4AM

From a strange dream involving college friends, I jolt from slumber's warm embrace to the early morning yells of my son.

"I want MAMAID"
"I want MAMAID"
(louder)"MOM-MEEEEEE I want mamaid!

Next the bleary-eyed stumble into E's room.

"What's wrong, honey?"
"Mamaid"
"hmmmmmm?"
"MaMAID - wha my Ma-MAID?!"
"What?"
(howling) "Ma-MAID! I need my MA-MAID!!!"
(finaly dawning) "A Mermaid? You want a mermaid??"
"Yes!" (beaming at me)

I look around with half quinted eyes to find a fairy figurine on his bedroom floor. "How about a fairy? She's a friend to the mermaid." He opens his hands to accept it and I stumble back to bed.

Having an older sister means this boy is equally obsessed with mermaids, fairies and princesses. All things girly. And I'm totally OK with it. Loving on this post this week. You HAVE to be the right kind of mother to your son. I don't force stereotypes of gender on my daughter and my friends find great humor as the feminist in me still rankles at her princess obsession. But I feed her imagination with all sorts of books with females in strong roles. And I want to feed my son's imagination -- and let's face it, fairies fly AND sparkle, mermaids are beautiful and tea parties ARE fun!!