A Girl and her Doll

I was never one to play with dolls.  Barbies were banned from my house while growing up, and I didn't even know American Girl dolls existed until I was way too old to want one.  I had a Cabbage Patch doll, a bald preemie named Samantha, who sat in my Pet Net amongst my other neglected stuffed animals.  A Pound Puppy named Fudge.  A Wuzzle.  A Popple.  A Carebear.  It was the 80s and 90s yo, and I had the perfectly pegged jeans and Tretorns to prove it.

I also never had much of an imagination or a creative side.  I liked to be active, played sports, the violin, ice skated, and worked in my parent's shop from a young age.  I was practical and studious and the only fairy tale dreams I had were to get married to my very own prince charming and have tons of babies.  {Mission accomplished}

Those babies came and most were boys, and then, finally, pink!  She loved baby dolls but then outgrew them and followed in her big brother's footsteps of sports.  She traded in the tea parties for cleats and the baby bottles for lacrosse sticks.  I wouldn't call her a tomboy per se, but she was definitely not a typical "girly girl".  She liked to wear dresses, but hated tights.  She loved lip gloss but wouldn't be caught dead in braids or barrettes.  

And then one day, after spending time with her girl cousins, she decided she wanted an American Girl doll.  We hemmed and hawed and wanted to make sure she really wanted the doll and not just to be like her cousins.  She insisted she wanted Maryellen.

We told her she could ask for American Girl store gift cards as birthday gifts and Christmas gifts and save up to buy Maryellen herself.  She was on board.  We could tell that she really wanted this doll, it wasn't just a fleeting request.  Her birthday came and went, and she ended up receiving half of the cost of Maryellen in gift cards.  We said that maybe after Christmas she would have enough to get her.  

A few days before Christmas, Maggie asked me if she could write a letter to Santa.  "Sure!" I responded outwardly, while inside I was shocked as all of her older brothers had been the annoying first grader caught telling their friends that Santa doesn't exist.  We just don't really encourage Santa, but somehow Maggie wound up believing.  Here's what she wrote:

An Elf on the Shelf?  For reals?  Maggie knows how much I get creeped out by that dude, that's why she called in the big guy!  But Santa is smart and sent her back a letter that she opened and read on Christmas day:

So a couple days after Christmas, my mom, Maggie, and I made the trek to the American Girl store and picked out Maryellen.  Of course Gammy had to buy her a "play outfit" as well.  Maggie was smitten!  

She still changes her outfits and plays with her everyday, even though nobody else is around to play with her.  I don't know why she doesn't have a sister of her own, but she is so lucky to have girl cousins close to her age that she gets to see a lot.  She read the book that came with the doll and was excited to discover Maryellen is one of six kids too!  How cool!  Every time I catch her playing with her doll, my heart melts a little to see this side of my beautiful daughter, one I never expected but is lovely to watch.