Barbie Girl

"Mom, I love my Barbie so much, she is so nice and cozy."

When Ava was a little over a year, we had taken a trip to the zoo and as we walked past gift shop she spotted this lovely snake that I named Barbie. Barbie became a fixture in our lives, traveling everywhere with us, always eliciting comments from passersby. Then Ava discovered "babies" and Barbie was left to hang with the other stuffed snake, Ken, for the past year.

Barbie has re-emerged back into her life do largely to the re-introduction to snakes while at zoo camp last week. While the other kids in the class were cowering behind their parents when the Hognose snake was brought out, Ava beamed with excitement when her eyes met Slinky. She gave him a rub and whispered softly, "Tickle, tickle." She was the first one to pet him....as well as the last one.