For those without daughters who may not have been exposed, American Girls are a brand of dolls, with accompanying books, clothes (for real girls and dolls), accessories, and even their own camper trailers or treehouses, if you are willing to drop $400 on an abode for your daughter's doll.
Of all the things Mia could love, of all the brands out there, I must say I would rather her be pouring over the American Girl catalog (which she does for hours and days when it arrives -- memorizing every item and its price, planning how she can save all her birthday money for the next couple of years to buy another doll, or maybe just finagle one out of Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas) than be begging for Hannah Montana concert tickets. But, even still, it has gotten a bit out of control.
A couple weeks ago Mia spent hours unable to sleep because she wanted so badly to get one of the new "My American Girl" dolls. Particularly so that she could create an online persona and play on the new American Girl website. Since we were not willing to just order her one that night, and since it took a significant amount of explaining for her to understand that buying the doll was a prerequisite to getting an on-line identity, well, let's just say it was a rough evening.
In addition, she is regularly trying to figure out how soon we can take a trip to New York, not so we can see the Statue of Liberty or go to Central Park. Nope. So we can, again, visit the American Girl Place Store. We did just go in Chicago. But, NY has other features, like a live show, which we have not yet experienced. It is an absolute must for Mia Joy.
In the past she has vacillated a bit on which American Girl is her favorite. [There is a line of "historic dolls," current "dolls of the year," and then the dolls that can be designed to look just like a real, live American girl. ] But, no more. As of the last week, Mia is Felicity -- the colonial era American Girl.
Mia has gotten obsessed with counter identities in the past. She was "Princess Dot" (from a Bug's Life) for about six months, during which she always wore wings and a crown, followed very closely by a summer stint as "Alice" of Wonderland fame (in fact, that summer several of Jeffrey's co-workers actually thought he had a daughter named "Alice" since that is what she had told them her name was). But, now that she is older, it is worse. She has access to a much larger wealth of information.
She has been re-reading all the Felicity books we own (3) every day.
She watches the Felicity movie we own, every day. And then, pauses it to take note of particular styles, mannerisms, and activities that they do.
And, if she is not reading or watching, she is listening to the box set of Felicity audio recordings from the library.
Her name is now Felicity. Maggie's is Nan (Felicity's younger sister). Elsie Jane is Will (Felicity's younger brother William, but since she is a girl, Mia decided that Elsie's full name would actually be "Willow," we will just call her "Will.")
Every day for a week she has worn a dress with all of the six skirts that she owns layered underneath as "petticoats." She admits it is a little hot and itchy, but it is worth the price to have the more authentic colonial experience.
She also wears tall knee high socks as "stockings" with rubber bands around the tops to be "garters."
She is planning our Halloween costumes for this year so we can be a fully functional Colonial family: Felicity's family, the Merrimans. She has lots of requests related to the details of our attire. Including that I knit authentic stockings that do not have elastic at the top and require garters. I said, "No."
She is also trying to find a way to decorate our car so that it looks just like a carriage. I did tell her there was to be NO taping things onto the car.
She has cut off the bottom of the white shirt that goes with our Dorothy costume to create a cravat for Jeffrey's use.
She has secreted playdough in her room for use as sealing wax on the letters she is writing. (I am just relieved that she decided to use playdough rather than my actual sealing wax!)
She has insisted we prepare colonial food. The first request was for "shrewsbury cakes," but we settled on tarts.
She also had to plan a whole colonial, candlelit dinner. With the silver goblets. I convinced her chicken pot pies would be authentic enough.
She convinced Maggie to trade her dolls (an amazing feat since Maggie's Felicity doll is her most prized possession): Rebecca (Mia's doll) and Cocoa (Mia's favorite horse) for Felicity.
She also sewed herself a "muff" to to keep her hands warm, since I guess gloves will no longer be acceptable in winter.
She is practicing pouring her warm milk from a teapot and adding a cube of sugar, cinnamon, and gently stirring in her teacup.
The only saving grace is that we live in Virginia. Which, although we are not in Williamsburg like Felicity, has been close enough to the proper location that Mia has not yet put a For Sale sign in the yard or just decided to move on her own, with or without the family.
I keep hoping that some appropriate colonial manners and obedient behaviors will accompany this obsession, but so far, all I am "supposed" to do is tell Mia, I mean Felicity, that she takes too fast of steps.
1 comment:
Mia needs to come over for a visit. My parents got Geneva the Felicity doll. Geneva absolutely loves Felicity. We have all six books plus I think one about Elizabeth too. Geneva insisted I make her a Felicity dress. The first one turned out decently; however, Geneva's baptism dress was another story. It was supposed to look like Felicity's Christmas dress only white and pink instead of blue(unfortunately my sewing skills aren't the best but Geneva was okay with it).
Geneva is often Felicity and Josiah is Ben (luckily, Josiah likes playing Ben although I think he takes the acting a little far..paint for blood, etc.).
We have to have "tea" parties, make samplers, and such too. Luckily for us one of Geneva's fears is of big animals so even though she loves to look at horses that look like "Penny", she doesn't want one too close.
We don't know much about the other dolls but the Historical dolls' stories have actually helped in our schooling:).
Nice to know my daughter isn't the only one who wants to be Felicity:). Rebekah
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