My Dad used to be a pilot in the New Zealand Air Force, which meant that when I was the girls’ age he spent a lot of time overseas. One of my clearest childhood memories is sprinting to the front door to greet him after he’d been away for a couple of weeks away, screaming: ‘DAAAAAADDY!!!’.
He never came home without a pressie that he’d picked up on his travels, and one time it was the most beautiful Barbie doll I’d ever seen. Her name was Tiffany, and she had blue eyes and waist-length blonde hair, and – because she was from overseas – none of my friends had anything like her.
Now, I know Barbie’s copped a bit of flak over the years but for me, personally, she wasn’t about pigeonholing girls, she was about dreaming BIG. Together we went on hundreds of adventures – ice skating (on frozen tubs of water), camping (in tents made from handkerchiefs) and swimming in waterfalls (well, a little creek that trickled near where we lived). She designed Lego houses, and flew planes, and regularly whipped that wimpy Action Man’s butt.
I had all the accoutrements that went with her – wardrobes of designer clothes, a kitchen, a bedroom suite, and a shower that pumped actual water (yes, it was as cool as it sounds). I remember a friend of mine had a Sindy pony and I was beside myself with envy. Not any more though, as I’m getting sweet revenge by living vicariously through Lil Sis and her new Barbie Saddle ‘N Ride Horse, and this one is better – way, way better (take THAT Sindy!).
Sure, it took me a couple of tries to figure out how it worked (it needs a hard, flat surface to work properly) but as soon as I did, Lil Sis and I were blown away by this equine’s skills. Set it up, push a button on its nose, and this clever horsey flicks BARBIE up into the air, and on to the saddle. Yee ha! Then it starts to trot along all by itself – you don’t even have to make that whole ‘clip-clop’ noise with your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Technology, huh?
Check it out, here, in all its Saddle ‘N Ride glory, and tell me you’re not impressed…