WARNING: American Girl Doll store is open!

I repeat...the American Girl Doll Store is open! Hide your wallets. Tell them the "open" signs are lies. Anything to avoid getting sucked into the vortex that will eventually end with you explaining to your husband why the credit card bill was so high and why matching outfits with your doll is the only way she will have a complete and healthy childhood.

Actually, you can save your breath on the last one b/c husbands will never truly understand the thrill  of matching outfits with your dolls. This does not compute with the Y chromosome much like the confusion over why you cry just cause you feel like it.

So, I have warned all who will have ears to hear. I made the mistake of attempting a return to Old Navy (next door to new AG store) w/o realizing it was OPENING WEEKEND!

Pause and rest on that thought.

You would have thought the president had a speaking engagement based on the winding lines, men with thingies in their ears, the tickets required to earn the privilege to wait in the line (see Shelby below).

Good news. Bad news.

Bad news: Shelby is developing reading skills. Normally this would be a cause for celebration. Not when she can read the word "open." 

More bad news: I had just been running in the blazing heat and ten minutes prior had noticed a mystery stain on my sweaty shirt. This is acceptable attire for Old Navy returns. This is not acceptable attire for the AG store grand opening. (I'm basing this opinion on the mother/daughter duos who wore matching outfits)

Good news: there wasn't a wait to get in at 5:30pm. Actually, that might need to go in the bad news column as well. I might have been able to resist the pleading of the face above if an hour+ wait was a part of the bargain.

More good news: apparently all those times I told her "no" as a child and endured the full force of her disappointment have come to fruition. I did not purchase any matching outfits, custom made shirts, or doll accessories. Yep, we went and looked and left with nothing but smiles and a weird book about stars they gave her for free.

Lest I sound too "bah humbug," I really did want to take her to the AG store and have tea in the bistro. My vision was a special time where we would paint our nails and put on lipgloss. We will have to go back again for a better planned "girl time" that involves showers and clean clothes.

Even so, Shelby enjoyed walking around the museum-like display of all the dolls and their accouterments. I'm sure she will enjoy our second trip even more...