Kit Kittredge Owes Me $20
We ushered the New Year in with two milestone parenting moments; the Ladybug’s trip to get her ears pierced, and my first visit to the American Girl Doll Store.
Suffice it to say that both included a lot of crying.
I wrote several weeks ago about our birthday dilemma. After careful consideration, we went with the big special outing with one good friend option. For the Ladybug, the choice was obvious—she’s been asking for some time to get her ears pierced, along with those of her American Girl Doll. Yes, for those of you new to this world of sanctioned extortion, they do that.
We chose the Piercing Pagoda for the Ladybug because of it’s proximity to the American Girl Doll store, and also because I have great faith in the quality of any establishment that relies of alliteration in it’s name. She rapidly went from nervous giggles to shock to tears as the reality of having a hole punched into a part of your body set in. Fortunately our brave girl regrouped and after about five minutes we were subjected to some well-deserved showing off.
We then proceeded to the AG store, where The Hub and the Monkey sat rocking back and forth on a bench mumbling things like “Lego Store” and “Sharper Image”, while the girls and I braved the crowds. Mothers and daughters raced around like meth addicts looking for a fix while I searched the shelves for something that wouldn’t require a monthly payment plan. It actually cost us less to have the Ladybug’s ear’s pierced than it did her doll. For an additional $15 – $40 we could also have had the doll’s hair re-styled in the AG salon: a bank of tiny chairs manned by a crew of “stylists”. If ever a salon were ripe for “Tabitha’s Salon Takeover” this would be it. Two hour waits, clients shoved into tiny cubicles, and employees who worked with the enthusiasm one usually reserves for bathroom cleaning. It also lacked all the sass, gossip and give and take that makes going to a hair salon worthwhile.
“Oh no Rebecca DID NOT just walk in here lookin’ all Annie Hall in her velveteen hat.”
“At least she’s not walking around with her corset unlaced like that uppity skank Felicity.”
“Well I heard that Kit is spending an awful lot up in Ruthie’s tree house, if you know what I mean.”
An hour later, we left the store dazed, tired, $100 poorer and with a little girl who looked as if she was the happiest creature on earth. This is the part where I’m supposed to write “and that makes it all worthwhile”.
But some days you gotta wonder.