Tiana

Dear Addie,

Since we began our parenthood journey (and if I’m being honest, more so when we headed down the autism path) there are more times than not that I find myself thinking – “Well I never thought I’d be doing this!”

I recently thought this as I found myself singing “this is the way we wash our hair, wash our hair, wash our hair...” a song we usually sing together when washing your hair in the tubby, only I wasn’t washing your hair, in fact - you weren’t even home - you were at school. I was washing princess Tiana’s hair. A doll. I was singing to a doll while washing her hair Addie.

Mark it. That happened.

You see Addie with our tiptoeing our way back into life, you headed back to school and I resumed my cleaning routine around the house which always starts with, you guessed it - your room.

Ask any special needs parent and they will tell you - when the cat’s away, the mice don’t usually play. For me, it’s prime time to clean and catch up on things, and if we are lucky, like super lucky, we might get to blink super long! I’ve heard some people call this a nap?! Naps are magical.

Now, where was I, oh yes, your room…

This story begins with me picking up everything from off the floor preparing to vacuum, and that’s when I noticed her. Your beloved princess Tiana had fallen victim to your sticky fingers. And by the smell of her locks, it was from remnants of the little orange carcasses you leave about after sucking all the juice out.

Parenting is so rewarding, but it’s also very messy and very, very sticky. Fact.

Insert “Tiana spa day” added to my to-do list.

Tiana hands down is your favorite princess. So much so that every other princess shares her name...

Belle = Yellow Tiana

Sleeping beauty = Pink Tiana

Cinderella = Blue Tiana

Tiana is your fav and always has been since you were super little. Holding high standards for any other princess in the bunch. So, I guess today it was only suiting that she get a treatment appropriate for her royal status.

Yep, never thought I would have been doing this, but here I am.

She's all clean now.

Love you.

Mom