A Sport Princess beginning

I used to flinch at the word "princess".

My sister teased me when I made my own onesies for my daughter when she was newborn... I wasn't finding much neutral colored clothes for so young, and when I put Mackayla in boy onesies... yellow or blue or green, everyone thought she was a boy... and that just wasn't fair to my sweet little baby.

So I bought pink plain onesies, and sport patches from a craft store, and made my own! I'd put on a sport ball patch, a number or two, and sometimes put her name "Mack" across the back. I didn't think much about it back then, but now I realize it was the start of the Sport Princess concept.

My sister teased me again after she taught Mackayla all the mainstream princess names and got her into dress-up gowns. See, she had a baby girl just 9 days after I did! Sweet little Avery, who is the girly-girl-princess of them all. I was no competition at first... Mackayla started requesting a dress everyday. So I compromised and bought her new flouncy skirts to twirl in, but sport shirts to go with it... and eventually... her own mini football jerseys. She loved it! As long as she had some girly twist to go along with the rugged sports, she was thrilled.

Ringlets... glittery stripes... puffy crinoline under her skirt...

It wasn't until after I created Sport Princess characters, pictures, and stories that she really got hooked though. She started asking me to call her "Jo" and wore her pink soccer socks and cleats through the house and to preschool! She made me cut out paper dolls and characters and act out the stories with her at night. She has colored and painted countless Sport Princess pictures by my side at night. She is both my biggest fan and inspiration.

The real eye-opener was when we hooked Avery, too.

I have rarely seen anything as beautiful as a rugged sport shirt or jersey over a flouncy skirt, coupled with tennis shoes or cleats, skipping off to preschool and singing a sport tune.

"J J! na-na-na-na-na.....na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na... na-na... na-na"

Will you help me share it with others who might feel the same?