Mummies

We've been studying ancient civilizations recently, and a friend of ours has come up with a number of fun and elaborate Egypt-related projects. We've started making a sarcophagus out of poster board, and we were given the task of mummifying this Indian Princess doll from Michael's. Step 1 was somewhat traumatic for us: the hair must go. Amara let Ethan get in on the action. I quickly realized that the process may take a very long time, since both kids gave the doll repeated trims. I love the look on Amara's face here. Perhaps she's inherited some of my neuroses, like the sympathy for inanimate objects.   I've gotten much better with age - I don't save every pencil I've ever received unsharpened, or cringe when I have to throw away a piece of paper because I feel a twinge of sympathy for it. (yes, I really used to do that!  Among other things...  Can you imagine what kind of pack rat potential I have in me? Don't worry - I do actually throw things out).  Still, chopping off the hair of this doll, seeing her beady black eyes pleading with me....  I felt that familiar pang of sympathy.  Its a piece of plastic!  (I did remind myself this a few times.)  I think I feel extra sympathy because maybe if we didn't snap her up some lovely little girl would've found her and loved her for the next 5 years!  (Or maybe she would've ended up in Sid's collection!!  Ack!)  Then I finished the hair chopping and we wrapped her up in linen, tweaking her plastic arms up so that they could be folded across her chest, like a true mummy. Both Alan and his mom (who is here visiting) have declared that she is creepy, and I may have glimpsed them both shuddering upon walking by her. Whatever. I think she's cool.

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