Guess what? We’ve got another Christmas visitor!
Last week lovely Eli from the Coach Daddy blog popped by and shared his story about how he acquired an $80.00 Christmas tree special for a mere $25.00. His last $25.00. The heartwarming part? It was his very first Christmas as a new dad. The best part? He met a true Christmas angel whose selfless act brought tears to my eyes.
I know.
Today, I’m sharing an eggnog with Katy from Experienced Bad Mom. We first “met” when she commented on a post I wrote for another blogging site. Her witty comment left me rather intrigued. I toddled over to her blog Experienced Bad Mom and realized I’d found another kindred spirit. An irreverent mom who delights in laughing at herself. Her tagline was my first clue. “Not just a bad mom, but an experienced bad mom.” I was hooked.
She then made a fatal blogging error revealed in a post that perhaps she needed a few tips on how to handle middle school as a mom. My “advice” led to her asking me to be co-featured on her site and it was then that I knew we’d be friends forever.
Today she shares a true story about that one memorable Christmas her mother bought Katy’s daughter everything BUT the one thing she REALLY wanted. You’ll hoot with laughter when you learn how Katy tried to calm the waters and solve the problem.
And as with Eli, Katy adores comments. So please, do leave a comment here after you read this. She’ll be tickled pink and will respond with delight. And remember to go on over and spend some time on her site. You’ll have a ball. Promise.
But first, her clever tale of attempting to be the perfect mommy and solve the unsolvable.
Take it away, Katy!
An American Girl Christmas.
That sounds so idyllic. So peaceful. So magical.
Yeah, right! Because just a few weeks after my daughter turned 5 and got her very first American Girl doll, our family was rocked by the American Girl Christmas that almost wasn’t.
Let me explain.
A month before my daughter’s birthday in early December, my husband and I decided to raid our piggy banks and purchase an American Girl doll for her. My mom wanted to order some clothes for the doll. So she, my daughter and I casually sat down one fall afternoon and surfed the web to look at American Girl clothes.
There are the true American Girl clothes from their website, where outfits run $24-$36. Then there are gobs of Etsy, eBay and other like-minded folks making and selling hand-made American Girl doll clothes. And they’re cute! We seriously looked at a million sites and about a trillion outfits. My daughter wanted everything she saw. Grandma and I made the executive decision that rather than buy 1 or 2 *genuine* outfits that she would buy her 5 outfits from one of the independent, hand-made doll clothes makers out there. Think local, right? Made in the USA and all that jazz! 5 outfits rather than 1! Woo hoo!
WRONG. WRONG. WRONG.
My daughter joyously opened her American Girl Doll on her birthday a couple weeks ago. She was so excited! Then she opened the 5 outfits my mom had sent as birthday presents. Here they are:
After pulling out the final outfit, she looked at me, frowned, and said, “You forgot the black ice skating outfit!” Then she BURST. INTO. TEARS.
WHAAAAT? What ice skating outfit?
The black one. From the official American Girl website. You know, one of the 42,387 outfits she had said that she wanted.
Sigh. Who wants to see their kid cry on their birthday? I hatched Crazy Mom Plan #1. “Santa will bring it!” I told her.
Uh, WRONG. WRONG. WRONG.
I checked the website. The black ice skating outfit was on backorder until January.
Next, my sister called from Nevada to wish my daughter a happy birthday. While on the phone with her aunt, I heard my daughter say, “They forgot the ice skating outfit.”
Really? We’re still bothered by this? Even though you got the doll + 5 outfits?!
I got on the phone with my sister. I hatched Crazy Mom Plan #2. “Doesn’t your daughter have the black ice skating outfit? Can you mail it to me for 3 weeks and then I’ll mail it back?” (Yes, I am insane.)
“I….can’t,” my sister told me in a stunned voice. “It’s her favorite outfit. She plays with it all the time. She’ll know it’s missing.”
CRAP!
Next my mom calls. Now technically the clothes were her birthday present to my daughter. I hold my hand over the receiver and instruct my daughter NOT to say anything to grandma about the ice skating outfit because Grandma didn’t know and her feelings would be hurt.
She takes the phone and (drumroll) says to her grandma right away, “YOU FORGOT THE ICE SKATING OUTFIT.”
Really? R-e-a-lllly?
So I get on the phone with grandma who is near tears and quietly muttering, “I didn’t know.” After MUCH soothing, I think I reassured grandma that she was NOT EVIL for purchasing 5 adorable outfits and not the black ice skating outfit. But maybe grandma cried a little bit that night. I don’t know.
Now all of this happened within the span of a half-hour. During the phone calls I’m on the computer googling “American Girl black ice skating outfit” which is where I saw it was backordered til January. And, no, I did not consider paying $60 for it from some money-making bastard on eBay. I’m insane, but not that insane.
Finally, I found some homemade ice skating outfits online that might suffice. I hatched my final plan, Crazy Mom Plan #3. My husband went to the basement with his cell phone and called my daughter. He pretended he was Santa and informed her that his elves could not make the black ice skating outfit. But hey, Santa’s elves COULD make this white outfit that Mommy will show you. How ’bout that?
She didn’t want white.
We went through it again, with Santa/Dad pouring on the charm.
She started to come around. Finally, she admitted she liked the white outfit and it was okay that she wouldn’t get the black outfit. I pretty much pushed her off my lap and ordered that white ice skating outfit immediately. Who knew when it, too, might be on backorder until January?
The elves made the white outfit and Santa delivered it that Christmas.
And no, she did not open it and say, “YOU FORGOT THE BLACK ICE SKATING OUTFIT!”
An American Girl Christmas. There was peace on earth and an ice skating outfit (in white) after all.
44 Responses
So happy to be here today! Much happier than when I trying to track down an American Girl ice skating outfit…
Hahaha! Welcome! May your stay here be pleasant Katy! Let me know if you need anything. Towels, chocolates, black skating outfits … Just name it!
Oh – I remember the American Girl Doll … how could I forget her; her boxes of stuff still in the basement take up nearly as much space as my own!
I already had discovered your blog Katy – but it is fun to see you here on Kelly’s! Just like in real life- it is fun to realize that 2 of your blogging friends know each other! Happy holidays!
Do you have the black skating costume Susan ????????????? Hahaha!
If I did, Kelly – it would already be in the mail to you!!
Dang!
Aw, thank you Susan! Happy holidays to you, too. I’m so glad to have been introduced to Kelly this year. She “gets” me!
P.S. Your boxes of American Girl stuff *could* fund your next vacation, just sayin’. eBay! Craigslist! A box with a sign in the front yard!
LOL – oh the power of a five year old knowing exactly what she wants. And the incredible ingenuity of deliciously perfect workarounds. You rock Katy. The Santa call is beyond the pale perfect. You have set the bar high! And you rock Kelly for introducing us to Katy.
I’m just so thankful the Santa call worked…after much cajoling! I’ll always remember that my sister wouldn’t lend us the one she had because it was too beloved–at the moment. I bet this year I could borrow it.
So happy Kelly has introduced us, too!
Giggling over the fact that yes, you could probably get that black outfit without any struggle this year Katy! I feel the same way about a certain Tickle Me Elmo …
It’s a pleasure Deborah. Doesn’t she rock? I’m still giggling over the Santa phone call!
LOL…those five year old knowing what they want…I have one hear and deal with it all the time. I must know the names of each of his toys…
And woe to the Mom who forgets those names! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Hahaha! I bet you do know every name! There’s nothing like the memory of a 5 year old!
Oh my goodness! Sounds fairly similar to a millennium falcon debacle we had in our home.
Oh man now there’s a story waiting to be shared! The millennium falcon debacle sounds like a corker.
Jen, Kelly and I are now breathlessly awaiting the Millennium Falcon post on Jenerally Informed!!
Fun lead up, Kelly and fun post, Katy. You’re always in for a surprise with the gift giving experience when kids come into the mix, aren’t you? Your creative approach(es) to making things right was priceless. Hope you have hankies on hand for the drama that comes this Christmas ;-).
Wasn’t she creative Nanette? I loved the Santa angle and thought the request to her sister was also brilliant.
It IS always a surprise. And you’re just trying to make your kids happy, until, suddenly your husband is in the basement pretending to be Santa and you’re crawling the internet fast and furious and wondering how you got there!!
Hankies are prepped and ready for this Christmas. So are the wine bottles. 😉
Oh ladies thank you for this walk down memory lane. Can anyone say , cabbage patch doll, wait how about tickle me elmo!! Good grief !! These moments are laughable but only well after th fact. The sweat glistening off our brows, the “little white lies”, the masterful manipulation of the young impressionable mind. (I am pretty sure it is in the first chapter of parenting 101. ) now the little black skating outfit – look out next generation your turn in the hot seat awaits!!
Thank you ladies the was a fun read. Will look forward to more!!
Tickle Me Elmo! Absolutely with you on the “… only well after the fact” point Janice. Yikes. Calls to mind the time I took my twin nieces on their first flight to meet up with their parents in San Francisco. They’re three and both clutching their cabbage patch dolls. As the Customs man is grilling me on why I don’t have a permission letter from the parents to whip them out of the country (it was 33 years ago – and I wasn’t married, didn’t have kids … what did I know?) my nieces are tugging on my jacket asking “Are we on the plane yet????” I’m propping a cabbage patch doll on the counter to try and win some sympathy. It somehow worked. We got there – cabbage patch and all …
Kelly! What is this awesome cabbage patch story? It must be shared on the blog ASAP!
Thank you, Janice! I’m giving you a double fist pump in the air right now as one mom to another. I’m sure you earned your dues getting those Cabbage Patch dolls or Tickle Me Elmos in past Christmases. The things we do to make our kids have a moment of joy, eh? 🙂
I love all of the outfits she did get!!!
And, those American Girl dolls scare me – I’m glad that I have boys and never had to even venture into the store!!!
Hahahah! Grinning here Kim. Grinning.
The outfits, and the shopping for them, do get addictive! Thankfully, or not, they are so expensive that I have become very good at exercising self-control.
Oh dear…poor Grandma, poor Mom, poor Dad. Sometimes we can’t win no matter how diligently we might try. Your story reminded me of something that happened when my granddaughter turned 9. Her mother (my daughter, I almost blush to admit) bought her a set of sheets and pillow case for her birthday present. She smiled sweetly, said “thanks Mum,” then looked a me with raised eyebrows and mouthed, “Is she kidding?” Bed linen, even Disney princess bed linen, is, apparently, not the done thing when it comes to birthday presents.
Noooooooooo. Oh this makes me smile. Love that your granddaughter has that kind of relationship with you! Classic. And thank you for the heads up on the birthday gift front. I shall advise my daughter not to consider bed linen for her future kidlets!
I knew I would love this story as soon as as I saw the title :). Oh American Girl, what powerful spells you cast!
When I was the mama of two sons I listened to American Girl tales with so much skepticism and disbelief – WHO would spend all that money on a doll? WHO would take their doll to have its hair done? WHO would take dolls for tea and dolls for lunch and plan trips around the location of AG stores? Um, that would be me, now that I have a daughter in blissful love with everything American Girl – even the catalog brings her hours of joy :).
Such a wonderful story, Katy, and you are seriously awesome. My favorite part was when you asked your sister to mail her daughter’s outfit to you! Lol.
Thanks for having Katy over, Kelly – so fun!
Nicki – It’s a pleasure. I adore Katy and am so excited to have her pop over for an eggnog or six. As for you, well you had me chuckling at the “… even the catalog bring her hours of joy.” American Girl cannot ask for a finer endorsement.
Fun post. Had me smiling about the insanity we parents put ourselves through sometimes. Nice to meet you Katy & thanks Kelly!
My pleasure Christine. Long live the insanity.
Nice to meet you, too, Christine. And yes, it’s amazing what we’ll do to bring our kids joy–if only for a moment.
Oh what we go through for our children! What a great story and I love the fun visitors you’ve got stopping by your blog.
Aw thanks Michele. The only thing that would make it more fun would be to be able to offer each and every one an eggnog in person!
Thanks for enjoying the story, Michele! And thanks for giving a shout out to Kelly hosting on her awesome blog. She’s got the best readers and commenters, doesn’t she?
Hilarious (although I know it wasn’t at the time!) We went through similar experiences with our kids (Cabbage Patch Kid and Silver Hawk action figures) but that was a million years ago pre-internet. In some ways I think it was easier then – we could only search as far as our car would drive us or as many phone calls as we could make. With the internet I feel like anything is possible/findable if only I use the right search terms. And then when the item is sold out or backordered – ARGH!!! Your solution was a brilliant one, Katy. And I’m impressed that you didn’t succumb to the Ebay vultures! As a grandmother, the lesson I learned from your story: When presented with an array of wishes, always ask, “But if you could only pick ONE, which would it be?”
Thanks, Kelly for bringing us Katy and another great Christmas story!
OOO, yes, Mo, “If you could only pick one, which would it be?” I’m going to start saying that immediately. I’ve already had to exchange the Legos my son wanted in November for the ones he has decided he can’t live without in December (and weren’t on the list in November!).
Such a great story, Katy, because it is just so true! And I am very glad to know that my darling Daughter is not the only one who would – who has – uttered such words. Mine is normal! Hooray! Because sometimes I wonder…
See, Lisa, I love your comment because it makes me feel better about my own kids/family (ours isn’t the only one like that! We’re normal! hooray!). 🙂
Sara (and hello, Kelly–you generous soul),
Oh, American Girl, you teacher you.
What speaks to me about this experience is your effort to listen and your daughter’s tenacity to express what she wants. Both those skills take enormous practice. And wow, talk about skating a figure eight!
I connect with your sense of humor and see myself in your post as just last week I bought apples for my grandson (mom’s request), but I bought a different type apple than those he loves. I’m learning a little more about nuance and communication. : )) xo
*Hi!* Susan.
Yes, talk about skating a figure eight indeed. I think that’s true with all of the participants in this American Girl saga. Grinning here over your criss cross applesauce scenario. There are teaching moments around every corner aren’t there?