Tiaras and Shinguards

When I was pregnant with Mo, I didn't know that she was a she. I did know, however thanks to some graduate work in gender studies, that I would do everything within my power to prevent her to falling into the Princess trap. Read here or here I did not want her to sit around waiting for Prince Charming, I wanted her to get out there and live it up! In those terms, I guess for me it meant sports. I wanted her to be the athlete, not the girlie girl, cleats over high heels.
Guess what?
It backfired... a bit.
I tried to skip the Princess thing. I cringed when strangers (or some family members) would refer to her as "the Princess". I avoided showing her any of the Disney movies until very recently when Snow White was on the tv. That is easy now courtesy of Pixar. Then somehow "Princess" became part of her lexicon. She HAD to have princess panties, even though she didn't even know who most of the princesses were. She HAD to have the Cinderella book at the dollar store, and begs to use the Princess bowl and plate every day.
What did I do wrong? How did this happen?
Damn you Disney and all your "Happily Ever After"!
I had an epiphany of sorts yesterday. I guess I had always been dealing with absolutes, when in the case of princesses and sports, it doesn't have to be. She can wear her princess panties under her soccer uniform. She doesn't have to make the choice one over the other, especially at three years old. She can wear a tiara one moment and play with her soccer girls the next.
It would be a mis-truth if I admitted that I am comfortable now with all the Princess paraphernalia, I still prefer sports, but I'll be a little less neurotic about it.
Just don't call her Princess in front of me! Why settle? I prefer Queen Mo!