Girly Girls Meet Star Wars

Gathering together on couch for a family movie night a few weeks ago, I felt sorry for Tom. Here we all were, girls decked in pink with layers of silver tulle for a skirt, and he was telling him about the Millenium Falcon Spaceship he had as a boy. The show for the night was the original Star Wars, still an influential film. Tom moved on now to telling the girls about his Star Wars action figures. Poor Guy. These girly girls might not even tolerate the whole movie, but I didn't have the heart to say anything.

I fell asleep. Yup. Even with squirmy on my lap, I dozed. And the girls? They watched the whole movie, asking questions throughout. And the next day, they acted out the movie. And the next day they went to school and discovered a storm-trooper-army worth of kids who already knew about Jedi knights and told the girls Leia wasn't the only girl in the movies.

Then came the begging to see more Star Wars movies. The next weekend we showed them the Phantom Menace (movie #1). Immediately afterward, Kassy wanted to take her own money and buy a light saber (and she's my child who never wants new toys). Now, my sweet, youngest daughter has abandoned the girls in her class and spends recess playing Star Wars with the boys. No joke. She's having a Star Wars birthday party. She loves R2D2. Both girls are saving their money for Leia and Padme Halloween costumes. They bought Star Wars books at the recent book fair.

I should have known their interests were about to expand when they started complaining that they only had one pair of jeans each. (Why would a mother, whose girls only like skirts and dresses, buy more than one pair of jeans?)

Parenthood, and life, is a full of seasons. But our seasons don't begin and end with a date on the calendar and the signs of change aren't as obvious as falling leaves or blooming crocus. And so officially, I welcome the end of the princess fascination and wonder where this new force will lead.