The Barbie Diamond Castle

The girls now have the Diamond Castle. At a family gathering after Christmas, (but still celebrating Christmas) Mr. Heather's grandmother innocently asked the girls if they got everything they wanted for Christmas. "Well, almost," replied Zoe. "Oh?" she inquired. "Yeah, I really wanted the Diamond Castle." Then Mr. Heather's father starts to protest on Zoe's behalf. "Why didn't she get the Diamond Castle?" Aye-karumba!

The real reason was that I thought the Barbie Cruise Ship (with pool and disco ball) looked like a lot more fun and the Diamond Castle got bad reviews on its sturdiness- basically, it's just a lot of purple plastic. However, ever since it came up, we had to succumb to the fact that our household would be one with the Diamond Castle. I looked on ebay...over $200! WHAT!?!?! Then I started checking out department stores. We were on the hunt. In the meantime, Zoe and Samantha oodled over the Barbie brochure (which came with the Cruise Ship) and fawned over the picture of the Diamond Castle. (It's never just the castle...always the "Diamond Castle.")

With no birthdays or major holidays in sight, we set the girls on a quest of chores to earn the castle, just little things like making their beds, brushing their teeth, picking up their clothes and toys, etc. Today, Mr. Heather found the Diamond Castle on clearance for a price we could live with and it is sitting in the living room right now occupied by Barbies (it even came with a princess) plus the Little People nativity characters (including the donkey and camel). The girls were thrilled and even made another Barbie house with the packaging.

Another lesson learned! (Now the girls want to work for the other Barbies featured on the box! Here we go again!)