They'd play house until the cows came home, but wouldn't touch the pink beauties I'd purchased for them -- including the Barbie Townhouse, something I would've JUST DIED FOR, but never had when I was a kid. So for years, Barbie and her modest wardrobe sat, ignored in the back of their closet.
This past spring, when my parents did some major cleaning, my mom found and gave me a box of my old Barbies. Combing through the countless outfits and accessories, felt like Christmas morning.
Thirty years earlier, I'd been the lucky recipient of several one-of-a-kind home-made Barbie clothes from a neighbor and had inherited my aunts' beloved dolls and outfits, some of which came from the original Barbie and her pal, Skipper. Everything had been lovingly played with and though the dresses were fairly worn, they were just as I'd remembered them.
As I oohed and aahhed over the box, my girls approached, intrigued. I pulled out several tiny outfits and tenderly dressed a few Barbies who'd been left naked. (Gasp!) I showed my girls how to fasten the tiny snaps -- their dolls' clothes all have velcro closures -- and told them of the many adventures I used to invent.
When we got home, Mad Dog and The Deuce took the box upstairs, dug their own Barbies out of the closet and began to play, combining their newer dolls and accessories with my old ones. They've barely stopped playing with them since.
Now when I enter their room, I take care to not step on tiny Barbie shoes. But I don't mind. Not a bit.
Back in the day, I never had a Ken doll and never cared to. He looked like a stiff, nerd with that black, plastic crew cut.
Instead, a Barbie-sized Luke Skywalker, all cute and tan, served as leading man to my Barbie. His wavy blonde hair and muscular build put pale, skinny Ken to shame.
I was the envy of the neighborhood for that Luke doll. My playmates wanted my Luke to take their Barbies to the prom, despite the fact he only had a white wrap top, beige tights and white boots to wear.
Guess what? Luke's still totally The Man.
I found him the other day hanging out outside the townhouse, still looking all blonde and cool, while the girls' Ken dolls are pathetically stuffed down in the bottom of their toy box.
Luke, 30 years later, still rocking those boots. I'd say Luke's fared well all these years. He's helped spark a love affair between my girls and their Barbies -- one that makes me nostalgic and proud.
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2 comments:
My girls have just rediscovered Barbies too. I love it!! I remember playing for days in the neighbor's basement, we'd set up whole Barbie towns. So many hours and hours of fun!!
Katie, I knew we had more in common than just our birthdays!
I remember my cousin set her Barbie's hair in these tiny curlers once. She left it in for months and when we took it out, Barbie had this huge blonde afro.
Good times.
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