When Curtis and I started volunteering occasionally in the preschool department at our church, I was embarrassed to find out that I didn’t really know how to play with the little girls. The boys are easy simply because I have one and I am now equipped with the ability to make engine sounds, the importance of which cannot be overestimated. But toddler girls were a mystery to me. What has shocked and tickled me about them is how much they love to play with the baby dolls. I had no idea!
Usually there are more little girls in the classroom than there are baby dolls, so you can imagine how they follow each other around, hoping to recover any doll that may be fumbled. In spite of the inevitable fumble, these baby dolls are very well taken care of by their pint sized mommies. They hold them close, with their little plastic heads over their shoulders, and they walk around patting their little backs with such intensity. One Sunday Curtis had a line of girls who wanted their baby dolls swaddled. It takes a lot less energy to sit next to my friends in the married young adults department, but you cannot get entertainment like this anywhere else.
I never really played with dolls when I was small. I was much more into stuffed animals, My Little Ponies, and an E.T. doll that I dragged everywhere I went by one arm. Ironically, Melissa loved baby dolls and she has yet to have any interest in giving me a niece or a nephew. Even though I never liked dolls myself, I’ve been so excited about getting Annabeth her first one. I didn’t know when this big event was going to occur, but when Annabeth started crawling last week, and when she started crawling repeatedly to Jackson’s large plastic garbage truck, I knew it was time for some girly toys in our house.
So Mom and I went to Target yesterday and bought Annabeth’s first baby dolls.
Here’s the tiny one. I thought it would fit nicely in the diaper bag.
Here’s the big one, which I later realized doubles as a bath toy.
I am now presenting Annabeth with her first doll. We are in the dining room because it’s the only room that isn’t a mess right now.
Perhaps counting fingers and toes?
This doll is useful for teething.
We’ll take that over this.
Let’s see how she does with two.
Annabeth is either giving this baby the infant Heimlich maneuver or demonstrating the colic hold. She’s already so advanced.
Thumb sucking is Annabeth’s sign that she would like a nap. Motherhood is very tiring. Who knew that two were twice as much work?
Thank you for my first dolls, Bibby!
What was your favorite toy when you were a little kid?
