Something I love

When Ella was two, we purchased a dollhouse for her. About a year later, we scored on a HUGE bag of dollhouse furniture and accessories at a garage sale. She spent hours setting up house, playing with the dolls, and acting out little family scenes. I have very fond memories of Mark and Ella, all sprawled out on the floor on their tummies, playing dollhouse together.

The past couple of years it hasn't gotten much use, but I'm glad we kept it. Adelia won't play with anything longer than about 20 seconds, but Audra?

It's her favorite thing.


In the picture above, she had gathered up all the babies she could find and was cramming them into the doll cradle, and singing Jesus Loves Me. Every once in awhile she'd stop singing and say, "Cute. Cute."

Several times a day she walks over to me with a dollhouse bed/chair/couch along with a baby and a mama or daddy doll and wants me to "epp" (help). She wants me to help her tuck them in, just so.

Right now she's saying "Yie down, baby" and putting two babies in a big bed.

A couple minutes ago she had the little dollhouse rocking chair out, had a mama and baby sitting in it (after I helped her get the baby on the mamas "yap" (lap)) and repeatedly said, "Rockabee, baby. Rockabee."

A few minutes before that, she wanted my "epp" once again so that she could set up this little scene, just so:


She was very particular about the mama and daddy being on the SAME chair, with the baby in mama's "yap" and with a blanket laid across their yaps.

I just love this stage~ Audra, at 18 months~ playing house and recognizing a family unit and being a nurturing mama already.

She loves her baby doll, too, and will wrap it up in a blankie and then walk through the house saying "nuggle" (snuggle) or "nigh-night" and pat the baby on the back. Or she'll say "chair, chair", and set her baby in a chair or get out the doll stroller and push the baby around in the stroller.

It's too cute, all of it. And I want to remember it.

Hence, this post.

:)