Play Barbies

When I was growing up, one thing that I distinctly remember doing with my sisters, was playing Barbies.  We had quite the assortment of Barbies and Kens and clothes, straight out of the 80s to dress them in.  We never had the corvette, or the dream house, but one year, my big sister Leslie got the Barbie Dream Kitchen.  It had little dishes, silverware and pots and pans and you could push the buttons on the stove and I think it even lit up.  It was awesome.  We weren’t allowed to play with it unless she said so, because it was hers.  So of course, she would meticulously set it all up, as Sarah and I eagerly waited.  And then decided that she didn’t want to play with it after all, and then put it all away.  It was pretty sad at the time, but now just makes me laugh, because it’s such a funny sibling thing to do.

Anyhow, on one of the last trips I took to Michigan, my Mom gave me a bag with some of my old toys.  I stashed it away, and recently came across it.  Amongst other things, was my collection of Barbies.  I figured it was about time to pass them down, so this morning, I presented them to our sweet daughter Ellee.  She was delighted.  “Mom,” she begged,” Can we please play Barbies?”

And of course, I said, yes.  It was a little sad to me that she wouldn’t get the chance to play with sisters.  Christian walked over long enough to ask me why the “Ben” doll was wearing such funny clothes, and then took off to watch football with his Dad.  That’s okay.  It will be fun for us to play together, and fun for her and her friends to play  when they come over as well.

Oh, 80s Barbie.  Ellee absolutely adored all of her fancy dresses.

And her Barbie version of an iPod.

I have to say, we apparently had the most hilarious 80s Barbie and Ken clothes.  Ken’s outfits were the best.  Somewhere in this pile, is his big fur coat, a white tuxedo suit coat and a silky men’s robe.  80s Ken was pretty stylish.

Also, I’m trying to figure out why Ken’s head seemed so weirdly small.  I think it was because of his fashionably big sweater.

Regardless of the noticeable fashion decade differences, Ellee had a wonderful time dressing up my old Barbies.

I’m so excited to get to share this part of my childhood with our amazing daughter.  I hope the she enjoys lots of dressing up and pretending with Barbies for years to come.