It is officially garage sale season here in Chicago. I couldn't go to the one over at Sarah's house on Saturday because I had to work, but there was another community-wide sale over in the Ravenswood Manor neighborhood on Sunday. I'd never been to this one, but my friend Molly went last year and raved about its offerings and scored us the five buck bench that now sits comfortably in front of our condo. We had an end of school picnic Sunday morning but when that was over, Sam and I headed to the garage sale action to see if there was anything left. I must say, the goods were pretty picked over, with mostly just baby stuff, books and an odd assortment of hardware remaining. But Sam scored some cheap and free action figures (mostly of the Happy Meal variety) and ran into a good buddy and I scored a nice stack of old children's books.
I was about to call it an afternoon, when I decided to check out one more house. You know that instinct--just one more house. Sometimes you score and sometimes it's a dud. Score! Sitting on a table of mostly baby toys was this gem.
This was my Fisher Price house when I was a little girl. This is the house I would play with for hours, on my belly with the funny little wooden people. This was the one. I picked it up very quickly and I asked the lady what she wanted for it and she said, "Oh, I suppose--two dollars." I was so thrilled I had that jittery giddy thing going on in my chest. The little house was rather dirty and kind of beat up on one edge and even had a few spider webs inside but it didn't matter. I had (finally) found my old Fisher Price house. And I wasn't even looking for it. But there it was. I quickly paid for it and walked quickly back to where Sam was playing with his friend. "Who's that for, Mom?" Sam asked. "Ben, I guess," is what I replied. (I can tell you now in all honesty that I wasn't exactly thinking of any of my children when I purchased it.) "Oh, well, can I play with it too sometime?" Sam asked. "Of course," I said, "Maybe I'll play with it too." And Sam gave me a look that meant I was being exceptionally silly or just plain weird.
This is the part I remember the most -- that upper room, the kids' room with the orange and brown rug. Check it out. That's where I spent most of my time having unstructured, open make-believe time with the little wooden Fisher Price people. Hours, I am telling you. (I actually think this might have positively contributed to me really loving and needing time to myself to this day--if that isn't too much of a stretch.) Oh and my mother was completely anti-Barbie and not for some feminist ideas but rather, she thought they were poorly made and couldn't fathom chasing after the "horrid little plastic shoes" and having to purchase all those "crappy little outfits." (I am paraphrasing my mother here but I have heard this so many times over the years, I think I have nailed it pretty true to her words.) So being a Fisher Price kid was sort of a given. We also had the barn (you know, the one that moo'd when you opened the doors) and we had the parking garage with an elevator. The memory of that is kind of fuzzy but I know we had it.
Anyhow, I brought it home and cleaned it up and put it on the table in the sun room to see how Ben would respond to it.
The past two mornings Ben has awoken extra early to bring his guys and the babies and the cars to be a part of the house. He seems most fond of the garage, which has a blue plastic door that goes up and down.
And he is also rather smitten with the front door (as am I all over again) which has the most honest little chiming "ding!" if you flick the teeny plastic lever.
It went off several times this morning at 6:02 am. It was a happy way to start a day. Such a happy house. Such a good toy. Such great memories. This is why going to garage sales is a worthy effort. Especially when you score something simple but so good. Oh and I haven't played with it yet, but I will.
Bonnie -- such a great doll house! What luck! Gotta love some of those old Fisher Price beauties.
Posted by: bloomingheather | May 19, 2009 at 11:22 PM