Jess had written a post about a lovely experience at the American Girl Bistro in Boston, where they had a waitress who was magnificently ready-to-help about autism-related issues. (If only they'd known to ask her at the beginning of the meal!) The comments were singing the praises of the wholesome sturdy educational American Girl product line, especially in comparison to the likes of Barbie and her physically-impossible ilk.
Rose had just gone Barbie-shopping with some birthday money, and had gotten both a bikini-clad doll and a Barbie swimming pool with lifeguard chair & other accessories on sale for the price of ONE new American Girls outfit. My grouse compared the dolls to cheap junk-food calories (Barbie) vs. pricy organic fresh stuff (AG). Sometimes when you can't afford the latter, you're going to go with the former, and that's just the way it is. Grump, grouse, whine. And pass the ramen noodles.
Well. We got a phone call yesterday from Rose's school.
Weekend before last, her school had held their annual big PTA fundraiser carnival, and we had ponied up $10 for raffle tickets. We were told that we needn't be present to win, but if we did, they'd give us a call within 48 hours. Having heard nothing, we thought, "oh, well."
The call, from the secretary, said, "We were hoping you could find a time to pick up the American Girl stuff you won at the carnival. It's been sitting in the principal's office and he'd like to get it taken care of."
Ooo. American Girl stuff! We've never purchased anything American Girl ourselves, even though it's a (local) Wisconsin company. We'd read almost all of the books from the library, though. And we do have a Molly and a Kirsten and a bunch of clothes & accessories, most of it hand-me-down, an outfit or two came as gifts. I was thinking maybe we'd scored a new outfit or some such in the raffle, and so I walked to school with Rose this morning, Joy in the stroller, thinking to bag up the dolly-clothes and tote them home.
Nuh-uh. Here's what it was:
Molly's Stage and Screen. Plus Theatre Seats.
I had to come back with the car to load up the big box.
These are retired items, might have been "seconds" because some little add-ons were missing, like the stage lights and the popcorn that usually come with. But they're brand-spankin' new. What a gorgeous, generous donation. And what amazing raffle-y luck to win this for Rose!
I think that Rose's Barbies and Only Hearts dollies are going to love performing here, along with their bigger American Girl counterparts.
Maybe someday Joy will be able to do theatre pretend-play too. For now, we'll have to keep her from sitting on the chairs.
But anyway. I retract my whine! Long live American Girls!
12 comments:
oh that's so fabulous!!! looks like the barbies are enjoying the show!!
Woohoo! Those are great props (toys) for imaginative play! With accompanying books - all the better.
Dolls are wonderful toys for a long part of childhood - okay to extend through the tween years.
Being as old as I am, I think Barbie's bad rap is undeserved (she came to life during my childhood, and there wasn't much else).
Barbie can be dressed appropriately and given successful female roles by children who see those roles in the women in their lives.
And, so-much-worse-dolls have come onto the market recently.
Winning a raffle is downright, erm, Irish?
I just sent in tickets for a chance at winning a Lexus. lol! Not.gonna.happen. We consider it a donation.
Well, I've gone on long enough to sign-out as BRatK
I loved my Barbie and everything she could do...
Congrats!
I'm thinking you ought to go back and to Jess's post and recant, JM.
Thanks, Osh.
And I just noticed JM's Barbie-like figure shows in the taking flight photos. Ahem.
I won't jump into the fray; I'll simpy say "Congrats!" and I hope the girls both enjoy it.
That's definitely the stuff for great pretend play! Rhema would be with Joy trying to sit in the chairs and climbing on the stage.
Enough of the Barbie, but we only recently became introduced to 'American girl.' Probably to late now, maybe just as well we skipped that one. Fabulous props though.
Cheers
Ohmigosh, that's a seriously AWESOME play set. I would have been all over that like melted butter on popcorn as a kid. Who am I kidding? I'd be all over it NOW if I had the chance.
As the auntie who has provided a few American Girl accessories for Rose as gifts, I have to say that the American Girl items may be a bit expensive but they are very good quality and well made toys. So, now that Rose has added this lovely theater set, this auntie will probably be shopping at the American Girl website for holiday gifts!! Shhhhh, don't tell Rose!!
-AuntieS (not too much ARatK today,so I will leave the crown to BRatK for now!!)
Kia - melted butter on popcorn... LOL! Sounds goood....
AuntieS - That would surely make Rose smile. Molly "Victory Dance" outfit, perhaps?
BRatK - Barbie-like figure? I'll cop to having had something of an hourglass once upon a time, pre-kids that would be, but I never had the million-mile-long legs. Nor the waspy little ankles, nor the foot-binding-size little tootsies, thank goodness! Nor... the Slenderella figure that was YOURS once upon a time, m'dear!
Osh, I loved my Barbies too. Only one of them survived to pass along to Rose, and that one met her demise recently as Joy used her for a chew-toy. Poor dolly, she was the only Barbie "of color" in Rose's collection.... Must keep an eye out for future diversity opportunities. Do they make wheelchair Barbies, I wonder?
Methinks adults pay too much attention to Barbie's anatomy.
Hehe.
I gave my (single, only) Barbie (in those days usually only one was had) to another child when I was 14 - WITH a fabulous handmade wardrobe made by my godmother. It's probably a sin to covet that back for myself. I DO however have several LITTLE KIDDLES and accessories to pass-on.
And yes, a Barbie or Barbie friend comes with a wheelchair. I bet Mattel has their full line on sale online.
We have all ignored Maddy's request to cease and desist Barbie. Sorry, Maddy.
And, while not shown on my blog, I still have nice ankles. Ahem.
I have had boys,
so I have never had the pleasure of this experience.
What fun that must be,
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