Mazzy and Harlow’s day camp, like most day camps, has numerous theme days where the kids have the option to dress up— Superhero Day, Wild West Day, Pirates and Princesses Day, Star Wars Day, Crazy Hat Day, etc.
Our first year at camp, I was very on top of the theme days. Mazzy always wanted to be in costume if it was on the schedule. As she’s gotten older though, dressing up for theme days has gotten a little less important. The older camp still has theme days but most of the kids don’t dress up; the themes just inform what the activities will be that day.
Since Mazzy doesn’t usually dress up, Harlow doesn’t consider it priority either. Plus, Harlow is too busy wearing dresses and carrying purses to put real energy into a Superhero costume.
This summer though, Star Wars Day was different. Mazzy really wanted to bring a light saber to camp, which meant that Harlow wanted one too. She told me about it weeks in advance so that I could be prepared. As a special treat, I agreed to take them to a toy store to buy them the day before the big day. My girls are the types of girls who play mainly with Barbies, Lego & Friends and American Girl Dolls, so I thought encouraging a little Star Wars action, even if it set me back a few dollars was a positive thing.
At the toy store, while checking out the light saber options, Mazzy saw a Rey costume and fell in love.
“If I buy it, are you really going to wear it?” I asked her. I have been burned before.
“Yes,” she swore up and down.
“You know most of the kids aren’t going to be dressed up, right?” I wanted to be clear ahead of time because Mazzy also has a habit of backing out at the last minute.
“Yes,” she assured me. She wanted to dress up regardless. Which, I should add, I totally support. I was the kind of kid that would totally dress up whenever the opportunity presented itself too. I remember wearing Halloween costumes in high school, when it was totally not a cool thing to do. So uncool, it’s cool, I would tell myself. I still think so.
Anyway, when we got home, Mazzy tried on her Rey costume and she looked FANTASTIC.
The next morning, just as she had promised, she put her costume on with pride. Then she asked me to look up how to do Rey’s hair. Three loose buns going down the back. The site said it was a simple style designed to be practical in the dessert.
Pretty easy to do as far as hairstyles go, too.
When all was said and done, Mazzy looked spot on and BADASS. I mean— she could totally be young Rey in a Star Wars flashback sequence, don’t you think?
It made me think that Mazzy still loves dressing up, she just doesn’t care for our current stash of dress-up clothes, which is mainly purple and pink Disney princess dresses.
I’m glad to have a new costume in the mix.
As for Harlow, she dressed up as Princess Leia. Except, my plan to make a dress out of a white pillowcase was rejected at the last second. Luckily for me, it was before I had cut any of my linens.
Instead, Harlow wore shorts, a t-shirt, a crown, carried her light saber and wore the smallest Princess Leia buns you ever did see. I thought she looked pretty badass too.
At camp, all the preschool girls gathered around Harlow asking what she was carrying.
“It’s a light saber,” she told them.
“What’s a light saber?” one girl asked.
“It’s a thing you carry in Star Wars.”
Accurate.
Definitely badass yet still adorable!
Very good likeness to Rey, the force is definitely with her.
Tell Mazzy that my 7yo is the same way. She wore a pink t-shirt, green tutu, and orange yoga pants to school and did not give a f*ck what the other kids thought. She’s going to be eight on December 1st and has turned tomboy.
When is Mazzy’s birthday? I feel like we have the exact same kid.