Never Break Character

My days at home are not spent with Adelie and Staley.  They are spent with Adelie and Anna...or Adelie and Rapunzel...or Adelie and Ariel...or Adelie and Belle.  Staley wakes up each and every day as someone other than herself.  Usually the first conversation we have in the morning is Staley informing me of who she is.  And who she is to start the day dictates what she wears (Rapunzel wears purple, Belle wears yellow, princesses wear dresses, etc.) and how she wants her hair done (Rapunzel wears a back braid, Belle wears a half ponytail, Anna wears pigtail braids, etc.)  And often who Staley is on any given day then translates into who I am.  Because if Staley is Anna, then I'm Elsa.  If Staley's Ariel, then I'm usually Prince Eric.  I've also spent my days as the Beast, Flynn Ryder, Pasquel, Maximus.  (For those of you who aren't well versed in Disney princess movies, I'm usually either a male or an animal.)

The fact that my imaginative little gal starts each day as a different character isn't surprising.  But I find it pretty amazing that she can stay in character all day long.  (It is not uncommon, however, for her to change from one character to another during the course of a day.)  She'll consistently correct me if I refer to her as 'Staley'.  I can't tell you how often I've heard her say, "I'm not Staley.  I'm _______."  The other day, Staley was Rapunzel.  We were in the playroom and Staley wanted to put on her purple princess dress and a tiara.  Then she looked in the mirror wearing all her Rapunzel garb and exclaimed, "I look just like...(long pause)...myself."  (I know she was planning to say Rapunzel, but I loved the fact that, since she was Rapunzel, she simply noted that she looked like herself.)

Our days are never dull.  And whether I'm enjoying time with a mermaid or using my icy powers or simply dancing at a ball, I know I can count on Staley Anna/Rapunzel/Belle/Ariel to fill my days with adventure.

She's not Staley.  She's Anna.