Our "Brave" Girl

History repeats itself is a common saying.  I am here to tell you that this saying is definitely true in our house. Marie gets herself stuck on a movie or book for several months and then moves on to another. Andy & I become very good at playing our parts during these phases:

"Daddy, you be King Triton and I'll be Ariel."

"Mommy, you be the evil stepmother and I'll be Cinderella."

"Daddy, you be Prince Eric and I'll be Ariel."

"Mommy, you be Mother Gothel and I'll be Rapunzel."

"Daddy, you be Flynn Rider and I'll be Rapunzel."

(By the way - why are the mothers in these movies always mean?! I always get stuck playing the bad guy...)

Well, now we are stuck on the newest movie, "Brave."

At first glance I thought this movie was going to be way too scary and not "princess" enough for our little princess.  But we rented it from a Blockbuster here in Sioux City (yes, those stores do still exist) and then we rented it again, and again.  Marie fell in love with the story line, characters, and loved to remind me that the girl had big curly hair just like me.
So, the Easter Bunny surprised Marie with her very own copy of "Brave."

Since Easter, we have watched this move approximately 57 times.  No joke.  57 times!

This is not your average princess movie.  Merida is an expert at archery, riding horses, and even scaling rocky mountain tops.  She is talented, smart, independent, funny, sarcastic, and often at odds with her mother...hmm, sound familiar?

Eleanor, her mother, expects a lot out of Merida as the oldest in the family.  She wants her to be kind, smart, look presentable, and always do her best for her kingdom and family. She often forgets to play with Merida and focuses much of her time on the "to do" lists and expectations of others....hmm, sound familiar?

By the end of the movie, the two come together and learn to respect the differences that make them unique. They remember to play together, learn from each other, and spend quality time together as they are.

Not only has Marie picked up pretending to play with a bow & arrow from this movie, but I have picked up a lesson or two myself. 

So, I will always say "yes" when Marie asks, 

"Mom, you be the mommy Eleanor and I'll be Merida."