Tess's Tidbits: Slowly Adjusting

(Just had to share one more of my outdoor photos) :)

Hi everyone.  Sorry it's been a while since we posted anything.  As you can imagine, losing Danielle and even  Rose really shook us all up a bit.  Danielle's already taken her spot in the bottom drawer with the other Christmas dolls.  Mama was going to leave her up with us for a while, but she was worried that her daughters (who are very observant and know all of our names by heart) would notice Danielle's absence right before Christmas and make a connection.  This way, they have a couple months to get used to her not being around.  Hopefully Dorcas's Girl won't guess.  I think Mama's the most worried about her because she's so good at figuring things out.  And she's only 6 1/2!  I think Mama's going to have her work cut out for her with that one.  :)

Hailey's been really having a hard time.  Danielle isn't taking her clothes or shoes or necklace or anything, so for the first few days she was gone, Hailey would get out Danielle's ruby slippers and necklace and just hold them and cry.  I wanted to help, but I knew nothing I did or said would change things.  I gave her lots of hugs, and that's about it.

Then, on Sunday, Mama brought home someone new.  I think she did a post about her on her blog.  Our new member's name is Claire.  She's really sweet.  She has beautiful warm brown skin and big brown eyes.  Her hair is so curly!  I wish mine would curl like that! 

I'm ashamed to admit we had a hard time welcoming her at first.  She felt too much like a replacement for Danielle (she's even 10, just like Danielle and Hailey).  Hailey didn't even want to meet her.  But Claire has an irresistible personality.  She loves camping and she plays volleyball, and she's got this laugh that makes you want to start laughing too.  I think she was just what we all needed.  She and Hailey hit it off when Claire sang "Almost There" from "The Princess and the Frog" for us.  It's Claire's absolute favorite movie, and she sounds JUST LIKE Anika Noni Rose, who plays Tiana in the movie!  Hailey was really impressed (she's a singer, too).  Pretty soon, they were discussing music and singing, and then Disney movies and their favorite foods. 

That night, Hailey went over to the drawer and talked to Danielle.  Danielle was thrilled that there was someone that Hailey could hang out with.  She even wanted to meet Claire, so introductions were made.  The two of them got along perfectly.  I think it really relieved Hailey to know that Danielle wasn't hurt or jealous that she was making new friends.  I know that Hailey will never forget Danielle, even when she's not in the house anymore, but I think Hailey and Claire have the makings of a great friendship too. 

So, enough of that!  In other news, we've been in the middle of lots of rearranging and other things.  Mama keeps finding new furniture for us at Salvation Army.  Then she has to come home and figure out how to make it fit in our room!  We've also gotten some new dresses (one of them is the pink one Hailey's wearing in the pic above), and I hear we have 2 more dresses and 3 pairs of pants on the way that Mama found on eBay.  We'll keep you updated as things happen, and once we get all the eBay purchases I think Mama will share some pics on her blog. 

Things are going to be really crazy for the next couple of months.  Mama's trying to sell lots of stuff on Craigslist, and her brother is getting married next month.  Then, of course, we have Thanksgiving and Christmas...whew, I'm getting worn out already! 

Hope you guys have a great weekend coming up.  I'll let you know when anything interesting happens.

Btw, I know this really should have been a "Breaking News with Maggie" post, since it was about a new doll, but Maggie's got a cold and didn't feel up to writing.  Hope you guys don't mind.