherwise watched TV - including a new series of Sarah & Duck, hoorah! - until she decided that she wanted a sleep.

Since it was kind of early, we went into the bedroom and I read her some books, then suggested she put her head down and rest, even if she couldn't sleep. She agreed and I left her for a bit, but she came out and found me and told me that Dolly couldn't get to sleep and was feeling poorly. Having established that she felt okay (she was a little hot in the morning, so of course I was convinced that she had the incurable paralysis flu bug of death) I checked on Dolly and we made sure that she was all settled and comfortable. Arya used my hifi's remote control to call the doctor, as Mummy and Daddies do when she is ill; first Doctor Police, and then Doctor Princess (better known to readers as Princess Doctor Bear.) The doctors affirmed that, yes, Dolly was sick, so she tucked her in and made sure she was comfortable, and then took her to see the doctor in her little house (and nice to see the little house getting some more use.)

Dolly Care.

She also called Mummy on the remote control, and told me that Mummy was going straight home to Ipswich.

She spent the last bit of the afternoon until Mummy came home looking after Dolly and we had dinner, and then came bedtime and that was difficult. She really didn't want to go to bed; or rather, she wanted to go to bed in Mummy and Daddy's bed again, but Mummy was trying to get a nap there, and with the best will in the world it's not possible for Mummy to do that with Arya in the bed. We had a bit of a to-do about getting ready for bed, and once more it took well over an hour to get her in an settled, although we were running early and that still meant she was down by 8.10. Later, I put her in the car and Mummy took her home to Ipswich.

"These criminals are a superstitious and
cowardly lot..."

It's amazing to watch the personality develop in my little girl. Her surety and confidence. Her tendency to try to clean up by wiping the bathroom floor with whatever comes to hand (I'm washing the hand towels a lot.) Her love of princess dresses and superhero hoodies. Her insistence that she is Arya. She is strong. That I don't need to be afraid of the bad lessons (I totally am afraid of the bad lessons.) Her laugh. Her smile. Her adorably serious sit-and-think face (see right.) The fact that when Dolly is poorly - as a result of picking her nose, I might add, in case anyone thinks I'm romanticising - she calls 'Doctor Police' and 'Doctor Princess' for a second opinion.

She still kicks off sometimes if she doesn't get her way, especially when she's tired, but when she does listen, she can be reasoned with. She understands limits and can follow instructions. She knows - usually - when to ask and when to go ahead. She knows about roads, although she isn't always aware of them, which is why she has to walk with us and hold hands when it's busy, and she gets that. She is strong, and she is smart, and of course I still want to wrap her in a bubble and protect her from the world, but at the same time I know she's going to go out there when she's older and kick some serious butt.

She is Princess Bat-Arya.