Gloria, the tender-hearted drama princess...

I don't have a lot of time to write this blog, but I just had to write about this today.

For Gloria's 6th birthday, Max and I gave Gloria a beautiful, yet previously-owned American Girl doll, Elizabeth.  Gloria seemed to love her from the very day she got her and has taken very good care of her, always putting her to bed in her American Doll Collection chest.  I got a load of American Doll stuff for only $115, including Elizabeth, two years ago in Alabama when a fellow homeschool family was selling the lot.  I can't believe what a good deal God put in my lap.  The only reason I got it was that I was on the computer the moment she sent the e-mail to a homeschooling group and was the first to respond...thank you God!

Here's a run-down of what happened today:
Gloria got an American Girl doll catalog in the mail.  She found Elizabeth.  It mentioned that Elizabeth and her friend doll, Felicity, were not going to be made anymore.  Gloria mentioned that her Elizabeth had a broken eye (it didn't shut when she laid her down) and the previous owner was a little too aggressive about brushing her hair and pulled some of the hair out so that if you look under the top layer of hair, Elizabeth is missing a chunk in the back.  I still think I got a great deal on her.

This conversation reminded me that someone had told me that American Girl has an American Girl Doll Hospital, where you send off the doll with an "admission form" and mail it with the doll to the "hospital".  On the order form, I ordered "new head" but didn't tell Gloria that, I just said she would be having surgery on her eye and would get some new hair.  Apparently, the American Girl doll is sent naked with this "admission form" and a fee, then is returned washed and renewed with a hospital gown, an ID bracelet and a Certificate of Health.  When I read this to Gloria she was soaking it in and had a huge smile on her dimpled rosy cheeks.

I knew she was happy about the prospect of getting the doll fixed, but I was unprepared for the sadness that would come over her when she realized we were packing her in a box and wouldn't see her again for 2-3 weeks.  I told Gloria we didn't have to do it, but Gloria just said "no, I want her to get better."  She gave Elizabeth a kiss with tears in her eyes and we wrapped her in old, clean towels so that she wouldn't get cold.  After this Gloria kept saying that she was glad, but she was sad.

As the evening went on, Gloria babied the cardboard taped-up box with her doll in it.  It was so cute to see, knowing that she knew her doll must be "scared" and "lonely" in the dark box.  She had box with Elizabeth sit in the seat next to her at dinner.  She read Elizabeth books on the couch and sang to her.  Now she has Elizabeth in her sealed box sleeping in her bed with her.  So sweet.  I wonder how it will be tomorrow when we take her to the UPS place...