Dear Baby Alives

Dear Baby Alives,

    You know me as Erica, Bella Ballerina, or Bean in one particular game. Well, I'm not really any of them. My name is Abby and it always has been. When we played together my sister (you usually knew her as Annalise) and I liked to combine lots of things we loved and pretend to be our favorite characters so sorry about that name confusion. Now I'm just Abby.

    Anyway, I have some worse things to apologize for. I remember the day I got you, it was a busy Christmas of rushing around celebrating with every single relative. I think I was very tired by the time we got to Great Grandma's house. I unwrapped the first four of you hurriedly and, I'm sorry, I didn't take much interest. I must have been distracted by all of the people talking and laughing, all of the sugary food (even though we had just stuffed ourselves at Nana's), and the wrapping paper flying everywhere! I spent the ride home crying over a stuffed bear because she had '2013' stitched on her paw and it didn't look or sound nearly as nice as 2012. After that I just forgot about you, so you lived on the kitchen table for about two months. I'm sorry.

    Mom was actually about to donate you but, thank goodness, my sister and I got bored and decided to open you. Of course we instantly fell in love. I was either very generous or incapable of playing on my own and I let my sister have Mackayla and Hailey, but I kept Ella and Lilly to myself. My sister got Sarina and Sydney for her next birthday and when Sarina hurt her neck we managed to meet the other Sarina and the other Sydney! Next two others came along. One was another Lilly and the other, who was named by a misreading of the box, was called Louaou. Last was Lulu and our group was complete.

    I'm sorry we doubled up on so many names and I'm very sorry that we named your home Baby Bikini World! We had picked up the word 'bikini' somewhere and we thought it was very fun to say (because it is). 

    We had some very fun times picking a "Cutest" each day to receive special treatment and swaddling up in old baby socks at night. Instead of going to sleep right away we would stay up late talking and pretending we were in dreams. Do you remember?

    There are so many things I want to thank you for! Thank you for always being there, ready to play any minute of every day. Thank you for taking part in my colorful childhood and for enduring the sharpie smudge on Louaou's cheek, Sarina's wobbly head, and me losing almost all of your shoes and binkies.

    I know I don't play with you every day like I used to and maybe I get embarrassed when I forget to put you away when my friends come over (sorry!) but I still love you. That's right, I'm still the same little girl with the poofy skirt and the constant giggle. I still love dolls and other babyish things and that's ok. I still jump at the chance to watch a Barbie movie with my little sister and that's ok. I am responsible and I am a child. Yes, I can have both. Nobody is stopping me from loving my dolls, not even maturity! I will always love you and any other harmless thing I like and it's all thanks to you. Thank you for being so lovable that I just have to be like this, because it makes life a lot brighter.

Sincerely Your Loving Kid,

Abby Rater

P.S.

If you see any Polly Pockets or LOL Dolls, please share that last part with them. The American Girl Dolls also say hi and thanks.

​AR

Sections: Creative Essays, Excitement,  Freedom, Funny, Growing Up, Happy, Kids, Nonfiction, Real Characters