KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
- Messages
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Pre-trip #21:
Hello, Dolly! (Part Two)
When we left off, Tricia had a big decision to make: which of her two dolls would she choose to take with her to WDW in November: Jessica or Cathy?
Now, I know that you are probably smiling to yourself and wistfully thinking that all of Life’s decisions should be so difficult! But that, my friends, is the one of the many blessings of youth. And it was youthful sincerity that made Tricia’s decision a difficult one. It prompted her to seek the advice of a girl who was older and wiser, but not so old and prematurely sophisticated as to have abandoned the ingenuous friendships of dolls.
Because, therein lay the heart of the matter. Both of these dolls, Jessica and Cathy, were not just playthings; they were her friends. One of them would have to be left behind and Tricia did not want to hurt either of the dolls’ feelings.
We had gone through a similar situation a few months ago when we celebrated Tricia’s birthday with a girls-only trip to American Girl Place in New York City. American Girl Place is a giant, three-story department store dedicated to the American Girl Collection. (There’s an AG Place in Chicago and in Los Angeles, as well.) In addition to retail offerings and displays where girls can explore the worlds of the different historical characters, AG Place houses a theater in which original productions are shown and various seminars and events are given for girls aged 8+. On the third floor is a smart café decorated in a striking black and white, accentuated with bold splashes of pink.
It was in the café that Tricia, her grandmother, her aunt, her cousin and I planned to have Afternoon Tea. Afterwards, the girls would attend a Doll Hair Salon Spectacular, in which they would be taught how to do fancy up-dos on their dolls, and sit for a portrait session with their dolls in the Photo Studio. Oh, and of course, it wouldn’t be a completely satisfying Fifth Avenue experience without shopping! Lots and lots of shopping!
As you may recall, one of Tricia’s dolls had met with an unfortunate accident involving her autistic little brother, a set of markers, and a pair of scissors. Oh the wails that echoed through the house on that day!
It was a hard lesson to learn, but she learned it well: Never, under any circumstances, leave your art supplies and your dolls unattended in plain view together when your brother is around!
Poor Jessica.
I was able to cut her remaining locks into what I thought was a short but stylish bob. And I was almost completely successful in removing the green marker from her face. Unfortunately, what slight tint remained gave her the vaguest look of perpetual sea-sickness. 
But, she had survived, and was loved all the more for it.
One year later, a new doll, Cathy, became a member of our household and the two were soon getting along famously. Cathy, despite her pristine complexion and long blonde hair, did not appear to be bothered in the least by the older doll’s sallow look and cropped hairdo. She was a true friend to Jessica, and to Tricia.
That friendship was put to the test, however, when plans for the big AG Place birthday were announced. Tricia had assumed, naturally, that both her dolls would be invited to take tea in the swanky café and indulge in the joys of shopping for a new outfit (or two) on Fifth Avenue. But alas, this was not to be. There was only space for one doll to sit with each girl at the table and both my sister and I agreed that it would be best to limit the girls to one doll each, anyway, because of logistical concerns. (Tricia has two dolls, but her cousin has five!) It would just be too impractical for all the dolls to join us. (Mean old Mommies!) And so, she would have to make the choice
between Jessica and Cathy.
It was the Salon Spectacular that was the deciding factor. Jessica had seniority, but her bobbed hair would not work for the fancy up-dos that Tricia would be learning in the seminar. And so by default, the newer doll, Cathy, was chosen for the ultra-fabulous outing in the city. She attended the tea, had her hair done in a “princess veil”, and came home with a souvenir photo-issue of American Girl Magazine, with her picture on the cover.
Tricia (on the right) is looking at a doll display with her cousin. They are probably planning which doll they will ask for next!!
Cathy is enjoying tea in the Cafe. Note the little doll-sized place setting and the special doll "sassy seat" !!
I knew that Tricia felt a bit guilty. “I hope Jess doesn’t feel neglected,” she confided to me on the way home. Jessica graciously took it all in stride, however, and enthusiastically put on a fashion show with Cathy upon her return so they could model their new outfits for the family.
This recent experience must have been weighing on her mind, because once again, Tricia felt that she was being put in the position of having to choose between two equally beloved dolls. And she feared that she would wind up choosing Cathy again because of her long hair, thus hurting Jessica’s feelings for sure. She anxiously awaited advice from AG Princess. To her delight, (and mine), she did not have to wait for long.
Emma echoed my own thoughts and advised Tricia bring Jessica so “they would both be travelers.” She then went on to suggest several “cute” ways to dress up her short hair. It seems that graciousness is not a quality that is limited to dolls.
Tricia was thrilled that an older girl would take an interest in her situation and take her question so seriously. She asked me if she could post some of the above pics on Emma’s report and I agreed. My little girl was DIS-ing! 
Now Tricia was so excited about bringing her doll to WDW, and she begged to go shopping for a bathing suit for Jess! How could I refuse?! We took a ride over to the local doll and hobby shop and picked up a generic bathing suit for an 18” doll that was adorable. She packed Jessica’s little suitcase that very day!
Even though Tricia’s choice was between doll-friends and not people-friends, I was nevertheless very proud of her for doing “the right thing” and for being sensitive to the feelings of others. I decided to reward her (and Jessica) with a little surprise, and began hatching a plan…
To be continued...
Kathy
Hello, Dolly! (Part Two)
When we left off, Tricia had a big decision to make: which of her two dolls would she choose to take with her to WDW in November: Jessica or Cathy?
Now, I know that you are probably smiling to yourself and wistfully thinking that all of Life’s decisions should be so difficult! But that, my friends, is the one of the many blessings of youth. And it was youthful sincerity that made Tricia’s decision a difficult one. It prompted her to seek the advice of a girl who was older and wiser, but not so old and prematurely sophisticated as to have abandoned the ingenuous friendships of dolls.
Because, therein lay the heart of the matter. Both of these dolls, Jessica and Cathy, were not just playthings; they were her friends. One of them would have to be left behind and Tricia did not want to hurt either of the dolls’ feelings.
We had gone through a similar situation a few months ago when we celebrated Tricia’s birthday with a girls-only trip to American Girl Place in New York City. American Girl Place is a giant, three-story department store dedicated to the American Girl Collection. (There’s an AG Place in Chicago and in Los Angeles, as well.) In addition to retail offerings and displays where girls can explore the worlds of the different historical characters, AG Place houses a theater in which original productions are shown and various seminars and events are given for girls aged 8+. On the third floor is a smart café decorated in a striking black and white, accentuated with bold splashes of pink.
It was in the café that Tricia, her grandmother, her aunt, her cousin and I planned to have Afternoon Tea. Afterwards, the girls would attend a Doll Hair Salon Spectacular, in which they would be taught how to do fancy up-dos on their dolls, and sit for a portrait session with their dolls in the Photo Studio. Oh, and of course, it wouldn’t be a completely satisfying Fifth Avenue experience without shopping! Lots and lots of shopping!
As you may recall, one of Tricia’s dolls had met with an unfortunate accident involving her autistic little brother, a set of markers, and a pair of scissors. Oh the wails that echoed through the house on that day!
It was a hard lesson to learn, but she learned it well: Never, under any circumstances, leave your art supplies and your dolls unattended in plain view together when your brother is around! Poor Jessica.
I was able to cut her remaining locks into what I thought was a short but stylish bob. And I was almost completely successful in removing the green marker from her face. Unfortunately, what slight tint remained gave her the vaguest look of perpetual sea-sickness. But, she had survived, and was loved all the more for it. One year later, a new doll, Cathy, became a member of our household and the two were soon getting along famously. Cathy, despite her pristine complexion and long blonde hair, did not appear to be bothered in the least by the older doll’s sallow look and cropped hairdo. She was a true friend to Jessica, and to Tricia.
That friendship was put to the test, however, when plans for the big AG Place birthday were announced. Tricia had assumed, naturally, that both her dolls would be invited to take tea in the swanky café and indulge in the joys of shopping for a new outfit (or two) on Fifth Avenue. But alas, this was not to be. There was only space for one doll to sit with each girl at the table and both my sister and I agreed that it would be best to limit the girls to one doll each, anyway, because of logistical concerns. (Tricia has two dolls, but her cousin has five!) It would just be too impractical for all the dolls to join us. (Mean old Mommies!) And so, she would have to make the choice
between Jessica and Cathy.It was the Salon Spectacular that was the deciding factor. Jessica had seniority, but her bobbed hair would not work for the fancy up-dos that Tricia would be learning in the seminar. And so by default, the newer doll, Cathy, was chosen for the ultra-fabulous outing in the city. She attended the tea, had her hair done in a “princess veil”, and came home with a souvenir photo-issue of American Girl Magazine, with her picture on the cover.
Tricia (on the right) is looking at a doll display with her cousin. They are probably planning which doll they will ask for next!!
Cathy is enjoying tea in the Cafe. Note the little doll-sized place setting and the special doll "sassy seat" !!
I knew that Tricia felt a bit guilty. “I hope Jess doesn’t feel neglected,” she confided to me on the way home. Jessica graciously took it all in stride, however, and enthusiastically put on a fashion show with Cathy upon her return so they could model their new outfits for the family.
This recent experience must have been weighing on her mind, because once again, Tricia felt that she was being put in the position of having to choose between two equally beloved dolls. And she feared that she would wind up choosing Cathy again because of her long hair, thus hurting Jessica’s feelings for sure. She anxiously awaited advice from AG Princess. To her delight, (and mine), she did not have to wait for long.
Emma echoed my own thoughts and advised Tricia bring Jessica so “they would both be travelers.” She then went on to suggest several “cute” ways to dress up her short hair. It seems that graciousness is not a quality that is limited to dolls.
Tricia was thrilled that an older girl would take an interest in her situation and take her question so seriously. She asked me if she could post some of the above pics on Emma’s report and I agreed. My little girl was DIS-ing! Now Tricia was so excited about bringing her doll to WDW, and she begged to go shopping for a bathing suit for Jess! How could I refuse?! We took a ride over to the local doll and hobby shop and picked up a generic bathing suit for an 18” doll that was adorable. She packed Jessica’s little suitcase that very day!
Even though Tricia’s choice was between doll-friends and not people-friends, I was nevertheless very proud of her for doing “the right thing” and for being sensitive to the feelings of others. I decided to reward her (and Jessica) with a little surprise, and began hatching a plan…
To be continued...
Kathy
“Do you think that it will show up in the pictures?” she asked me, a slight note of worry to her voice. 
“Mom, you ROCK!” she shouted, and we made the necessary preparations. It would have been fun to make the entire makeover a surprise, but a trip to the doll hospital would take about 2-3 weeks. There really was no way that Jess’ absence could be explained without casting further aspersions on her little brother. Naturally, if Jess turned up missing, he would immediately be suspected of foul play. 
Jess quickly changed into her party dress and both dolls and Coconut, along with Cathy’s cat, Licorice, and all the various bears and bunnies in the room had a fabulous time at the Welcome Home party!
You guys must be getting excited about your upcoming trip 
And I completely agree with you about the merits of play and imagination. It's a huge loss if we lose it entirely as adults and I think we're lesser for it if we do.
But, the teen years are coming!! 
!
