It's all Pretend, or is it?

It's Sunday afternoon, Ryan's happily watching Baby Einstein while pulling all the diapers out the box, Brenton is still finishing up meetings for his calling at church, and I'm sitting here writing a blog post instead of making dinner. Yep, sounds like a typical Sunday afternoon. Don't worry, I'll get around to dinner. I always do, I'm just not feeling it right now.

A few updates on my fascinating and wonderful life. First, Ryan is now walking everywhere like a pro. He still can't pull himself up without the help from a nearby piece of furniture, but once he's standing he takes off like a bullet. I'm bursting with pride every time he does it.  Next, My second plateau of weight-loss has broken, and the pounds are slowly coming off again. I'm in this limbo stage where my current clothes are too big, but my pre-pregnancy ones are still too small. Still, I can't complain when I step on the scale in the morning and see the number has decreased from the week before.

During these last few weeks of Summer Brenton and I will be going to Arizona for a few days to see one of my dear friends get married. Not to mention my best friend is coming along with us, and we will also get to visit some of Brenton's family while down there. I also have two more Owlz games that I get to sing the National Anthem for, Brenton's birthday is this week, and Ryan's just a few more weeks after that. I have a feeling August is going to go by pretty quickly. I'm going to try and squeeze in a few more trips to Seven Peaks Waterpark, too.

Ok, updating's over. Now to get to the title of my post. Since I was a little girl I have always played pretend games. Even as a two-year-old, I'd pretend my fingers were people and have them go to the playground, pool, or even church, all in my head. I can remember when I was around six or seven, trying to sit quietly through the first hour of church in the chapel, pretending I was 12-inches tall and swinging from the chandeliers up above me.

As I got older, most of my pretend games were influenced by whatever movie I'd seen the weekend before. In third grade, I saw "Undercover Blues" for the first time, and for weeks after pretended both of my parents were secret agents and taught me everything they knew. I'd make up all kinds of secret spy gadgets and run around the backyard using them. With all my fun games and pretending, the one I imagined most often was of course, being a princess. I don't think I ever really let that one go, even when I was playing a different pretend game.

Now at this point, most people begin to grow up and stop playing pretend games. They helped spark the imagination as a kid, but afterwards there's no longer a need for them. Well I beg to differ. For those who know me well, or even those who don't and all you've read is my blogger profile, I'm a princess. Seriously. I never gave that pretend game up. In college, I'd pretend I was leaving my castle to go off and learn abroad. I would study hard because I'd pretend that an entire court was counting on me to do my best. As I dated, I knew that I was being sought after because I was a princess who would only settle for the best. I knew when I met Brenton that he was the prince for me. We had quite the fairy tale courtship and wedding. It was perfect.

Now at this point some of you may think I'm nuts, but let me tell you what a difference this pretend game has made in my life. The truth is it's not that far from reality. I am a noble daughter of God: a true princess. If I do all I can to live worthy of that title, I will be welcomed home in the royal courts on high. When I wake up in the morning, I think about how important it is that I live up to that title. I hold my head up a little higher, and try to remember all the things that set a princess apart. It improves my self-esteem, my attitude, and my actions. It also brings out my feminine side, which I've always loved. It's easier to be charming and graceful when you're pretending to be a princess getting all dressed up to welcome her prince charming home.

So if you're having a tough day and can't seem to get into the right mood, try pretending to be a princess. Think of everything you would have to do to live up to that title, and don't forget all the fun and frills along the way. That's one of the best parts of being a princess. Try it, and suddenly you'll remember who you are, and all the potential you have. It's always worked for me!