Christmas Coda (or, Chloe!)

Brigade, as you read the Christmas report, you may not have given the bit about Santa bringing Clara a baby doll much thought.  We must call your attention to it again, and provide a follow-up report.  The baby doll is a Cabbage Patch Kid.  (Readers of a certain age may recall their longing for one of these faux-baby powder scented little ones from the cabbage patch with Xavier Roberts signature scrawled across one of their little bottom's cheeks--so might their parents.  It turns out that the cabbage patch continues to this day!  Who knew?!)

A few weeks ago, at pick-up on a show 'n' share Friday, we saw Birdie's friend, Emma, toting out a Cabbage Patch Kid sporting two ponies on top of her head just like someone else we all know and love.  Emma's Cabbage Patch Kid is named Chloe.  Santa--being terribly clever--brought Clara a Cabbage Patch Kid that looks like Birdie (and Chloe).

By the time we'd come downstairs Christmas morning, Clara and her Chloe were inseparable.  That's right, Fans.  So far as Clara is concerned, all Cabbage Patch Kids might as well be called Chloe.  It was all terribly confusing at first--Had Joe read the birth certificate?  Had Clara?  Was there a new friend at school named Chloe?  Then we remembered--Emma.  Emma's Chloe.  There was a brief mention of Clara's Chloe going by her given name, Sasha, but that suggestion was quickly forgotten as that was even more confusing.  Call Chloe Sasha?!  Why?????*

So now, multiple times a day, you can hear Clara cry out "Chloe!" upon realizing she does not have her beloved in hand.

*Julie would note that she christened her first Cabbage Patch Kid herself, too:  Buffy.  This was pre-Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so how Julie knew of Buffy as a name is a mystery--even to Julie.  But Buffy was altogether fabulous, and she smelled even better.  (Julie may have buried her nose in Chloe a few times these past two days.)