The Princess Brigade

If you were to drive down our street on any given day there is a 98% chance there are three little girls in dress-ups riding scooters and doing chalk. Simply, it's what we do. 

Anna especially enjoys playing dress-up, as I've mentioned before. She will bring me something every morning and I'm never surprised to see something pink and fluffy. Ev, on the other hand, rarely chooses anything but her Spiderman costume. Clarissa is a princess girl. I prefer the 90's lesbian look (flannel shirt, fake birks, no makeup and the greasiest pony tail you've ever seen). I think my princesses need to make me over! Or maybe let me shower so I can make myself over?

With the weather warming up, the princesses are always on parade.

Some princesses are more elegant than others...

Thank you Dollar Store for the best fairy wings of all time. They are such a big hit that Anna often tries to keep them on when we go places. Except she can't fit in her carseat with fairy wings, which is NOT okay for this little diva. Fairy wings are a MUST.

I wish I wasn't such a pushover with the costumes. I let my kids wear them everywhere except church. I'm strict with bedtimes and baths and manners, but I need some serious help reining in the dress-ups. The people at the grocery store know exactly who we are when I roll in with all three princesses just to get some graham crackers. 

It's so cute though. And I totally get the obsession with dressing up. That was my favorite thing as a chubby, awkward child. We had a closet full of Goodwill clothes and ancient bridesmaids dresses - it entertained us for hours! I used to love dressing up my Barbies and doing a fashion show, then changing their outfits and repeating ALL DAY LONG. As a kid I changed my clothes at least three times a day. In college I worked at Banana Republic. With my birthday money I almost always buy clothes (it's usually a coat - my obsession!). Shopping is my cardio. 

So carry on, princess brigade!

I hate her pacifiers, but dare I say it completes her look quite nicely in this photo.

Life is good when you're a princess/ballerina/fluffy pink something.

They don't have princess dresses on in this picture, but they still look like royalty. This is after I survived TWO hours of stake conference by myself with both kiddos. (I think I had a stick of butter for lunch) Anyway, I had to document that we all survived in one piece and looked pretty cute to boot.

I was ready to strangle them during church, but then we get outside and the fresh air hits their lungs and its like LIFE-FORCE. WE CAN BE NORMAL HUMANS.

Not just normal, but amazingly cute and cooperative.

"Mom! We don't try to make you crazy. It just comes so easily to us. Does this picture make you feel better?"

Answer: Yes.

We took the girls to Cinderella all dressed-up.

Sometimes being a princess is hard, but a true princess knows how to carry on.

Cole and Grandpa went to Paddington while we enjoyed Cinderella. Even baby Elle loved the movie.

Anna had to stay home and nap because she's 18 months and I'm not THAT crazy. She seemed pretty unhappy about it at first, but I let her wear her gloves and tutu to sleep in which is a perfectly fair compromise. 

Life is pretty great when you get to wear a see-through tutu everyday.