About 7.5 years ago, I was pregnant for the first time. I had visions of little girls, of ribbons and dolls and all the things that come with daughters. I was completely wrapped up in the idea of having a girl, so it was understandably quite an adjustment for me to change my thinking to the idea of being a mom of BOYS when I had my gender ultrasound the first time. In a word, I was devastated. I wrote all about it on an older post, but I’ve been perfectly happy parenting only boys for almost 7 years.
Everything changed back in May, when two girls came to live with us in our new role as foster parents. I was excited by the idea of living with and shopping for girls, but honestly I was a little nervous! After all this time, I’d gotten used to superheroes and cars and wrestling. Little boys love their mamas, and I kinda loved what we had going on.
Since the first month or so was completely just survival mode (OMgosh FOUR KIDS), it took me awhile to get kinda swept up in the whole girl mom* thing. Sure, we did get my Barbies out of the garage to play with the first weekend, and we went shopping for pretty dresses for a special event in June, but in the midst of just parenting, we didn’t do a ton of girly girl stuff.
Until now. We got *A* a Journey Girls doll, which for the unfamiliar, is an 18″ doll akin to American Girl dolls, just approximately $100 cheaper. She.Was.PUMPED when she opened it on Christmas morning and I had spent hours in the previous weeks looking for DIY accessories and furniture that we could make together. I looked in dollar stores for accessories (hellooooooo adorable and perfectly-sized guitar from Dollar Tree!) and readied myself for crafting.
May I present, with commentary, some of our projects?
So first we made a tiny camping lantern (instructions here), since she got a camping accessories set (complete with tent, campfire, s’mores, etc.).
Then I made her two little books and a teeny iPad! I got the idea from here and printed off the book cover images. We have been reading The Baby-Sitters Club books at bedtime for months.
Then we got to work making a little couch out of a shoebox, scrapbook paper, and a piece of fabric.
Then after going shopping today for more clothes for Olivia, her doll, we made a closet. A CLOSET, PEOPLE. How cute is that?
We cleared off a bookshelf that previously held board games, and this is now her doll’s room. I used some scrapbook materials to make little posters for the walls.
BRB, dying from the cuteness.
*Read: I realize I’m not their mom. So it’s kinda like “I’m not a doctor, I just play one on TV” or “I’m not a girl mom, I just play one in foster parenting.”)
About Krista
