Juxtaposed next to a world of sparkly lip gloss, skirts that "twirl", and layers upon layers of pink are these other strange obsessions.
First, Star Wars. All things Star Wars, even before she even knew about the movies. She has taken possession of my old action figures. Every car ride becomes a space journey for Leia and Wicket to the planet of Tatooine. When told we were taking her to Disney, that mecca of princess, her first reaction was, "Maybe we will see an Ewok!" She has also inherited all her dad's old GI Joe, complete with GI Joe camping gear. How Strawberry Shortcake loves good ride on the emergency raft! Great news, Princess Jasmine's hand can hold a small plastic blaster!
A truly sublime moment in her young life occurred several weekends ago. Her preschool ballet class was asked to perform their dance "Me and My Teddy Bear" at a local school carnival. As she stood off stage, waiting her turn to dance, dressed in a positive froth of pink she saw a truly amazing sight. "Look Dad," her little voice piped, clear as a bell, "It's a wookie." And indeed it was. Someone dressed as Chewbacca was striding across the fairgrounds as a stageful of baton twirlers attempted to hold the crowd's attention. Other small children cringed in fear, my kid begged for a chance to meet the wookie. Small town life often makes for odd pairings, but a cast of Star Wars characters at a carnival dance recital must be up there on any list. My favorite picture of the day does not involve a tutu or a teddy, but the beaming face of my child as she poses with a Jawa.
Secondly, for a child who enjoys going to tea and begs to wear twirly skirts she has a definite interest in the less than dainty aspects of life. Favorite topics of conversation include the way matter decays and why so many things smell bad. She loves to discuss the digestive process, and I do mean all of it. A deer got trapped in the fenced-in drainage area of her sitter's neighborhood and met it's sad end there during the winter. She is fascinated by watching the changes..."Today I could see the whole ribcage!" Our dog walking route takes on a whole new allure when there is roadkill along the way.
Thirdly, dinosaurs. She knows the names of things I can barely stumble through. She will patiently explain to me (and anyone else who will listen) the differences between the Allosaurus, the Brachiosaurus, and the Brontosaurus. In case you are curious, it is all in the color and size of the crest on their heads. She is very interested in what they eat and in their dung. She wants to know about their eggs, their eating habits, and how their fingernails get trimmed. And, ever since she heard there is no way to know what color their skin was, she holds out eternal hope that Velociraptors were actually pink.
And while I never see them coming, these things delight me. I hope in her to always see these surprises because the very best things in life are all about the unexpected pairings. The cool sweet melon with the salty prisciutto, the funny moment in the midst of tears, and the storm trooper at the dance recital.
