Missy

Last week at the Children's Museum, Asher discovered that there are things in this world that represent human babies but are meant to be held by toddlers (unlike human babies), ie, dolls.  He loved and fed and rocked and cradled the museum's dolls for about thirty minutes last week.  I didn't think too much of it until we purchased a doll for our Operation Christmas Child box and he requested to hold it in the car.  About halfway home I hear from the backseat, "Ut's 'ong, baby, ut's 'ong baby?  'Ant me wock you?  'Ant me put you in you bed?"  He asked this doll these same questions over and over for the next ten minutes.  It gave me a rare glimpse of my parenting through his eyes as I realized those were my words of comfort coming from his little mouth.    He loved that doll so much over the next 12 hours that I had to sew her head back on before putting her in the box (she was from the dollar store).  

So began the doll hunt.  

I searched in stores and online only to find that the market for a caucasian boy dolls is a very narrow one.  I found many caucasian girl dolls, even more "ethnic" girl dolls, and a few boy dolls, even one that was anatomically correct, yikes!  The ones I found most appropriate ranged in price from $50-$130, not a pricepoint I was really looking for.  So I was in a quandry, I wanted a doll but was not willing to fork over the cash, so my mission stalled.

Today at the museum my eyes were opened to the fact that Asher didn't care if the doll was a Waldorf-style or stuffed with organic wool, caucasian or ethnic, in fact, he didn't even care if it was a boy or girl.  So I found a $10 doll at Walmart and he LOVES her.  She is the size of a newborn, so I went to the attic and got one of his newborn hats and gowns to make "her" into a boy (easily accomplished because $10 doesn't get you anatomical correctness).   About an hour after the new clothes were donned and he was christened "Jackson", I hear Asher saying, "'Ut's 'ong, Missy?  'Y you cyin'?"  So Missy it is.  

Asher is now sleeping contentedly next to Missy with her bottle and her taggie.  And I am glad I didn't spend a small fortune needlessly.  Pictures to follow soon.