the pink castle

i have a story to share...and i hope you can help...

someone dropped this pink castle off on monday for the yard sale.
{it's on the far left in this picture}

bailey played with it for 3 days straight.
she carried it around the house.
played with it when she should have been taking a nap.
brought it outside to play with while i priced/organized stuff.
it was so cute.

bailey doesn't have much that is JUST HERS.
which is fine.
she has this pink pencil box that her grandmommy gave her for her birthday last year.
and she treasures it.
it's HERS.
that's the only think i can think of that's JUST HERS.

until this castle.
she asked if she could keep it.
i told her she could buy it with her money.
she asked how much.
i said, "$5."
she thought hard about it...that's a lot of dollars for a 4 year old!
but she decided she would buy it.

yesterday, when we are outside all day pricing/organizing, she brought it out to play with holly's girls in the yard.

it got priced.

and bought.
i came over on the tail end of the exchange...after the other little girl was already holding it and ready to leave.
i was so SAD!
but couldn't say anything at that point!
and bailey...oh, sweet bailey's face...she just looked like she was in SHOCK!
like this couldn't be happening!

but she didn't say a word.

once they left with her castle, i took her aside and talked to her.
i told her i was so sorry that her castle got priced and bought!

and she was quiet.
and then looked up at me and said,

"it's ok."
in the smallest, sweetest voice.

it broke.my.heart.

i would LOVE to find this castle for her.
NOT because she needs another toy.
NOT because of "stuff"!
good grief!
we're trying to get RID of a lot of STUFF around here! :-)

but because of her sweet attitude about it.
if she had thrown a fit, i would have said, "get over it!" and moved on.

but i felt sick about it the rest of the day.
and it kept me up for at least one of the hours i couldn't sleep last night.
{i really can't sleep or eat this week...it's not effecting me yet...but it's not going to be good!}

this adoption...yard sale...pink castle is not about the end result
{although i can't WAIT for those days!}
but it's about the process...the whole story from beginning to end.

and i just feel like someone finding (at a yard sale this weekend??) or having that pink castle in their basement that their daughter doesn't play with anymore that would be willing to sell it to a 4 year old for $5 (or more?? i would pay the difference!) would be a HUGE part of this story for bailey.

i can just picture her face when someone shows up with it for her.
and it would be JUST HERS.

and...maybe not?
maybe getting the castle is not a part of her story??

but i just had to try.

i think it's polly pockets??
it's NOT to be bought in stores ( i looked!!!)
it's older.
the newer ones are "disney" and "beauty and the beast"...

this one is simpler.
and has a pool on one side...and a 3 beds and a table and chairs and a few little people.

thank you.
thank EACH AND EVERY ONE of you for the part you are playing in this story!