The American Girl Store

Ever since Bella and Addie received their American Girl dolls this past Christmas, they have been completely obsessed with all things American Girl. They constantly look through the catalogs, play the online AG games, watch the movies, and listen to the books (that I read to them). They play dolls nearly everyday, and the dolls often make car trips with us. The truth is, though, that I don't mind one bit! I like that they enjoy playing with dolls. I like that it involves role play and imaginative thinking, and limits the electronics. So when we found out we would be living (somewhat) close to DC, we three gals were all excited about making a trip to the AG store. The boys (no surprise) opted to do their own thing that day and took a trip to the pool instead.

So one day in June, the girls and I dressed up, they grabbed their spending money, and we hit the road.  Although I had to answer the "how much longer" question more than once, we arrived safely and with my sanity in tact (I only had to yell once when the DC road signs got me frazzled and the girls were still asking how close we were!)

The first thing we did was hit the restroom after our 1 1/2 hour road trip. Inside the bathroom stalls and near the sinks were doll holders so you didn't have to lay your dolls on the floor. I thought it was a brilliant idea! Here is Marisa waiting for Addie to wash her hands:

After our pitstop, we headed to the 'My American Girl' doll section so Bella could pick out a new doll. The girls had been saving up Christmas money, birthday money, and several months of allowance for this trip, and Bella chose to buy a new doll (the one in the middle of this photo below).

After Bella 'adopted' Rebecca, we headed to the salon so the dolls could get their hair styled and Rebecca could get her ears pierced. Here is Addie's doll, Marisa, getting the works:

And here is Bella's doll, Elizabeth, getting her new look:

After the doll salon, we wandered through the store. There are so many items to browse through! Bella held both of her dolls the whole time:

Addie opted to have me carry her doll around in the shopping bag, while she checked out all the goods. She couldn't decide what she wanted to purchase... so many choices!

We found this patio set and the girls staged a photo - Marisa, Elizabeth, and Rebecca:

Bella was able to pick out an outfit as a belated birthday gift, and she chose the soccer set for Rebecca. Addie ended up using her money to buy a breakfast in bed set. I only paid for the doll salon and dinner, and the rest of the purchases fell on the girls. I felt a bit sad that we didn't buy more while at the store, but everything was so expensive! It was nice to see that when the girls were spending their own money, though, that they were a lot more selective and thoughtful on their purchases.

When we finished shopping, we headed to the Bistro for an early dinner. They have doll highchairs so that the dolls can join us for the meal. They even get a saucer and teacup while at the table (but too bad we couldn't keep them!)

By the time we left, the girls were all smiles! It was a nice day trip and a great mommy/daughter outing. I'm already looking forward to our next AG store visit!