You Be the Judge

We have a new family member named Hannah.

Jenna has "wanted" Hannah Montana stuff since she was about 3. At that point in time, I refused. Told her no. Said that I was the boss, and she was too young for HM. I felt, at the time, that I was only protecting her from the inevitable. You know, the downward spiral that all pre-teen pop-star sensations go through. Eventually.

When she was 4, I told her it was okay to watch her music videos and concerts on tv, but she was certainly not getting Hannah Montana "stuff".

When she turned 5, and started to read, I printed off a copy of the lyrics to "Best of Both Worlds" so that Jenna could learn the words (and sing them to the family when she gives her free nightly concerts on our fireplace hearth/stage). I think that was when I also "allowed" a HM nightgown and t-shirt to enter her wardrobe, and possibly a poster on her bedroom wall.

I was able to hold off the inevitable until now. The inevitable being the onslaught of "character-inspired" paraphanalia that has slipped through the cracks and entered our home. As of December 25th, we now have a Hannah Montana guitar, microphone, headset, wig, doll, dance mat, DVD ...... the list goes on and on.

All of this leaves me disturbed, but not quite as disturbed as I am about another phenomenon going on in our house. Sure, I expected Kara to jump on the Hannah Montana bandwagon as soon as her concert gear entered the house.

I only find it mildly disconcerting when I hear her belt out the lyrics, "...then you rock out the show!"

But what I didn't expect, and what I can't seem to make peace with, is this: