Katie and Tom

Photo taken by Ana


Katie and Tom (not pictured) were hands down my favorite toys growing up. Tom was a GI Joe and Katie was a special doll that my mom or Grandma (not sure which one) let me pick out on a trip to Utah. Tom and Katie were best friends and inseparable. I'm pretty sure they were in love, too.

Together, they explored caves (bookcases), swamps (muddy dirt outside our house), huge rivers and floodwaters (bathtub), etc etc etc. I had such an imagination. I'm pretty sure I played more with Katie and Tom than I did with real friends. Up until like, 6th grade. By then I played in secret, of course. Because playing dolls in middle school is really nerdy. And I didn't need any more ammo in that department.

Tom saved Katie from certain death about 10 times a day. And my family always says that I played with them in my dreams because I'd yell out there names in my sleep; but I don't know if I believe that.

Until last week, my toys have been safely stored away, as memoirs of my childhood. But after some thought, I decided to take them out of retirement and give them to Analyn. Cause what use are they, sitting in a plastic container on a dusty shelf? It was hard at first, because they were so special to me, but watching Analyn play with Katie the way I did makes me smile. Her imagination has literally blossomed ten-fold in the last week. I'm glad I shared my toys with her.

Ana wants to play dolls with Thad from the second he walks in the door from work. They get in a good 10 minutes before dinner usually. Love Thad for doing that. I'm sure there are a thousand other things that he'd rather be doing



From left to right: "mushroom head" (Ana's name not mine), Katie(the only toy whose name I can remember), "Raggie doll," and "Red" (again, Ana's nicknames). Sadly, somehow Tom was misplaced some time between my childhood and now.