Since y’all got to see the fantasy version of the Jenworld living room yesterday, I think it’s only fair you get to see reality.
This is what my living room looked like on Friday AFTER I spent ten minutes a crapload of time on Thursday cleaning it for the the Open House photos.
Apparently my children have decided to homeschool their dolls.
Even though I knew roughly how many dolls we have accumulated over the years, I had no freaking CLUE how many that really was. Enough to break the dolls into different reading groups, based on ability. I am not making this up.
According to my girls, here’s the advanced reading group:
So the good thing is, all the American Girl dolls made it into the gifted/talented group. And that, my friends is what $100 per little plastic head will buy you — intelligence and a better education.
Here’s the lower reading group:
So, the lower reading group is comprised of two Cabbage Dolls, one old china doll, and a doll that Graceful made out of duct tape (blue chair on left). Yes, Graceful has discovered the joys of duct tape creations, but that’s a discussion for another time.
And here’s the preschool:
So, mostly baby dolls, plus another duct tape doll. I think that pink dress goes so nicely with its silvery gray face.
The commute to the living room was long and arduous — all those stairs to come down from the bedrooms. Some dolls opted for alternate transportation:
And, at the back of the living room, the biggest doll of all:
Pete had some fun with the cello case on Thursday night after the rest of us went to bed. I was really not kidding when I worried about the alternate uses my children would find for the cello. It turns out my husband is the biggest kid of all.
I share all of this with you all in the spirit of honesty. You saw my living room clean and now you’re seeing it at about the worst it could possibly be. There’s a part of me that’s amused by how darn cute this is. And then there’s the rest of me that almost explodes from the stress of having such an ungodly mess all around me in my favorite room.
School ended at lunchtime on Friday, as Elegant had camp in the afternoon. Since then, school has not resumed. If it doesn’t resume on Saturday, the teachers will be expected to take their students on a field trip to the bedrooms upstairs. A long, extended, endless field trip.
And then hopefully my favorite room of the house will be neat and tidy again. Even if only for five minutes.
I used to homeschool my dolls! Though I never had so many!
By: Prof. J. on Saturday, June 28, 2008
at 9:42 am
Oh my gosh, I totally laughed out loud when I saw the slow reading group. I’m dying!!! I hope that the dolls get a weekend…no one likes Saturday school.
By: nina on Saturday, June 28, 2008
at 10:11 am
I like your living room even better this way.
OMG! You are so funny. Really, really funny.
$100 per doll gets you into the GATE program. SO funny.
And duct tape dolls RULE!
By: Cheri @ Blog This Mom! on Saturday, June 28, 2008
at 10:22 am
Duct tape creations?? I keep finding those and “gum” tape projects in the strangest of places….last night, “something” was in the the restroom, guarding the door!!
Personally…I think that the gifted/talented groups use of the mini-tramp as a desk was quite….well….gifted/talented-like!!
Oh….I would love to have a couple dolls hanging around my house….a little pink would also be nice.
I think I’ll visit often….and just hang for a while, if that’s okay!!
By: debbie on Saturday, June 28, 2008
at 11:29 am
I used to have doll school too.
How come the pre-school gets the best location?
By: Smalltown Mom on Saturday, June 28, 2008
at 11:32 am
Ha! I knew those cabbage patch kids were a little slow! Love the pics of your house. It reminds me so much of when my girls were younger with dolls scattered all over the place. Now, it’s just cell phones, ipods, computers, lipsticks and clothes, clothes, clothes……I want the dolls back!
By: Angie on Saturday, June 28, 2008
at 11:53 am
That is great! I love the whole scenario they’ve got going!
Where do the dolls normally live? I ask this in the spirit of “where the hell should we put all the dolls in BarbraLand?”
By: barbra on Saturday, June 28, 2008
at 12:06 pm
Add me to the list of people who prefer the “Dali” version of your living room.
By: Poppy Buxom on Saturday, June 28, 2008
at 12:19 pm
It looks like that duct tape doll in the low reading group is reading a Newberry award winner. Maybe it’s time to reevaluate her placement?
By: Jenn @ Juggling Life on Saturday, June 28, 2008
at 12:28 pm
Oh! I’d have loved to have been there – first to pour the wine while you freaked over the mess and then TO PLAY.
I love those damn dolls.
By: blackbird on Saturday, June 28, 2008
at 1:10 pm
I always knew that your kids were cool, but now, it so very clear to me that your kids are utterly amazing. how lucky your are!
By: Melissa on Saturday, June 28, 2008
at 1:46 pm
That is so adorably hilarious!
By: Amy Y on Saturday, June 28, 2008
at 8:22 pm
This is hysterical! Sometimes I wish I had more than one.
By: limamike on Saturday, June 28, 2008
at 10:25 pm
Duct tape! Awesome!
Jack looooovvvesss the tape… I used to bring it on long plane trips to keep him amused… he’s 10 now and has gone over to the dark side of PSP-hell.
By: Kristin on Sunday, June 29, 2008
at 11:36 am
I love the duct tape sisters!
Kristin – psp warning – my friends son accessed somebody else’s wireless internet and found some very ‘interesting’ websites!!! Their own system was ‘nannied’!!! So the parents thought all was well – until they found him looking at ‘brazillian mammeries’!!
Hen
By: Domestically Challenged on Sunday, June 29, 2008
at 2:40 pm
How delightful! I love that the preschoolers got the marshmallow.
By: Kimberly on Sunday, June 29, 2008
at 4:21 pm
Hysterical! I, too love both the “before” and “after” photos equally. It looks like a load of fun goin’ on at your house!
By: Claire B on Sunday, June 29, 2008
at 5:27 pm
I am peeing my pants and laughing with tears all at the same time.
I noticed the American Girl group was working very hard.
It was the Cabbage Patch reading group that got me!
Your girls are amazing!
By: Little Miss Sunshine State on Sunday, June 29, 2008
at 10:20 pm
Duct tape is the best! I never thought of making dolls with it, but hey? Why not?
By: Vanessa on Monday, June 30, 2008
at 9:22 pm