Stunning

It all started with Violet playing Battle for Wesnoth. There's nothing unusual about that, unless you count the fact that Violet is playing a nerdy teenager-and-up strategy game and downloading various campaigns to keep it fresh. Did I just say that about my 6 year old? Somehow it seems less odd in real life.

Violet has downloaded  a campaign that includes elves, mermaids, wizards and the like, and this morning she came into the kitchen in a white full length slip that went with a second hand flower-girl dress we got at Mama Goose in Ithaca (Hi Amy!). She had worn that outfit several times over the past couple days, which is new. Today she explained to me that she was the Elvish Lady. The Elvish Lady dresses all in white. I asked her if she wanted me to do her hair in an elven style (which was seriously just an excuse to do her hair - an activity I adore and Violet loathes). She agreed, and I twisted up the sides, and then she showed me a picture of the Elvish Lady. The Elvish Lady wears a crown of red flowers over her long blond tousled hair. I opted to ignore the tousled part and asked Violet if she wanted flowers in her hair. She decided on white over red, so I tucked in some just-turning-pink hydrangea flowers.

Awhile later, she shows up in my bedroom, and the camera happens to be sitting there. Amazingly, she is up for a photo shoot.

Holy cow, is that my kid? The same kid who won't put on clothes, won't let me brush her hair, certainly won't wear a dress.

After I finished her hair, she stood in front of the mirror, obviously enchanted with herself. It was amazing to watch and see such pride. Not pride because she was wearing a pretty dress, or adorned with flowers in her hair but pride because she is beautiful. You could almost see the gears turning in her head and the realization overtaking her.

Yes, she might be beautiful, but you know she is always Violet.