Elisabeth loved her babies, but wasn't super impressed with the fact that they were American Girl dolls. That fact meant nothing to her, which is good, since she was only 4 and shouldn't be worried about name brands or fads.
However, within the past year, Elisabeth became very interested in American Girl dolls. It all started when she realized that they were books. We checked a couple out from the library and she stinking loved them! She loved that the girls were only a little bit older than her, that they lived in different time periods and that at the end of every book there is a chapter about the history of the time period of that particular American Girl full of facts and pictures. Elisabeth is a total history nerd (she inherited it) and wanted to check out even more girls. When we got a free magazine from American Girl, Elisabeth squealed with delight and spent an hour looking at it from cover to cover. When she saw that they were coming out with a new doll (Rebecca) that looked like her, she decided she wanted to have the doll.
So, Evan and I decided that if Elisabeth wanted to buy an American Girl doll, she needed to do it on her own. We sat her down and talked about how expensive an American Girl doll is (omg, they are ridiculous) and that if she wanted one, she'd have to start saving her allowance and any money she received as a present.
Elisabeth was ready to take the challenge. She had a purse she kept it all in and last summer, she started saving. By the time Christmas rolled around, she had saved money from her birthday, her allowance, and earned some money for dog sitting for one of Evan's co-workers. She had enough.
I talked about ordering one, but having to pay for shipping was another $20, so I was waiting around for a free shipping deal. That's when I received an email talking about a new American Girl Place opening in Denver, the weekend that Jana and Keith were coming to visit us for spring break. I mentioned it to Jana, and she definitely wanted to go with Elisabeth while they were in town. So, the Sunday before Easter, we all drove out to a shopping plaza outside of Denver in a town called Lone Tree.
When we got there, we heard that it was a 4 hour wait. Evan about had a fit thinking about waiting four hours to get to go into a doll store, but the store employees said it was more like a 2.5 hour wait. Here's our view from the end of the line.
Evan and Keith took the girls to eat lunch while Jana and I waited in line. It really wasn't that bad of a wait, mainly because the people around us were nice and the weather was perfect.
Elisabeth wanted to get dressed up for her new doll.
She also attempted to climb this wall while we waited. I love the two little girls watching her attempts.
Julia was fantastic throughout the long wait. She sat in her stroller after they'd eaten and just played with her cars. Here she is using her Nina as a race track.
We only had to wait two hours before we were able to get into the store. This is the display case of the doll Elisabeth wanted.
She was so happy.
After the long wait, we decided to look around for a while. Julia fell in love with the little toddler and baby dolls. I have a feeling we will be revisiting that store in a year or two with a very excited toddler.
Elisabeth waiting to pay for her doll.
I know that there is a lot of negative things about the American Girl dolls. First off, they are outrageously expensive. To buy a doll and her accessories can easily be over $200 and you still wouldn't have bought it all. There were girls waiting in line with 5 or 6 dolls. At the Chicago store, we witnessed a full blown tantrum by a girl who was at least 9 or 10 demanding everything that went with her new doll--and she ended up walking out with all of it.
But, I do think that the books are fantastic. They are real and teach a lesson and history all at once. Elisabeth loves having us read them to her. She remembers things about history and living a long time ago, that I know she's read in those books. Also, if done right, you can teach your children a great lesson in being responsible with money. Elisabeth had to choose between other things to get this doll. She really wanted some new Barbies or candy or clothes, but had to think about her goal. She knows that if she wants to buy the doll new clothes, she'll need to start saving again. And the look on her face when she bought the doll is one that I will remember for a long, long time.
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