In the days BC (Before Children) I recall proclaiming loudly that, should I choose to have children, should the universe grant me a daughter, she would NEVER wear pink, she would be raised with gender neutral toys and under no circumstances whatsoever would she be allowed to play with Barbies.
My girlfriends cheered and we raised our unshaven armpits in solidarity!
When Monkey was born she was duly dressed in an adorable, non-gender specific onesie and brought home to her brightly decorated, non-gender specific nursery.
Within days of her arrival, doting Grandparents, friends and Uncles started sending care packages containing beautiful, highly gender specific clothes and toys. I spent my weekends sorting laundry into whites, darks and pinks! (…though it was my lovely housekeeper in Bangkok who actually washed, dried, ironed and organised our lights, darks and ‘the pink wash’… sigh!)
As fate would have it, Monkey was a girls, girly, girls girl. By 18 months she was choosing her own clothes. She refused to where ANYTHING BUT PINK until she was almost 4 years old.
She was probably around 2 years old when my best friend came to visit us for a holiday. Her eldest daughter, almost five, brought with her a Barbie doll, a singing Barbie doll, a singing barbie doll in a pink sparkly dress with long golden hair… Monkey was enthralled!
I was horrified.
It is possible that I heaped a rather heavy dose of ‘WTF’ on my girlfriend.
Several months later, just in time for Christmas, a parcel arrived for Monkey from my girlfriend. Inside was a Barbie doll, a singing Barbie doll, a singing barbie doll in a pink sparkly dress with long golden hair… AND A DVD…Barbie and the Diamond Castle!
Well played my friend, well played. I give up.
To this day, G and I still sing, I feel connected, to the girls as part of their bedtime ritual and can I just say, we rock the harmonies!
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Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day!
44andafourth 
I think our daughters got swapped at birth..I show her all the wonderful things I ever wanted like intricate dolls houses..she laughs and asks for sneakers… xxx
Hoping all is going well with the move..sending love xxx
Getting there… Crazy times… at least I now have internet again. Yay for me!