American Girl Sale again!

Looking at the bunch of pictures I have taken since I last posted, I realized we've had SO MUCH DAMN FUN.

On Wednesday, we checked out a new park!

On Thursday, Ben took the big boys camping with some of his favorite college friends and their kids (camping=MAJOR EEEW), and the babies and I stayed home (stayed home=went to Target and Whole Foods and the pool).

Friday, my parents came to town in anticaption of the AMERICAN GIRL BENEFIT SALE and we ate pizza and again went to the pool.

Saturday, my mom and I hit the sale bright an early-- we had 7:45 am tickets which is a big deal because that means all of the merchandise is still there, and we had our pick.  (They limit things, though, so we couldn't go too crazy).

After the sale, we all went to the county fair (county fair=dirty, awesome, and hot).

After the kids went to bed we grilled steaks and scallops and corn and had lots of wine.

And then it was TODAY.  Grocery shopping, pool, and grading for my online class (at the pool).

I have not cheated on my diet even once this week, and I have LOST NO WEIGHT.  This is crap, BTW.

 I have tons of cute pictures from all of these days, but I really need to work on my online class, so I'll just tell you about the most important thing: THE AMERICAN GIRL SALE.

You might remember that we went last year and started Dorothy's collection off with 4 dolls:  Rebecca, Kit, McKenna, and a Bitty Baby.  We also bought Cooper a Bitty Twin who looked just like him, and my mom got a My American Girl doll for a kid on her caseload, and I got one for my niece.

Then Santa brought Dorothy Saige, the 2013 Girl of the Year, bringing her up to 5 dolls.  Erm.

Then Saturday, this happened:

MOLLY AND EMILY!  Archived historical dolls!  That you cannot buy anymore!  And were not any cheaper than would be online or in the store.  ONLY YOU CAN'T GET THEM ONLINE OR IN THE STORE.  BECAUSE THEY ARE ARCHIVED.

Santa did not bring Dorothy any of Saige's choking hazard accessories, so I was super happy to pick them up at the sale, and I was proud of the deal I scored until I noticed that I paid a whopping $3 less than the price on the box.  Erm.  But I also found 2 of Molly's outfits (swimming and skating) for full retail price, BUT THEY ARE ARCHIVED, TOO.

The point I am making is that the "sale" is not totally a sale.  But you get to jostle other shoppers and grab things in a warehouse, and you get your ticket times by lottery after mailing in your ticket requests (my mom got the 3rd group in!!  so lucky!!) and there are really strict limits on your purchases (1 girl of the year (whom we already had from Santa), 1 historical doll, 2 Bitty Twins or Babies, and 8 My American Girl Dolls per person.  You could also have all the books you wanted, and 4 sets of boxed doll clothes, no repeats).  Molly, Emily, and Saige were full price (BUT ARCHIVED!!); the rest of the historical dolls were a better deal (but we could not have them because I got Molly and my mom got Emily, and they counted toward the limit-- next year, my mom wants Julie, and I want Caroline). The My AGs were half price, but I think those would be more fun to buy at the actual store, and then pick out clothes for the doll and Dorothy to match each other and eat a creeptastic lunch together where the doll gets served like it's a person.  The Bitty Twins were a good deal, but the Bitty Babies were only $5 cheaper than usual.  And I already told you the clothes were almost full price.  BUT THE THRILL.  THE THRILL IS PRICELESS.

(I am really pissed at myself for not buying Molly's adorable yellow Jenny Lind bed.  It was only $75 but I passed it up because we don't really have space for it until we no longer have that huge recliner in her room and Dorothy wouldn't really care about it.  Both sensible reasons.  But there were only a few, and IT IS ALSO ARCHIVED.)

After we emerged victorious with our giant shopping bags full of dolls and clothes plus a tutu and a slew of bows for Dorothy that my mom bought from a parking lot vendor, we had a celebratory breakfast and took our dolls into the restaurant and opened them up and did creepy shit like take their pictures and put Molly's glasses on.  IT WAS SO FUN.

Now my 16 month-old has 9 American Girl dolls, and I can't even pretend like they were a good bargain.  Guilt-free shopping, though, because the proceeds benefit our children's museum; I have wanted these dolls since I was 12, and my mom and I have the best time getting them.  And we can buy ARCHIVED dolls who are ARCHIVED.  Don't know if I mentioned that.