"A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down." ~Arnold Glasow
Recently they had a koala day at the Peanut's daycare. I was vey excited. You see, koalas are kind of my favorite animal. Why? Because growing up, my favorite stuffed animal was a koala bear. I named her, originally enough, "Koalie."
Koalie and I went everywhere together. To this day, family members will ask me about her. "How's Koalie?" "Do you still have her?"
Yes, I still have her. She is retired. And spends her days in the armoire in our bedroom with Ellie, the stuffed elephant that was my wife's favorite stuffed animal growing up. They're not in love. Just roommates enjoying old age together.
If you're wondering why Koalie is a girl, it's because she was married to my favorite Smurf, Jokey. They would ride around the house in my Tonka Jeep with their child, Curious George, in the backseat. Often they would steer off course and fly down the stairs, much to my mother's chagrin.
As for how Koalie is doing? She's seen better days. She no longer has fur. In fact, the area under her nose is so worn it looks like a smile. But it's not. It's just a bare patch. Her eyes are scratched from countless spins in the washer and dryer, making her look like she has cataracts. Her arms and legs are literally hanging by threads.
Koalie is a relic from my childhood that I will treasure forever.
When I saw on the calendar that koala day was coming up, I asked the Peanut if she had to bring a koala into school. She said no. I asked her if she wanted to bring Koalie anyway. "No, daddy," she told me. "I don't want to bring her because she has holes and is ripping."
"I understand," I told her. I then warned her that her Lammie will probably get like that some day. "That's what happens to the toys we love and play with every day like Lammie and Koalie." She didn't want to hear it. "I dont want Lammie to get holes in her and rip," she said, on the verge of tears.
I remember one of my sisters painting Koalie's pupils back on with nail polish after they washed off in the laundry the first time. I was devastated. So I totally understood the Peanut's anguish. We don't want to see the people - or things - we love grow old or get worn out.
Lammie is looking a little worse for the wear. Despite weekly washes, she's brown. She's no longer white, soft, and fluffy. She stinks a little too. And her fur is balding in some areas. Lammie and the peanut have been inseparable since she was about 10 months old:
I just hope she holds together long enough until the Peanut is ready to retire her to the armoire with the other spinsters. Peanut loves her so much she wanted to dress as Lamie for Halloween this year. So my wife and I joined her in dressing as our favorite childhood stuffed animals:
When you have a friend that special, you never want to let them go.
We nearly lost Lammie on a recent trip to Ikea. Not one of my finer parenting moments.
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Recently they had a koala day at the Peanut's daycare. I was vey excited. You see, koalas are kind of my favorite animal. Why? Because growing up, my favorite stuffed animal was a koala bear. I named her, originally enough, "Koalie."
Koalie and I went everywhere together. To this day, family members will ask me about her. "How's Koalie?" "Do you still have her?"
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| They rest in my wife's belt basket |
If you're wondering why Koalie is a girl, it's because she was married to my favorite Smurf, Jokey. They would ride around the house in my Tonka Jeep with their child, Curious George, in the backseat. Often they would steer off course and fly down the stairs, much to my mother's chagrin.
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| Koalie up close |
As for how Koalie is doing? She's seen better days. She no longer has fur. In fact, the area under her nose is so worn it looks like a smile. But it's not. It's just a bare patch. Her eyes are scratched from countless spins in the washer and dryer, making her look like she has cataracts. Her arms and legs are literally hanging by threads.
Koalie is a relic from my childhood that I will treasure forever.
When I saw on the calendar that koala day was coming up, I asked the Peanut if she had to bring a koala into school. She said no. I asked her if she wanted to bring Koalie anyway. "No, daddy," she told me. "I don't want to bring her because she has holes and is ripping."
"I understand," I told her. I then warned her that her Lammie will probably get like that some day. "That's what happens to the toys we love and play with every day like Lammie and Koalie." She didn't want to hear it. "I dont want Lammie to get holes in her and rip," she said, on the verge of tears.
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| Peanut with Lammie: Summer 2011 |
Lammie is looking a little worse for the wear. Despite weekly washes, she's brown. She's no longer white, soft, and fluffy. She stinks a little too. And her fur is balding in some areas. Lammie and the peanut have been inseparable since she was about 10 months old:
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| Peanut with Lammie: 2007 |
When you have a friend that special, you never want to let them go.
We nearly lost Lammie on a recent trip to Ikea. Not one of my finer parenting moments.
