Saturday, April 24, 2010

Best Friends

Ever since Daphne was a tiny toddler, she has always loved toys. As early as she could carry things, she always had several toys clutched in her hands as she wobbled around. As she got older, things didn't change. She still carried a favorite Polly Pocket, mini My Little Pony, or Littlest Petshop around with her. But she added stuffed animals to the list of favorite toys, so that for 5-6 days after she received a new toy, you could count on it being in her hands at all times, slept with, dragged with her everywhere she went.

Beck, on the other hand, has never been into toys. He had a brief obsession with trains around 18 months, but within a month of receiving an awesome train set, he was over it. And that's the only time he has played with toys. We keep buying him really fun stuff, but he only takes a slight interest in it. No stuffed animals, play figures, or vehicles have ever caught his attention.

Until about six months ago. And then, for some reason we can't explain, he fell in love with a ratty, half-empty, red velour teddy bear my mother had bought at Goodwill the previous year. For Daphne. All of the sudden we found Beck demanding to sleep with Red Teddy, carrying Red Teddy around by his long, saggy leg, telling me that Red Teddy was hungry or sleepy or needed to go potty. Red Teddy became his best friend. His only friend. The only toy that boy has ever loved.

And it makes his sister crazy that she can't have it. I've explained to her over and over that Red Teddy is Beck's now. She can't have him. (She never cared for him at all before Beck wanted him). But every night when I tuck her into bed, she asks for Red Teddy and offers up a toy or animal of hers in exchange. But my answer is always the same. No, Red Teddy is Beck's special friend and he can never be hers again.

I mean, how could you ever separate these two??




13 comments:

Kristina P. said...

So cute! I had a favorite blanket.

just call me jo said...

Can you imagine Red Teddy's little heart swelling to twice its size? Somebody loves him. I'm so happy for both of them. They've found each other.

Jules AF said...

aww cute! I still have my teddy bear... He's up in my closet now though.

Financial Aid for College said...

And now a secret REVEALED! --- about Arianne and HER comfort pal. She still keeps her "special" blanky close at hand at night. Talk about ratty! I hand-quilted it in 1973 for her Older Sister (Shades of Daphne, Beck and Red Teddy), before Ari was even a gleam in her father's eye. Jennie liked it OK, but no big deal.

Arianne got a yellow baby blanky to sleep with at birth, but her cruel mother took that away at age 4, when it began to look like a used, third-world, field dressing.

So Ari adopted Jennie's olive and pink, blanky (somewhat sturdier), and has hauled it with her through childhood, high-school, college, her internship in India, her student-teaching in Fiji, her career as a teacher, and now as a wife and mother. (I'm sure there's a codicil in her will to lay it beneath her body in her casket.)

Those childhood security-comforts never die -- they just turn to rags and disintegrate.

Tiffany said...

How adorable. And I love the name "Red Teddy."

Mrs. O said...

My 10 year old still has her favorite blankie (one she stole from grandma's house when she was two). I've tried to "store" it but don't see the harm in her having it.

Suzie said...

I wuv the name Red Teddy.

adorable post.

Mia said...

Those pictures are melt your heart adorable! I still have my blanket too. I don't sleep with it still, but I know right where it is.

Hildie said...

Mom, you are such a wierdo!

That sounds like Beck and Daphne's personalities in a nutshell.

Teachinfourth said...

Isn't it amazing that we so often want that which somebody else has?

Erica said...

that's cute!

kado! said...

oh! cute!

Nox has a little stuffed cat that is so ragged now...but he LOVES "Fluffy"

Sara said...

Girls, we always want what we can't have.