What a Circus - part II

Oh, my dear Sydney. This is not the time to demonstrate your independent mind. Yes, I know I praised you for that exact trait just a few short days ago. But that was when your independence was endearing and sweet. Now, it's becoming really inconvenient for your Mommy.

 

Let me back up. Remember two years ago when AJ volunteered to be a lion in the annual kindergarten performance at school. I spent hours shopping and cutting and sewing and hot glue gunning and hurting my hands and not sleeping to put together an absolutely adorable costume. 

 

He wore it and he loved it and it remains in perfect condition for another child to use. (And the story I wrote about it remains one of my top ten most-read blog posts ever.)

Ever since then, I've been training Sydney to say six simple words: I want to be a lion.

Because I knew this day would come. Sydney is now in kindergarten, which means another circus performance will soon be on our calendar.

"I want to be a lion."

That's all she had to say.

But no.

The note came home in her back pack this week. Same wording as two years ago, different layout, same implications.

In case you can't read it, the letter says, "The children have picked the following parts:"

 

Where's Sydney's name? Not under the lion category. (Though I note the two boys I had to keep an eye on during Sydney's field trip last week both chose to be lions. I wonder if I could work out a trade?)

 

"I'm going to be a pretty girl!" Sydney excitedly told me.

 

"But why don't you want to be a lion?" I asked.

 

"Because I want to be a pretty girl."

 

"You're already a pretty girl."

 

"I want to be a pretty girl because they get to ride horses on stage."

 

"But they're not real horses. They're just hobby horses."

 

By then, Sydney had totally lost interest in the conversation. Her mind was made up.

 

But alas, all is not lost. Memories of sore hands and late hours of trying to cut through too many layers of polar fleece tend to inspire creative thinking.

 

Remember the ridiculously expensive dance recital costume we had to purchase last year that I figured she'd never have reason to wear again?

 

 

Looks like the perfect pretty girl costume to me!