Mama Diaries

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Mama Drama

I have concluded that I am a certifyable nutcase.  But you probably already knew that. 

So here's what happened.  My husband decided that we needed to unload stuff we hadn't used in a year or two.  That was fine.  I agreed to go through things and come up with a pile for donations.  One of the things my husband wanted to get rid of, was a huge pink Victorian doll house that my daughter got from her grandparents when she was five years old.  This thing weighs at least 40 pounds.  It's made of wood and has all kinds of cute wooden Victorian furniture in it. It was also custom-designed by my daughter.  She had picked out the floor patterns and wall paper to match our first house - the house where she was born.

My mother-in-law, a nice lady from Poland, was so happy to give this to her granddaughter.  "I never thought I'd be able to give my grandchildren something this nice," she had said with tears in her eyes. 

I told her I would pass it on to her great-grandchildren.

It didn't look like that was going to happen, because the doll house now sat in the donation pile.  I wasn't too happy about it, but I understood that a forty pound doll house that wasn't used anymore was a big thing to lug through life.  "I'll ask the neighbors if they want the doll house for their girls."

I marched to the neighbor's house with my daughter, and asked them if they wanted it. 

"Sure," they said.  "We'll be over in a little bit to look at it."

Meanwhile, my daughter and I went home and took pictures of the doll house that was now in our garage.  My daughter told me about how she picked out the wallpaper.  And about how Grandpa picked out the wallpaper in one room.  And how she didn't like his choice.  But now she does.  And I remembered playing dolls with her when she was little.  And then I remembered  our old  Victorian house - the one I never wanted to leave.  And I remembered what Granny had said. 

I started to get a little emotional.  

A little while later, the neighbors came over with their girls.  Of course the girls liked the house.  "We'll go get our car and take it to our house."

Fine.  I went back in my house and hid in the office.  I didn't want to see it go.  My husband happened to notice that I looked a little upset.  "What's the matter?" he asked.

"I just don't want to get rid of the doll house," I said.  "Too many memories.  Or maybe I'm just being hormonal."

"Are you pregnant?"

Huh?  Was I that bad when I was pregnant?   Okay, maybe I was.

"No.  As far as I know, I'm not."

"Should I go out there and tell them we changed our mind?"

I didn't want to disappoint the little girls who thought they were getting a doll house.  "No," I said.  "Just let them have it."

Then I had a meltdown.  I was just so upset about that doll house.

"Okay," my husband said.  "We won't get rid of it.  Apparently this thing means a lot to you."  He went outside when the neighbors arrived and told them we changed our mind.  Fortunately they were cool about it.  We gave the girls some talking stuffed animals to make up for it.  They were thrilled.

So now the doll house sits in our basement to collect dust for the next twenty years.  Am I crazy, or what?



32 comments:

  1. No, not crazy. =) It sounds like a lovely gift you've received, something that could be a family heirloom.

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    1. I'm glad you think I'm not totally nuts! That makes me feel better.

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  2. No, not at all. I think I'd do the same thing. I'd keep it. :)

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  3. Not crazy. Gifts like that hold special places, even if they're in the basement for a while!

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    1. That's what I was thinking. I'm hoping to have grandkids who will enjoy it.

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  4. I can identify with wanting to clear out some things but not folk art like this. Have you thought of temporarily offering it for display at your local library? Ours used to feature local works of art and artists in the community. That would give you the space, but it would still belong to your daughter.

    I wrote a post about getting rid of our childrens things. Did you daughter really want to get rid of it?
    http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2012/09/ask-me-first-guest-post-from-dg-hudson.html

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    1. I'm not sure our library does that, but it's an interesting concept to consider if they do!

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  5. I thought you were a bit crazy for wanting to get rid of it, to be honest :) What a sentimental lovely gift from grandma. I am glad you kept it, even if it will just sit in the basement. So maybe I'm the crazy one ??!!

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    1. I'm sentimental about things like that. It just seeme too special to get rid of.

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  6. LOL at his first response thinking your pregnant. But yeah some things hold more value than others.

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    1. I had to laugh at that, too. What a thing to think!

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  7. Absolutely not crazy. That's a gift that deserves to be passed down and you can put an extra-large plastic bag over the house so it doesn't gather dust.

    Love,
    Janie

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  8. Hold on to it even if it takes up more space than you'd like it to.

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    1. That's what we're going to do. It will be interesting to see how many times we actually move that thing.

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  9. NO, not crazy at all. In the past I got rid of a few sentimental things and now I really wish I hadn't. I'm glad you kept it.

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  10. Nothing wrong with a little mama drama... after all, the kiddies "hog the drama limelight"... and the best part is that you can just blame it on the hormones. LOL.
    I'd hold on to the Doll House if I were you...

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  11. You are certainly not crazy. I would keep it. :)

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  12. No, you're not. Some things are meant to be kept. :)

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    1. Yes, and although it's big, I think that doll house is one of those things.

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  13. You know, there once was this man who said that we ALL are crazy, some just manage to hide it better than others." Sherry, you are not one of the more crazy ones. You're just sentimentally crazy. ;) ( I'm just kidding!!!)
    - Madge

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  14. No, not crazy at all. I think it is wonderful that you kept it to pass on to your grandchildren. It sounds like a lot of special memories are connected with the dollhouse.

    I always wanted a dollhouse. Secretly, I still do. Perhaps one day when I have an office that is just mine, I can add a dollhouse to it. : )

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    1. There's something magical about old fashioned dollhouses. I hope you get your own someday.

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  15. I'll up your crazy. I have a huge (6 feet by three feet, by four feet) homemade cardboard castle in my basement. It sat in my great room for three years. I don't know if I'll ever be able to let it go. I see it as a slightly rumpled work of art. Hey, it took six weeks to build. That sucker is mine!

    Plus we have a partially finished wood doll house I better complete before my girls are too old to care.

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    1. I totally get it! Keep it, and finish the wooden one!

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  16. I totally understand. Things like that always have great sentimental value. Hopefully your grandchildren will enjoy it. :-)

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  17. I am in your shoes totally. I wouldn't want to let it go especially too much memory behind it ... But I am impressed you even went thru with it!

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