June 06, 2006: How do you spell Veronika? P*R*I*N*C*E*S*S

The title says it all. Veronika's admiration for Cinderella has reached an all-time high. (Well, maybe not, if this is just the beginning...) She wants to wear her polyester/tulle/sequin Cinderella dress every day, even in 80+ degree weather, including the plastic, ridiculously oversized "glass" slippers (plastic mule type shoes with a heel... an accident waiting to happen) which give her blisters on occasion. An actually quite pretty satin headband completes the look. Every time we request a break from the daily Cinderella outfit, we go through a lengthy fight and longwinded explanations why polyester is not good for humidity/rain/riding your bike... It is on one hand fascinating to watch her being completely absorbed by her first gender-related developmental phase. She is so taken by everything sparkly and dressy, it is like watching a magnet race towards its opposite pole with the usual inevitable force. On the other hand it's a little bit scary for first time parents... What if she doesn't grow out of it? How do we make other careers (besides a demure impeccably dressed blueblooded fairy tale character) attractive?

Her predilection for all things girly sometimes lead to funny conversations. One day on the way to church Veronika was repeating everybody's hair color:

- Mama has brown hair, Papa has brown hair and Veronika has black hair!
- (Us) Really? Doesn't Noni have blond hair?
- No, Noni has black hair!
- (Us) Oh....okaaay.

We arrived at church and happened to sit down behind an Aisan girl, who was wearing her First Communion outfit (tulle, veil, the works). Veronika was smitten. Through the entire service she was pointing at her and describing her incredible outfit (white dress! white slippers! white "weil"). Afterwards she grilled Papa on when she could wear it and after obtaining all the important information proceded to repeat the following OVER and OVER:

- Yeah, Noni has to grow and when Noni is big she will have her "First Munion" and then ... and then... she will have a WHITEDRESSandWHITESLIPPERSandWHITEWEIL!!! (All of this has to be said very fast right after the other and if it doesn't work, she will start over until she gets it just right.) Yes! A white weil for Veronika's BLACK HAIR!

- (Papa to Mama): What are the chances she turns into a little Asian girl when she turns 8?