Swimming With The Little Mermaid And Banana Boat Girl

Summer is here and we started taking the girls swimming. I’ve been taking Cassie to the YMCA pool on Wednesdays, where she is a big hit with all the life guards. They think she looks adorable in her swim costume. Yes, I said costume. Grandmama bought Cassie a purple Little Mermaid bathing suit, complete with terry cover up and wrap. She also has a set of Little Mermaid fins, hand paddles and face mask with goggles. All of this is done up in aqua, green and purple. Her floatation vest is not Disney themed, but it is the same shade of purple as her terry cover up, so it fits in quite nicely with the rest of the outfit.

Grandmama also bought an outfit for Sam. It’s a little red and white Minnie Mouse swimsuit with ruffles sewn around the butt. It also comes with a matching cover-up, but no fins and goggles. Sam’s too little for that. She does however, have a float. It’s a sort of yellow inner tube with an inflatable palm tree sticking up the back and a banana-shaped back rest. The tube has a seat in it with two little leg holes so Sam gets to dangle her little tootsies in the water as she leans over the front trying to drink straight from the pool.

Our neighborhood pool opened up this weekend, so Michael and I took the girls for a dip yesterday afternoon. I’m sure we looked quite the sight with the Little Mermaid and Banana Boat Girl. Cassie is finally tall enough this year that she can stand in the shallow end of the pool without drowning. With her little floatie vest, she can actually swim. She gets into the water and starts to paddle and kick like mad, splashing water everywhere as she screams, “Look Mommy! I can swim, I can swim!” Then she goes under for a few seconds until I drag her back up by the straps of her vest. She only sputters for a moment however before demanding that I let her go so she can swim some more.

Sam, meanwhile, floats along serenely, still trying to drink the pool water. She’ll actually stay in her float for a good long while before deciding to climb out of it to get herself a drink. She must really like the taste of chlorine.

Surviving the Mega-Super-Duper-Galactic-Colossal Princess Tantrum

We had a real special evening here on Monday. I was in the kitchen heating up dinner. Cassie had dragged her father and Sam upstairs. I called up to say dinner was ready and a moment later I heard all this screaming coming from Cassie’s bedroom. Michael came downstairs with Sam a few minutes after that and sat at the table.

Me: Where’s Cassie?

Michael: She’s having a ‘princess’ moment.

Me: Huh?

Sam: Oooooooooooo... phbtz!

Michael: She wanted to wear her ‘Belle’ costume. I said yes, but she should put it on over her clothes because I knew dinner was going to be ready soon. She got undressed anyway and put on the dress and then started pulling out all the accessories. I told her that we didn’t have time for that. She could have them after dinner. She started to fuss. I said that when you called for dinner, I was headed downstairs with Sam. Thirty seconds later, you said dinner was ready, and now Cassie is upstairs screaming because I didn’t put her jewelry on her.

Cassie (upstairs in her bedroom): Aaaaaaaaaagh! Aaaaagh! Daaaaaaaaddy! Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaddy! Eeeeeeeaaaaaaauugh!

Me: Holy cow...

Sam: Ooooooooo! Ooooo! Ooooo... phbztt!

So Michael and I sat down to eat dinner. A few minutes later, Cassie came downstairs, carrying an armload of Disney Princess accessories - jewelry, tiara, scepter, shoes, etc.

Cassie: *Sniffle, sniffle* Mommy? Will you put my accessories on me?

Me: After dinner. Right now you need to sit down and eat.

Cassie: No!

Me: By the way, young lady. That dress is too loose on you and the neck hangs too low. You need to wear a shirt under it.

Cassie: No I don’t! Belle doesn’t wear a shirt under her dress!

Me: Belle isn’t my daughter, you are. Go put a shirt on and come eat.

Cassie: Noooooo! Nooooo! Nononononononononono!!

Sam: Oooooooo! Ooooooo! Ooo! Ooo! Phbttz! Blah!

Me: Either put a shirt on or I will take away the dress.

Cassie ran upstairs, still screaming. Michael, Sam and I continued with dinner to an accompaniment of screaming. After I had fed Sam and eaten my own dinner, I trudged upstairs. I found Cassie sitting in the middle of her room wearing a t-shirt. The dress was lying on the floor.

Me: Cassie, put the dress on and come eat.

Cassie: *Sniffle, sniffle* I w-w-w-want my ac-ac-ac-ac-cessories.

She got up and went over to her pink treasure chest to pull out yet another armful of princess junk. I shook my head.

Me: You may have the accessories AFTER dinner, young lady. Right now, you need to put on your dress and come downstairs to eat.

Cassie: I W-W-W-WANT M-M-MY ACCESSORIES!

Me: No, and if you argue with me any more, I’m going to take away all your costumes for a week.

Cassie: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! NOOOOOOOOOO!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Cassie threw herself on the floor and had a category 5 tantrum. I walked over, picked up the Belle dress, and then gathered up all her other costumes. It took me a total of three trips to get all her princess stuff out of the room. I shoved it in my closet and shut the door. Cassie continued to scream and foam at the mouth while I headed back downstairs.

Michael: So, how did it go?

Me: Cassie has lost all her costumes and accessories for a week. Starting next Monday, she will be allowed to earn them back one at a time. When she stops screaming, she can come down and eat dinner.

Cassie: NOOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Sam: Ooooooooooooo...

And that was the Mega-Super-Titanic-Intergalactic Princess Meltdown. Hope you enjoyed the story. I wish I could find my clothes underneath all that princess crap.