The Adventures of Harry and Grace (H.S.)

Little Miss Bossy Pants

"Grace, come stand over here for a family picture please," you say, directing the family towards the picture place in front of the flower Mickey Mouse face at the front of the park. Harry parks the stroller to the side and unbuckles Ethan from the straps, holding him in his arms.

"Would you mind taking a picture?" You ask the cast member who is standing in front of the photo station. Grace skips over towards her father, cuddling into his side. You join your family, everyone snuggling in closely as the cast member counts to three and snaps a few pictures of this moment.

"Thank you!" Harry says to the cast member as you take the phone back. Harry buckles Ethan into the stroller and hands him a map of his own. "Are we ready?" Harry asks the family as we begin to slowly make our way into the park, the smells of fresh baked goods and popcorn waft past your nose, making you hungry for those tasty Disneyland treats.

"Daddy. I know where we're goin' first! We are going to fantasy land. See right here." Grace points at Fantasyland on her map. Ready to start the day. Grace has done this before, and she knows exactly what she wants to do. But this is Ethan's first time, and he is unsure about going straight to Fantasyland first thing in the morning. "I wanna be a princess. Remember last time, they gave me princess hair, and a crown and a dress and shows and a wand....."

"Buzz, mumma. Go Buzz!!" Ethan hits his map with his chubby finger, indicating that he wants to go ride Buzz Lightyear, interrupting his sister in her rant of excitement. To prepare Ethan for the excitement of Disneyland, Harry and the children have been watching YouTube videos of the park and the different amusements that Ethan and Grace could ride. Of course, Grace gave commentary for each ride, telling Ethan which ones he would and wouldn't like, but the videos seemed to help Grace be less scared her first time, so they did that for Ethan.

"Have been looking forward to Buzz haven't yeh, Stud?" Harry pulls back the awning on the stroller so he can see Ethan's face. The little boy has his legs crossed and the map spread across them, open and ready to lead the way.

"Eth, Buzz can wait. We HAVE to go to Fantasyland first. That's where the princesses are." Grace is almost demanding in her tone. "I have been here. I know what's best! You don't know what is good here."

You look over at Harry, raising your eyebrows, slightly shocked by the attitude that Grace is giving. Harry chuckles softly before responding to his daughter.

"Grace, can we let Ethan choose a ride first since he hasn't been here before? And then you can pick the next place we go?" Harry tries his hardest to negotiate.

"Buzz!! Buzz!! Buzz!!!" Ethan cheers, pumping his fist in the air, so much so that the stroller wiggles back and forth from his energy.

"NO! Fantasyland!!" Grace stomps her foot hard on the ground, giving her parents a look that can only be interpreted as pure frustration. "I know what we are doing! Ethan doesn't!!!"

"Grace Gemma!" You say, kneeling down so that you can be on her level and look her in the eyes. "What is the deal?" You watch as Grace bites her lip hard in an effort to hold back her irritation; it doesn't work as the tiny tears run down her cheeks.

"Ethan doesn't know anything about Disneyland, mumma!" She plops her frustrated body on the curb of the road, and you sit next to her, bringing her close to your body with your arm around her shoulders. "He's never been here. He doesn't know what's fun!"

"That's very true, Bug." You say, validating her feelings about this being Ethan's first time at the magical land. "But, do you know it's okay if Ethan likes a ride that you don't?" Grace shrugs her shoulders at your comment. "There might be things he enjoys more than you and that's okay."

"Let GOOOO!" Ethan kicks his legs up and down, full of excitement and not too thrilled at the fact that the family has stopped to have a talk.

"Hold yer horses, Stud." Harry says to Ethan, rubbing his hand on top of the little boy's head. "Grace, can I tell yeh a secret?" Grace nods her head, sniffing the boogies that have started to run due to her tears. "When I met yer mom, I wanted to show her my favorite sweet. And guess what? She wouldn't eat it." You chuckle slightly at the story that he has decided to share, remembering the look on his face that day many years ago.

"Why, daddy?" Grace asks, obviously curious as to why you wouldn't eat Harry's favorite sweet.

"Because it had whipped topping on it." Grace gasps at the horror of you not liking a food that is beloved by the other three in the family. "That's right. I felt the same way. But did it make me love Mum less because she didn't like whipped topping?" Grace shakes her head no. "Yer right. So if Ethan wants to see Buzz instead of the princesses, that's okay. It doesn't mean yeh can't love him the same." Ethan continues looking at his map, distracted by the colors and pictures on the paper in front of him. It occurs to you that he probably won't care what you do, as long as he gets to go on the Buzz Lightyear ride at some point.

"How about this? What if we take turns? We will go to Fantasyland first, ride all that you and Ethan want to ride there. Then after that, we will go to Tomorrowland and do what everyone wants. We will switch off. How does that sound?" You say to your daughter.

"Fantasyland first?" Harry asks you, and you shake your head yes. "Grace, are yeh goin' ta be nice? No more Little Miss Bossy Pants?"

"No more bossy pants; I want to go be a princess!" Grace stands up walking over to the stroller. "Eth, wanna be a prince? You get a sword......" Grace asks her brother.

"A sword???" His voice is filled with happiness at the thought having a sword in his hands. He kicks his feet with excitement.

"Yes! They do your hair, and you get prince clothes!" The smiles that slide across Ethan's face makes Grace clap with joy! "Then we will go see Buzz!! Can I sit with you on Buzz? Only two people!" Grace says.

"Bug on Buzz, Daddy!" Ethan shouts, reaching out and grabbing his sister's hand as Harry pushes the stroller to move the family further into the park.

"That's not fair! I wanted to sit by my Stud!" Harry's tone is full of tease as you pinch his side, and he smiles back at you.

"We can go on it more than once. Silly daddy!" Grace shakes her head at her funny father and continues talking to her brother about the makeover that is ahead of them.