The Holiday Reports: A Princess and Her Castle

About a month before Christmas, as we sat around the kitchen table at mom’s enjoying a cup of Grandma’s best percolated coffee my mother glanced over her shoulder to check on the kids and then motioned me in for a whisper.  It would kill her to spoil the surprise, but she had just ordered some fabulous gift for our three year old and for some strange reason felt the need to inform me of her purchase.  “Oh yeah?”  I mumbled in soft tones “that’s cool. She’ll like that.” 

Mom quickly ran up to her office and tap tapped down the stairs in a flash, kind of like Saint Nick in “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”.  She plopped the catalogue down in front of me (well I had to inherit the catalogue gene from somewhere, you know) and together we sat ooohing and aaaaahing over just how cute the princess Playhut tent was and marveling over how much Princess would enjoy it.

A few weeks before the holiday we gathered again around mom’s kitchen table sipping Grandma’s magical brew (Yes, I’m addicted). After carefully locating the children my mother began to laugh as she addressed me. Grandma sat next to her with a smile from ear to ear, eventually letting loose with a chuckle. Princess’ Playhut had arrived and they had opened it together.  Apparently it was significantly larger than expected: laughably larger to be exact.  My jaw dropped in a silent scream.  Mother went to great lengths to assure me that it was not “that big” while Grandma sat by shaking her head in disbelief.  After about five minutes the wise elder matron broke her silence and insisted that the tent was “BIG”.    In the spirit of Christmas I forced myself to forget the entire matter.  There was no turning back.  The deed had been done.

Fast forward to Christmas Day.  Princess opened the BIG One.  In a state of confusion she sat back quietly as Grandma explained the gift and carefully unwrapped its compact packaging. Pop, the monstrosity in pink emerged from the garbled mess, occupying nearly half of our living room and swallowing up the family therein contained. 

Princess was excited getting two “best gifts ever” in one morning! This was just too good to believe.  Is this a Princess Castle for the Princess?  Awesome! She was so psyched!  Making her grand entrance into the royal abode within seconds, Princess set herself to play and tried to strong arm everyone into a visit.  I suppose it was just her own hostess genes (inherited from her mom) kicking in. Needless to say, the Princess Castle was there to stay.

That same day we were forced to relocate the castle to the girls’ bedroom.  We had to, nothing and no one else could fit in the living room otherwise, and believe me, our living room is by no means small!  That evening Hubby and I found a more suitable position for the tent in the bedroom: as if one could find a more suitable locale for its overwhelming size and presence!  It takes up nearly one quarter of the girls’ room and that with their kitchen set and baby cradles nestled inside!  Incredulous?  Check it out!

I’d love to know who thinks these things up!  I can’t complain though.  I was huge into building indoor forts for myself as a kid and I would have absolutely loved to have one of these.  When they first started coming out with them I was somewhat tempted, despite my almost thirty something years, to get myself one! Ha! After all, who wouldn’t want their own little hiding place, especially if it’s a CASTLE and you are a PRINCESS!?