There are few things I remember vividly about my childhood...one of them is my Popples. I had "PC Popple," the leader of the Popple gang - and while this is going to date me, I must admit that I remember thinking I was cooler than my sister because I had the lead Popple doll.
In retrospect, I realize now that I had the boy. And while he was Pretty Cool, she had the cute, girly pink one. Which probably made her cooler, but we won't get into that. It's all water under the stuffed animal bridge.
In unpacking my new place, I ran across a raggedy box. I knew instinctively that it came from our old house -- the one with the wood paneled walls, the disco dance floor (lights and all! so tacky and yet we loved it), and the rust-colored carpeting. I opened it, expecting 19 different types of woodroach to crawl out, and instead was greeted by none other than PC Popple himself. He was laying on top of a small pile of my most treasured "keeper" stuffed animals: an insanely soft Briggs Snowman, several tattered CareBears, a couple Pound Puppies, and my cherished teddy bear "Hug Me." (I got him as a gift in first grade, and it said "Hug Me" on his t-shirt. I'm a clever little minx, no? Am grade-A genius, so just shut up.)
I grabbed PC Popple, checked his pouch for roaches (none thank God) and smelled him. He smelled just like our basement -- like sleepovers and couch pillow forts, like dust and dress up clothing, like the time I spilled lemonade all over my sister's Barbies and didn't explain what I'd done when she wanted to know why their hair was all sticky. It was such an amazing flashback, I almost couldn't put him back in the box.
In retrospect, I realize now that I had the boy. And while he was Pretty Cool, she had the cute, girly pink one. Which probably made her cooler, but we won't get into that. It's all water under the stuffed animal bridge.
In unpacking my new place, I ran across a raggedy box. I knew instinctively that it came from our old house -- the one with the wood paneled walls, the disco dance floor (lights and all! so tacky and yet we loved it), and the rust-colored carpeting. I opened it, expecting 19 different types of woodroach to crawl out, and instead was greeted by none other than PC Popple himself. He was laying on top of a small pile of my most treasured "keeper" stuffed animals: an insanely soft Briggs Snowman, several tattered CareBears, a couple Pound Puppies, and my cherished teddy bear "Hug Me." (I got him as a gift in first grade, and it said "Hug Me" on his t-shirt. I'm a clever little minx, no? Am grade-A genius, so just shut up.)
I grabbed PC Popple, checked his pouch for roaches (none thank God) and smelled him. He smelled just like our basement -- like sleepovers and couch pillow forts, like dust and dress up clothing, like the time I spilled lemonade all over my sister's Barbies and didn't explain what I'd done when she wanted to know why their hair was all sticky. It was such an amazing flashback, I almost couldn't put him back in the box.
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