This will be the last post about dolls. Promise!Unless you get me started on Barbies.
These dolls above were mine when I was a little girl. (so they are about 30 some years old)
From left to Right--
Meet Melissa, Elizabeth and Michelle.
Those were the fanciest names I could think of when I was little.
I thought they were princess names.
The kitty was also mine when I was very little, my mom stitched eyes on him after the eyes fell off.
He's pretty fragile, and I'm sure will fall apart if played with.
This whole doll thing has me thinking about a lot of things.
One big thing is Wow! People really get touchy when we talk about dolls, don't they?
I sense people getting defensive, or maybe it's just me, I don't know.
Really, I don't care what kind of doll anyone else buys. It's up to you what you buy.
I don't think less or more of you depending on the kind of dolls you have.
The other thing that I've been thinking about is Heaven.
Heaven and what we get to take with us.
Nothing.
We don't get to take anyTHING with us.
It's funny how I view the dolls and yet will spend pretty close to that price on a DS for my son (we don't have the DSi)
Anyway, I think it has to do with Heaven.
With a video thingy, it's not a prized possession. It just costs a lot.
With the video game, it's monitored a lot, it's only played with on non-school days, for a 1/2 hour.
With the dolls, I don't want my girls to spend all their money on one thing.
High quality or not.
(I don't care if you do, that's up to you, I'm not judging you)
These are our dolls. Or rather, my girls' dolls.Meet, Annalise, Julie, Melissa, Lily and Katelyn.
They've had their hairs cut, make up put on them and the girls have made things for them, they've been to tea parties, they've been bike riding, pretty much done everything with my girls.
Yes, their hair is not as nice as those more expensive dolls, but my girls don't seem to mind.
Grandma made all these outfits you see here (except the pants on the far right)
(she's a knitter)
3 dolls were gifts, 2 were bought with their own birthday money.
$24,95-Wal-Mart
Will they play with them all the time? Yes.
Will they get lots of use? Yes.
Will they last forever? No.
Do I want them to?
Probably not.
I mean, what do I do with my dolls?
They sit in a box in my closet. They were perfect when I put them in the box, now, they are
not so perfect, they got old without me even doing anything to them.
My girls are playing with them now, but tonight I'll put them back in the box, up in my closet.
Until another time.
They are just things.
They are not as important as people.
They are not more important than Heaven.
They are just toys.
Oh, how I wish we lived in a simpler time where children had one or two toys and they were happy.
Now, children have more things than ever and are more bored than ever.
I try to clean out every month.
We donate a lot.
We still have a lot.
But with 5 kiddos, there's just a lot.
Simplify.
I'm always trying to simplify.
I DO hope no one was offended in these past 3 posts about American Dolls.
It was not my intention.
Really.
:)
ReplyDeleteI missed the post where you originally spoke about American Girl dolls. Oops. :)
Now I hope I didn't sound defensive when I said Aslynn had one...(and for that matter I hope I didn't sound snotty when I said we didn't have video games in the house!)
Anyway, we got into them because it's a whole 'thing' for Aslynn. She got a subscription to American Girl magazine from an aunt (which, thank God, is one of the few things she will happily just pick up and read on her own...I am trying to get her to love reading...) she likes to browse the catalogs (knowing she will never ever get that 500 dollar camper...he he!)...and I hope this doesn't sound like jumping on the bandwagon, but her friends have them. And if eight-year-old girls can still like something that innocent instead of pop stars and boys then I am thrilled.
She also likes the whole book series and enjoys the whole historical aspect of it.
So, for us it's sort of a 'hobby' in a way.
Not that I buy into brand name things...just that it encompasses more than just buying 'trendy' dolls for us.
You are awesome for your opinions, and again, I hope I don't sound defensive. That's just our 'why' on that.
Also, thank you for explaining your video game 'rules.' Video games freak me out because so many of my friends' children are pretty much allowed to play whenever they want and I feel sad when they don't know how to just play.
Not that I ever doubted you were an awesome mother and are totally aware of this! :)
You are the best, Jamie!
Oh ... I hope I didn't sound defensive!
ReplyDeleteAll I know is we're all doing the best we can, and there is no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one!
All the best,
Michelle
Just like she said, you're the best Jamie. Everyone should have the kind of control you seem to have with your kiddos.
ReplyDeleteI often remember back to when my folks gave me a Daisey air rifle and that was about it for Christmas except some fruit or candy. I was tickled and thought I was the richest kid around. It was the same for my 2 sisters. What they got was limited but they were thrilled to get it. Those good old days were just that.
Odie :)
No-Michelle, It's just that if people are defensive, it's because of something I said that hurt them or rubbed them the wrong way to provoke that and I'm sorry if that is the case.
ReplyDeletewow, it's great to be called Awesome!!
Thank you, but I'm really not all that.
Hi Jamie
ReplyDeleteI'm still lurking around, reading your posts! (Though I don't comment often.)
I don't think people were defensive, but just responding to your honesty. I think because you are so open and honest that others feel that they can be the same with you. That is how I feel anyway. Otherwise, I would never even bother commenting!:-)
As for the doll thing, everyone is different. And different views or perceptions are good for us to hear and try out. I learn a lot from other people's views. Sometimes I learn that I agree and other times I learn that I'm going to stick to my own opinions.
Having grown up in a family that is very opinionated (three brothers that like to debate and one sister who is married to a Judge-how do you like that?), I'm used to hearing opinions and I've learned to become open to them.
So I think you should take it as a compliment that people feel comfortable enough to be open with you. Like you said, it's just dolls. I will even share my own opinion about American Girl dolls with you which I didn't even have an opinion until I read your post--I think they are fine within reason. I myself make it a rule to never spend more than $20 per item for a kid. But once in a while, if it's something I know they really want, then as a once in a lifetime treat, I would probably splurge that one time. Just to make a dream come true, you know? It's nice that we parents can do that sometimes.
See you in the blogs!
To each their own (and I've always held that opinion). You're great to be so open about this subject. They are just toys. Some will have them, some won't. Who cares at the end of the day? I'm glad no one can dictate to me what I can and cannot buy my kids or how much I can spend on mine. I don't dare dictate that to others. I might say something to my husband about it, like: I can't believe how much crap people buy their kids . . . I wonder if the kids appreciate any of it?"
ReplyDeleteI do have one thing to ask. Why put your dolls back in the closet if they are 'just things'? This is a rhetorical question, not to offend or anything - just curious why put them back in the closet?
Thanks, Jamie! You're the best!
Becky--I love that "dream come true" thing, brings tears to my eyes!
ReplyDeleteSarah--I don't know!!! That's why I wrote it. I guess to show my grandchildren someday. My girls, all of them loved my dolls yesterday. Even the baby carried them around and kissed them. But, at the end of the day, I had to put them back in the box.
Maybe I should just give them to them and let them get ruined and who cares about the grandchildren, if I even live that long?!!
I'm a work in progress.
they are just "things", yet, I keep those "things".
I really don't keep that many things, except this little box of dolls (there's also 2 yearbooks in there) and of course pictures, bins and bins of picture albums and drawers of pictures waiting for albums!
Oh, I kept my "boy" baby clothes. Gave everything away after size 5 though....ya just never know, someday we might have another boy!!!
Oh, yeah, for anyone reading these comments...I still hug and kiss my dolls when I take them out of the box and when I put them back.
ReplyDeleteIt's a weird thing, I know!
seeing them takes me back to when I was a little girl and how much I loved them.