There are so many little things that tell you your children are growing up. For example, the last time I nursed Rhys - he said "Mama, I LOVE to nuhse" and then he never asked to nurse again. It was a little hard. He's my last baby, so it was my last nursing. I didn't know that would be it, but there it was. With Rhys there are many things like that, because he's my last. With Irene, I'm excited about each new step. This isn't to say I'm not excited about Rhys' new steps, new experiences, new stages, b/c I am!! But too, there is that bittersweetness to them.
So - I needed to send some fabric to Lydia (who is amazing and sews up the most INCREDIBLE clothes in the entire world and she has agreed to make Rhys some pants and a vest for my baby brother's upcoming wedding), and I know her sweet Sadie loves Angelina Ballerina. I asked Irene if she felt like she was through playing with her Angelina, Alice, Henry, and their clothes. She said yes. As I packed up the precious dollies, I was surprised at how hard it was. I will have to find pictures to put on here from Irene's Angelina Ballerina birthday party (she was 3 1/2). Irene fell deeply in love with the Angelina books when she was 2. I think my mom bought her the book Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird. Irene was hooked. Of course, it helped that she loved to dance, she loved to dress up and that Angelina did these things too.
At a staff meeting one day (when I was working at Papermill Creek Children's Corner in Point Reyes Station), we were just chatting and I mentioned Angelina Ballerina. Would you believe that Katharine Holabird's best friend was our school psychologist (I don't know if that was her exact title - she was probably more of a consultant? she always helped us and our families and the children). It was amazing and delightful to find that out. AND, when I was pregnant with Rhys, Elizabeth had Ms. Holabird personalize a copy of Angelina's Baby Sister!! We were all over the moon. It was also around that time that American Girl started carrying all things Angelina Ballerina AND the little cartoonettes came on. Our world revolved around Angelina. It was so nice to have this little mousling who wasn't perfect and made mistakes but was sweet and kind and tried to be good. I loved to watch Irene making stories with them. gads - getting teary thinking about all that...
Anyway, she no longer plays with the dollies and so we've sent them on to Sadie. I am so pleased to be able to share them with another little girl who will love them and play with them and dress and undress them a gazillion times. I miss that Irene is no longer the little wee girl playing with them, but I love the little big girl she is and the new directions she is taking. Ahhhh, I wish we could press the rewind button sometimes.
2 comments:
I bet you're tired of me agreeing with you and then one upping you on how big MY kids are but, we were just talking about this sort of thing the other night, my friend Shelly and I. When we first met our babies were younger than Rhys is now. And yet here we are, all these years later, and our children are driving cars and acting like quasi-adults!!! And, really hard to believe, I have a GRANDCHILD starting preschool. Time has supersonic wings.
What's nice is that she will probably remember how fondly she enjoyed Angelina and will re-live those memories when SHE has kids. At least one hopes so.
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