A Tale of Two Dolls

This is a wonderful story of loss, destruction, and rebirth along with a great moral to boot.

Way back in January 2006, I made a rag doll for Lauren. She had discovered my favorite chidhood book "The Store Bought Doll" and wanted me to make her a rag doll just like the girl in the book. (I am glad she didn't want a china doll like the one in the book too.) I made her a little doll and then I made a little boy doll for Spencer. Lauren named her doll Lucy, just like the story, and then because Spencer wasn't talking much, she named his doll Jimmy.

Here we have Jimmy and Lucy shortly after their creation. Jimmy is so new he does not yet have a face, heart, or clothes. Poor naked Jimmy.

Lauren loved Lucy and Jimmy. When we moved from Chicago to California that summer, they were two of the toys left unpacked to be played with in the car. All was well until the morning we drove out of Las Vegas, Nevada. We were just getting to the outskirts and had the windows rolled down a bit to cool the car a little before turning on the AC. Suddenly we heard a cry from the backseat. Lauren had been holding Jimmy up by the open window and then decided to let him hang out the window just a little. Somehow a gust of wind or a bump caused her grasp to slip and poor Jimmy fell onto the freeway. He was doomed to be run over by a million cars racing to get back home after a weekend romp in Sin City. Poor Jimmy.

Lauren was obviously very upset, but there was nothing to be done. Nothing until now. Over two years after the early lose and demise of Jimmy he has finally been reborn. He doesn't have red hair and he isn't called Jimmy, well Lauren tries to call him Jimmy, but he is finally back to keep Lucy company. Spencer has named him Red Castle Crasher Knight and loves him. How much can change in just two years.

Oh, and the moral of the story is. . .don't make rag dolls for your kids unless you are prepared to make a few replacements for unexpected mishaps.