Month of Gratitude

I love dolls.  And I loved dolls when I was a little girl - and even when I was a big girl.  My sister Alice and I usually got matching dolls for Christmas.  One year we got "newborn" dolls - which were perfect for us, since we usually had a newborn in our house and we could use some of the clothing and accessories when we played.

And we always "played" dolls.  We set up houses by laying out rooms on the patio, and we played house with our dolls. 

 

 I'm so old there were no Barbies.  There were Ginny dolls, but they were probably expensive, because we never got one.  Once we got a Muffy doll - maybe the equivalent of the Target brand faux American Girl dolls.  We weren't ace seamstresses at the time, so the clothes we made for them were pretty rustic.  But we still had fun.  Although I do remember going to school and being very envious of those girls who brought their Ginny dolls to school - and the vast wardrobes their Ginny dolls had!

I remember always loving the dolls we got.  From conversations with my mother over the years, I'm pretty sure she either went to a lot of trouble or was always really lucky - I think maybe she went to a lot of trouble.  In later years, she often made dolls for the granddaughters and great-granddaughters, so I think she thought dolls were pretty important.

When Bonny was ready to get a doll, Harry and I both weighed in on the purchase.  He had some definite ideas about dolls too.  I made doll clothes that matched Bonny's clothes.  I enjoyed doing it too.  Once Harry said, "Are you making those for Bonny to enjoy - or for you to enjoy?"  I think it was a little of both.  I also started collecting Madame Alexander dolls for Bonny - each year I'd give her one of the Little Women dolls - she still has them all!

Madame Alexander actually fell into some disfavor, and all the girls didn't get them.  Frances had a tradition of buying Baby Huggums for the new babies, and we've done that somewhat sporadically I think.  It's pretty hard and pretty expensive to get them now.

And of course, everyone knows the story about Phoebe's Cabbage Patch doll.  (She wanted one - I did manage to find one - and Harry questioned the expense - until he saw her face when she opened it - and said, "Well, you called that one right!")

 

Hannah and Eliza managed to come of age at the right time for the American Girl doll saga - I confess I enjoy them too - and Bonny, Phoebe, and Dawn have managed to make them a part of their lives!!

 

There are lots of doll stories to tell.  Someday I should gather them up.  For now I will just say I am thankful for a mother who provided me with dolls I loved - and encouraged me to play with and enjoy them!!

There are lots of doll stories in our family - sometime I ought to write them all down.