Memory Monday - Baby dolls

I remember that some of my first dollies were cloth dolls sewn my Aunt Rosilyn, my mother's eldest sister. These babies included a Raggedy Ann and Andy set, complete with striped stockings and red hair.  There was also a yellow yarn hair doll with long arms and legs. She was very originally named "yellow-hair doll." Finally, there was a little baby with a yellow terry pajama sleeper named baby or dolly. I still have all these dolls today, having saved them in various doll beds and cedar chests throughout my post-doll baby stages.  All of these dolls were great for numerous reasons...
I remember chewing on their cloth legs
I remember trying to trim yellow-hair doll's hair with kiddie scissors (I was mostly unsuccessful).
I remember using Raggedy Ann and Andy as puppets in "plays"
I remember learning how to snap and unsnap their clothes

Mom says she loved the dolls because they are completely washable in the washing machine.

When Tamlin was small, I dug these babies back out of storage along with my a couple of my other soft vinyl dolls.   A side note: the vinyl dolls were useful in teaching both boys about drinking and going potty.  Tamlin did take a shine to yellow-hair doll.  Even now, she resides in his bed and occasionally goes on adventures with him.  And we are a liberal family...neither Brian nor I give a hoot what toys the boys decide to play with and we really try not to enforce any gender bias.

Well, when I went to pick up Jude last week from preschool, I found him playing with a doll baby.  He had her wrapped up in a blanket cradled in his arms.  Several of the other girls in his class were playing with babies too.  I had a bugger of a time trying to convince him to place the baby in the crib so she could sleep at school.  He kept on insisting that it was "Mine!  JuJu's baby!  Baby com home!"  I knew I didn't want to set the precedent of it being okay to bring daycare toys home, so I had to be the mean momma and force him to leave the baby behind.  Oh the tears!  Oh the wails of unhappiness!  My little Jude is such a drama-king.  His teachers all said that lately he has been into playing with the doll...mostly having a good time wrapping it up in a blanket and rocking it.  I had no idea!  He has taken zero interest in the dolls at home.


To bring this entry full circle... I let Jude have the little cloth baby doll.  And I found a flannel baby blanket that used to be his to wrap the baby in.  Jude was thrilled.  "I so happy, mom!"  Yellow baby (as he sometimes calls her) has been a companion this week and has found a spot in his bed while he sleeps.
What a sweetie.  And I love that my old dollies are getting some love again.


Thanks Aunt Rosilyn...
I bet you never ever dreamed that those little dolls sewn so many years ago would find love in a little grand-nephew's hands.