Maggie's Memos: Our Surprise

Hi everyone!  As promised by Tess, here is the blog post that you've been waiting for all week.  Thanks for being so patient...we had a few technical difficulties this week. :}

It all started last Monday afternoon.  We were all chillin' in the doll room on Mama's dresser.  Charlie, Katie, Lucy and I usually stay on our own shelves during the day, but today we all felt like socializing and catching up a bit.  

  

Tess and I were discussing ideas for our next blog post.  Emma and Charlie were doing some sisterly chatting, catching up on everything that had been going on since the last time Charlie and I visited from our shelf.  Hailey was telling her cousins Katie and Lucy about how exciting it was that Tangled would be out on DVD and Blu-ray at the end of the month (she's completely obsessed!). :}

At that moment, Mama walked in with something behind her back.  We all turned and gave our various greetings.  Mama returned them, then placed a Safeway grocery bag full of unknown items on the bed behind her.

Of course, we were all curious to know what was in the bag.  Dolls are even more curious than humans.  Even the shy ones like Tess have an almost insatiable curiosity.  Maybe that's why we do so much more than you humans think we do when you're not looking. :)

"What's in the bag, Mama?"  I asked boldly.  Tess gave me an astonished look.  She would never be so direct.  But I firmly believe in getting things out in the open.  I'm not one for beating around the bush.

Mama smiled a little.  I don't know what she found so amusing.  "It's a surprise...for all of you."

Instantly, the room was filled with an almost tangible excitement.  Now all of us were even more curious.  I thought I would explode if she didn't tell us soon!

"I know it's been a rough couple of months," Mama began.  She gave sympathetic looks to Hailey and Tess, who had suffered the worst from all the changes in our doll family.  I reached over and gave Tess's hand a little squeeze.  She squeezed mine back, a quiet thank you shining in her eyes. 

"For the past few months," Mama began, "I've been slowly building up a collection."

"Another collection?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.  You've got to understand, Mama has collections coming out her ears!  She's got us, her Breyer horses, her Boyds Bears, an overabundance of Beauty and the Beast dolls and paraphernalia...and let's not forget her CDs and movies.  I couldn't imagine what other thing on earth she would need to collect.  Before long, Papa will need a room of his own...there won't be any room left for him in here!

Mama was looking a little bit annoyed.  I knew it was time to shut my mouth and just listen.  "I have a little something for each of you," she finally continued.  "A collection of surprises."

I felt a little guilty.  Here Mama was, giving us gifts, and I was giving her a hard time.

Mama reached into the bag and pulled something out, which she quickly hid behind her back.  "I'll start with you, Tess," she said with a smile. 

"Me?" Tess asked incredulously.  That's so like Tess.  She'd never imagine that anyone would want to choose her first.  I could learn a thing or two about humility from my friend.

Mama handed her...what was it?  It was an American Girl Rebecca doll and book!! Tess gasped with delight.  "My doll!" she cried happily.

Of course, you guys already knew that Tess had decided on Rebecca instead of Samantha.  She had no idea that her doll would be here today, though.  I think she made a great choice.  You should have seen the way her eyes sparkled as she held her.  

"Thank you, Mama!" she said softly.

Mama smiled.  "You're welcome.  Now," she said, turning back to the bag.  "Let's see what else I have in here."

Once another mystery item was hidden behind her back, she turned to Hailey.  "This is for you, sweetie.  Your sister wanted you to have it."

Hailey looked up at her with curiosity, but her eyes widened when she saw what it was.  "Ella's Felicity doll and book," she whispered, blinking back tears.  She waited a moment before taking it from Mama.  Her eyes took in every detail, as if she was memorizing every bit of Felicity.  Then she gave the doll a fierce hug.  "Thank you, Mama," she said, wiping her eyes.  "I'll think of Ella every time I play with her."

Mama gave Hailey's shoulder a squeeze before going back to her surprise bag.  Charlie was next.  She was overjoyed at her surprise.  

"Kit! And her book, too!" Charlie squealed.  "Thanks, Mama!  She's just the one I wanted."  

I have to insert here, even though Charlie's big on being outside, getting dirty, and Pixar characters, she still has a soft spot for dolls.  And she loves Kit because their personalities are similar.  

When Emma's turn came next, Mama pulled out an actual American Girl doll box!  "I hope you can all understand," she said apologetically.  "I kept watching for Emma's doll on eBay and Craigslist for weeks and weeks, and she never went down in price.  It was actually cheaper to get her on Amazon.com.  That's why she's the only one with a doll brand-new in the box."

No one seemed to mind at all.  The minute Emma saw her, she lit up with happiness.  "It's Ruthie!" she said excitedly.  We all leaned in as Emma sat down and opened up the box.  Emma held Ruthie up next to her face.  "Does she look like me?" she asked, laughing.  We had all decided that Ruthie was the closest thing to a look-alike doll that Emma had.  Their eyes were different colors, but other than that they looked pretty similar.  

It was down to three of us now, and I was getting a little nervous.  Mama had been so sweet to get all of these things for us.  But what if she got a doll for me, too?  I'm really not that into dolls.  You may find that ironic, coming from a doll.  It's the truth, though.  I've never wanted a doll of my own.  I'm perfectly content with my unicorn figurines and my cool jewelry box that looks like the Turkish Delight box in the Narnia stories.  What was I going to say to Mama if she got me a doll, too?  Contrary to popular opinion, I do have a conscience.  I may state my opinions and say it like it is, but when someone is nice to me I know I'm supposed to be nice to them, too.  I didn't want to hurt Mama's feelings, but I couldn't act excited about a doll. 

Katie was the next of us to get a treat from Mama's bag.  Katie's not as into American Girl dolls either, but she loves Blythe dolls.  You should have seen the look on her face when Mama handed her a Blythe doll of her own!

"Oh, Mama!  I love her!  And look...she even has a little 40s outfit on!"  Katie played with the trim on Blythe's dress.  "Thank you," she beamed, looking back up at Mama.

"You're welcome," Mama said. "Oh, and I almost forgot, here are her comb and glasses."

"Look how cute she is with her glasses on," Katie laughed.

"Lucy," Mama continued.  "You're next, sweetie."  She handed her a cute little Plum Pudding doll with real hair.  

"Thank you, Mama!" Lucy said.  "She even smells like plums.  And she has a brush, too!"  Lucy immediately began brushing through the long, purple locks.

For those of you who remember that Lucy is into Barbies and My Little Ponies, you might like to know she's been branching out in her interests.  Lately, she's been into Disney Princesses and Strawberry Shortcake.  Especially since she doesn't like the new version of My Little Pony.  

Well, here it was.  My turn.  I put what I hope was a pleasant, excited expression on my face.

"Now Maggie," Mama began.  "For you, I did something a little different.  This is something that belonged to me back when I was in college.  I thought you might appreciate having it for your collection."  She pulled something out from behind her back.

It was...it was...an action figure?  A Lord of the Rings Aragorn/Strider action figure?  With a sword and everything?!?  How cool is that!!!

"Wow...thanks, Mama!" I almost yelled.  I took him for myself and instantly tried out his sword swishing action (he swings his sword back and forth when you squeeze his legs together).

Now, I'll be the first to state up front that I prefer the books over the movies.  But hey, this guy is pretty cool!  I'm not going to complain.  And it isn't a doll!  Yay!  I guess I should have known that Mama would know me better than that.

Mama was watching me, a mischievous gleam in her eye.  "Are you sure you like him?  Because I'm pretty sure I could scrounge up another doll somewhere..."

"This is perfect," I said a little too quickly.

Everybody started laughing.  I joined in, too.  How could I help it?

"Come on, everyone," Mama said.  "I want to get some pictures of you with your new things."

What followed was a fun photo shoot.  I've included some of the best pics here.  That Mama is full of surprises!  She sure is good to us...even if she does like to change our family right and left.  I guess I can forgive her...maybe. ;)     

Our first group shot.  It was just a little bit crowded this way, so Mama decided to try a new pose.

First, she got a shot of all of the "big girls". :)

This way, we all fit a little better.  It was still a bit of a squeeze getting us all in the shot, though.

Yay!! Here I am with my awesome Aragorn figure.  He's one of my favorite characters in the books.  The others are Faramir, Legolas, Eowyn and Arwen. :)

A close-up.  Don't mess with this guy!

I kinda hit the jackpot.  After everyone got their gifts, Mama took me aside.  It seems that when Mama went to get my Aragorn, her Dad gave her two boxed Lord of the Rings actions figures that had just been sitting in his garage...and Mama said I could have them, too!

This is the first guy:  Treebeard, the Ent.  I liked his character a LOT better in the books than in the movie, but he's still pretty cool looking.  He and Aragorn are my jumbo action figures.

This was my next surprise:  a Frodo action figure just the right size for me!!

The paint job is incredibly detailed for how small he is.  I love it!

Here are the 4 sisters (well, 2 pairs of 2 sisters) playing with their dolls.

Hailey with Felicity

Charlie with Kit

Emma with Ruthie

Tess with Rebecca

Katie and Lucy with their goodies.  Katie is a little old to play with dolls (well, so are Tess and Emma for that matter, but they don't care...they must be like Mama!).  She always makes time to play with her sister, though.  She's pretty cool that way. 

Katie with Blythe

Lucy with Plum Pudding

And as a last, parting shot...I thought it was hilarious that Charlie wasted no time in finding Kit a Buzz Lightyear of her very own! :)

Tess's Tidbits: Good News and Bad News...and Another Change

Wow, I'm completely flabbergasted!  Yet another change has happened in our little group.  I hope Mama doesn't have too many more of these up her sleeve.  I don't know how much more we can take. 

By the way, sorry it's been so long since I've posted.  It's been a rough couple of weeks. :}  I'm writing now, though, because Maggie is so frustrated with all the upheaval that she'd probably burn holes in the keyboard with her furious typing!  :)

So, the change I'm speaking of is a change in family groups.  Mama took a bunch of pics of us this past week, and when she took this pic, she started thinking:

She started thinking how alike Emma and Charlie looked, and it made her wonder:  had she gotten the family groups right?  Thus began a few days of intense research.  Then came the revelation.  Mama had us all sit down together for a chat.

"I have a confession to make to all of you," she said.  "I...I was a little too hasty in assuming that Charlie was Katie and Lucy's sister."

Charlie shifted in her seat uneasily.  A few of us exchanged confused looks.

"What exactly are you saying?" Maggie said suspiciously.  Of course, she would be the one to voice what we were all thinking! :}

"I'm saying," Mama began slowly, "that Charlie is actually...Emma's sister."

Emma's jaw dropped.  Charlie gasped.  Katie turned very pale, and Lucy's bottom lip quivered.

"I'm sorry to throw this at all of you now, when we've already had so many changes.  But I thought the sooner I let you know, the easier it would be for everyone to adjust."

Well, as you can imagine, this threw all of us for a loop.  Maggie pretty much isn't speaking to Mama right now.  She's so sick and tired of all of the changes and surprises.  I wonder, too, if she's having a hard time knowing that now she's the only one without a sister.  When Emma was by herself as well, it was easier for Maggie to handle.  Now, she feels like the "odd doll out".  I'll have to be sure to reassure her.

I feel sorry for Mama, personally.  Everyone can make an honest mistake, and I think she was right to tell us as soon as possible.  It would only be harder as time went on.  Katie and Lucy were disappointed, of course, but I think it helped that they'll still have Charlie around as a friend.  After Emma got over the initial shock, she was thrilled to have a sister of her own.  Charlie was a bit dazed about it all, but she really likes Emma, so hopefully that will help ease the transition.

Of course, there was the whole name issue to settle.  After much discussion between Emma, Charlie, Katie and Lucy, it was decided that Katie and Lucy would go back to their old name, Peterson (they were still trying to get used to "Hathaway", anyway).  Emma will now be Emma Grace Hathaway.  She's pretty excited about the name change.  Hathaway is a much more elegant last name than Roberts.  And for a fellow Austen fanatic, that's a very exciting thing.  :)

You might be thinking, "But what about when Charlie first came?  She and Katie 'knew' they were sisters."  I don't really know how to answer that.  Emotions can be tricky and misleading sometimes.  Maybe they were so excited and anticipating everything so much that they thought they "felt" something.  I don't know.  Maybe we'll never know.  But Mama is completely confident in her research now.  Emma and Charlie are definitely sisters.

In other news, we just heard from Ella's new "Mama".  She arrived there safe and sound and is doing well, though she's a little tired from her trip.  I think she's going to try and email us when she gets a little more settled.

I was having a really rough time there for a while.  It was sooo hard to say goodbye to Ella.  Mama really helped me, though.  She encouraged me to talk about what I was feeling, and even shared some of the Bible verses she likes to read when she's upset about something.  My favorite one was Romans 8:28:  "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."  It was nice to be reminded that God cares and is in control of everything that happens. 

Mama also said that any time I was sad or lonely for Ella, I could talk to God about it.  It won't make all the pain go away, but it helps.  I'll always miss my little sister, but I'm so thankful that she's in a great home, and that God is taking care of her.

So, regarding my title, I have some good news and some bad news to share with you...although it seems a little trivial after all we've been through.  Just bear with me. :}  I suppose I'll start with the bad news and get it over with first.

Do you remember my earlier post about wanting the special edition Samantha doll in her Christmas dress?  I've been hoping and wishing that I would get her.  I mentioned my wishes to Mama, just in case she needed a gift idea for me...not that my birthday is any time soon, but still...I figured it couldn't hurt to mention it.  Mama likes shopping early for things. :)

Well, a few of weeks ago (before all of this craziness), Mama told me we needed to talk and took me into the other room.  The minute we sat down, I knew something was wrong.  Mama looked like she was trying to figure out a way to say something without hurting my feelings.  She sat there for a moment.

"Tess," she finally said, "I'm afraid I won't be able to get you the holiday Samantha doll that you wanted."

I tried not to look too disappointed.  "Oh," I said quietly.

"I'm sorry, I know how much you wanted it.  But I looked into it today, and by the time you add tax and shipping, it's $30."

I nodded slowly, wondering what her point was.  I knew $30 was a lot of money, but I also knew Mama had spent that much at a time on doll stuff before.  Did she just not want to get me the doll?

As if she sensed my confusion, she leaned forward and took my hand.  "Try to understand, Tess.  I know I've spent more than that on dolls or doll accessories in the past, but I've never spent that much on any one accessory...especially such a small one.  I mean, that's more than I paid for you...and you were much bigger!"

I blinked at her comment, then hid a smile.  Maggie would be spitting nails at this.  Mama has learned a lot about our culture since having us in her home, but she still hasn't learned how very rude it is to talk about how much your person paid for you.  It's considered indelicate and distasteful.  With some dolls, mentioning their purchase price can cause them to stop speaking to you for weeks.  It may seem silly to you humans, but it's a very grave issue for us dolls.

"What I'm trying to say is, I just can't justify spending that much on one little doll, when I could buy 2 or 3 used ones elsewhere for the same price!"

I nodded again, seeing the possibility of getting my Samantha doll fade away into the distance.

Mama could tell I was disappointed.  "I'm sorry about this, honey.  I know how much you liked her, but I just can't do it.  Maybe in a year or so, when people are selling them used, we can find one for a better price.  I don't know, though.  Since they're limited editions, they might just go up in price."

It was a done deal.  I wouldn't be getting Samantha.  Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.  I blinked them back quickly.  I didn't want to make Mama feel worse than she did.  But, oh, how I'd wanted her!  "That's okay, Mama," I said, forcing a smile.  "I have lots of figurines.  I guess I don't really need a doll."

"Who said you weren't getting a doll?" Mama asked.

"Um...I thought you did," I replied, confused.

"No, I just said I couldn't get your special Samantha," Mama corrected me.  "I'd like to get you a doll, but I wanted to talk to you first."

And here comes the good news, everyone!

"I was wondering if you'd still like a Samantha if she was in her meet dress, or if you'd rather go back to your original favorite doll, Rebecca."

My jaw dropped.  "Really?  Do you really mean it Mama?"

"Of course," she smiled.  Then her expression sobered.  "I know it's been a tough couple of weeks for you.  I thought maybe getting a special doll would help things a little bit."

"Oh, thank you, Mama!" I cried out, flinging my arms around her neck...as far as they would reach, at least.

"Even if it's not your first choice?" she asked.

I smiled.  "Even if it's not my first choice."

"So now you just have to decide which doll you'd like.  I found an original Samantha and a Rebecca, both at really good prices.  I thought maybe we could try to find a matching outfit for you, no matter which one you chose."

So there you have it.  I'm officially getting a doll.  The problem is, I just don't know which one to choose.  Samantha looks more like me, but I love Rebecca a lot, too.  Do any of you have any suggestions?  Which one would you choose?

 

Tess's Tidbits: I'm so Excited! :)

Hi everyone!  I know I just posted, but I had to do another quick post.  I was looking at all of the new stuff on Americangirl.com, and I saw the ad about the special edition mini AG dolls they're bringing out this year.  Here's a pic:

I've been wanting an American Girl doll of my own for a while now.  I'd thought about getting a Rebecca doll, but when I saw this Samantha, I knew she was the doll for me.  For one thing, she looks a lot like me with her brown hair and brown eyes.  For another thing, I have this same dress!!  Mama found it for me on Craigslist.  So I could have a look-alike doll with a matching dress!  I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it.  Now I just have to figure out how to save up $22 plus tax...

So, what are your favorite new releases from American Girl?  Do any of you have something special you want to save up for?