No More Toys?

Before Christmas I wrote that it was sad the girls don't like toys anymore. That is not entirely true! Liana and her friend Julia have lately been making their own paperdolls and designing clothes for them. They do this for hours...and hours. I love listening to their conversations about their paper families. And thankfully, they still love Build-A-Bears! Right now they are planning a wedding ceremony for the boy and girl dogs they have. I noticed these couples already had dog children. They told me that the dogs had married in the courthouse before having children, but now they are going to have a wedding for guests to attend. I'm invited.

With all the little ones coming to our house for the holiday, Arielle took the time to get out all her old Barbies, dressed them, and combed their hair, and then set up a Barbie town in her room. Yes, she did it for her nieces, but I don't think she will deny that she had a little bit of fun playing with the old toys.

The week before New Year's is a special time for the girls and their dad. Even with suffering from bronchitis the whole week, Fred still made it fun for them. They got out all the old Lincoln Logs and spent an afternoon in front of the fire building. Another day they got out all their old Play-Dough toys and gathered around the kitchen table creating all sorts of things.

Hopefully the girls will not lose that sense of fun and imagination. Maybe they will someday be playful moms, bringing joy to their own children. In the meantime, I will treasure these days with my little girls.

I've been reading Mary Beth Chapman's book Choosing to SEE. The Chapman's lost their five-year old daughter in a terrible accident and Mary Beth wrote how they survived such a tragedy. None of us knows the number of our days on this earth. A quote from the book: "Keep walking and keep trusting...love well the ones still in your charge and care...realize that time is short, life is hard...you have much to do, do not squander it."

Before the loss of his youngest daughter, Steven Curtis Chapman wrote the beautiful song "Cinderella" with all his daughters in mind. http://www.stevencurtischapman.com/cinderella.htm

"Oh, I will dance with Cinderella, I don't want to miss even one song,

'cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight and she'll be gone..."