Because of some miscommunication, my sis-in-law didn't bring any of the nieces favorite books with them. So, we had to improvise. I hauled out some books I've had since my childhood. One, My Giant Story Book, was surprising to me. It is a large book of 25-30 shortish fairy tales. Some are traditional like Little Red Riding Hood, while others are very unusual like The Steadfast Tin Soldier or Toads and Diamonds. As a kid, I read this book over and over and over and over. If I ran out of other things to read, I just re-read my favorite stories.
I had a very difficult time finding something to read to the twins. First, I had to eliminate the longer stories because they would lose focus. So, I tried to read a few of the shorter stories. Let's just say I improvised greatly. I am really trying heard not to push the princess thing with them. I am also trying to avoid reading stories that focus on beauty and finding the most handsome husband. What did that leave me with? The Donkey's Skin Dress (this version is slightly different than the one in the book). What's that? In print, it is a story about a princess who left home because she didn't want to marry a man selected by her father. She ends up living with some nice people and works hard to earn her keep. In the end, she marries a handsome prince. In my version of the story, she left home and worked hard to gain her independence.
Am I nuts? Should I just throw in the towel? I know they are going to be introduced to all the princess crap, but when they are with me, I am really going to try to downplay the "needing a man" thing.
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