The fashion wars have begun. In our home, the four year old is already voicing her opinion on what she will and will not wear. As much as I hate to admit it, we have started using threats as our primary negotiation tactic. The most efficacious trick is threatening to give her a boy haircut. This was especially effective since Kim and Senia Mae got a trim today. There is no worse punishment than the thought of cutting off her golden mane princess-like hair. We would never actually do it, but it is useful to get teeth brushed, to finish vegetables on a dinner plate, or to get her out the door on time. What makes it even more funny is that Kim and I were both tomboys as kids. I remember begging my dad to take me to his barber so I could get the same haircut as him. My mother had a total fit when I came home looking like a cute little boy. At the time I loved looking like a boy, but to my daughter that kind of haircut would be the worst suffering imaginable. It is a complete riot.

Today's wardrobe argument was over denim. I had picked out a long sleeved pink Frozen shirt with some medium colored boot-cut blue jeans. Senia Mae looked over the outfit and cried out, "I just can't wear this," tossing the ensemble on the couch and storming into the other room.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Mama, princesses do not wear blue jeans," she said passionately. "They wear fancy dresses. I have to put on something else."

"It is five minutes until eight and you are going to be late for school," I said. "You are wearing the blue jeans."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

This went on for a few more rounds until I had to threaten the boy haircut and of course, I got my way. She pouted all the way up the stairs and into the car. Just to prove my point I looked up some princess facts as Mommy Kim drove us to the school.

"Okay, Senia Mae, I am going to Google if princesses really wear blue jeans."

"Are you kidding?" she said.

"No, it's coming up right now." My finger flicked the screen as several kids books like "Do Princesses Kiss Frogs?" came up. Then at the bottom of the page was a story on Princess Kate visiting New York City this week. The article was about how she wore her favorite jeans three days in a row. Poor woman, I thought, can't even wear jeans without the paparazzi noticing.

"Here it is," I said. "A real live princess. Her name is Kate and she lives in London, England." Senia Mae's eyes became as large as bowling balls. She couldn't believe it. "Says here that she is visiting New York City and she wore her favorite jeans three days in a row."

"Can I see it?" Senia Mae asked as I handed her the phone. She looked at the casually dressed princess in astonishment. "Can you show me a fancy picture of her?" I pulled up the royal wedding photo from a few years ago and seeing the same princess in the flowing white bridal gown was all the evidence I needed to close the case. Yes, princesses wear blue jeans. It was confirmed by the internet and everyone knows that everything you read on the internet is true.

Now for my princess? I won the blue jean battle today, but who knows what tomorrow will bring!