Each year we hear about the must-have toys and gadgets of the season. It’s hard not to think of one of the first Christmas gifts I remember: my Cabbage Patch doll. Her official name was Zia Terri. I changed her name to Tina Marie. Good ol’ Tina with her bright yellow track suit, brown yarn braids, chocolate skin and funny belly button. She smelled great too – remember that?
Do you also remember the cat fights over these dolls? Yes, although in the second grade at the time, the evening news was appointment television for me. We watched what Dad watched. And you’ll recall, children’s programming pretty much ended at 5 p.m. back in the days; dating myself, aren’t I?
It was hard not to be fascinated by the footage of the crowds, the gridlock in the stores and the catty fights for a doll my grandmother thought was the ugliest toy she’d ever seen. Still, I was in awe and initially confused. I thought Santa was on the case! Side note: this would also be the year my idea, or shall I say reality check, about Santa Claus kicked in. I put it together people! Thank you Chuck Scarborough.
Still, seeing Tina in that box was the best. “I got a Cabbage Patch Doll,” I remember telling anyone who’d lend me an ear at our Christmas party! A few of my cousins got one too. I can’t even tell you what I else I got for Christmas that year. But I do remember briefly flirting with the idea of getting a tattoo on my butt soon after. Thank you Xavier Roberts!
Photo (c) Cabbage Patch Kids