Imagination

Because we played with so many doll families, Sarah would write things down as we played- the family names (first, middle and last), ages, likes, dislikes, places of employment and the like. Looking back, I can’t figure out how we came up with many of these ideas. Many evolved from a simple suggestion from one of us. Others came from books, magazines, television and movies. We were, and still are, pop culture sponges. We would incorporate names and personalities of real people into our play, which created an opaque mix of fantasy and reality.

From the Red Book of Barbie Families, compiled by Sarah Jordan
The Weinger Family:

Scott and Jasmine [Jasmine. You know, from the movie ‘Aladdin’. We loved that movie.]
The twins, Rob and Marie [born on March 24, also my late grandfather’s birthday]
Tina (3 years younger)
Josh (the baby)
Scott is rich and owns half of town; DJ of late night show called “The late late late show with Scott Weinger” [We needed a place for him to work, where he could also be “at home” enough for us to play with his character. Hence, he is rich and makes his own hours. Funny thing is, we made his daughters work at the station, too. Why would two teenage girls be working on a late, late, late night talk radio show?]

Barbara (Babs) Weinger (Scott’s mother)
Granddaddy (Jasmine’s grandpa)
Likes invention called Catsup surprise and loves fish (to eat or watch?)
And only shops at Piggly Wiggly[We saw a Piggly Wiggly in Georgia on our way to Disney World one year and thought it was too funny not to add to our imaginary world.]

Bobski Blubber [We needed a good name for Scott’s best friend, so we asked my Dad. He had a friend in high school with the last name Bobski. We decided that, although it was a last name, it was funnier as a first name.]
-Scott’s best friend
-Wife is Tonya

Becca
Jasmine’s best friend
Polly
Scott’s cousin
Likes to eat kumquats [Kumquat, what a funny word.]

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Patman, Patman, Wakefield, Wakefield Wilkins Alan (excerpts) [This family, completely separate from the Scott and Jasmine clan, was named after characters in a series of books we both read. In the books, the twins were young, no more than 12 years old. Our Patman, Patman, Wakefield Wakefield Wilkins Alan, which included in-laws, friends and a very extended family, was the What-Ever-Happened-To of the series of books.]
Jessica and Bruce Patman
(high school sweethearts)
Have 13 children (some adopted)
Rachelle (and Rackle)
Blair (and sister, Blar)
Elizabeth Marie
Missy
Chrissy (likes mustard custard [Chrissy was a mean baby who threw a fit if she didn’t have her mustard custard. Why mustard custard? Simply because the words rhymed.]
MINTY (Michelle Isabella Nancy Tara Yvonne) [The 3 inch plastic baby doll we used for MINTY, a hand me down from my mother’s childhood, had no hair and a permanent dot of blue ink on her forehead. Instead of ignoring this flaw, we incorporated it-MINTY had to take “Blue Dot Medicine” twice a day, in hopes the blue dot would disappear.]
The Quints (five tiny babies)

Elizabeth and Todd Wilkins
Elizabeth is twin sister of Jessica
Maiden name “Wakefield”