Birthday parties are always fun and this one was no exception. As long as there is cake, then it’s a great party. We celebrated Papa’s big day with ribs, cake and family fun.

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“The obsession” as we like to call it around here started a few months ago. “The Wizard of Oz” came on T.V. Dan recorded it and later on that day Brittain watched it. That was the beginning. We now eat, sleep, breathe, and play “The Lizard of Oz” (how Brittain pronounces it). It’s watched at least once a day in our house, if not more.

Much to my surprise, one day Mama called me and said that Daddy (Doot) had started buying the 70th anniversary Barbie Wizard of Oz dolls for Brittain. During his travels he was hitting various Toys R Us’ and Targets and adding to the set. They are apparently difficult to find and so far he had the Tin Man, the Wicked Witch of the West, the Wicked Witch of the East, and the Cowardly Lion. He was still on the hunt for Dorothy, the Scarecrow and Glenda.

You have to understand that this is my dad’s “thing.” When Cecilia and I were kids and the Cabbage Patch Kids were all the rage and nowhere to be found, it was our Dad who found them. As a travelling salesman he looked everywhere he went. In the end, Cecilia and I ended up with 13 of those dolls. It didn’t stop with Cabbage Patch Kids. The hottest item and the most difficult to find only made the hunt that much more fun. And he always succeeded in finding at least 2 of the impossible toy or doll.

The day that I got that call from my mom, Brittain and I made a trip over that evening. Mom and I discussed that it would be best to space the dolls out and not give them to her all at one time. So it was decided that Doot would give her the Wicked Witch of the West and the Cowardly Lion.
I believe that only pictures can do the excitement justice:

Perhaps the funniest part of the evening was the fact that Daddy just couldn’t stand the fact that he had more dolls sitting back there. Even as many times as Mama and I said, “No, don’t do it,” it didn’t matter. While we were packing up to leave he came walking out with the Tin Man.

What was making me so sick was taking them out of the boxes! All I could think was the fact that they might actually be worth something some day if they were still intact. But Doot wanted her to actually be able to play with them. And I guess I kinda did too.

The obsession was contagious. It spread from Brittain to Doot then to me and then somehow I spread it to Dan because I had somehow convinced him that these dolls (in their boxes) were going to pay for Brittain’s college education, I guess. By the end of the night we were the proud new owners of the entire set of 70th anniversary Barbie Wizard of Oz dolls (and yes, this is a SECOND set)…and about $300 more in debt. Congratulations to us.

The whole spacing out thing didn’t work too well. It was only 3 days later that we were back over there for more doll unveiling at which point the Wicked Witch of the East and the much sought after Scarecrow were given to her.

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Somehow Mama talked Daddy into waiting until Valentine’s Day to give her Dorothy. I will be incredibly thankful when she gets it because I’m tired of hearing, “When do you think Doot will be able to find Dorothy?”

She’s become a favorite name around the house. Brittain loves all her baby dolls (no one is more special than the other, and “baby” is her favorite thing to play). But as much as she loves her dolls, a real baby is, of course, so much better. Brittain first met Addison in the hospital right after she was born. After that she constantly saw pictures of her and then recently had the opportunity to help take care of her (when Addison’s mommy kept Brittain while I was at work). When I picked Brittain up that day I heard that baby Addison never had so much care taken of her. It was Brittain’s calling to make sure Addison had the best care possible.

These are some pictures I took of the two of them recently.

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