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The Day The Doll Carriage Died…

Filed Under: Being a mom, BLOG, Blog Hop, Family Life, Nostalgia, parenting Tagged With: , ,

“Can you please write a note to my teacher, so that I am not having to go outside and freeze today like yesterday?”

In that moment, I would have walked through the freezing tundra or the burning 7th layer of hell to make sure my girl was ok.

Because that is what a mother simply does.

Just hearing the anguish in my daughter’s voice and her pleas was enough to make me take action.

I can say without a doubt I am not the mom, who phones the school for every little thing and takes a lot for me to pull that trigger.

Back to School 2015

I also try my best to not be a helicopter parent by any means for the most part by letting my girls experience all they can at their own pace.

But still, I did just that once she got on the bus and departed for school as I felt a note wouldn’t suffice.

I needed to be heard, to be her voice, as well as advocate and also plain wanted to make sure that not just actual temperature degree number was all that was the determining factor for outdoor recess at our local school, but that wind chill and real feel temperature is indeed considered.

So, I phoned and thankfully all was well that ended well on this with that one simple phone call.

But I am getting a bit off track, as the thought I want to convey most to both my girls is I always wanted to be a mother even long before my kids were mere twinkles and stardust in my eyes.

So, of course, I would do whatever I had to in my power to keep them safe, happy and without worry if it is in my power.

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See a long time ago, in a far off place, I was a little girl just as both of mine are with my own hopes, dreams, needs and wants.

I was also the little girl, who played with all sorts of dolls, especially baby dolls which found me daydreaming often enough of what my own real life baby would be like someday.

I was very loving and gentle with my baby dolls as any good, little, girl, pretend mother should be.

Oh who am I fooling as that is the furthest from the truth back almost 36 years ago.

See my parents always tell the story from my second Christmas, I was gifted a baby doll and carriage from my grandparents.  

Me at almost 2 years old with Doll Carriage

With my brand new doll carriage back in the day…

My family all thought it was so cute how I seemed enthralled with my newest gift.  That was right up until, I wheeled said carriage with baby doll seated intact into the wall.

I am pretty sure, they thought it was just accident the first time.

But then, I did it again and then again and still again!

You get the idea as I just kept ramming this carriage with the doll seated in it into the wall over and over.

No matter what I was told, I just kept doing it.

One day after, on December 26th, that little doll carriage sat on the curb in front of our then home to be picked up by the NYC sanitation crew. Still there is photographic evidence that this carriage existed, believe it or not as witnessed from the above photo and one more for good measure below, too.

Me and my doll carriage from Christmas past

See I swear it did exist!

But, you guessed it.

My little girl toddler self destroyed that doll carriage in less than 24 hours!

Not sure what happened to that baby doll though, but I totally demolished her doll carriage with very little effort.

All I can say that this little girl (me, of course) did eventually grow up and the motherly instinct did come with it–thankfully for my girls otherwise they may not have survived their own carriage days!

But still they most certainly did and seriously like I said earlier, I would most certainly do everything I could to keep them from harm’s way now unlike that little girl back in the day as their mother now–always.

I also pretty certain my girls do indeed know this as just this past weekend, my older daughter actually told me at bedtime happily, “You are the very best mom I could have ever asked for,” and then proceeded to give me the biggest and tightest hug.

In that moment, I felt as warm and loved as I ever have.  Trust me though that not all moments here are that grand or momentous, but for all the insane, crazy and even mundane instances here makes being a mom it all worth it when all is said and done.

What do you remember from your childhood? #WhoIAm @Linkouture @KissMyList

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*This story was retold for the Who I Am Project with Dana of Kiss My List and Bev of Linkouture, where I retold one of my favorite tales that I have heard over and over from my family from when I was a kid.

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About Janine

Janine is a published author of the books, The Mother of All Meltdowns and Only Trollops Shave Above the Knee. She has been featured on The Huffington Post, Mamapedia, Today Parenting Team and SheKnows. She also runs her own graphic design company at J9 Designs.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bev says

    Oh, how funny! You were just so excited about your new doll and carriage you couldn’t contain it 😉 Despite how you may have treated your doll as a small child, you are such a loving and caring mom. I think we all learn a thing or two since our childhood! Thanks for sharing your story with us.

    • Janine says

      Aw,thanks Bev and definitely had more than a few things I needed to learn from childhood and in fact still learning. But loved sharing this tory here today and thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so! 🙂

  2. Kathy Radigan says

    I love this!! Thankfully we are not judged as moms by how we were as girls because I had a habit of leaving my dolls out in the rain!! Your girls are very lucky to have you as their mom. xoxo

    • Janine says

      Thanks so much always Kathy and definitely wasn’t always the best in the way I apparently treated my dolls and glad it wasn’t just me though!! 🙂

  3. Chrissy Petti- Volpe says

    I laughed so hard through a few parts of this. Your daughters are the precious little gems they are because of you! You are such a good mom; they are very lucky. (Btw….Bella this morning “Mommy, we better not go out today).

  5. Rea says

    You have quite a lot of photos of you when you were still a little girl. 😉 I’m sure you’re a wonderful mom Janine. We aren’t perfect but our kids love us!

  6. Allie says

    But why did you destroy the carriage? Just curious! I bet you are, too. And the picture of you is so flippin adorable! And I’m sure your parents will love reading this post. Can you imagine if we had the internet back then, and your parents had filmed you banging the carriage? You’d be a You-Tube star!

    • Janine says

      Allie, there is the 64,000 question!! Seriously though, me as YouTube star LOL! And can’t wait for my parents to see this one!! 😉

  7. Meredith says

    I am dying! This is so funny. And yes, thankful you sorted that instinct to ram the carriage to destruction before your real babies entered the world 😉 LOVE IT!

  8. Seana Turner says

    Yes, those words and the hug really do make it all worth it. Words of affirmation still mean everything to me, even with my girls all grown up. That is so funny that you trashed the carriage! I remember my girls wanted to just sit inside and read or talk during recess, but were never allowed to. We were probably the only family on earth who was happy when we hit middle school and didn’t have to go out for recess anymore!

    • Janine says

      Sean, as much as I dread middle school, I will be happier when they don’t have to go out in the winter time for recess here either!

  10. Kathy Radigan says

    I loved this!!!! And I’m glad I turned out to be a better mom than my doll playing self considering that I tended to leave my dolls outside overnight in the rain! Lol!

  11. Dara says

    That’s a funny story. When Gabbie was a baby she had a little baby doll and she used to bash its head into her high chair tray. We would laugh about her motherly instincts!

  12. James Oliver, Jr. (@jamesoliverjr) says

    You had me with the complaint about playing in the cold.

    Here in WI, they take the kids out to play as long as it’s not colder than 20 degrees. 20 degrees! Who the hell wants to go out and play when it’s 20 degrees outside?!

  13. Chris Carter says

    OH gosh that story is hilarious!!! I wonder what was going through that little head of yours, ya know? LOL I’m not surprised this story gets told often, Janine!!

    And I love how much your girls adore you and how you protect them and keep them safe!! Oh, do I get it!!

    I SO need to do this link up of Dana’s, I just love the idea behind it… I totally forgot about it! Shame on me. 🙁

    • Janine says

      Not too late Chris and hope you will add to this link and can’t see what you will come up with if you do. And thanks always my sweet friend!! 🙂

  15. Bill says

    Great story about the baby carriage….my goodness you were destructive. lol Thanks for bringing a smile to my face this morning…Happy Tuesday, Janine!

    • Janine says

      Aw, so glad this brought a smile to your face and Iknow I was pretty darn destructive in my younger days though! Happy Tuesday to you, too Bill 🙂

  18. Stephanie says

    I actually laughed out loud because your 2 year-old “mommy” is so exactly the opposite of who you are now. Thank goodness, right? Good story Janine!

  19. Julia Tomiak says

    This is hilarious! My daughter liked to strip her Barbies naked and tie their hands behind their backs… hopefully she’ll outgrow such behavior just as you grew out of your carriage bashing. (Of course, she already has. 😉 ) Thanks for sharing your story… I found you via Dana’s blog.

  21. Kenya G. Johnson says

    LOL I wasn’t a mothering doll owner either. There’s one that my mom said I banged around so much until her head came off. It was one of those dolls that had a cloth body so it couldn’t simply be reattached. So I was told I did actually love the doll and just carried the head around after that. I was regifted another one of the exact same kind and took better care of her. There is a cute picture of me “feeding” her with one of those little plastic bottles. I’ll have to find it and see if that was “the” doll.

    I write notes for Christopher in the spring to give him the option to go to the library because of the pollen.

    • Janine says

      OK, now I so want to see that photo and if you find it, you have to share (please!!). Looks like we have more in common though then we ever knew still!! 🙂

  22. Dana says

    I would never have pegged you for a baby carriage basher, Janine! I bet your girls would love to hear this story.

    I’ll confess that I tore the eyebrows off of my stuffed doggie (which was my mother’s prize toy as a kid), because I thought they made him look too sad. I also popped the heads off of my Barbies, but I’ve outgrown my destructive tendencies! Thank you for joining us, Janine!

    • Janine says

      Aw, so happy I could join you and seriously had so much fun recalling this and sharing it here today. So thank you for hosting once again!! 🙂

  23. Jen says

    Oh that story and that cute little Janine picture! What a doll you are even as a doll carriage destroying machine! My kids have wrecked more things within hours of getting them than I can even count. As toddlers I forgive them, when they are older…. it takes a bit. Thanks for sharing this story and that freezing note story. Eeek!!!

  25. Gingi says

    I have some old toys that I have trashed, and my parents and I have actually joked about my childish maternal love causing broken dolls.. haha!! And I get what you mean about not wanting to be a helicopter mom, but you HAVE TO take care of your girls!! Great post as always. –

  26. Diane Roark says

    Janine,

    I hope you are never to hard on yourself. You are a great mom. I read it in every post your write not to mention that is why work from your home.
    When something is important to your children, it is extremely important to you. I know that is true with me too.
    Many many blessings,
    Diane

  27. Ducks 'n a Row says

    So I’m not the only one who, as a little girl, wasn’t enamored with baby dolls! Phew! I thought there was something wrong with me 🙂 My baby dolls – of which there were few – were neglected. Now, plush toys – especially dogs and bears – they had my full attention. Even when I got a Barbie doll it was because I loved her clothes. I had no interested in playing with Barbies. I wanted to BE Barbie! LOL

    We both turned out to be loving, nurturing moms — who would have guessed!
    SInea ♥

  28. Mo at Mocadeaux says

    Perhaps you were playing the role of safety engineer – you know, testing how the carriage would perform in a crash? And another and another and another? Hilarious! It is amazing to think back at some of the things we did as children that seem so wacky to our adult selves! Like Dana, my sister and I constantly popped the heads off of our Barbie dolls but we took it a step further by making slits in their necks so the heads would pop off and on more easily. Veeerrrryyy disturbing….

    • Janine says

      Aw, man I totally just pictured that with their heads now! But seriously, we definitely had some interesting times it would seem all around! 😉

  29. Marilyn says

    Thanks for that great story. Just think if you had taken care of that carriage your girls would of had something to play with from your childhood., though I do not think any of us have too many toys from our childhood. Your girls are adorable and lovely young ladies. I love reading about you and them.
    Marilyn

  31. Nellie says

    I have destroyed my share of toys and learned so much from it! Especially that my mom won’t won’t replace it after its broken! I appreciate you sharing this story with us!

  32. Amanda || Growing Up Madison says

    I am cracking up because I remember Madison doing something very similar to her carriage that she got when she was 2 as well. I happened to distract her though before she left a hole in the wall. I try not to be helicopter mom either but at times it happens and as moms our kids welfare ALWAYS comes first. As my mom would say “better safe than sorry”.

  35. Leslie says

    That is one of the funniest stories ever! It reminds me of our younger daughter, who was gifted a baby doll stroller at age 2, and nearly broke it the same day by trying to sit in it and get strolled around herself! Also, that comment from your oldest is just so heartwarming and sweet.

    • Janine says

      Leslie, I am so picturing your daughter doing this, too and my mom still smiles whenever she does tell this story of me all over again – so glad it translated here for you as well! 🙂

  36. Kristi Campbell says

    Oh Janine! LOL to you destroying that gift within 24 hours! I wonder what you were thinking? This is a great story and I love that you got the “you’re the best mom I could have gotten” hug because that makes doll carriage bashing episodes (or what they do instead) more survivable!

  38. Maria says

    A beautiful recounting of your days as a young girl! Thank goodness we outgrow some of our habits when we were children, otherwise my daughter would be covered in mud ( I used to give my dolls mud baths when I was young…). thanks so much for sharing this beautiful memory with us on #SHINEbloghop. Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

    • Janine says

      Aw, thank you for hosting and so happy to share this beautiful memory with you all today. Have a wonderful weekend now, too!! 🙂

  39. Tamara says

    Oh, that is funny! That’s like Des with the shopping cart we gave him. He wanted it so badly and then would crash it and break it all the time.
    It’s now in the basement!

  40. Aunt Gloria says

    That story of your demolishing your new doll carriage is a classic “Terrible Two’s” – you’ve got the power! Love seeing those photos of you as a little one….so adorable! You are a wonderful and loving mom and Emma said it all…you’re the best! Keep up the good work, and keep us all smiling! Love xxoo

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