That's excellent and a total Yay, Jilli.

Oh my gods people, American Girl Doll is such a cult. I suspected this because HPF's doting grandmother decided that since HPF "is going to be an only child, she needs something [cue dreadful music and wavery voice] to love," and bestowed one. And now I know this because I have visited the mother ship, and escaped. It's craziness, is what it is. We traipsed all over New York, on foot, and couldn't go far without running into another doll-toting, glazed-eyed seven-ish-year-old. They spotted each other across galleries at the Met. They conclaved beneath statuary in Central Park. They saved each other seats on the train. Granted, once within the hallowed pink halls of The Store, they were ready to stab one another in order to get their mitts on the goods, but otherwise? CULT.

I got out with both kidneys, but missing my wallet. help.

Oh and Cashmere, I have a photo of the NYPL lego lions for Owen, somewhere.

It was a good day. With the cult.

It's not just dolls and clothes and doll accessories. There are American Girl Doll Scrapbooks and Scrapbook accessories. American Girl Doll craft kits. The store has a whole American Girl Doll section.

With Fake American Girl Dolls and clothes to fit both Real and Fakes.

With Fake American Girl Dolls and clothes to fit both Real and Fakes.

Yes, I have been surviving this way for some time. And via Ebay. The best move we made before this trip was to give HPF some extra work around the house that made her enough money to budget for what she wanted. So there was not much begging for things, and a whole lot of eyepopping at prices. Of course then I blew it by getting them each a t-shirt... (HPF and her doll. yup. what?).

Although I find little girls to be fickle in their love, Sox. Franny dumped her AGD for the Monster High crowd, then shifted over to Barbie, then down the rabbit hole of Zoobles, etc. Wash, rinse, repeat. I think the AGDs may be due for a resurgence in a month or two.

We traipsed all over New York, on foot, and couldn't go far without running into another doll-toting, glazed-eyed seven-ish-year-old. They spotted each other across galleries at the Met. They conclaved beneath statuary in Central Park. They saved each other seats on the train. Granted, once within the hallowed pink halls of The Store, they were ready to stab one another in order to get their mitts on the goods, but otherwise? CULT.

I showed Matilda the picture of HKF on FB and the first thing she said was, "That looks like an American Girl Doll."

Although I find little girls to be fickle in their love, Sox.

I'm down with that. We had a conversation at the Met about why the doll didn't have armor or an elven cloak for the quest she was likely going on in the near future. If the doll ends up with a wacky haircut and a borg mod eventually, I'll know she's my kid.

Though, at the Met, we made it to three places. The Egyptian tombs, the armor (we were looking for Sting and some decent Smaug-resistant chain mail), and the showstopper: the part of the American wing where they've dropped the facade of a 3-story house and backed it with rooms filled with early-American furnishings. We went through that four times, because it's like a life-size dollhouse.

the first thing she said was, "That looks like an American Girl Doll."

Please let the second thing be: "let's see what we can make out of it?"

Please let the second thing be: "let's see what we can make out of it?"

She was talking about HKF's doll which was in the picture. Matilda has not gotten to the part of her development where she'd want to make mods on her dolls, and I suspect she'd be somewhat aghast at the notion.

It sounds like you guys had a great time, Sox!

I went to a conference on fundraising and signed and emailed our various tax signature pages to our accountant. I also ate half priced pizza and drank half priced wine and am currently taking Hunger Games quizzes on EW.com!