It was way too cold to take children outside yesterday. We need to invent a new weather term for when the wind has nasty hard crystals of snow in it. Not snow that gathers, or drops prettily, just white driving snow that whips through on its way to somewhere else, like a transient doggard mean-spirited sand blaster. The builder and I were both wearing sunglasses as we worked outside to stop the snow blowing straight into our eyes, even though the clouds were low and grim.
Anyway earlier in the day during home-schooling break time, I decided not to take the children to the barn to play, we would play inside, so we dragged out the big, big box of toys that John’s daughter had left behind when she left home.
Oh Joy! They shrieked as they pounced.” Barbies!”
I groaned. Yes, I have to admit. I have never been in the Barbie camp. I was the Mean anti Barbie Mum.
“Can we play with the Barbies?” They said. There were so many.
(I checked with their Mother) “Well, ok.” I said, “Just as long as you know that Barbie is a freak and so anatomically incorrect that if she actually stood and walked on those legs she would fall flat on her … um.. face and probably break her hair. And those boobs are not real you know that. Normal people don’t actually have bodies like that. And where is her underwear? She is just pretend you know.” On and on I went.
‘We know, our Mum told us’. (Sweet how they say Mum in American accents.) “So can we play with them?”
“And no-one can actually walk for more than ten steps in shoes like that, you know that? They hurt your feet.”
(sigh) “Yeah, our Mom told us.” Little fingers wriggling with anticipation.
“And some of her clothes are not appropriate for winter you know, she is going to have to cover up if she is going to be dragged about my floor.”
Kids can sense capitulation. Their eyes held mine as they edged towards the play room.
“Ok then.” I said to an empty lounge, they were already tipping the boxes out and shrieking with delight.
“But only 15 minutes then we are making little sheep out of real wool!.” I called out
“OK, miss c”
.
On a more exciting note it has been discovered that if you put a block truck in just the right spot then tickle Thing One the cat will stretch his foot the necessary inch to knock the truck to the ground. Very entertaining. 
Second hand Barbie has a very tall horse evidently, that walks. Who knew.
My daughter is going to be demanding an apology when she sees this, me being that mother who would not let my daughter play with Barbies. 
And while his children played and worked inside the kiwi builder worked outside all day in the most terrible blowing as-yet-unnamed driving snow-wind.
Good morning my darlinks. Tomorrow I am probably not going to be posting a blog page, unless something very exciting happens. I need this wee writing window to finish my next assignment for my creative writing class. You all have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
62 responses to “Second-hand Barbie made me do it!”
As a child I was missing a dolly gene as I could see no reason at all for playing with them. I wondered for a long time if this meant I had no imagination but discovered that wasn’t true. I just couldn’t see the point of dolls period.
No doll gene!! brilliant! c
Barbies: timeless. Though I was a Sindy girl, I have to admit. Once again your Farmy has another dimension – though it had no shortage of dimensions already – with these lovely shots of the children. I think our kids help us to see things a different way. Even Barbies.
Hi Celi
You know what is funny? I read you’re entire blog, aka “Farmy Adventure”, over these last 3 days and now I find myself speaking kinda “New Zealandy”….started in July 2011 and just stuffed myself with farm life and beauty….it was a wonderful trip and stirred many lovely memories of the past for me…..thanks ever so much and now I will continue along with you day to day…..
well goodness me Nancy, you have been on a marathon.. I am flattered.. and welcome welcome to the farmy!
I recall my friends lake cottage one year his son at about age 10 showing me his younger sisters Ken Doll wearing a dress and stating”Oh look Ken’s confused”There was also introduced in 1975 a Barbie’s little sister doll Skipper called growing up Skipper.If you moved one of the arms she grew and inch and sported small breasts.I kid you not.Read about it in the NYTimes some years ago.Funny thing is I don’t recall the TV ads at the time.
I’m pleased to see Thing One has a comfy spot on the couch 🙂 Ice wind – nooo!
We all had so much fun with Barbies when I was growing up. Miss A adores them now too. Oh the stories my sister and I would come up with. You can only imagine. I must have missed the walking horse era though. Nice one!
Hysterical. I had a Sindy (the British, slightly less pretty equivaent of Barbie) but I didn’t like her much. I preferred playing with my nanna’s saucepans 🙂
There’s something painfully wrong with that horse’s legs too, no? I was the anti-Barbie child and those were my exact same arguments. Aged six. Can we make some sheep out of real wool instead please? (Aged more than six). 🙂
Creative writing class, YOU? You are teaching it, I assume…
I had a Barbie or two when I was a kid, and turned out OK. (I’d like to point out this is Linda not Tim, writing this bit!)
actually i did wonder at that point .. but i was willing to allow Tim a barbie in his background! ha ha c