I feel terrible, just terrible. You remember that lovely little piece I did about Cinderella's Castle several months back? It was a fabulous little dollhouse contraption thing that Maddy played with all her princess dolls and she loved it for about 2 or 3 years.
Then, she didn't love it anymore. One day, just out of the blue, she said to put it up and that I could sell it.
So I did.
Not so fast, you say! Surely it was an impulsive decision for her to demand that I sell it...and so I thought as well. I didn't sell it right away. We kept it a few months. I'd ask her about it every week or so and see if she wanted to play with it.
And she didn't.
So finally...the day came in early December when I listed it on Craigslist.
And no one wanted it.
I just kept it in our storage room--asked her about it occasionally and she stood by her decision that she was not interested in playing with it anymore.
Honestly, it made me a little sad! I didn't want her to be so grown up that she wasn't into the princess thing anymore.
I never deleted the Craigslist ad and wouldn't you know, I finally had an offer for it a month after I originally listed it. I was all set to meet the buyer one day about 3 weeks ago and told Maddy all about it and she continued to nonchalantly dismiss the whole thing and acted glad for the 3 year old who was going to be on the receiving end.
La di da la di da la di da....life goes on.....don't give it another thought.....UNTIL....
Wednesday afternoon we were driving to the Y and I suddenly hear the silent sobbing noise coming from the back of the van. It was as if she were trying her hardest NOT to cry, but she couldn't stifle the emotion and it flowed. Oh, how it flowed.
The source of her grief? SHE WANTS HER CINDERELLA CASTLE BACK. She wants to play with it. Her barbies/princess dolls don't fit in her new dollhouse the way they did in the castle. TEARS and tears and tears and tears and more tears.
So, then I start crying. As I'm driving. Which is not a good combination.
We got parked at the Y and I just had to hold her in my lap and love on her until she got it all out.
It was painful, readers, so so painful. Absolutely broke my heart. And that's the end of that story.
[I don't have a light and happy ending to that part of the story, but I do have something else kind of funny to confess. I am TERRIBLE about negotiating, haggling, bargaining...whatever you call it. I practically give stuff away at garage sales--"oh, just take it--I don't need it...." and I never ask for discounts or a "break" in a price. We could have completely ridiculous service at a restaurant and they could bring me a piece of pink steak when I ordered chicken and I still wouldn't say a word. ANYWAYS, all that is background to the big transaction for selling the Cinderella Castle. I had it listed at $35 on Craigslist, knowing that you never get what you ask for, so I naturally priced it a bit high. When I met the buyer, I was just bracing myself to NOT GIVE IT TO HIM, NO MATTER HOW CUTE HIS LITTLE GIRL IS. Well, he said he'd take it and I said "great" and he proceeds to hand me a twenty, a ten, and a five. That would be, yes, $35. My asking price. SCORE!!! Well, not yet. I felt so awkward about it, so I took the money from him and then promptly handed him back the $5 bill. I told him I'd only feel right about taking $30 for it. WHAT?!?]
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