The Adventures of the Blind/Low Vision/Visually Impaired (BLOVI) Girl- Volume 49: The Consequences of Asking Your Child to Write a List for Santa
This past weekend, in order to get a jump on my shopping (since everything takes longer), I asked my daughter to make a list of the things she wanted for Christmas so that we could get the letter off to Santa. Things quickly got out of hand and that is the focus of this blog. I have no WTF or I can’t get enough of this week because they all seem to revolve around the Santa list. Although I must mention I am quite amused by the fact that my boyfriend, a former juggler, took the time to break out not only the juggling balls, but also discs and these things that looked like bowling pins. He also had these things called Luna sticks which were awesome. I could handle the Luna sticks, but I must admit I am a terrible juggler. Must be the gap in my vision because I kept losing track of the ball or it could be my poor motor coordination or both. So, there will be no blind juggling act in the future for me. Not sure my daughter has a future in juggling either since her throwing of the balls ended up being overhand throws or underhand bullets that all ended up flying across the rim and hitting you in the crotch area. I many not have to worry about boys, her aim is good and when she demonstrates Karate kicks she always seems to land them in the groin area.
This is the first year I have had my daughter make a list for Santa. One reason is because she can write and has some definite opinions about what she wants. The second reason is because this is the first year I did not hit the after Christmas toy sale the previous year and pre-shopped, hiding the toys in the closet for the next year. Armed with pen and paper she quickly had ideas for the list, so I think she had planned some of these things already. She started with at least 10 items and then kept thinking of new things over the weekend. She would wake up and write more things or we would go somewhere and as soon as we got back she was looking for the pen to jot down more items. I tried to tell her that Santa did not have an unlimited budget since he had to buy for so many. To this she scoffed. I stopped her at around 30 items when she had filled a page by saying there was a one page limit on the Santa list.
The first item on the list was the one thing I said I was never ever going to break down and buy-an American Girl Doll. I had heard about the American Girl Doll Syndrome which causes adults to spend copious amounts of money and even travel to NYC to the American Girl store. I heard about the dolls having dogs and tea parties. It all sounded bizarre to me. Plus, it is a doll and dolls are just scary. I recently started getting the catalog in the mail and I would quickly look through it and discard it before Sadie got home (I do this with most toy catalogs). While looking through one I decided the historical dolls with their accompanying stories could be OK and that I particularly liked the one who was from the 70’s. So we went online to the website and looked through the line of historical dolls and she chooses, without any interference from mommy, the 70’s doll. Her name is Julie and she has on a very cool outfit. Later I went back to the site to buy the doll and started looking at the outfits and furniture and I must admit I got a little carried away. Julie has this awesome banana bike and a cool dining room with a fondue set. Her bedroom furniture and accessories are the epitome of 70’s pre disco/post hippie chic and her outfits, like the floral jumpsuit (who does not love a jumpsuit) are so my mom with frosted hair in 1974. Problem is the stuff is so expensive I could buy an actual bike, fondue set and clothes for me or Sadie for less than the ones for this doll. I broke down and got the book with her story because when I read more about her I found poor Julie was dealing with the divorce of her parents in the early 70’s. And I was like; hey I was dealing with the divorce of my parents in 1974, how uncanny. Sadie had no clue about the story; she based her choice on her long straight blond hair and clothes. But I decided I kind of like the doll too and am happy Santa is getting her.
Old school toys must be back because my daughter also had many things on her list that I played with growing up like Hungry Hungry Hippos, Simon, Uno, Lincoln Logs and Operation. Those will definitely be under the tree or birthday gifts because I want to play with them. Operation is one of the best toys ever. I can’t wait till she is old enough for Battleship or Clue. And I saw new Barbie camper on TV and I thought man I so want that because that was my favorite Barbie thing ever growing up. But since we don’t do the Disney or Barbie thing I can’t get it. Soon I am going to break down on the moratorium against Barbie because I am going to really want that damn camper.
I also love that she put foodstuffs on her list that I will place in her stocking including clementines, apples and Reese’s cups. She also wants a slide whistle and a kazoo to go along with her instrument collection. I think the slide whistle will show up, but I am not sure if I can take kazoo playing. Some of the sounds on her electronic keyboard are bad enough and of course I had to get her that gathering drum a few months ago and it is freakishly loud. To accompany all these instruments and her impromptu singing and dancing acts, she wants a microphone. Of course we are getting that so I can do my own performances.
Since I got the list first I decided what I wanted to get her for Christmas and her early January birthday, then I gave the rest of the list to her dad. So he got all the stuff I don’t want to have in the house or really I don’t want to play with like the foot spa (what kid does so much walking or standing that they need a foot spa), koo koo birds or dogs or whatever else miniature thing that is “in”, an ice cream maker, and of course the new version of baby alive that pees and barfs. I refuse to buy the strange things on commercials that seem to have no purpose except to take up space and eventually break. And I just can’t keep track if all these miniature things. Except of it was American Girl Julie’s fondue pot set- no way I would lose that.
In the end I think I end up choosing toys and games that I want to play because if she does not play with it, Mommy will. And I now choose toys that do not have hundreds of parts or small buttons or electronic crap (the vision thing). That’s why the old school stuff is so appealing. Aren’t we all nostalgic for the toys of our youth (please bring back Stretch Armstrong) and would rather be playing with them than working.
Keep Moving Forward,
Beth (BLOVI) Medlock
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