She’s 50 years old today, but doesn’t look a day older than 25. I remember our shared days. My family had an “Arizona Room” at our house. I had my dolls there and would sit for hours playing make-believe. I’m quite sure Barbie was a teacher in my playtime because I grew up with a younger sister and mostly we played “school.”
My daughter has a few - three I think - that don’t really get played with at this point. She is 4, so maybe it’s just an age thing. She loves her baby dolls and playing “mommy.” She does like to pick out the Barbie movies, “Diamond Castle” and “Mariposa,” when we go to the library.
The dolls she does have are in her closet - sans clothing. What is it with that? My mom saved my dolls and her clothes, so it’s not like my daughter’s Barbies have none.  And they didn’t come naked.
Barbie was the starting point for me and doll personalities. As I grew up, I received a Dorothy Hamill Barbie-like doll, a ballerina Barbie, an Olympics Barbie. I’m pretty sure I even got one that rode a horse and drove a car. I’m not sure Ken was anywhere in sight (though my daughter does have one at her grandmother’s).
I don’t remember wanting to look like Barbie, so I’ve never had that image concern as a mom. I loved the dress-up part, changing her clothes, her hair, her shoes. But for my daughter, well that just doesn’t seem to matter.
So Happy Birthday, Barbie! Here’s to old memories we’ve shared - and many more to come as my daughter grows (and locates your pants).

A reader recently commented about her daughter’s ability to change the words to songs she sings. And that reminded me of something my little one did this weekend.
For Christmas, my 4 year old got a CD of children’s music. My daughter filled in words she didn’t know with “And goes Indiana Jones.”
I have no idea where it came from. I asked her several times if that’s indeed what she said. Yup. That was it. I even told her the right words. It didn’t matter. The song she sang, ”And goes Indiana Jones” again.
I have no clue why. She has not seen the movie and as far as I know, the only “Indiana Jones” toy we have is her brother’s Lego set.
But it’s pretty darn cute so I’ll stop correcting her, and try to catch it on video for some time in the future - like her first prom.

Photospin

With words of appreciation to Clement Clarke Moore:

‘Twas two days before Christmas and in the Reese home, we were wrapping up presents but we weren’t alone.

The kids sat beside us picking each paper, hoping to thrill each gift taker.

There were books and shirts, gift cards and more. The kids enjoyed it as the paper they tore.

For Boppie and Grammie, for Meme and Papa, they folded and taped them carefully all.

When all of the sudden my son exclaimed, “I want to play on the computer a game!”

So upstairs they went and the moment was done, but at least we had our memory of fun.

I hope you all have a chance to make a special memory this holiday season.

So far, so good. I have to say, I’m enjoying the time with the kids marking the holiday each night in a small way. I thought I would share the cards we made - some were blank cards and I just let the kids go crazy with stickers. The others I made a template for and the kids did the punches and added the stickers. Below: A bit too many stickers!

Grace Covenant Church, Gilbert, 7 a.m.

The alarm went off at 6:15 a.m. My husband snoozed it. I got up, started breakfast, dragged out clothes for the little ones and dressed myself. Because they were still asleep, my husband went to our polling spot at 6:35 without me, but by 7:15 we were all there. My son and daughter were learning a lesson in America.

My fellow voters were very nice about having two schoolage kids asking lots of questions. “Why are you here?” “Are you going to vote?” “Mommy, do we get stickers?” The polling station volunteers indeed gave them stickers and chatted to them while my husband and I stood next to each other casting our ballots. I talked to one gentleman who got to what he thought was his polling station at 5:45 a.m. He waited more than an hour only to learn he was at the wrong spot. So, fold up chair in hand, he drove to the right one with us. “This election means that much to me,” he said.

Afterward, the kids and I went to Starbucks down the road and got a free coffee. Everytime someone ordered the free brew, the crew yelled, “Thanks for voting.”

Starbucks, Mesa

I hope the kids - ages nearly 4 and 6 - remember today. They seemed to enjoy the atmosphere at the polling station. My son did ask several times where the “boat” was though (I told him we were going to “vote.” But finally get got it. We showed the kids the sample ballot.

There’s something electric in the air on this Nov. 4 - I hope we all remember it the next time there’s an election without a presidential race. No matter what’s on the ballot, get out and have your say.

About a week ago, my daughter (once again) found the pile of CDs I keep in my car (yes, CDs. Not an MP3 player - which I wouldn’t have a CLUE how to use in the car). And she quietly went through them, flipping from one to the other until she found THE CD. The one we played last year from November on. The one I THOUGHT I had put away out of the car.

Nope.

So as I’m sitting here trying to write a story, “Merry Christmas St. Nick” and a Goofy-version of “Rudolph” play in my head. It’s a Disney-based CD of Christmas tunes, complete with Donald’s nephews singing about all the toys they want for Christmas and Minnie and Mickey and the rest of the gang. And it’s not even October.

Oh, and at Costco last night I saw Christmas light displays.

I full on expect my kids to be asking to write letters to Santa before we even get their Halloween costumes picked out.

But as far as the tunes, I can’t resist. My 3-year-old daughter has started to memorize the words and it’s just adorable to hear her sing in the back seat. There’s one song, we call it a “lullaby,” that I sing in the car and she asked me yesterday, “Mommy, can I sing with you?” and then when it was done, “Mommy, can we do the lullaby song again? I like you to sing.”

Bam! The repeat button was hit and the singing continued. Better find other Christmas CDs in the house or my kids are going to like the Goofy version of songs better than the Ole’ Blue Eyes CD I love.