Reunited (and it feel so good)

Dear Readers, it is my pleasure to introduce you to the fabulous Miss Emerald, the first Barbie Doll I've purchased for myself Lily. I am so excited for her arrival. I cannot wait. For my daughter's sake, I mean.
Of course.

I love Barbie. Always have, always will. My oldest friend, Jess, and I played with our Barbie dolls for years longer than any other girls we knew. It was our dirty little secret, but we simply could not part with them. Mine (Kate,) had the minivan and the salon and the family with twins. Jess had the basement sink that we transformed into a spa, the tree with berries the girls dined on and all the best dresses. She'd drive me crazy mixing her Barbie (Courtney Whales,) with "Little People" furniture and Lego's (Hello? They are totally different scales! Duh!) And I'd drive her nuts decorating houses whose furniture outlined the rooms. But, we loved it and would play with them for hours.

I have always found Barbie backlash amusing. My Barbie lived on a farm (?) and jetted into the city to work as an ad executive. She had a booming career, a hot husband and drove a functional, yet pink, minivan. So, her dimensions were 36-18-38, an obviously unattainable ideal. She was also a doll. Did the Smurfs make me want to turn blue? Did I aspire to grow a "snork" when watching the Snorkles? Did I want to dress up as a Strawberry and draw black dots on my nose? No. She was a doll who brought me countess hours of entertainment. Never for a second did I want to be her.

Jess kept hers neat and pristine (and I'm willing to bet they are still in her basement.) Mine all had Mohawks and one arm by the time we sold them in our driveway for fifty cents. I've always regretted getting rid of them and welcome the opportunity to relive my youth through my daughter. I hope they bring her as much joy as they brought me. I hope she listens when I tell her that their hair will not grow back once it's cut. I hope she doesn't attempt to shorten the skirts, give perma-blush with a pink Sharpies and use push pins as earrings. None are a good idea, and I speak from experience.

Mostly, I hope that she is smart enough to hang on to hers, long after she thinks she should. Because, as I've learned, a girl never really outgrows her Barbie.

Edited on 6-18-2008 to add:
"Annabel Lena" arrived today. And Lily is mixing her with the plastic Disney characters. Breathe, Jill, breathe.