2012 ~ 296

Barbie's Birthday
When I was little I played Barbie's with my best friend Nikki. We made Barbie's apartment out of things around our house. Our imaginary Barbie world was dictated by the life around us. Nikki and I both had single moms, and so Barbie was a single working girl with a boyfriend. I suppose the story was the same for many.

However when my girls played Barbie, her life was different. They played Barbie Family! Where dad went to work and mom went to the fabric store! My daughters had a great home-made Barbie house (it even had a garage for the family cars). My oldest was a planner, and she would orchestrate grand  daily life for the Barbie family. My second daughter would rather play than plan, and I could often find her behind a closed door in full, wall to wall play mode! My youngest daughter had a new home-made Barbie house. And a new Barbie family. But ALL the old Barbie STUFF of her sisters! With this generation of Barbie girls, there truly was a barbie family, right down to pregnant Barbie and the Grandparents.

The Family

The Grandparents

How grateful I am for Barbie. For the hours of play I had as a girl, the memories I have of Barbie time with Nikki. But also for the wonderful experience my girls had with the Barbie family.
The day Cookie and Jessette packed away the Barbie treasure trove was a bonding moment for them, but heart wrenching for me. Together they packed dolls, clothes, furniture, cars and STUFF. I will save these things of childhood in anticipation of the next generation playing!
 So on Barbie's Birthday....I wish her well, I hope for another 50 years of Imagination and Stuff! I hope my granddaughters will love it all too!

This was the Family I grew up with as a little girl!
 I loved them!!!