My Dolls

My first major was a Debbie Reynolds bride doll (with boobs...PRE-Barbie) on the top shelf at CR Anthony's. I went to look at it daily...except weekends since stores weren't open back then. It had to be about 1958 or 1959...cost $10 I remember and I was absolutely praying for it, knowing it cost too much for mom to buy for me. My birthday came...was a Saturday morning so I guess I could look on the net at old calendars and see what year it was...I got my chores done and we walked to town, mom and I. She told me she was going to buy it for me...and remember..this was getting ready for school time so I had never had a present before for my birthday. I don't remember walking...I just remember floating the two blocks to town. When we got there, there was another lady and little girl holding the doll getting ready to purchase it, but had not decided for sure. My mom pulled me aside and told me that if the little girl chose the doll, that I would have to be a big girl and let her have it since she was younger. Funny, I understood in my disappointment. We walked away to pretend not to be interested and the lady put the doll back up on the shelf. I grabbed mom and we grabbed the doll, mom paid for it and I was in heaven. I'll bet I made that doll over 100 dresses AND bras and panties...she had high heels too. When I went away to college, mom took it to her classroom and let the children play with it and they tore it up. A few years ago, after searching the net for years, I found her again....without the bride dress....and bought her. I have yet to make her bride dress again...but I remember every seam and piece of lace so I'll get to it someday.

My second favorite doll was a 'Ruthie' doll. She was a baby doll with curly hair. She had a bottle and she wet her diaper! What a novel idea! I'll bet Niagra Falls couldn't compare to quantity of water with what I put through that babydoll. I sewed clothes for this doll also. I did somehow manage to save her with only a little bit of her curly hair messed up for my daughter. I have a photo of Rodina (about age 2) when I first gave her Ruthie and she discovered that the doll wet her diaper...the look of utter amazement and surprise. Knowing Rodina now, I'm sure she was thinking 'What the heck...mom's giving me a baby to take care of? Is she sick or what? Doesn't she know that I'm a baby myself?' Still, I love that photo...it was me attempting to pass on my love of a doll and giving her that connection to 'girlhood'.

My grand daughters have many many dolls. I keep telling Rodina that she needs to wean out the dolls so that they have one or two special dolls to learn to have a special relationship with. When we were children, we got ONE gift at Christmas. This was always a doll for the girls...what self respecting girl wouldn't want only a doll? These dolls had to be a babydoll of course. Those dollbabies were our closest friend for the year. This is training to be a mommy.