Stitching with Elli

Part of the reason the dolls have been baking so many cookies (see here…and here… and here) was because they wanted to send some cookies to Emily’s brother. He is in the military and is currently serving in Afghanistan. None of the dolls except Josefina have met him. Josefina said he was a pretty typical boy when she knew him…meaning he didn’t care much for dolls and wasn’t friendly. But, that was to be expected of brothers growing up. Emily said he was very nice now and he should have cookies for Christmas. Today they have finished baking all the cookies and are packing them up.

Ellen was given the task of filling out the paperwork.

She sat staring at it for a bit…address labels can be tricky things….you have to make sure things are in the right place and that you start far enough over to make everything fit. She had never sent anything overseas before, and she was a little intimidated. She tapped her pen on the table thoughtfully while she decided if she should write the main address or the return address first.

“What should we put in first – the nuts or the cookies?” Samantha asked.

“Samantha!! Look at my hat!! Can I send the hat?? Maybe it will make him laugh.” Nellie was wearing a huge snowman hat.

Samantha thought the hat was a bit ridiculous, but funny. “It is too big for you!!” she laughed at Nellie.

“Not if I wear it carefully. Can we send it, Josefina? please!!” Nellie said cheerfully.

“Wellllll, I’m not sure what he will think of it…..but I think we can fit it in. Maybe he will think it is funny and fun for Christmas.”

“Yes!!!!” Nellie exalted. “He is going to like it!! I’m just sure of it.”

Nellie started helping Samantha pack the cookies they had in the box.

“I think we need some more spritz in there. Can you and Samantha vacuum pack them for me?” Josefina said holding up a plate of them.

“Certainly!” Samantha said cheerfully. The prospect excited Nellie, because she hadn’t had a chance to use the vacuum sealer yet. Emily said it was the best way to send the cookies to try and keep them from arriving stale or broken.

“I’ll put the cookies in the bag…can you pass them to me?” Samantha asked Nellie.

“How about another Christmas tree?” Nellie asked holding it out.

“Yes, I think we need the trees to balance out the camels…but I think the camels are my personal favorite.” Samantha replied.

Samantha said the bag was ready to seal. Nellie was more than ready to push the button and make it buzz and seal. “Clear?” She asked pretending she was running a defibrillation machine just like the movies. “Clear!” Responded Samantha.

“RRRRRRRRRRRRR” buzzed the machine.

“Will the patient survive?” Nellie asked Samantha. “I don’t know .We shall have to ask her brother after it arrives. But no ,actually,  the patient won’t survive…it will be eaten!!” Samantha replied.

“And so they shall fulfill the grand destiny of all cookies.” Nellie was quick to reply.

Josefina called from the other room to ask if they were done yet. “Coming!!!” They hurried out to take the cookies to her, so they could go in the box.

Nellie tucked her hat in  on the top. “Good travels hat…Make him smile when you get there.” she said as she patted it.

Samantha sat on the box to hold it in place while Josefina taped it.

“Ow!” grunted Josefina as the tape gun jerked back and smacked her in the head. “Wish I had a smaller tape dispenser”

“Need any help? “Samantha asked. ” Maybe Nellie can help you with the taping part while I’m sitting on the box.”

“That might be very helpful,” Josefina responded. With all three of them working on it, soon it was all taped up and ready to go.

Ellen had finished the label and was now working on the customs form. “How much are cookies worth?” she asked.

The other dolls looked at each other a bit blankly….They had never thought of cookies having a cash value.

” Umm, well, it depends on how hungry I am.” Samantha responded.

“They can be replaced by  baking more cookies, so I guess they can’t be too valuable.” was Josefina’s observation.

“But it was a lot of hard work to bake those!! They are very valuable! I mean they are doll made! That makes them pretty rare,” Nellie said indignantly.

Ellen said that none of those responses were particularly helpful since she needed a dollar amount… but never mind , she would figure it out. She finished  attaching the label right before the post man came. Hope they get there before Christmas!!