Dear Mom does this Barbie clash with my shoes?

Dear Mom does this Barbie clash with my shoes?

Thanks to some friends, Claire has accumulated quite a Barbie collection. Most of them have their own name. A few are just Barbie but as a general rule, if Claire is playing with the doll, it has it’s own name. Barbie sometimes accompanies us when we go somewhere. Or should I say Belle, Grownup Claire, or Daddy Action Figure, often accompany us when we go somewhere. Barbie, or the actual dolls she calls Barbie usually get left at home. One particular day Belle and Daddy Action Figure were dressed to the nines. I guess they were on their way to the Governor’s Ball or something. After alerting Claire it was time for us to head to the park she was resistant to leave the festivities. “Daddy, we just put on our fancy clothes. We can’t leave now!”

“Claire you have been looking forward to this all day. Do you really want to wait till it starts raining and it is too late?” I am not sure if it was going to rain today, but there were a few clouds and it was important to raise the stakes since the simple thought of time in the park was not enough. I was not sure if the added threat of not being able to go later was enough but today it worked. “Okay but Belle and Daddy Action Figure want to go too.” “Sure, why not, I am sure they will have a great time.” It was nice for a change not to have to convince her not to take one of her plush toy friends out into the park.

When we arrived I was concentrating so hard on getting Carnahan the dog out of the crate I did not notice that Belle and Daddy Action figure had already made it to the playground. First they did the slide then they dared the kiddy swing. Claire carefully placed them in the kiddy swing each of them with their legs sticking through a toddler’s leg hole. They were given a light push and she was off to her own swing. This was fine right up till the moment she noticed other kids coming to the playground. She quickly jumped off the swing and rushed over to get her dolls, err. action figures. “Here Daddy, you need to hold them so nobody takes them.”
She rushes off to play with a new friend and I am now left holding the dog and the sharp dressed couple. As a few moms venture over my direction I reflect on how absolutely impossible it is to look dignified holding two dolls.

You have a few choices. Just kind of grab them by the feet and act like you are just holding them temporarily . You can then hold them by your side as you would a tennis racket or something and not draw attention. Of course this is the surest way to draw the attention of your five year old for doll abuse. Second you can cradle them in an arm in front of you so they can watch the activities but this is probably the least dignified option. I choose a compromise. I stick them in my back pocket so they are upright and looking out behind me. This way they are not in my hand but they can still see fine and do not risk parts flying off as I swing them around. This also keeps them out of the way of Carnahan the dog. If Claire asks about them I can turn and she can plainly see they are comfortably seated with a nice view of the park.

The other moms do not really take notice they are still overcoming their suspicion of a man in the park in the middle of the day. A sad form of chauvinism on their part. A couple of their kids come over to pet Carnahan. Their eyes widen a bit and they move in my direction. “It’s okay.” I assure them, “Carnahan loves kids.” Carnahan is now happily licking kid faces and resisting the urge to jump up and knock one over. His will power is assisted by a firm hand on his leash. The two moms smile uneasily. Claire is now at my side introducing Carnahan the dog. She takes a break noticing I am not holding her dolls. “Daddy, where is Belle and Daddy Action Figure?” I turn to show her they are safe. “Daddy, they are really dressed too nice to sit in your back pocket.” She had a point, if I am in a tux I would not be caught dead in somebody’s back pocket.

“Well, if I carry them in the front they will really clash with my shoes.” I try a defensive move to see if I can head this off. Claire eyes me up and down and responds, “Your right Daddy, you are not very fancy today.”
As Claire heads off to play with her new friends I notice the two Moms are far calmer with their kids out of my reach. They both are kind of looking at my butt. I like to tell myself it was not because I had to dolls in my pocket. “I had no idea the park was a formal event today.” I explain. “It’s okay,” one of them sympathizes, “we are a little underdressed as well.”

It is amazing what a few words can do. We talk a little about the new play equipment and they avoid ribbing me about my dolls, err. action figures.

Love Mike