There's a BARBIE in OUR HOUSE?
My 5 year old exclaimed today..."there's a BARBIE in OUR HOUSE?"
It was so funny that my darling husband and I busted out with involuntary laughter.
Perhaps you don't understand why this is so funny? Ah...you see...
We are a BARBIE FREE home. At least we used to be.
While I know that in itself makes our home bizarre...I've endured many barbs about our Barbie Free policy...but I've remained firm in my resolve...until...
Last summer when we traveled to China and stayed at the legendary White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou, we received, as everyone does, the "Going Home Barbie." Specially produced by Mattel, the "Going Home Barbie" is for adoptive families. Barbie, blond and impossibly built as usual is attired in a short little skirt, equally as impossible high-heels and a Chinese Baby.
I know quite a few adoptive families. As yet, I haven't seen one mother who looks like Barbie. But you see, that's what brings me back to my disdain for her. No one looks like her that hasn't been either surgically enhanced or digitally remastered.
I'm saying Adoption Barbie should look like many of us adoptive moms...desperately in need of a manicure (who can afford them after paying for the adoption costs), in good walking shoes (chasing after 1 toddler is tough...but for some of us adoptive families...try 3 or more) and in an ample skirt (because many of us eat chocolate for the final weeks of stress waiting for our Travel Approvals!)
So today my 7 year old found the "Going Home Barbie" and was dancing around with it. This is largely because we have never had a Barbie in the home. Periodically the question comes up from one of my kids "Mom, why don't we play with Barbies?" And I drone on with my cerebral explanation that "Barbie is anatomically impossible." "I don't want you girls to think that the ideal woman looks like Barbie." "You're beautiful and capable just the way God made you, whether a brunette or short, etc" Truthfully, I'm in touch with the reality that all they hear is "WE DON'T ALLOW BARBIE HERE. WE HATE BARBIE."
So imagine the utter disbelief in the voice of my 5 year old as she stumbled out of bed this morning and beheld with her unfocused eyes... A BARBIE in the hands of her sister....INSIDE her home! She exclaimed in the most curious, amazed and dumbfounded fashion...."There's a BARBIE in OUR HOUSE?"
Note to self...find a new resting place for Going Home Barbie...sleeping with the fishes?
It was so funny that my darling husband and I busted out with involuntary laughter.
Perhaps you don't understand why this is so funny? Ah...you see...
We are a BARBIE FREE home. At least we used to be.
While I know that in itself makes our home bizarre...I've endured many barbs about our Barbie Free policy...but I've remained firm in my resolve...until...
Last summer when we traveled to China and stayed at the legendary White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou, we received, as everyone does, the "Going Home Barbie." Specially produced by Mattel, the "Going Home Barbie" is for adoptive families. Barbie, blond and impossibly built as usual is attired in a short little skirt, equally as impossible high-heels and a Chinese Baby.
I know quite a few adoptive families. As yet, I haven't seen one mother who looks like Barbie. But you see, that's what brings me back to my disdain for her. No one looks like her that hasn't been either surgically enhanced or digitally remastered.
I'm saying Adoption Barbie should look like many of us adoptive moms...desperately in need of a manicure (who can afford them after paying for the adoption costs), in good walking shoes (chasing after 1 toddler is tough...but for some of us adoptive families...try 3 or more) and in an ample skirt (because many of us eat chocolate for the final weeks of stress waiting for our Travel Approvals!)
So today my 7 year old found the "Going Home Barbie" and was dancing around with it. This is largely because we have never had a Barbie in the home. Periodically the question comes up from one of my kids "Mom, why don't we play with Barbies?" And I drone on with my cerebral explanation that "Barbie is anatomically impossible." "I don't want you girls to think that the ideal woman looks like Barbie." "You're beautiful and capable just the way God made you, whether a brunette or short, etc" Truthfully, I'm in touch with the reality that all they hear is "WE DON'T ALLOW BARBIE HERE. WE HATE BARBIE."
So imagine the utter disbelief in the voice of my 5 year old as she stumbled out of bed this morning and beheld with her unfocused eyes... A BARBIE in the hands of her sister....INSIDE her home! She exclaimed in the most curious, amazed and dumbfounded fashion...."There's a BARBIE in OUR HOUSE?"
Note to self...find a new resting place for Going Home Barbie...sleeping with the fishes?
posted by The "H" Family @ 11:46 PM
1 Comments:
At 3:06 PM,
Stinky Mouse said…
Oh my goodness, you're blogging again! Trying to get in practice for something?
Our home was always a Barbie free zone too, but that's probably not much of a statement we've only raised boys.
As to Barbie's final resting place, the answer is obvious: eBay!
My suggestion though is to wait until Christmas time when people are more psychologically up for spending way too much money on the wrong things. Also, the White Swan is closing in November for renovations and doesn't plan on catering to adoptive families when it reopens in two years. This means Going Home Barbie will be even more collectible then.
-ScottO
(who is a bit disappointed our families won't be collecting our next Going-Home Barbies together!)
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