In honor of the season, a holiday shopping post.

I can’t think of a time my sister and I have disagreed on anything parenting-related. Not to one another’s faces, anyway. But this American Girl thing is tough.

It started with Hanukkah. Jenny wanted to know what she could buy the girls.

Well, I told her, they’d like something for their American Girl dolls; Annabelle would love something nature-related and Sophie really wants the wheelchair.

Jenny seemed fine with that, til she got inside the store and the text messages started flying. I knew she wasn’t thrilled earlier this year when AG opened in her city, Denver, but I figured after several months she’d have gotten over it. Apparently not.

“This goes against every ounce of me,” she wrote.

“The wheelchair?” I replied. I knew what she meant. It’s sort of creepy that Sophie wants a wheelchair.

But that’s not what she meant.

“yes,” came the sarcastic reply. “didnt u know i dont like disabled people? american girl!”

Oh. Whoops. That was a little embarrassing, even in front of your sister.

“woohoo channukah for the girls is done. big mistake was letting kate come to amer girl. she’s obsessed.:(”

Kate is my 7-year-old niece. The texts kept coming.

“truthfully the american doll thing is f-ed up. grown women drooling over dolls ick.”

“No one is offering to buy YOU one,” I answered.

“true…but kate has hers picked out. jonathan is going to KILL me. By the way I added a book to the gift box to make myself feel better. the wheel chair helped. when is the doll with A or DS coming out?”

Yeah, I can’t imagine an American Girl with autism or Down syndrome will be hitting the shelves any time soon. But at least they don’t have collagen-injected lips. One did get bullied. There’s even a homeless one! And I know it’s like saying you read Playboy for the articles, but I really do love those American Girl books.

I just don’t see that the doll thing is such a big deal. Yes, you can go overboard with AG — just like you can go overboard with a lot of things. (Really, what the fuck are our kids doing with $150 iPod nanos???)

I do suppose (see picture above) I could compel my girls to take better care of their dolls. I really only meant for them to have one each, til the Jewish one, Rebecca, came out — then what was I to do? So now we have several floating around the house, and a Rubbermaid I try (mostly in vain) to keep packed with all the accessories, so they don’t get lost.

So shoot me. I’ve done far worse as a parent — and I’ll do far worse. At least I haven’t bought my niece Kate an American Girl doll. But apparently my sister’s about to cave.

“oh i am strong. we left with nothing. she has to wait a whole 3 weeks for hannukah. go me.”