Sometimes you just have to say goodbye

To your toys, I mean.

Actually, to their toys. Sadly, I don’t have toys anymore. Unless of course the iPhone counts as a toy in which case I take back what I just said about having to say goodbye. Do not make me say goodbye to my favorite toy the iPhone.

But back to their toys.

I hated to have to send her on a permanent vacation, but it was time. Daphne Blake had to go.

My girls have been Mystery Gang lovers for well over a year now. Maybe going on 2 years. Charlotte has loved Daphne in particular. Well, in particular she loves Fred and Daphne. She puts them in various scenarios wherein Fred must rescue Daphne from impending peril.

(I can’t tell you how that drives me nuts, by the way. I often times take Daphne and make her solve her own problems or rescue Fred. Just ’cause.)

Earlier this year, or maybe it was end of last year, Charlotte’s BFF gave her a new Daphne. We’ve had other Daphnes and Freds and the whole gang in fact. We have a Mystery Machine too. But this Daphne was not like the other Daphnes (one of which was lost). Her outfit was slightly different. And, most importantly, she was a gift from her BFF.

Charlotte LOVES this Daphne.

Which, in turn, makes Sarah COVET this Daphne.

And so the fighting over Daphne was getting out of hand. Even though she is technically Charlotte’s, I don’t have an “off-limits” rule for any toys. Tried it in the past, didn’t work. For the past several months I’ve been making them take turns playing with Daphne.

It has not been going well. When my sister was visiting a couple of weeks ago and witnessed a Daphne-inspired meltdown, she looked at me and said, “I’d be getting rid of Daphne if I were you.”

But I was hesitant to get rid of her. Hopeful, actually, that we could turn Daphne into a triumphal moment. I was hopeful that maybe by constantly reinforcing the message of sharing and taking turns that maybe, just maybe, they’d get it. Daphne would be our hero.

And then I started to realize that, you know, they really don’t fight over other toys. Charlotte has her Barbies, Sarah has hers. Sarah has her princesses, Charlotte has hers. They share books, coloring books, Nolan’s toys. They take turns with the computer.

It’s just Daphne they fight over. And the fighting gets ugly. I’ve tried sending Daphne on weekend trips with Fred just to give us a break. The whining over when is she coming back was unbearable.

So a few days ago, after another ugly Daphne moment, I told the girls to get ready to say their goodbyes to Daphne.

“Where is she going,” Charlotte wailed.

“On a permanent vacation.”

“What’s a permanent vacation.”

“That means she’s not coming back.”

Sarah pipes in: “Oh, that’s good. She should go on permanent vacation and then Charlotte can’t play with her ever again.” (Sarah could teach a course in How to Press Your Sister’s Buttons.)

Later that night both girls said goodbye. Daphne said goodbye. And she left.

A few times Charlotte has said, “I miss Daphne.”

I just say, “I know you do.”

And we leave it at that.

The absence of ugly Daphne fights has been lovely.

Bon voyage, Daphne. You will not be missed by me.

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