I had no idea how much this meant to her

I recently told my daughter that a package would be arriving for her in the mail. A friend from the local Freecycle community is sending her some doll clothes she made. A small package, and she wasn't planning to send dolls. Just clothes.

My daughter and I also recently won a Bratz package, here on gather... but I didn't think that was going to be coming yet. Nor did I realize the box would belie what was within. (I thought the box would be generic, and just say gather.com on it)

So today my daughter comes into the room with tears in her eyes, thanking me profusely... and being distracted, I wondered why she was so emotional but didn't think much about it.

So she came back in a few minutes later and tells me the dolls cost X amount, because she looked it up online, and asking if my friend spent that money on her?

WELL! That finally got my attention! No, I said, they must have come from Freecycle. But I still didn't register the full scope of why she was so thrilled.

Finally, I came out of my room into the living room and saw the box, along with the three Bratz dolls we had won in the contest here on gather... and it dawned on this slow-to-get-it Aspie that her Christmas present was blown. Ah me!

But she was beside herself over it because of two things.

1. She had wanted one of the three dolls badly enough to put it on her wish list

2. The only Bratz she's ever had have been secondhand and she's never had a brand new one of her own - she hoped and prayed she'd get the one she was asking for... and here she got THREE!

Which is great, because she has two neighbor girls to play dolls with. That is, when they're all getting along and not arguing over something... you know how kids are.

: )