The Button Family

Before Brooke left for England, the doll house and accessories were the most used toy that we have in the daycare.  Brooke used to visit the daycare and play dollhouse with the kids for hours on end.  I would just sit and watch, as if watching a stand up comedian (only she was sitting, because that's how we play at Little Smiles Daycare).  Brooke has named all of the characters.  Scott (short for Scottland) is the dad.  He is normally played by a 3 year old toddler who has Scottland take off in the pink jeep (or in some cases the Little People school bus) and not return until very late to help around the house.  By this time Deborah (played by Brooke), is furious.  She does everything around the house.  Her teenage daughter, Trisha (played by four year old Bella) is the outlet of Deborah's frustration.  The ongoing story with Trisha is that she lays in bed all day and refuses to get out of bed for school or to help around the house.  Bella used to put Trisha in bed and then tap Brooke, pointing out the situation at hand.  At this point Deborah would shout: "Trishaaaaaaaa!!!!!" and add some sort of comment like: "This house is a prison!!"  Bella would then erupt in giggles for getting on Deborah's last nerve.  The Button family has a little baby who doesn't have a first name.  He is just called "Baby button."  Baby Button somehow always ends up in the refrigerator of the house.  At one point, I remember one of the kids playing Baby Button and having him walking around the house.  "Deborah"stared at Baby Button in amazement and exclaimed: "How are you walking? I think you're like four months old!"  In the midst of Baby Button emerging from the frosty fridge and learning to walk, Scott returns in the pink jeep and starts driving it on the second story of the house.  Deborah scolds him once again: "Scoooooooootttttttt!! How many times have I told you to stop driving the jeep inside the house?"  Among the common plot of Scott taking off in the jeep or school bus and Trisha refusing to get out of bed for school, the button family always seems to be dodging the terrorist plot of the Little People airplane crashing into them.  I remember Deborah and family riding in the jeep with the air plane chasing them.  At this point she shrieks: "There is a giant airplane on our behind!"

Now that Deborah/Brooke is in England, it is just impossible for me to fill Deborah's shoes.  The dollhouse is played less and less and is now in the closet because it just isn't a home without Brooke to make the plot go round and round!  I would like to end this Button family story by remembering one scene that Brooke created while playing dollhouse with the kids.

This is a party scene, celebrating Trisha's birthday.  Please notice the ape in the rocking chair and all of the animals that have arrived to celebrate.  Also, that girl in the green shirt and helmet is Helga, the babysitter.  I don't know how I acquired Helga but we have never been able to find her horse.  All of these animals have names and are frequent visitors to the button family.  Ana, the lion, is lounging on the party couch. 

Trisha at the end of the party.   Too much grape juice!